14 best earbuds and headphones for workouts and runs, tested

Score: 93/100

There’s a lot of hype around these good-looking Beats buds and after testing them, we can see why.

According to our sound technician, the audio quality is “nearly flawless” and there’s zero sound distortion, so rest assured, they’ll do your workout playlist justice. The ANC (Active Noise Cancellation) is also top-notch, as is the transparency mode for letting in external sound – a feature runners will appreciate. They stayed put even when exercising vigorously (they didn’t come loose or slip out once) and they have a handy quick-charge feature, giving you an hour’s playback from a speedy five-minute charge.

Unlike many of Beats’ competitors, smart features – including voice activation and ‘Find My’ integration – are available for both Android and iOS users. The buds also scored bonus points for their stylish transparent case.

Score: 93/100

If you’re not a fan of in-ear headphones digging in, may we suggest these impressive over-ear headphones from the audio experts at Sennheiser? They’re supremely comfortable thanks to the soft, padded ear cups, which will sit on your ears nicely, without squishing them down.

While many over-ear designs are bulky and awkward to exercise in, these scored highly for security – they stayed in place throughout our high-energy workouts, without the need for readjustments every few minutes. Music to our ears!

The excellent sound quality and stellar ANC are complemented by a battery that lasts up to 60 hours between charges and responsive touch controls, which are easy to adjust mid-activity. We also liked the auto-pause feature when you take the headphones off.

Score: 91/100

These aesthetically pleasing Huawei buds are worth considering if comfort and staying aware of your surroundings are top priority. Their open-air, clip-on design means you can listen to music or podcasts without blocking out the world around you – ideal for runs, hikes and even commuting.

Instead of sitting inside the ear like standard buds, these lightly grip your outer ear, with a flexible bridge that holds them in place. Our expert found them impressively lightweight and comfortable, saying you could easily wear them for hours on end and barely notice they were on. They had doubts about how stable they’d be during workouts, but they held up surprisingly well across a range of activities, including walks, yoga and even bouncy cardio. As a bonus, they can handle heavy sweat and light rain.

They deliver nine hours of uninterrupted playback from a single charge, and our audio technician said the sound quality was decent, though they can’t rival classic ear-in headphones and there’s no noise cancellation. This means they’re a better fit for outdoor workouts and everyday listening over noisy gym sessions.

Score: 87/100

Though not specifically designed for exercise, Apple’s top-of-the-range AirPods Pro 2 are the dream for gym workouts, bike rides and runs, as well as your commute. They come with four silicone ear tips and there’s an ‘ear tip fit test’ to ensure your buds are comfy and they don’t budge mid-activity.

Our audio expert described the sound quality as “outstanding” and said the buds provide an extremely immersive listening experience. They also praised the active noise cancellation, noting it was better than any buds they'd tried previously. There’s a ‘Conversation Awareness’ mode that automatically reduces the volume when talking is detected and an ‘Adaptive Audio’ mode, which adapts the level of noise control based on your surroundings and listening behaviour. If all that wasn’t enough, the buds even have clinical grade hearing aid capabilities.

They’re quick to connect, the touch controls on the stems are super responsive, and the case has a built-in speaker to help you find it if you misplace it. Overall, a set of do-it-all buds for dedicated Apple users. The only downside? The hefty price tag.

Read our full Apple AirPods Pro 2 review.

Score: 85/100

These Samsung buds – which resemble the Apple Airpods Pro – won't slip out of your ears during exercise and our audiophile couldn’t get enough of the “well-balanced sound” with minimal sound leakage and impeccable active noise cancellation. Additional features like voice detect, which turns on ambient mode and lowers the volume when you’re speaking, and neck-stretch reminders sealed the deal for our in-house expert.

They come with three different ear tips to ensure the perfect fit, we found them comfortable to wear for extended periods, plus you can opt for voice controls as well as pinch gestures to control playback. Though compatible with both Android and iOS devices, those within the Samsung ecosystem can enjoy high tech extras like 24-bit audio (enhanced sound quality) and 360 Audio with head tracking for a surround sound experience. As a bonus, the carry case is compact, and the buds offer wireless charging.

Score: 84/100

If you’re searching for a sturdy pair of headphones to soundtrack your walks and low-impact gym workouts, look to these top-quality cans. Unsurprisingly with Sony, the smooth, punchy sound was “faultless” and there was no pesky sound leakage. The adjustable noise-cancelling also received full marks from our audiophile.

Excellent sound quality aside, these headphones boast a range of smart features. For instance, they will adjust the level of noise cancellation depending on your surroundings and they’ll automatically turn down the volume if you start talking. Additionally, multipoint connectivity means you can connect to your phone, laptop and fitness watch at the same time.

They are on the bulky side, and we found they needed readjusting from time to time, so we’d save these for low-impact activities, running errands or wearing at your desk.

Score: 84/100

This is the second Beats design in this round-up, but are you really surprised? The Powerbeats Pro 2 feature ear hooks for an ultra-secure fit, quality ANC and even built-in heart rate monitoring.

They’re extremely lightweight and comfy, so you can happily wear them for hours and, rest assured, they'll stay in place, even during your most vigorous gym sessions or runs. With an IPX4 waterproof rating, they’re resistant to sweat and light rain, too.

Our audiophile scored the buds highly across the board, noting a “very smooth” treble and bass, minimal sound leakage and top-notch noise cancellation (with a handy transparency mode if you’re exercising outdoors). You also get spatial audio with head-tracking. All in all, they said there was “not much to fault.”

The Powerbeats Pro 2 were a pleasure to use – our expert liked the buttons and volume rocker for faff-free adjustments mid-workout. The case is a bit chunky but thanks to the lengthy battery life, there's no need to carry it in your pocket.

Score: 83/100

These clever headphones, which combine bone conduction and air conduction technology, are ideal for runners who want to stay safe on the roads. The bone conduction speakers vibrate along your cheekbones to send sound to the inner ear, while the open-air speakers direct music towards the outside of your ears.

Our audio expert was impressed with the “smooth, detailed sound” and “good vocals”. They also appreciated the equaliser in the Shokz app, which allows you to tailor the sound to your personal preferences.

Our tester also rated the design and fit, saying the band felt lightweight, comfortable and secure when on the move, and praised the quick-charge feature, which provides two and a half hours of juice with one speedy five-minute charge. The buttons on the body of the headphones allow you to control playback and take calls, although our tester though the call quality wasn’t the best.

Still, if you want to be aware of your surroundings when running, without compromising on sound quality, they’re the best you can buy.

Read our editor's full Shokz Open Run Pro2 review.

Score: 82/100

A quality pair of wireless headphones doesn’t have to cost a fortune; these reliable JLab earbuds are proof of that. They're lightweight, incredibly comfortable and come with three different ear tips to help you find the perfect fit.

Although they don’t offer noise cancellation, we found they did a decent job of blocking out external sound. The touch controls were responsive, and we appreciated the in-ear assistant, which tells you when your headphones need a charge. The sound quality isn’t up there with Beats or Sennheiser, but the long battery life (32 hours) makes up for this, and when you consider the price, it’s hard to complain. Oh, and did we mention they come in seven subtle skin tones?

Score: 82/100

For under £100, the Soundcore C40i strike the perfect balance of “weightless” comfort and “crisp, clear” audio quality. Their solid battery life and secure, open-ear design make them ideal for long runs, ensuring you stay aware of your surroundings while clocking those miles.

Testers praised the seamless in-app connectivity, allowing you to customise your sound and manage updates with ease, while an intuitive rear button lets you play, pause, and skip tracks, too. With AI-powered noise reduction helping to minimise background interference during calls and a pocket-friendly charging case, these affordable earbuds will be a welcome addition to your daily routine – whether you're WFH or working out.

Score: 81/100

If you're looking for some Airpods for under £200, consider the brand's classic AirPods. You can either opt for the buds with active noise cancellation (ANC) or, for £50 less, the regular buds without noise cancelling tech. We tested the ones with ANC.

Looks-wise, they have a more angled design and shorter stems than previous generations, which the brand claims will provide a more comfortable and secure fit. Sure enough, they didn’t fall out when our tester put them through their paces, and they remained comfy after wearing them for hours on end.

Our audiophile was impressed with the sound quality, praising the bass, smooth treble and dynamic range. They also rated the ANC, which provides three different modes to suit all needs, including a transparency mode for safety and a conversation awareness mode, which automatically lowers the volume when you’re speaking. The spatial audio, which provides a surround-sound effect, is an excellent addition, too.

Unlike the third-gen buds, the AirPods 4 are water-resistant, making them suitable for your sweatiest workouts. There’s a built-in speaker on the case, which will emit a sound to help you find it, and you can take or reject a call by simply nodding or shaking your head.

Check out our full Airpods 4 review.

Score: 81/100

We’re big fans of Soundcore’s sleep earphones so we were interested to see how its ANC buds performed during testing. They boast a range of clever features, including a touchscreen on the case so you can easily keep an eye on the battery level and tinker with the noise cancellation settings. Then there's HearID, a feature that tests your hearing and creates a bespoke sound profile for your ears.

Our tester found them extremely comfortable, noting that they stayed firmly in place as they were moving around, and our audiophile was impressed too. Not only did the buds block out significant background noise, but the audio was smooth, powerful and punchy. They thought the bass was a little ‘muddy’, but appreciated the option to customise the sound in the user-friendly Soundcore app.

The battery is long-lasting (with up to 7.5 hours on a single charge and an extra 30 hours from the case), plus there are safe volume limits, an ‘easy chat’ mode, which automatically lowers the volume when it detects talking, and plenty more.

Just note, they’re sweat-proof, but not fully waterproof, so we’d save them for low impact workouts like hiking, cycling and relaxed gym sessions.

Read our full Soundcore Liberty Pro 4 review.

Score: 70/100

Another pair of open-ear buds from Sony, these feature a unique open ring design to let sound in and help you stay aware of your surroundings while you work out.

Our tester said the set-up process was foolproof; they rated the battery life (up to eight hours on a single charge) and liked the simple tap controls to control music playback – you can tinker with the settings by saying ‘Hey headphones’ or tapping on your cheek. Our expert didn't have issues with the fit – the buds remained snug in their ears – but as they don’t come with interchangeable tips, finding the perfect fit may not be easy for everyone. On the plus side, you do get a set of silicone ‘Air Fitting Supporters’ to improve comfort and stop them slipping out.

Due to the open construction, the audio quality isn’t going to blow you away. It won’t do bass-heavy bops any justice and our audiophile described the sound as “tinny and lacking in detail”. However, the buds do offer features like ‘Adaptive Volume Control’, which automatically changes the volume based on surrounding noise levels, and ‘Conversation Awareness’, which pauses the music if you start speaking.