Having the right music on hand for motivation can be key to getting a good workout. While you can certainly use a portable speaker when you’re going through a yoga session at home, you need something a little easier to carry, not to mention a little more private, for most types of exercise. For that, you should consider using one of the best workout earbuds.

There are a lot of options out there, from some surprisingly cheap true wireless earbuds to the best wireless earbuds. But not all of them are good for exercising. They need to have an IP rating to withstand any dust or sweat they may come into contact with, and they need active noise cancellation or transparency mode to either block out ambient noise or let you hear it (especially if you happen to job along a busy street). Plus, they must be secure so they don’t pop out in the middle of a set. Of course, they should be durable. With that in mind, we’ve collected what we think are the best workout earbuds right now.


  • Bose Sport TWS Earbuds

    Bose Sport Earbuds

    Best overall

    Next-level comfort and a stable fit, thanks to the StayHear Max ear tips, are just some of what make the Bose Sport Earbuds so great for workouts. They have that stellar audio quality that we’ve all come to expect from Bose. And they have an IPX4 rating for some sweat resistance. A four-mic array also means you can make calls from, say, the gym, and these earbuds will do a great job filtering out background noise.

    Pros

    • Comfortable and stable fit
    • Sound great
    • Fast charging
    Cons

    • Only IPX4 rating
    • Battery life underwhelming

  • Samsung Galaxy Buds 2 Pro truly wireless bluetooth earbuds

    Samsung Galaxy Buds 2 Pro

    Premium pick

    The Samsung Galaxy Buds 2 Pro are among the best earbuds out there. With good sound quality, they are able to do a little of everything, including spatial audio support and active noise cancellation. And though you might not think of these as workout earbuds, their IPX7 rating and comfortable fit should make you think again. Plus, they can pair with a Samsung smartwatch which means you can leave your phone in the locker room.

    Pros

    • Full, satisfying sound
    • Impressive ANC for earbuds
    • Smaller and sleeker than last year’s
    Cons

    • Multi-device support is limited on non-Samsung devices
    • Battery life is just okay

  • tozo-t6_980x980

    Source:Tozo

    Tozo T6

    Best value

    For under $30, the Tozo T6 provides waterproof IPX8 protection, multipoint connectivity, and a whole bunch of codecs, so you can listen to your music no matter the source. They also have a stellar ten-hour battery life, as well as the kind of fit you need when working out. However, they also have an irritating habit of maxing out the volume every time they connect.

    Pros

    • IPX8 rating
    • Fantastic battery life
    • Very cheap
    Cons

    • Some performance issues when connecting
    • No app

  • Beats Fit Pro in black

    Source: Beats / Apple

    Beats Fit Pro

    Best for iOS and Android

    The Beats Fit Pro nail the fit and feel of unobtrusive earbuds for those on the go. Its prominent wingtips help the buds stay in place as you’re working out or jogging, not to mention they have an IPX4 rating, which is good enough for the gym. Although these Apple-made earbuds come with features aimed at iPhone users, they still work well with Android devices thanks to a solid companion app. They also come with spatial audio support and dynamic head tracking.

    Pros

    • Fun, bass-forward sound
    • Great ANC and transparency modes
    • Lots of features on iOS
    Cons

    • Not many bells and whistles on Android
    • No wireless charging
    • Price is a little high

  • sennheiser momentum tw 3 render in black

    Source: Sennheiser

    Sennheiser Momentum 3

    The Sennheiser Momentum 3 Wireless might sport tiny 7mm drivers, but these earbuds sound huge. They can also support SBC, AAC, aptX, and aptX-A codecs for fans of lossless audio. More importantly, with ANC on hand, these can easily block out unwanted noise at the gym. The Momentum 3 also make for a comfortable fit and have an IPX4 rating, both important factors when using earbuds at the gym.

    Pros

    • Rich sound
    • Strong battery life, with a wireless charging case
    • Great active noise cancellation
    Cons

    • IPX4 rating
    • Large charging case won?t work for everyone
    • Expensive

  • Jabra Elite 4 Active true wireless earbuds

    Jabra Elite 4 Active

    The Jabra Elite 4 Active are great for both the gym and jogging with their excellent durability and solid active noise cancellation, not to mention their motivating bass-heavy sound signature. There’s also HearThrough (aka transparency) mode available if you need to hear your surroundings. And, with an IP57-rating, they can handle any workout this side of a pool. Though there’s no multipoint connectivity and the buttons are a bit stiff, those are small quibbles.

    Pros

    • Good quality sound with support for multiple lossless codecs
    • Durable design with IP57 rating
    • Very good active noise cancellation
    Cons

    • Stiff buttons require too much force
    • No multipoint connectivity

  • JBL-Reflect-Aero

    Source:JBL

    JBL Reflect Aero

    Though the active noise cancellation isn’t anything to write home about, and the call quality could be better, the JBL Reflect Aero do a lot of things right. To start, they sound very good and implement transparency mode much better than the ANC. They also have wings to keep the individual earbuds secure in your ear as well as an IP68 rating that’s good enough to take into the water.

    Pros

    • Fantastic IP68 rating
    • Very good sound quality
    • Solid transparency mode
    Cons

    • Active noise cancellation is not the best
    • Call quality underwhelming

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