Regardless of what kind of exercise you’re into, if you’re working out, you’ll want a pair of wireless workout headphones. They allow you to be free and untethered during a serious weight-lifting session, a 5K run, an hour at the skate park and everywhere in between where you’re moving and sweating a ton. There are dozens of great wireless headphones and wireless earbud options out there, but for exercise in particular, there are additional factors to consider before picking one up like water resistance, battery life and overall comfort.
At Engadget, we’ve tested a bunch of fitness-ready headphones and earbuds to come up with our top picks, plus some advice to consider before you pick up a pair. All of our top picks below will work in and out of the gym, so you can invest in just one pair and make those your daily driver. If you’re primarily a runner, check out our list of best headphones for running.
Best workout headphones for 2025
Beats 87 100 Expert Score Best wireless workout headphones overall Beats Powerbeats Fit Connectivity: Wireless | Style: In-ear with wingtip | Assistant support: Google Assistant, Siri Read our full Beats Powerbeats Fit review With a few key tweaks, Beats make a more polished version of the Fit Pro earbuds in the Powerbeats Fit. The company didn't reinvent the wheel here, but this is one of the rare instances where that was for the best. The new buds have 20 percent more flexible wingtips and the charging case is 17 percent more compact than that of the Beats Fit Pro. Both of those adjustments make for a more comfortable, more portable pair of buds. Once you pick from the four eartips included in the box, you can pretty much pop the Powerbeats Fit in your ears and get going — no constant readjustments needed. And, blessedly, the charging case more easily slips into a back pocket now (it was a bit of a chonkster before). Sound quality and active noise cancellation (ANC) are just as good as they were on the Beats Fit Pro. You'll get that signature, bass-heavy sound you expect from a pair of Beats earbuds, and ANC that's strong enough to block out most ambient noise. Transparency mode remains a highlight here, and will be especially useful if you use these buds all day long and need to jump in and out of conversations while wearing them. While an IPX4-rated design isn't the most durable, it's plenty to withstand sweaty workouts and even an accidental splash in water. Battery life is just average, but the charging case provides up to a total of 30 hours of use before you'll need to recharge. That's plenty if these buds are solely your workout companions, and more than enough to get you through a couple of days of constant use. Pros Improved design with more flexible wingtips
Smaller charging case Cons IPX4 durability could be better
Six-hour battery with ANC could be improved $200 at Amazon Explore More Buying Options $200 at Target$200 at Verizon
JLab Best wireless workout headphones under $50 JLab Go Sport+ Connectivity: Wireless | Style: In-ear with hook | Assistant support: None If you have less than $50 to spend, the $30 JLab Go Air Sport+ are a great option. These are the latest version of our previous pick here, the Go Air Sport. When I tested those, I didn’t have high expectations going into testing these buds, but I was quickly impressed by their comfort and sound quality. Lots of headphones designed for workouts have this hook that wraps around the top of your ear, and it does help the Go Air Sport stay securely attached to your head. The Sport+ maintains that design. The hooks are quite flexible and have a soft-touch finish, which adds to their comfort. Admittedly, this design will take some getting used to if you’re new to it, but it’s a surefire way to get a little extra stability during high intensity workouts. Sound quality is pretty good on these buds as well, although not nearly as balanced as that of our top pick. I also appreciate that you can cycle through three different EQ modes — Signature, Balanced and Bass Boost — using the buds’ onboard controls. There’s no app to fuss with, and that was a nice change of pace after mostly testing buds with some kind of app connectivity. You can expect over nine hours of playtime on the Go Air Sport+, plus another 26 hours of battery life with its charging case. JLab also fixed a major pain-point about the previous versions here: instead of the old, built-in USB-A cable for charging, it's now a more modern USB-C cable. Still, the case is on the bulky side; you can still throw it into a backpack or purse easily, but it’s not as svelte as cases you’ll see on more expensive buds. Pros Affordable
Impressive sound quality for the price
IP55-rated design
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