Compare Top 5 Workout Headphones
How to Keep Your In-Ear Headphones From Falling Out AccordionItemContainerButton LargeChevron To a certain extent, how the headphones sound matters less than if they fit correctly. They can be the best-sounding headphones in the world, but I will find them irritating if they won't stay in mid-run. So how do you keep your headphones from falling out? Here are a few tips and tricks that I've tried over the years. Dial it in. To put on your buds, pull open your ear a little bit and give it a little twist to fix it in place. If they don't fit, don't be afraid to switch or mismatch ear tip sizes—one ear might need a medium tip and the other a small, for example, or one might need a foam tip while the other needs a plastic tip. Accessorize. Still can't get it to fit quite right? There's a healthy market for aftermarket clips and wings to get your earbuds or AirPods to fit more securely. Check the IP rating. Ingress-protection ratings give you a quick indication of the headphones’ dust- and water-resistance. If you’re running outside in the pouring rain, you need a higher IP than if you’re doing gentle calisthenics in the gym. How We Tested AccordionItemContainerButton LargeChevron I wear headphones while working out in their intended environments—open-ear headphones while running or biking, over-ear and noise-canceling headphones in a gym, and swimming headphones in the pool. I listen for sound quality with songs in a variety of registers (is it dating myself to say that my standards include Mariah Carey for higher registers and Beyoncé's Beyoncé for bass). I test durability by dropping them, sweating in them, pouring water on them, and leaving them in grody gym bags. I also test battery life by tracking how long it takes for one charge to last.
Honorable Mentions
Photograph: Adrienne So
We try almost every pair of new workout buds that come out. Here are a few that we also like that didn't quite earn a space above.
Skullcandy Crusher 540 Active for $210: The BlueAnt headphones are just a better buy in all regards, but I enjoyed these a lot. The noise canceling doesn't work very well, but these headphones are attractive and the bass is astoundingly powerful—my whole head vibrated while listening to Jay-Z at the gym.
Apple AirPods Pro 2 for $249: These are nice headphones, but I don't particularly like them for working out. However, everyone else does, including my husband, so here they are.
JLab Epic Sport ANC 3 for $100: This is the upgraded version of the Go Air Sport above, with hybrid dual drivers for better sound, a higher IP rating, better battery life, and active noise canceling. You need a fully-sealed fit for ANC to be effective, which these don't have; I can still hear people at the gym when I'm lifting weights. Still, in every other way these headphones meet their promises and they do feel incredibly secure.
Photograph: Adrienne So
Shokz OpenSwim Pro for $180: Swim headphones are still somewhat of a niche category, and the OpenRun Pro 2 above sound better if you're above water. However, if you're in the water, there's no comparing the ease of use or the sound quality of these headphones.
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