Our favorite workout headphones: tried and tested

NBC News

21-04-2025

Working out can feel like a chore. Pounding the pavement or pumping iron can get repetitive after a long day of work, especially if you aren't used to it. What makes my 45 minute dumbbell workout fly by? Workout headphones, paired with an audiobook, of course.
Workout headphones can vary in shape and size. Some look like typically wireless earbuds, others are band-shaped open headphones that rest on your temples. Regardless, good workout headphones stay secure on your head during jumping jacks, burpees, yoga and anything else.
How we picked the best workout headphones
The NBC Select team has tried dozens of workout headphones over the years, for this guide as well as our annual NBC Select Wellness Awards. To pick our favorites, we selected products while keeping the following qualities in mind:
Comfort: Workout headphones should feel comfortable and secure for hours at a time. Different size eartips or a customizable fit can help too.
Controls: It can be hard to change volume or skip tracks while working out. The best workout headphones have reliable on-ear controls that work well even with gloved or sweaty hands.
Water-resistance: Strong dust and water resistance, often noted by a headphone's IP rating, can prevent dust and moisture from breaking your workout headphones overtime.
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The best workout headphones in 2025
Our top picks came from a mix of large and small brands including Beats, Shokz and. and smaller brands like Apple, Jabra, Shokz and more. We list specs like battery life, water resistance and more below each recommendation.
The Beats Fit Pro has been my go-to workout earbud for years, even after trying out dozens of competitors. The fit is a big reason why — the small, built-in wing-tips lead to a secure fit without making the earbuds too hefty.
Both earbuds have physical button controls that are easy to use, even when I am wearing thick gloves for a winter run. You can press either button to stop, start and skip songs, and holding the button down changes between noise cancellation and transparency mode. The Beats Fit Pro pair easily with my iPhone and have a similar experience on Android using the Beats mobile app, in my experience.
Unlike many competitors around this price point, the case does not charge wirelessly.
These headphones rest on the outside of your ear instead of inside your ear canal. They use a mix of vibrations and highly-directional speakers to get sound to your inner ear.
NBC Select editorial director Lauren Swanson has used Shokz open-ear headphones to run the New York City Marathon. She feels safer running with them because they leave her ears open, allowing her to hear things more clearly like nearby cars, bikes and pedestrians. I use them for similar reasons while I'm cycling.
The Shokz OpenRun Pro 2 is the brand's most premium headphone, with the best sound quality, comfortable fit and feel and ubiquitous USB-C charging. But, like with all open-ear headphones, don't expect them to block any noisy neighbors while working out at the gym.
If the OpenRun Pro 2 is a bit pricey, you could also consider the similar Shokz Open Run, though you lose out on sound quality and USB-C charging.
If you are looking to try out an open-ear headphone, or want a second pair of workout headphones just for outdoor runs, consider these budget-friendly Anker Soundcore V20i. The earbud rests on, not inside, your ear, and each bud has a rubber earhook for a more secure fit. They are also IP55 dust and water resistant, so you don't have to worry about sweat or rain.
The Beats Powerbeats Pro 2 are some of the most secure workout headphones I've ever tested. They are also some of the most feature rich — they have active noise-cancellation and transparency modes, on ear media and volume controls, a wireless charging case and heart rate sensors built-in to the earbuds themselves. While the sensors are a little finicky to sync with your workout app, they are a nice-to-have for anyone who doesn't use a fitness tracker. You can read more in my Beats Powerbeats Pro 2 review.
Our previous earhook pick, the JBL Endurance Peak 3, is still a great option if you are looking for something simple, secure and less pricey.
Noise cancellation: yes | Transparency: yes | Battery life: rated up to 10 hours | Wireless Charging: yes | Water resistance: IPX4 | Bluetooth Multipoint: no | Works best with: Android, iPhone | Ear tips: silicone (XS, S, M, L, XL)
Best budget earhook: JLab Go Sport+
For $30, I was surprised by the quality of these earbuds, especially for quick outdoor runs. They have a large ear hook design that wraps securely around the back of your ears — I found them to be tight and comfortable, but not so snug that I couldn't hear traffic noise or other runners around me.
Like most earbuds at this low price point, they do not have noise cancellation and transparency modes or wireless charging. But they do connect to the JLab app, where you can customize settings like sound balance.
The NBC Select team mainly consists of iPhone owners, and they love AirPods Pro for working out and everyday life — they are comfortable and secure in our ears during workouts, including outdoor runs and indoor gym routines.
The earbuds have excellent sound quality and noise canceling. With noise cancellation turned on, chatter and music at the gym fade instantly, in my experience. When I switch on transparency mode, I can hear my surroundings very clearly, perfect for running outdoors. They also include four ear tip sizes in the box, which can help you get a more comfortable fit for your ears.
Anyone with an Android phone looking for one pair of headphones to pull double duty as workout and everyday earbuds should consider these latest Google Pixel buds. The new design adds mini wing-tip stabilizers that fit snugly in your ears and make the earbuds much bette for exercise than the originals.
Like Airpods Pro 2, the Pixel Buds Pro 2 have strong noise cancellation and transparency modes. But they also have the longest battery life on our list — up to 12 hours in the earbuds alone and 48 with the case.
Noise cancellation: yes | Transparency: yes | Battery life: rated up to 12 hours | Wireless Charging: yes | Water resistance: IP54 | Bluetooth Multipoint: yes | Works best with: Android | Ear tips: silicone (XS, S, M, L)
How to shop for workout headphones
We've tried dozens of excellent headphones fit for everyday use, but not all of them make for ideal workout headphones. Keep the following in mind as you shop for your next fitness headphones:
In-ear versus open-ear
In-ear headphones are typical earbuds like Apple Airpods Pro 2 or Google Pixel Buds Pro 2 with rubber eartips that rest inside your ear canal. Open earbuds rest on the outside of your ear instead of the inside, usually on your ear or around your temple. Open-ear headphones are great if you want to listen to music but still hear your surroundings clearly — I prefer open-ear headphones when I am running or cycling outdoors.
Earbud fit
Your earbuds need to fit your ears well, or else they will fall out during intense exercise, in our experience. All of our in-ear headphone recommendations come with multiple sized ear tips. Try a few different ear tip sizes and feel out which one fits best. If you want to avoid worrying about eartip all together, look into open-ear headphones instead.
Water and dust resistance
Water and dust resistance is denoted by an earbuds IP (ingress protection) rating. IP ratings contain two numbers. The first represents intrusion protection against dust and debris. The second denotes water resistance. Many of our recommended headphones have an IP rating of IP55, which indicates protection against dust and jets of water. Earbuds meant for swimming or water sports should be fully waterproof, with a rating of at least IPX8.
Automated noise canceling and transparency modes
Noise cancelation and transparency (sometimes called hear through) are both useful features to have in any kind of headphone. Noise canceling can block outside noise like chatter or music at the gym. Transparency lets in sound and is useful for outdoor activities like running, when you may want to hear nearby traffic or pedestrian noise more clearly.
Noise canceling headphones with transparency are typically more expensive than headphones without those features.
Why trust NBC Select?
I am a reporter at NBC Select who covers technology and fitness including recent stories on fitness trackers, running shoes and cameras. For this piece, I tried over a dozen headphones and earbuds while doing different fitness activities. I spoke with other members of the NBC Select team about their experiences with headphones and earbuds they've used for fitness.