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Oct 15, 2024

The 7 Best Running Headphones in 2024 - Best Wireless Earbuds for Runners

We put the best to the test to find the right fit, sound, and sweat-resistance for runners. We earn a commission for products purchased through some links in this article. Why Trust Us? Headphones

We put the best to the test to find the right fit, sound, and sweat-resistance for runners.

We earn a commission for products purchased through some links in this article. Why Trust Us?

Headphones have become just as essential in the runner’s toolkit as running shoes, a fitness tracker, or a smartwatch. For the most part, runners looking for headphones generally choose in-ear models, including truly wireless earbuds and neckband earbuds with a wire or band connecting them. They stay in place far better than over-ear headphones, and often have features made with exercise in mind, like ear hooks and sweat-resistant materials.

These are the best running headphones we here at Runner’s World have tried—buds we’ve worn well-past testing on all kinds of runs, including marathons.

Runner’s World editors have been testing gear tirelessly for over 50 years. That means a lot of miles in a lot of shoes—mid-run music has become a godsend for plenty of us as we tap out our favorite loops day after day. In short, we review products with a focus on finding the best tech for avid runners.

Every pair of earbuds we test meets the same criteria before it ends up in one of our reviews. We’re not just throwing Airpods on this list because everyone has them, for example—we eschewed including the latest version because we like the second Pro generation more for their snug fit. In a similar fashion, all the other buds we recommend here are here because we’ve run with them, sweat all over them, toyed with their fit, and ultimately enjoyed them. Nobody else contributes to our decision-making process, especially not the brands we’ve picked.

The Runner’s World test team is constantly listening to music, podcasts, you name it, as we try running shoes, shorts, and everything else.

Our team loves music; we even conducted a test on whether a song’s beat can influence your running pace. Our watches and smartphones have running playlists for every kind of run with music. We also play podcasts and audiobooks to test different kinds of sound quality—and catch up on true crime or “read” celebrity memoirs.

Besides downloading a range of genres to listen to, we also evaluate fit, sound quality, and battery life as we test earbuds and comb testers’ feedback to determine the best headphones for this list. Our testers log long runs—and marathons and ultramarathons—wearing their earbuds and taking note of how many times they have to charge them per week.

We also test sweat-resistance and comfort after prolonged in-ear use, putting in hours of running through all kinds of weather to also gauge water- and wind-resistance. For waterproof models, we plop them in a cup full of water to check if they’re still in working order (and so you can squash those fears of replacing your buds after an accidental puddle drop or spin cycle).

The earbuds on this list checked off most or all of the above characteristics.

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The main draw of bone-conduction headphones is safety—because they project soundwaves directly through your skull into your eardrums, they don’t need to plug your ears, which leaves them open to take in all the ambient sound around you. In other words, the open-ear design allows runners to listen to their playlists while also being aware of their surroundings, such as traffic.

Shokz is the most recognizable bone conduction headphone brand with good reason. Even though the sound quality isn’t as crisp as that of in-ear earbuds, the Shokz headphones have the brand’s TurboPitch feature, which we’ve found boosts the bass enough to offset the tinniness that you sometimes get with earbuds that allow too much airflow. The headset is lightweight—only 1 ounce— and requires only an hour-long charge for 10 hours of battery life.

Another plus is the comfort factor— the open-ear ’phones won’t cause skin irritation after prolonged use. Fair warning: If you have piercings around the helix or conch of your ear, you might experience some discomfort in these headphones, because the main pads that compress your head sit right behind your ears. It’s initially a weird sensation regardless, but the potential pain from contact with these piercings could be a dealbreaker.

If we had to pick a single set of running headphones from Apple, we’d grab the Beats Fit Pro. They take everything we love in the AirPods 3 and Beats Studio Buds, and they cram it all into a tiny set of buds with ear wings to help them stay put. No matter how sweaty we got during testing, these didn’t budge. They also didn’t ache when we got up to an hour or 90 minutes of running, which is roughly when the discomfort of ill-fitting buds starts to snowball.

We enjoyed these earbuds’ delightful tactile buttons. They require just a light press to play/pause, two presses to skip, three to go back, and a long press to activate active noise cancelation and transparency modes or Siri. It’s easy to use, and there’s no fumbling for small buttons.

The coolest feature, however, is one you might have never considered—spatial audio. When you turn your head, the audio rotates so it sounds like the music is still coming from the same direction, just as the sound would change when you swivel your head at a real concert. It’s trippy at first, but you won’t actually trip while you’re running—we got used to the feature quickly. But it’s not just neat audio effects at play here—the sound is remarkable for small headphones.

Thanks to an H2 chip and amplifier, the second generation of the AirPod Pro has noticeably deeper bass and clearer, louder sound than the original. Plus, you can customize the spatial audio—by taking photos of your head and ears—so the sound is tailored to how you would naturally hear. It’s a neat trick— swivel your head and the focal point shifts. It’s like you’re actually in a room with live music. Other improvements make these great for your daily workouts.

Transparency mode, in particular, works far better with less of the digital crackle you get when wind passes over the microphones that pump in external audio. To be fair, we’ve found there’s still some wind noise, but you completely forget about it after the first quarter mile or so of your run. Plus, there’s none of the “thump, thump” you get from other sealed earbuds every time your foot hits the ground.

At this point, we ought to acknowledge that there is a third generation of the standard AirPods out, but we still rank the Pro 2 buds higher because of their superior in-ear security—the 3s don’t have rubber ear tips and simply can’t handle the same repeated shocks.

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Director of Product Content Will Egensteiner said these buds’ lack of ear wings initially made them feel insecure, but they stayed put nicely during runs without generating a noticeable “thud” at each foot strike. However, working up a sweat caused a slight rubbing noise where the silicone tip sealed in the ear. That seal wasn’t so tight as to prevent him from hearing his surroundings—a plus for outdoor running. But because of that, the sound wasn’t as immersive, and the battery life wasn’t on par with that of the other models.

But it’s tough to argue with inexpensive, truly wireless earbuds that offer modest water-resistance, quick and easy pairing, a charging case, and a built-in microphone to take phone calls—plus a full two-year warranty.

Test editor Amanda Furrer has long rocked the (now-discontinued) Jabra Elite 75t—they’re still going strong even after she accidentally ran them through her washing machine—and has found these to be a familiar, yet improved, replacement. The Elite 8 Active, touted as “the world’s toughest earbuds,” passed nine durability tests that met U.S. Military Standards for rugged electronics, according to Jabra.

At a demo in New York, Furrer was told to plop them into an 8-ounce glass of water before popping them back into her ears. The Elite 8 Active can be submerged down to 5 feet. You can’t listen to music during a swim because Bluetooth does not work well underwater, but you can rest assured the earbuds will continue to work properly after being dropped in a rain puddle. Sticky silicone “ShakeGrip” keeps these locked in your ear canal no matter how sweaty you get, without the need for hooks or wings.

The earbuds have six microphones, which are great for phone calls, but also power the active noise cancelation and transparency features. The Elite 8 Active’s standout feature, however, is Dolby Audio. Spatial and 6mm speakers provide a more nuanced sound experience as you run. Think of it as having a mini music hall by each ear.

It was tester Kendra Petruny’s first time running with open-ear earbuds when we gave her 1More’s S50 to test. She usually wears Apple Airpods on her runs, but checked to see if the S50 would fall out when she cartwheeled (they stayed put). The ultimate test, however, was wearing them while racing a half marathon. Petruny was happy to report the S50 didn’t budge. The volume could have been a little louder, she said. However, she appreciated how the open-ear style allowed her to hear the crowds’ cheers as she ran.

The buds have an impressive IPX7 rating, meaning the electronics shouldn’t be affected by a heavy downpour or your sweat. The battery life is also good for up to 11 hours on a single charge, making this pair ideal for ultras.

One problem with plenty of dedicated running earbuds is one you can see from a mile away: They tend to be bulky, especially if they have ear hooks. If that’s not your style, or you want buds that will play nice with a wider variety of headwear, we recommend looking for options that sit more flush with your ear. Enter the Jaybird Vista 2 earbuds.

Not only do these earbuds barely stick out of your ears, but they also come in an exceptionally tidy carrying case that’s easy to stow away on long runs if you want to charge them or take a break from your tunes.

The Vista 2 lasts eight hours on a single charge—long enough to get you to the finish line of your next 26.2—and two hours longer than the original Vista. Plus, you’ll get an additional 16 hours with the charging case. This update preserves the same earbud shape, with a secure fit that seals out dust and moisture.

Speaking of moisture, the sweat- and waterproof Vista 2 improves to a rating of IP68 from the first version’s IP67. Double-tap (don’t press) to change between Active Noise Canceling (ANC) and SurroundSense (ambient noise pass-through) modes.

Though our best overall pick, the Shokz OpenRun Pro, uses a wraparound band to hold itself in place on your head, the majority of other headphones use two systems to stay in place: in-ear tips and external ear hooks. In the best case, both are an effective means of keeping your buds in or on your ears during a turbulent run, but plenty of runners have a strong preference for one or the other. Let us spell out some key differences for you.

These buds have neither connecting wires nor hooks that extend around your ear; you just push them in and go. This design tends to fit snug in the ear canal to stop it from loosening midrun. The compact style makes them lightweight, and their small batteries can mean more frequent charging. However, all of our test models came with charging cases that allow you to juice them up on the go. Truly wireless earbuds also tend to be the most expensive.

Over-ear hooks take some pressure off the ear canal to hold these buds steady. Adding a hook can improve an earbud’s fit, too, since there’s a second point of contact to hold it in place. The hook can also store antennae or a battery, helping these buds play longer than their truly wireless counterparts. They’re often marginally cheaper than truly wireless models, but some will cost more than $200 anyway.

The best running headphones will fit comfortably, so you can think about your run and not your aching ears. That fit also affects how much outside sound is let in—there’s no ideal balance for everybody. Some runners like buds that fit deep in their ears and block all outside noise, allowing them to crank up the tunes, while others prefer lots of environmental sound from a looser fit. The latter fit is safer for running outside and among other people.

Because earbuds that isolate you from the outside world should provide clear sound, we expected better sound quality from earbuds that fit snug in the ear than we did from earbuds that let in a lot of noise. It’s becoming more common, however, for the best running headphones to offer an ambient sound mode, which uses the earbud’s microphone to bring in outside noise while maintaining a tight fit.

While we test each pair of running earbuds for at least two weeks—some far longer—we don’t typically encounter quality issues. But we ask our testers to discuss how the earbuds felt—you’d expect a $200 set of buds to feel premium compared to a $40 pair. For long-term quality assessment, we checked user reviews from Amazon and other retailers to identify any persistent issues. Plus, we update our findings here if any issues crop up as we continue to run with these models.

None of our testers had issues with water or sweat ruining their buds, but with long-term use, moisture and salt can destroy earbuds that aren’t capable of repelling it. So, we factored in each device’s IP, or Ingress Protection, rating. The rating consists of two numbers.

We also ask testers to evaluate how quickly and easily the buds connected to their phones, and how far they were able to get from their phones before the signal cut out. In addition, we recorded any mid-run connectivity issues. To assess battery life, we checked manufacturers’ claims against our testers’ experiences and noted discrepancies where they occurred.

We’ll continually update this roundup with our test impressions of the best earbuds for running. Tell us what you think about your buds in the comments.

How do you listen to music and run phone-free?

As a loyal Garmin user, I recommend using models like the Forerunner 245 Music or the Forerunner 965, which I’m currently wearing. The latter has more features if you’re a multi-sport, stats-junkie, but the price is significantly higher. The watches allow you to sync with music providers, such as Spotify. Most earbuds, with the exception of Apple Airpods, are Garmin compatible.

How do you pair wireless earbuds to your Garmin?

Fellow test editor Morgan Petruny offers a helpful guide on pairing your earbuds to devices. Here’s her instructions on pairing them to you Garmin:

How do you clean earbuds?

For a deep clean, fill a glass with a drop of dish soap in half a cup of warm water. Remove the foam or silicone tips from the earbuds, and let them soak in the soap mixture for 30 minutes. Use a cotton swab or Q-Tip to remove excess particles. Allow the tips to air dry before screwing them back on. Use a clean old toothbrush to gently scrub the actual earbuds, mesh cover pointed down.

Adam Schram is an Assistant Editor of Commerce at Runner's World, though you might see his byline on Bicycling and Popular Mechanics, too. A lover of all things outdoors, Adam's writing career comes after six years as a bike mechanic in his hometown of State College, PA. His journalism experience is steeped in cycling and running gear reviews, and he's also a published creative nonfiction and satire author. When he's not writing, riding, or running, you can catch Adam at home mixing cocktails, watching Star Wars, or trying in vain to do the Sunday crossword. You can check out his latest work below.

Jeff is Runner-in-Chief for Runner's World, guiding the brand's shoes and gear coverage. A true shoe dog, he's spent more than a decade testing and reviewing shoes. In 2017, he ran in 285 different pairs of shoes, including a streak of 257 days wearing a different model.

Amanda is a test editor at Runner’s World who has run the Boston Marathon every year since 2013; she's a former professional baker with a master’s in gastronomy and she carb-loads on snickerdoodles.

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