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Oct 16, 2024

Best wireless headphones for runners UK 2024: Apple & Shokz tested

We earn a commission for products purchased through some links in this article. Pump it (louder) with our expert-tested pick of the best sweatproof running headphones Want more tried and tested

We earn a commission for products purchased through some links in this article.

Pump it (louder) with our expert-tested pick of the best sweatproof running headphones

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Looking for a reliable pair of headphones to wear as you clock up the miles? We've put the best running headphones from the biggest brands – including Beats, Shokz, Bose and Samsung – through their paces to help you decide on the right ones for you.

Generally, the best headphones for running tend to be in-ear, wireless headphones, as these stay in place far better than over-ear headphones and are often made with sweat-resistant materials. Below, you'll find our expert picks. If you're on a tighter budget, though, you can also find the best cheap running headphones we've tested. And if safety is your top priority, shop our guide to the best bone conduction and open-ear headphones.

There's nothing worse than your headphones digging into the side of your head in the final miles of a long run. These days, you can get all sorts of options designed for sport that wrap around your ears in various weird and wonderful ways.

When scrolling through the list below, think about whether you'd prefer wireless headphones that are still connected to one another with a cable, or earbuds. It's worth highlighting the Powerbeats Pro here, which have an innovative over-ear hook design that all our runners found extremely comfortable during testing.

Sure, you can run with a 'normal' pair of headphones, but they probably won't be built to withstand heavy rain showers, or a large amount of sweat (nice). A good pair of running headphones will have a waterproof casing that, while not suitable for submerging underwater, will save them from getting destroyed if you're running in a downpour.

Of course, you're using headphones to distract yourself as you clock up the miles. They may not pick up as much as your day-to-day cans, but a good pair of running headphones should offer decent sound quality, while still letting you hear the traffic.

Look out for products sporting our Runner’s World Expert Tested logo as they've been put through the wringer by our expert testers.

This involved seeing how each pair of performed while stationary and on the run, to make sure the impact of heels repeatedly striking the tarmac didn’t send them tumbling to the ground. They were also judged on their design, ease of use and performance, with the final category included criteria such as battery life, comfort and sound quality.

Products were also sent to an independent sound technician to make sure they could provide the crisp treble and powerful bass needed to help us push our pace.

The 'Editors’ Choice' earbuds listed below are those that have been tested – and highly rated – by the editors and contributors on our team. Over the years, we’ve tried and tested our fair share of running headphones and, as technology has evolved, so have our expectations when it comes to comfort, sound quality and performance.

Runner’s World editors have been testing gear tirelessly for over 30 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 favourite 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.

> Read our full Beats Powerbeats Pro review <

These headphones don’t come cheap, but we think they’re worth every penny. The punchy bass is great for pacing and their adjustable hooks fit around the ear to make sure they stay in place throughout any workout.

Despite having a bulkier design than most, courtesy of the aforementioned hooks, we found them supremely comfortable to wear. As they’re manufactured by Apple, they’re definitely best-suited to iPhone users, with the ability to summon Siri and display their battery on your mobile’s home screen.

We were also big fans of the magnetic charging case, which boosts the total battery life up to 24 hours.

> Read our full Sennhesier Sport True Wireless review <

Sennheiser’s sports pedigree really shows here. Three different sizes of ear adapters and four different sizes of fins combine to provide you with a customisable fit that our testers found stayed firmly in place.

The ‘Adaptable Acoustic’ tech means you can opt to have the ear adapters open to stay aware of your surroundings but minimise body noise such as your breathing and footfalls, or closed to block outside noise and immerse yourself in your chosen soundtrack. Testers were also impressed with the sound quality, which they felt punches way above the price tag.

> Read our full Shokz OpenRun review <

What sets these OpenRun headphones (previously called Aeropex) apart is the bone-conduction technology, which sends audio vibrations through your cheekbones to your inner ears, bypassing your lugholes. This is great from a safety perspective and comes with surprisingly little compromise on sound quality, which is excellent.

There’s also a comfort bonus – you don’t have to ram and twist them into your ears as you do with some buds. Battery life is also solid (roughly eight hours of playback), while a nano protective coating and watertight rubber gaskets make them fully sweatproof and waterproof. Playback and calls are easily controlled by a single multi-function button, too.

On the downside, our tester found the rocker switch that controls power and volume rather fiddly and had to resort to using their phone mid-run. All in all, though, an excellent package.

> Read our full Beats Studio Buds + review <

There’s plenty to shout about with these shiny new Beats, which are enhanced versions of the popular Studio Buds. What's changed? You get a funky transparent case, improved audio, more effective noise cancelling and longer battery life, according to the brand. But do they live up to the hype?

That’s a resounding ‘yes’. Our expert described the audio quality as ‘nearly flawless’, raving about the lack of distortion and smooth, detailed sound. They also gave the ANC their seal of approval and thought the transparency mode was solid – great news for the road runners among you. On that note, the compact buds stayed in place when on the move – we had no issues with them falling out or coming loose – and the quick-charge feature, which provides an hour’s playback from a five-minute charge, was a lifesaver for last-minute runs. Unlike many of its competitors, these slick Beats offer advanced features for both Apple and Android users. Those include voice activation, instant pairing and synching between devices, and ‘Find My’ integration should you misplace your buds. For those who have their foot in both camps, this makes life significantly easier.

The OpenFit Air are a new release from Shokz, boasting about 97% of the same specs and features as the OpenFit (the brand’s first open ear headphones which launched last year), but for a more affordable price. (For context, the OpenFit cost £179 — £60 more).

Looks wise, they're slightly larger than the OpenFit and this is reflected in the weight, too, but it's very marginal and they’re still some of the lightest open-ear headphones on the market. In fact, at just 8.7g each, we genuinely forget we’re wearing them at times.

The bass is mightily impressive for an open-ear headphone. Our tester praised the clarity of the vocals, saying ‘the quality was in line with that of some in-ear earbuds’. However, as with most bone conduction and open ear headphones, sound leakage is a problem in noisy areas, especially when listening to podcasts.

There are touch sensitive panels on the outside of the headphones which you can use and customise to control playback. We were a little disappointed by the touch controls on the buds, and found them to be somewhat temperamental.

When it comes to on-the-run comfort, though, the fit and feel is fantastic. The ear hooks ensure they stay firmly in place. We also liked that the charging case was small enough to fit in a pocket.

Whether we were running hill sprint intervals or grinding through sets of burpees and box jumps, these earbuds didn’t budge. The tips felt tight, comfortable and secure, and we really liked the discreet design that sat flush within our ears.

Our independent audio expert raved about their dynamic range, which lends itself particularly well to heavy guitar anthems (rock fans, rejoice). Happily, there was next to no sound leakage, so you can blast your top tunes on the tube without inadvertently sharing your music taste with fellow passengers.

There’s no noise cancellation, and their five hours of playback time on a full tank isn’t amazing in the grand scheme of things, but this can be boosted to 24 hours thanks to their portable charging case.

Testers found these were quick and easy to lodge in the ears and then highly comfortable and secure on the run. Sound quality scored highly, too, with our audiophile praising the ‘smooth, rich sound’ and the noise cancellation. Battery life is decent and can be extended via the pocket-friendly charging case, while additional features such as voice detect, which turns on ambient mode and lowers the volume when you’re talking, impressed testers.

Though compatible with any Android or iOS device, those within the Samsung ecosystem can enjoy hi-tech extras such as 24-bit audio and 360-degree head tracking.

Thanks to a new H2 chip and amplifier, the 2nd generation of these iconic buds has a noticeably deeper bass and clearer sound. Transparency mode, too, is greatly improved with less of the crackle you get when wind passes over microphones that pump in external audio. On the run, they feel lightweight and comfortable and the fit is reassuringly secure, with our tester suffering no fall-out over a variety of terrain and paces.

Perhaps the biggest reason to love the 2nd generation, though, is that AirPods finally get on-ear volume control – swipe up or down on the white stem – and wireless charging.

> Read our full Jabra Elite 8 Active review <

Jabra claim these are the 'world's toughest earbuds' and they certainly lived up to expectations in our testing. At 5g for each bud, the Jabra Elite 8 Active are brilliantly light, with a compact wing-tip-free secure fit. That secure fit is helped by a special silicone coating that grips more when it gets wet or sweaty. 'They're probably the most secure-feeling earbuds without tips that I've run in,' said one tester.

They earbuds are also IP68 rated, which means they can be submerged up to 1.5 metres, be rinsed underwater, get splashed during water sports and get soaked on a rainy day. So, even for the hardcore runners, these should see you through most activities.

The battery life is 4 hours more than the older Elite 7 Active, too, and the sound quality – which is customisable – is great. It’s not necessarily the very best, but there’s good top volume, decent nuance and richness and plenty of butt-kicking bass.

Whether your runs are soundtracked by hip hop or heavy metal, these top-quality Bang & Olufsen buds will do your playlist justice. Our audiophile was blown away by the sound quality, praising the ‘excellent clarity and detail’, and rated the breadth of customisation options available within the app. As well as pre-sets including ‘commute’ and ‘podcast’, you can tinker with the ANC when you’re heading out on the roads and need to be aware of your surroundings. Though there was some sound leakage, the noise cancelling tech was brilliant for such tiny buds.

Smooth sound aside, the stylish in-ears didn’t budge during our sessions, and even stayed in during burpees, star jumps and handstands. ‘I totally forgot I was even wearing them’ said one impressed tester. The touch controls on the earbuds were straightforward to use and uber responsive, the call quality was faultless and, as a bonus, they have an IP57 waterproof rating, so they’ll hold up if you get caught in a downpour (or if you’re a particularly sweaty runner - no judgement). Yes, they’re pricey but if you’ve got the cash to spare and you’re into your music, they’re a worthy investment.

> Read our full Bose QuietComfort Ultra review <

Easily some of the most comfortable in-ear headphones we've ever tried (that name doesn't lie), with some of the best noise cancelling out there, the Bose QuietComfort Ultra wowed our testers.

The transparency (or 'Aware' as the brand dubs it) mode is also excellent, dulling harsh or explosive sounds but keeping conversation crystal clear, and they've yet to wriggle free from our ears, despite hours of wear during vigorous exercise.

While not solely marketed or designed for fitness purposes, with sweat-resistance, all-day comfort and impeccable sound quality, these sleek earbuds are a no-brainer when it comes to runners who really care about their tunes.

Few headphones can withstand sprint intervals without popping out, but these sporty buds did a stellar job on test. With a choice of six different tips and ergonomic over-the-ear hooks, our testers were able to find a secure fit that didn’t come loose mid-stride.

Built-in noise cancelling tech lets you block out external sounds so you can crank up the tunes and get in the zone, but there’s also a ‘Be Aware’ mode for hearing cars whizzing past when running in busy areas. The music pauses when one earbud is removed (helpful when crossing the road mid-run) and we found the touch controls intuitive, with no fumbling required – just tap the buds to play, pause and skip songs. There are also three EQs to try within the JLab app, including ‘Balanced’, ‘Signature’ and ‘Bass Boost’, as well as a movie mode if you fancy watching a flick on your phone.

The battery life is another standout feature – you get a whopping 15 hours from a single charge and up to 55 hours with the charging case. On that note, the case is rather bulky and won’t slip into your pocket, but given the mammoth battery life, you shouldn’t need to bring it along anyway.

Our testers did have some irritating connectivity issues, meaning they had to pull their phones out on the move. Don’t expect the sound quality to be up there with Beats, Bose and Jabra either, but then again, these earphones are significantly cheaper.

Jodie is our Health and Fitness product tester. She runs tests on a wide variety of products, including gym leggings, walking boots, fitness trackers and more. Jodie has managed the testing for 577 products to date, including working with over 600 panellists.

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