Music and podcasts can make a huge difference to your enjoyment offitness, whether your goal is to bench 300 pounds or simply improve your overall health. Personally, music transforms mylifting sessionsfrom arduous into a heroic struggle with moments of triumph. I’d probably keep lifting without a soundtrack – but the idea is almost hard to fathom.
You shouldn’t just slap any set of headphones on before you head out the door, though. Serious exercise can place tough demands on audio gear, and you might be disappointed or even hurt if you wear the earbuds that shipped with your phone. There are a variety of factors to consider when buying workout headphones, with the ones below being the most important.
7 features to look for when shopping for your next fitness tracker
These are the features that will actually help you when you’re on a run or lifting weights.
1Sweat/water resistance
An absolute must
This is the most important feature by a long shot. Without sufficient water protection, sweat will eventually seep into any set of headphones, damaging their internal circuitry. Even if a pair keeps working, sound could be wrecked, and there’s a risk of shock – I’ve been hurt by multiple pairs of review earbuds. Over-the-ear headphones seem to be less prone to this, but it’s best not to push your luck with accessories that can cost hundreds of dollars. I’m honestly baffled by the number of people I’ve seen wearing theAirPods Maxto the gym – a heavy $549 product with the lightest possible water resistance.
Without sufficient water protection, sweat will eventually seep into any set of headphones.
At a minimum, anything you wear for a workout should have an IPX4 rating, meaning it can withstand light splashes. Since I’ve had IPX4 earbuds fail on me, I’d strongly recommend something ratedIP57 or better, meaning the product can survive temporary immersion. The gold standard is IP68, although that’s not strictly necessary unless you’re expecting to step in a pool.
Note that water resistance degrades over time with repeated exposure to liquids. You may be able to mitigate that by making sure you clean and dry your headphones after every workout – do the cleaning using a lightly damp cloth or paper towel.
2Secure fit
Don’t live in fear
Speaking ofAirPods, Apple’s basic earbuds are also popular for workouts, but they shouldn’t be. Aside from weak water resistance, they’re too prone to falling out – and that could spell disaster if you’re out running or hiking somewhere and a bud disappears down a crevice. At the gym, it’s still irritating when you have to stop whatever you’re doing to pop a bud back in.
Quality workout earbuds should feature fins, hooks, or (as withJabra’s Elite 8 Active) sticky surfaces. Good eartips can help as well, but only if they have a tight fit in your ear canal. The best solution I’ve seen is the hooks on Apple’sPowerbeats Pro– I only ever had a bud pop out once, and that was a fluke. You could probably do upside-down hanging crunches without incident.
Fit may also be an issue with over-the-ear headphones. Some headbands are prone to slipping, whether because they’re made of the wrong material or don’t clamp tight enough. You’ll have to test this out in a store if you can.
Samsung exec says he doesn’t care if people say the Galaxy Buds 3 copy Apple’s AirPods
Adding ‘blades’ helped improve features and sound quality.
3Active noise cancelation
Stay focused
you’re able to get away without active noise cancelation (ANC) if you’re exercising in a relatively quiet environment, or you need to stay aware of cars and bikes, but it might as well be mandatory if you’re in a large commercial gym. The sound of weights, machines, and conversation can be distracting, never mind the mediocre music gyms often pump over their speakers. It’s tough to be inspired by Top 40 pop or generic house remixes.
If you’re able to afford it, get headphones with some sort of “transparency” mode you can toggle at will. That offers situational awareness when you need it. Mind you, it’s still more polite and efficient to remove your headphones when someone’s trying to talk to you.
4Heavy bass
Let the music set the pace
Just about any decentworkout playlisthas music that sounds better with thumping bass, whether that’s metal, industrial, rap, or EDM. It sets a rhythm for movement and spikes your adrenaline. In some circumstances, the right tune can push you over the top to a new personal record.
Many recent headphones should have decent bass if they’re from well-known brands and over $100, but pay attention to reviews. As much as weak output can be an issue, it also shouldn’t be so heavy as to drown out mids or highs. For years that was a problem with Beats headphones, although that seems to have been solved with models like theBeats Fit Pro.
5Bluetooth 5.0 or later
Free yourself from your phone
Thankfully, it’s difficult to find headphones with Bluetooth 4.x these days, but you should still doublecheck that whatever you’re buying is equipped with 5.0 or later. Why? The chief reason is range – whereas 4.2 tops out at about 200 feet (60 meters), 5.0 reaches up to 800 feet (240 meters). At a gym, that means you can potentially leave your phone in your locker and still get a clear signal, depending on obstacles. Both your phone and your headphones need to be on 5.x for this to work.
Devices with 5.x also support higher bandwidth and multi-point connections. The latter lets you pair with multiple devices simultaneously, so you can switch between your phone, tablet, and PC with minimal effort.
Two years later, are Apple’s AirPods Pro 2nd gen still a good buy?
The AirPods Pro 2nd gen are coming up to their second birthday, and a 3rd gen version could be on the horizon.
7Aesthetics
The cool factor matters
Many of us might be loathe to admit it, but we usually want to look as cool as possible when we exercise. We’re self-conscious about our bodies, and looking cool builds the confidence needed to push hard.
Assuming that’s true for you, it makes sense to consider how slick headphones seem when you’re shopping. Aesthetics shouldn’t be your top priority, naturally. If wearing stylish headphones makes you feel better about yourself, however, there could be practical benefits to your fitness.
Best workout headphones: Expert tested and reviewed
Our sweat sessions have shown that these workout headphones withstand any exercise.
Q: Which is better, over-the-ear or on-ear headphones?
Over-the-ear. On-ear headphones are a dying breed, and with good reason – they don’t isolate ambient noise as well, and they’re not as secure.
Q: Should I get wireless earbuds or over-the-ear headphones?
While it’s ultimately a matter of preference, wireless earbuds should probably be your go-to. They trap less heat and sweat than over-the-ear headphones, and there’s no headband to adjust. They’re also less likely to bump into things, though of course buds can potentially fall out if they don’t have hooks.
