8 Best Running Headphones 2024

Battery life: 7.5 hours (earbuds), 28 hours (charging case)
Size: 0.9 x 0.76 x 0.6 inches
Sweatproof and waterproof: Yes
Do I need to download an app? Yes

By far our favorite, these perform superbly during high-impact exercises and are the most comfortable pair by far. Be prepared to run, jump, and burpee without any interruptions or feeling the need to readjust the earbuds – they fit snugly without the feeling of completely blocking your ears.

The noise-canceling capabilities are excellent, and if you’d rather be able to hear what’s going on around you, pressing the button on the left earbud once activates the “hear through” function that allows you to hear ambient sound with astonishing clarity. Too much clarity? Use the Jabra+ sound app to adjust how much ambient sound is allowed in.

You do have to download an app in order to use them, which might feel a bit inconvenient to start with. But once connected, using the earbuds is a breeze and the app allows you to set different audio profiles, adjust call volumes and update the earbuds whenever a new software version comes about.

Battery life: 9 hours (earbuds), 24 hours + (charging case)
Size: 2.2 inches
Sweatproof and waterproof: Yes
Do I need to download an app? No

As much as we hate to admit it, these earbuds really do live up to their hype. Developed by Beats by Dre and owned by Apple, these earbuds come with an over-ear hook that makes sure they stay on no matter what you do.

You could hang upside down in aerial yoga with these on and they wouldn’t even budge. They’re comfortable enough to wear all day long – and with 9-hour battery life, you could definitely do that. The case is huge – measuring 3.04 square inches – so it’s not the most compact but it does look very stylish.

Each earbud has a center playback control button and volume controls that allow you to control what you’re listening to with either hand, which can be handy if you’ve got a dumbbell in one hand.

You can also activate Siri just by saying the voice command aloud to adjust your music. Beats are known for delivering rich sound with clear bass tones, and these certainly do not disappoint, especially when repping one’s way through a set of burpees to the beat of “Mi Gente”.

Battery life: 7 hours
Size: 2 x 1.5 x 2.5 cm
Sweatproof and waterproof: Yes
​Do I need to download an app? No

The shape of Anker soundcore’s totally wireless earphones is very similar to the Jabra elite actives, but they are more prominent, and the fit is slightly less comfortable – but don’t let that put you off too much, these are a solid pair of earphones at a very reasonable price point. Once fitted snugly inside the ear, they don’t budge and even stay put during yoga inversions.

For a more personalized fit, each earphone comes with different sizes of “ear wings”, which are removable silicone bands that wrap around the body of the earphone. The bands range from smooth to varying lengths of “wings” that fit inside the ear’s contours.

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4. JBL Reflect flow in-ear true wireless headphones

Battery life: Up to 12 hours
Size: 2.4 x 2.2 x 1.8 cm
Sweatproof and waterproof: Yes
​Do I need to download an app? No

These earbuds have the most impressive battery life of the lot – and they charge very quickly too. The buds have 10 hours of juice, plus an additional 20 hours with the case. Just 10 minutes of charging gives you an extra hour of playback, making them perfect for all-day wear. The Bluetooth connection is straightforward – no need to fiddle with any apps here, just connect and go.

JBL’s repertoire of products is well-loved for its heart-thumping bass, but these go deeper. With the right energizing playlist, our testers found that they could keep pushing themselves just a little bit further and longer with the rhythm. Neat features include the “ambient aware” and “talk thru” modes, which offer quieter sound or very low volumes to allow you to be more aware of your surroundings when you need to be.

Battery life: 6 hours (earbuds), 18 hours + (charging case)
Size: 3.2 x 2.2 x 1.9 cm
Sweatproof and waterproof: Yes
Do I need to download an app? Yes

These are stylish, no-frills earphones that are easy to use, and you won’t have to learn once-twice-three times button presses for an array of functions. Libratone’s Track Air+ earbuds look similar to Apple AirPods with the stalks, but fit a lot better and didn’t budge even when our testers put them through a rigorous HIIT workout. They’re lightweight and simple in design and come in black, white, and silver.

Its simplicity does mean onboard controls are limited – double tap on each earbud to play or pause, turn on or off the noise-canceling, skip a track forward or activate a voice assistant. With the Libratone app, you can set which bud controls playing and pausing. Be aware there are no volume controls on the buds themselves, so you’d have to get your phone out to adjust those.

Battery life: Up to 6 hours
Connectivity Technology: Wireless
Smart Touch Control: Yes
​Special Features: Microphone, sports, and exercise, wireless

These are the only pair that are not truly wireless but we were impressed by their performance and extreme budget pricing. TOZO T6 is a popular choice for sports headphones on Amazon, and it’s easy to see why at just under $30.

Simple, no-fuss controls that don’t require much instruction, they come in a neat round case that zips up, with multiple bud sizes to get the closest fit and a charger wire that can be plugged into any USB port or plug.

These deliver impressively rich sound and clarity, and you can take calls with them but our testers did experience some interference with calls while using them, so wouldn’t recommend them for long chats on the phone. But with up to 12 hours of playback, these headphones are comfortable enough to wear all day long and stay put for the most part with over-ear hooks.

Battery life: 6 hours (earbuds), 10 hours + (charging case)
Size: 2.4 x 2.2 x 1.8 cm
Sweatproof and waterproof: Yes
​Do I need to download an app? No, but the app is available for audio customization

These earbuds claim to meet US military standards and are, impressively, water, dust, sweat, and shock-proof. They fit very well and are comfortable, although our tester did experience some in-ear pressure while wearing them. A rubber wing tip attached to the body of each earbud fits into the upper edge of the ear to secure them in place.

Built for more athletic activities, they performed well during high-impact exercises and made it through an unintentional run in the rain without a hitch. They are highly water-resistant and can survive a dip into about a meter of water but swimming with them is probably not the greatest idea.