7 Best Earbuds for Working Out, Tested by Audio Experts

Bose headphones and earbuds are a Lab favorite for their superior audio quality and noise-cancelling. These earbuds are no exception, with one tester remarking "they deliver clear, balanced sound with deep, rich bass and crisp highs." The sound can be tailored to your preferences with the Bose music app, where you can cycle through different modes and adjust the EQ. The noise-cancelling offered by these earbuds is also top-tier according to several testers, perfect for noisy gyms or running along a busy path.

The QuietComfort Earbuds II are compact and store away conveniently in their pocket-sized case. They come with several tips so you're sure to find the perfect fit, and they were among our most highly-rated for comfort during wear. Testers also loved the extensive battery life and charging options, with six hours of continual playback and a nifty quick charge option that allows you to garner two hours of battery life from only 20 minutes of charging.

The one drawback to these headphones is their microphone: Two testers noted that on calls while wearing these headphones their callers had trouble hearing them and reported that the sound around the wearer felt amplified, so if you plan on phoning a friend during your workout routine you may want to look at other options.

There's no better option than the JBL Reflect Aero TWS if you're looking for durable, dependable earbuds that don't break the bank. With an IP68 rating, they can withstand dust from outdoor hikes or beachside jogs, and they're rated to hold up for 30 minutes in water as deep as five feet, including salt water (though JBL advises rinsing them off afterwards). The tiny charging case makes these tiny earbuds easy to take wherever your workout takes you, and they were top-rated by testers for secureness in fit so you're set for any activities.

Though we love the rugged nature of these earbuds that seems perfect for workouts of all types, the sound quality leaves something to be desired. Frequency response analysis (which tells us about how well headphones reproduce music and other audio as intended by the mixing and mastering engineers) conducted during our last Lab tests revealed them to have a noticeable roll-off in the high end and considerable distortion in the bass.

In subjective reviews our analysts found the audio quality passable but not superb for both musical and spoken word content. We love that these earbuds feature adaptive noise-cancelling for a peaceful workout, though it wasn't as powerful as some of the other units we tested. Those looking for high-fidelity audio for their workouts may want to browse some of the other picks on our list.

Audio geeks like to refer to a general rule when it comes to headphone and earbud pricing: Generally as price goes up you'll get better quality, but at a certain point you'll hit a plateau of how far your dollar takes you sonically. In this price versus quality graph, the Jabra Elite 4 sit in the sweet spot, offering good sound, high durability and active noise cancellation at a low price.

With IP55 protection they aren't as protected from dust and water as some of our other picks but it's more than sufficient for the gym or a run with light rain. The compact case and small earbuds were generally appreciated by testers, many of whom pointed out that they enjoyed the various color options available. The slight, aesthetic design doesn't detract from the audio, though. One tester noted how "[the] bass comes through really clearly," an impressive feat for such small earbuds.

The battery life on the Jabra Elite 4 isn't as ideal, offering a combined 28 hours with the charging case — just short of some of the others on the list. Some testers also pointed out that the fit might not be ideal and the small buds can be easy to lose. For those looking for other inexpensive buds, check out our roundup of the best earbuds we've found for under $100.

If you require total serenity to get your best pump, the JBL Tour Pro 2 delivers on that promise. Among all of the earbuds we tested in the Lab, the noise-cancelling on this pair was the most effective at eliminating background noise. Frequency spectrum analysis also showed these headphones to deliver solid sound quality, with our test engineers noting that they sound good with spoken word content but specifically shine when it comes to music — perfect for your hype-up playlist.

The charging case on the Tour Pro 2, which helps these earbuds boast an impressive 40 hours of charge, is unique, with a touchscreen that offers extensive functionality. From it, you can play and pause music, activate noise cancelling, find your earbuds if they get lost, manage phone calls and even create a "quiet bubble" (activating noise-cancelling and not playing any audio) for a set period of time. Our Media and Tech Lab analysts found the pair easy to set up and comfortable to wear for extensive periods of time. For all of this functionality, it's not a shock this pair isn't quite as durable as some of our other picks, only offering IPX5 ingress protection, though that's plenty to protect from splashes of water and sweat from a hardcore workout.

While Apple is renowned for their phones and laptops, we're also big fans of their audio equipment. The AirPods (3rd Generation) offer exactly what we look for in terms of sound: A flat, well-tuned frequency response with little distortion, meaning you're hearing the music just like the mixing and mastering engineers made it. The microphone also impressed our analysts, conveying voice over phone calls clearly and without interruption

Consumer testers were uniformly impressed with the convenience of these earbuds, syncing seamlessly with different devices (especially of the Apple variety) and offering extensive battery life. The unique design made for a secure fit and our analysts with smaller ears found these stayed in place the best during high-impact workouts like running, though comfort does leave a bit to be desired, with one tester remarking, "it can make your ear ache after extended wear." The AirPods have an IPX4 ingress protection, meaning they'll survive bits of sweat from a rigorous workout but they shouldn't be submerged for activities like swimming.

Though phasing out of style, wired earbuds have a bevy of hidden advantages compared to Bluetooth ones. The wire makes losing a piece less likely, they connect in a snap and they don't have to be charged. We love Apple EarPods because of their cheap price, superb audio quality and unique shape that fits into the ears seamlessly and stays in during vigorous workouts.

Though we haven't run formal audio analyses on these pairs, several of our analysts have used these on and off for years, and we keep coming back to them because of how dependable they are. They reproduce music and spoken word audio content in high quality despite their low price point. We also appreciate that there's a version available with a lightning connector for those with Apple phones, though we prefer the 3.5mm audio jack paired with an inexpensive dongle to give us ultimate connection flexibility.

In terms of durability, they don't offer ingress protection (a measure of how well-protected an electronic good is protected from dust and water), and we've noticed over time that the wire can get frayed when kept in tight pockets affecting connectivity. We aren't bothered though, as at the extremely low price point they're easily replaced when damaged.

For workouts that involve a lot of jostling and movement like running you'll want a pair that fits securely, resist sweat and water and have an impressive battery life. We've done a deep dive on the best earbuds and headphones, and the Beats Fit Pro were our top pick. They offer IP68 ingress protection, meaning they'll survive submersion in up to five feet of water for 30 minutes. The active noise cancellation ensures a tranquil run free of gym background noise or the rattles and hums of nearby traffic.

Though we didn't run an audio analysis on this pair, testers across the board were impressed subjectively with the audio quality, with one saying it was "unmatched" compared to others they've tried. Though the buds offer a fantastic six hours of continuous play with noise cancelling on, the total battery life with the case is only 24 hours which is less than others on our list, so you may need to charge these more than other pairs.