I’ve been testing the best running headphones for almost a decade and getting the right set of earbuds can make a huge difference to your training. Headphones that fit well and sound great will make the miles fly by, while the wrong headphones can be a constant source of frustration on the run.
To ensure all the picks below work for runners I log a lot of miles while wearing them in all weathers, focusing on features like a secure and comfortable fit, sound quality, durability and battery life. I’ve run hundreds of miles while using our top pick — the Beats Powerbeats Pro — which are older headphones but still the best option for most people thanks to the combination of a secure fit plus great sound. There are options to suit all kinds of runners below though, including open and bone conduction headphones along with traditional earbuds.
The quick list
The Beats Powerbeats Pro are a few years old now but still unrivalled for runners thanks to the reliable fit and great sound quality they offer, along with their long battery life.
The JLab Go Air Sport are exceptionally good value for runners, offering a reliable fit from the earhook and impressive battery life, and surprisingly good sound given their low price.
If you're looking for bone conduction headphones so you ca listen to audio while staying aware of your surroundings, the OpenRun Pro 2 are my top pick thanks to their impressive sound and fit.
The Apple AirPods Pro 2 are excellent crossover headphones that work well for running while also being ideal for general use, thanks to the comfortable fit, great sound quality and ANC.
The novel design of the Bose Ultra Open Earbuds allows them to clip securely onto the ear for running without blocking the ear canal, so you can still hear what's going on around you.
The Jabra Elite 8 Active have a waterproof design and even their case is designed to be sweat resistant. They also fit securely, sound great, offer long battery life and also have ANC.
On-ear headphones offer better sound and battery life than most in-ear buds, but they can feel bulky and wobbly on the run. The Beats Solo 4 have a secure fit and you can wipe them clean after workouts.
These bone conduction headphones offer both Bluetooth playback and MP3 storage, with the latter mode being ideal for when you want to leave your phone behind on your runs.
You get 14 hours of playback from the Jlab JBuds Sport ANC 4, and up to 60 with the carry case, which should be more than enough for your runs. They also fit well and sound good, and are great value.
Nick Harris-Fry is a keen runner who has 13 marathons under his belt and usually logs around 60-70 miles a week in training. This gives him plenty of opportunities to test headphones and he's been reviewing running buds for 10 years, so his top picks should please even the most demanding runners.
The best running headphones you can buy right now
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Best running headphones overall
The Beats Powerbeats Pro are older headphones, but still stand out as my top pick for runners because they offer a secure fit, long battery life and great sound quality. While they miss out on some modern features like active noise cancellation (ANC), the Powerbeats Pro have everything keen runners need to soundtrack their workouts.
Beats has since launched the Beats Fit Pro, but these used a wing rather than an earhook, and I found the Powerbeats Pro more secure and more comfortable on the run. The Powerbeats Pro also have physical buttons that are easy to use during workouts, rather than touch controls which can be unreliable when sweaty, and while their IPX4 rating means they are not fully waterproof, they are sweat and water resistant and have lasted me years of workouts.
Another advantage for Apple users is that the Powerbeats Pro use the same Apple H1 chip as the AirPods Pro, so they share the ability to instantly pair with iPhones, and they can instantly switch to other iOS and Mac devices you might have at home. The price is quite high, but as older headphones you can almost always find the Powerbeats Pro in sales.
- Read our full Beat Powerbeats Pro review
Best budget running headphones
The JLab Go Air Sport headphones have no right to be as cheap as they are given the quality you’re getting here. While the sound quality doesn’t match the standards of more expensive buds, as you’d expect, it’s still pretty good and powerful enough to keep you motivated during workouts, and everything else about the headphones matches up well with more expensive options.
Thanks to the earhook design, I found the fit to be very secure during runs of any length and intensity, and the battery life is impressively long too. The IP55 rating also means the headphones won’t be damaged by sweat or rain during your runs. I was not a big fan of the controls, which were often unresponsive and hard to use during runs, and the connectivity can be flaky if you carry your phone in a shorts pocket by your thigh, but it was fine when using a running belt or armband phone holder.
If you don’t need an earhook to get a reliable fit on the run, then the JLab Go Air Pop buds are even cheaper, but I found the hook on the Sport version of the headphones welcome to provide extra security.
- Read our full JLab Go Air Sport review
Best bone conduction running headphones
The Shokz OpenRun Pro 2 set new standards for sound quality in bone conduction headphones, and while they still can’t match the best in-ear buds on this front, they do sound great while still offering the extra awareness you get from open headphones. This is useful for running outdoors in busy areas, and the OpenRun Pro 2 are the headphones I use most often for my own runs as a result.
Shokz’s DualPitch technology is key to the improved sound quality on the OpenRun Pro 2 compared to other bone conduction buds. This uses an air conduction speaker as well as a bone conduction speaker, with the former beefing up the bass considerably.
The battery life on the headphones is also excellent at 12 hours, and although I found it dropped to more like 10 or 11 hours when I had the volume maxed out most of the time, the OpenRun Pro 2 still outlast any other bone conduction headphones I’ve tested.
If you want a cheaper set of bone conduction headphones for your runs the standard Shokz OpenRun are a great option. They don’t sound as good as the OpenRun Pro 2 or last as long on a charge, but they offer the same awareness and secure, comfortable fit at a lower price.
- Read our full Shokz OpenRun Pro 2 review
Best everyday running headphones
The AirPods Pro 2 are excellent lifestyle headphones that also work well for running, making them the best option for people who just want one set of buds for everything. The sound quality and ANC are top-notch, the fit is very comfortable for in-ear headphones, and as you’d expect they offer easy connectivity with other Apple devices.
One downside of the wing-less design is that the AirPods Pro 2 are not as secure in the ear as more sports-focused headphones, and sometimes on runs they did come loose for me. You can improve the fit for running using third-party memory foam ear tips or even wings that you attach to the buds just for runs, but if that’s not working then the Jabra Elite 8 Active are another great set of lifestyle headphones that crossover well for sports use.
- Read the full Apple AirPods Pro 2 review
Best open running headphones
The Bose Ultra Open Earbuds have a novel design that involves them clipping onto the side of your ear so that a speaker rests near your ear canal without blocking it. This allows you to stay aware of your surroundings while running, and also enjoy the best sound quality you can find from open headphones. That’s whether you use the Immersive Audio setting available on the Bose Ultra Open Earbuds or not — I tended not to, as they still sounded great and Immersive Audio reduces the battery life considerably.
I found the clip-on fit to be very secure for all my runs and the headphones are more comfortable than in-ear buds for general use too, though the sound quality is reduced by the lack of passive or active noise cancellation. Do be wary of knocking the buds off when running through — I know people who’ve accidentally flicked them loose during runs. If you'd prefer open headphones with an earhook design, the Shokz OpenFit Air are a great option.
The button controls are easy to use during workouts and the battery life is impressive if you’re not using Immersive Audio. The IPX4 water resistance rating is not as high as on other sports buds, but it’s high enough that the Bose Ultra Open Earbuds will withstand sweat and rain during your runs.
- Read the full Bose Ultra Open Earbuds review
Best running headphones for durability
The Elite 8 Active serve exceptionally well for running and lifestyle use. Upgraded with military-standard materials for unbreakable protection, they're built like tanks, with the IP68 rating meaning they are waterproof, dustproof and sweatproof. Even the case is IP54-rated, so you can stick it in a sweaty running belt or backpack without worrying it will get damaged.
Despite the lack of wings or an earhook, the fit proved very reliable for me during runs, and the battery life is impressively-long given how small the buds are. The sound quality is also very good, and the ANC filters out most external noises well, while the HearThrough mode allows you to hear your surroundings when required.
The Jabra Elite 4 Active are better value, but the Elite 8 Active are better headphones overall and still pretty good value compared to other top in-ear options like the Apple AirPods Pro 2.
- Read our full Jabra Elite 8 Active review
Best on-ear running headphones
If you prefer on-ear headphones then the Beats Solo 4 are a great option for running thanks to the secure fit they have. I’ve used these for many runs at varying paces and they stay in place well and are comfortable, though it is worth noting they get hotter and feel heavier than in-ear buds if you’re running for a long time.
There is no official IP rating for the Solo 4 headphones either, though they are designed to be used for workouts. With a quick wipe clean after each run you shouldn’t have any major concerns about sweat damaging the headphones, though if you want greater peace of mind a set of buds with a high IP-rating will be more suitable.
The advantage of on-ear headphones over in-ear buds is that you get fantastic sound quality and incredible battery life, with the Solo 4 buds lasting up to 50 hours on a charge. You can also plug them in with a 3.5mm cable if you are out of juice, another advantage over truly wireless in-ear buds.
- Read the full Beats Solo 4 review
Best running headphones with music storage
They might be primarily aimed at swimmers, but the Shokz OpenSwim Pro bone conduction headphones are also an excellent option for runners and a standout pick for racing. That’s because they offer MP3 storage, which means you can load your audio files onto the headphones and leave your phone behind when you race while still listening to music or podcasts.
In addition, bone conduction headphones also have the advantage of being allowed at more races than in-ear headphones, which block out external noise and so are sometimes banned at events where runners need to hear marshal on the course or be aware of traffic.
Along with MP3 playback the OpenSwim Pro headphones also offer Bluetooth connectivity, so you can link them to your phone during normal training sessions, which can be worth doing because the MP3 mode drains the battery faster than Bluetooth playback.
They are more expensive than the Shokz OpenRun, and it’s only worth the upgrade to the OpenSwim Pro if you value the flexibility of the MP3 mode either for racing, or indeed if you do swim as well as run.
- Read the full Shokz OpenSwim Pro review
Best running headphones for battery life
The JLab JBuds Sport ANC 4 have a lot of features that will appeal to runners, but their battery life in particular is outstanding. The buds themselves last 14 hours on a charge with the ANC off, and nine hours with it on, and the carry case can bring the total battery up to 60 hours, long enough to last you multi-day adventures without needing to find a plug.
There’s also little need to take the battery hit by using the ANC on the buds, which is a nice way of saying it’s not very good. On the plus side, the Be Aware transparency mode is very useful for runners, allowing you to hear external sounds like traffic without having to take a headphone out.
The ear hook fit is reliably secure for all kinds of workouts, though it’s not the most comfortable design for using for long stretches outside your runs. A novel feature on the headphones is an interval timer, which you can use for your runs and other workouts.
While the sound quality is not outstanding it’s certainly good given the low price you pay for the JLab JBuds Sport ANC 4, which offer excellent value given the fit and battery life. If you value great sound highly then it will be worth paying the extra for the Beats Powerbeats Pro, which also have a secure ear hook fit and are better for general use, but the JLab headphones are considerably cheaper and do offer longer battery life.
- Read the full JLab Jbuds Sport ANC 4 review
How to choose the best running headphones for you
Fit: The fit is crucial when picking running headphones, because no matter how great their other features are, they're useless if they fall off during runs. You might prefer an earbud design that hooks over your ear, or buds that sit entirely within your ear, perhaps with a wing for extra stability. Any style can work, and though an earhook tends to deliver the most reliable fit, smaller in-ear buds can be more practical and comfortable, especially if you wear glasses.
Water resistance: Even if you’re averse to running in the rain, we’d strongly recommend a pair of running headphones with certified water resistance to protect against sweat. An IP rating of IPX7 denotes full waterproofing, while IPX4 represents basic moisture resistance and is usually the minimum I look for when picking running headphones. If you plan to take the case for the headphones with you, it's also worth looking to see if it has an IP rating to protect it from sweat in your pocket or a running belt.
Active noise cancelation and transparency: A lot of the best running headphones feature ANC, but this isn’t necessary for running. In fact you may want to turn if off for better situational awareness near traffic and pedestrians. Some buds also offer a transparency mode to let you hear more external noise, and many now have an open design that leaves your ear canals clear for greater awareness.
Battery life: Some qualities are universal across all wireless earbuds, like battery life. Consider how long and how often you’ll want to wear your headphones for; if you’re a regular traveler it can definitely be worth picking a pair with longer battery life, either per charge or in terms of how much the bundled charging case provides. Wireless earbuds can last about 5 to 10 hours and offer extended playtime with their bundled charging cases — always make sure one is included.
Comfort: All running headphones need to be comfortable as well; all of the pairs on this list are fine to wear for a couple of hours at least, though some cope better with extended use than others.
Pricing considerations: Obviously, price is a big consideration when looking for the best headphones. Although there are always exceptions, big-name brands will typically command a bit extra, but generally speaking, the less you spend on a pair of headphones the greater the chance that sound and features will be compromised. Going for a budget option isn't always the best choice, as any money you save on your purchase won't do you much good if you're constantly needing to recharge your audio gear, or the sound quality is poor.
As the saying goes: timing is everything; and right now many of our favorite models are being discounted by online retailers, meaning you can bag a bargain for even less. Bookmark our best headphone deals page to keep track of the latest price drops.
How we test the best running headphones
I test running headphones by doing a lot of a running with them. I usually log around 60 miles a week and almost always wear headphones to listen to music or podcasts during my training. My first focus is fit, because buds that stay in place reliably are a must for running. I also check their IP rating and usually get a chance to run in the rain with them — a rare advantage to the unreliable British weather.
Sound quality is also important, and all the models in this buying guide have good sound — some also appear in our pick of the best wireless earbuds overall. I listen to a range of music with the buds both during and outside of my runs, and with open and bone conduction headphones I check if they're loud enough to hear in busy environments.
Once all our testing is complete, I rate running headphones on a five-point system (1 = worst, 5 = best). The very best running headphones are awarded an Editor's Choice badge.
