Don’t wear AirPods Max during workouts — you'll make the same mistake I did

Apple AirPods Max at the gym hanging on a barbell

(Image credit: Henry T. Casey / Tom's Guide)

I love my Apple AirPods Max, which is why I almost get itchy when I keep seeing people wearing these expensive headphones when they shouldn't. No, this isn't the iPhone 4's "you're holding it wrong" situation. Instead, my least-favorite flaw in the AirPods Max is something I learned the hard (and pricey) way on my own — and a very pungent problem at that.

But then I joined a gym for the first time since 2020, and discovered that quite a few people wear their AirPods Max at the gym. And they do it while they go through heavy workouts.

So while AirPods Max are some of best headphones you can buy, they’re also some of the most expensive, with an MSRP of $549. At that price, it's not hard to understand why people would want to Max-imize their investment by using them around the clock. But you shouldn't wear AirPods Max when you're breaking a sweat at the gym. Allow me to explain why.

I ruined my AirPods Max — and spent $69 fixing it

Unlike Apple's AirPods Pro 2 and regular AirPods 3, the company does not provide any sweat or water resistance ratings for the AirPods Max. Check out this chart from Apple's own site as proof:

The AirPods sweat and water resistance chart shows AirPods Max with no resistance, and AirPods Pro 2 and AirPods 3 with sweat and water resistance — (Image credit: Apple)

But the average user, even ones who can afford exorbitantly priced headphones and gyms (don't ask, I am investing in myself), clearly doesn't look that deep on Apple's own site. And they probably don't want to buy workout headphones because they've already spent so much on the AirPods Max.

But let's rewind to last summer, well before I got a gym membership. All I did to break a sweat in these headphones was take one-hour-long walks in sunny weather across the Manhattan Bridge, on my way to see a movie. I wasn't working out that hard, but after a few outings, I started to notice a problem. And it was a smelly problem.

Apple AirPods Max at the gym surrounded by kettlebells — (Image credit: Henry T. Casey / Tom's Guide)

My AirPods Max ear cushions (the removable cups) had retained an odor from my sweat. And it was a smell I could not ignore. I felt weird about this and tried to clean my AirPods, even using Apple's own instructions. But it didn't work. And so my investment in my AirPods Max increased, to the tune of $69 more with replacement Apple AirPods Max Ear Cushions.

My colleague Kate Kozuch has explained that wearing AirPods Max during workouts is even riskier than I thought, as damage caused by water is not covered under warranty. So, if you sweat a lot, that could leave you open to a bigger problem, and one that Apple would say is not their problem.

Outlook: I'm hoping the people at my gym see this

Primarily, I'm writing this article to inform a wide swath of people to not do this. Personally, I've written this post because it's much more socially acceptable than walking around my gym and warning people about ruining their pricey headphones.

We have some alternatives to recommend, and some were on sale at the time of production:

I'm hoping I've now convinced some people to stop abusing their AirPods Max, and given them some acceptable alternatives. Hopefully, Apple will hear about this and rethink the AirPods Max for the second generation, and make a pair that doesn't retain odors and is sweat resistant. I don't think that's a lot to ask from Cupertino's finest after all.

Henry is a managing editor at Tom’s Guide covering streaming media, laptops and all things Apple, reviewing devices and services for the past seven years. Prior to joining Tom's Guide, he reviewed software and hardware for TechRadar Pro, and interviewed artists for Patek Philippe International Magazine. He's also covered the wild world of professional wrestling for Cageside Seats, interviewing athletes and other industry veterans.