The Best Workout Headphones
The right workout headphones don't just play music—they fuel your drive, keeping you locked into your training. With a secure, sweatproof fit, they stay put through every sprint, lift, and grind. No wires, no distractions—just pure, heart-pounding sound that pushes you further. Need awareness on a run? Transparency mode has you covered. Low on battery? A quick charge keeps the music going. These aren't just earbuds; they're your ultimate training partner, built to power every rep, every mile, every moment.
We bought 5 of the best workout headphones and spent hundreds of hours exercising and sweating in each pair. Workout headphones need to adapt to any setting, so we brought them along for our workouts at the gym, mountain biking, and running. During our rigorous workouts, we evaluated everything that factors into a solid pair of workout headphones, from stability and comfort to sound and sweat resistance. Sound quality is important for getting into the zone during a workout. So, we even built an advanced audio studio and brought in a panel of expert listeners, sound engineers, and sound-measuring equipment from Listen Inc. to evaluate the sound quality of these headphones.
After extensive testing, we regularly reached for the Jabra Elite 8 Active Gen 2 as our favorite workout headphones as they offer exceptional comfort and a rugged design for activity. With rich sound quality, impressive battery life, and an IP68 waterproof rating, they provide an engaging listening experience and exceptional durability for workouts in any setting.
The Apple Airpods Pro 2 are some of the best workout headphones for Apple users. They offer plenty of water resistance for sweating, great active noise cancelling, well-rounded sound quality, and an effective passthrough mode for those quick gym conversations.
As part of our commitment to helping you find the right earbuds for your needs, we also have detailed reviews of wired earbuds and budget earbuds.
Editors Note: We updated this review on February 11, 2025, with additional information and media for our award winners.