Personal Trainers Share Their All-Time Favorite Workout Headphones

Pros

• Easily connects to other Apple products
• Siri-compatible
• Spatial audio places sound all around you

Cons

• Short battery life
• Some reviewers say they don’t fit well, and the fit can’t be adjusted

One set of headphones, seamless connectivity across most of your devices. That’s what sold Katelyn DiGiorgio, an instructor at Pure Barre in California, on Apple’s classic AirPods. “Once you pair them to your Apple devices, like your iPhone, iPad, Apple Watch, and Macbook, you don’t have to pair and re-pair,” she says. “The AirPods automatically switch to the device you’re playing content on, so you can answer a call on your phone, then get right back to listening to music on your iPad.” Kehinde Anjorin, a New York City–based trainer, also loves that she can leave her phone in one room and work out in another without having to worry about losing connectivity.

As far as features go, the latest AirPods boast spatial audio (so your music sounds like it’s coming from all around you), active noise cancellation, adaptive audio (which automatically adjusts your volume based on how loud your surroundings are), and transparency mode (so you can still hear background noise).

Product specs

Battery life: 4 to 5 hours | Noise canceling: Yes | Water-resistant: Yes

Pros

• Great sound quality
• Quick-charging feature provides 3 hours of battery life from a 5-minute charge
• Comfortable

Cons

• Bulky
• Not water-resistant
• Some reviewers complain they stop working after little use

If you want to get completely in the zone, this is your pick, says Nichelle Hines, Los Angeles-based trainer and chief ride officer at Cycle House. “I love how you can isolate the sound,” she says, adding that her bright red pair is “cute AF” and the over-ear style is ideal for her small ears. “When I get sweaty, AirPods and other in-ear styles slip out, and I don’t have that issue with the Beats,” she adds.

Charlee Atkins, CSCS, creator of Le Sweat, agrees, adding that the sound quality is awesome and they’re easy to adjust for a more snug fit: “I like their bigger size,” she says.

Product specs

Battery life: 40 hours | Noise canceling: No | Water-resistant: No

Pros

• Seven earpiece sizes
• Comfortable in your ear
• Connects to three devices at the same time

Cons

• Pricey

One SELF tester is all about these wireless earbuds from Technics: “They come in numerous sizes, but the default one fit well for me—and I’m really finicky about fit,” he says. That’s thanks to a layer of foam, which conforms to the shape of your ear (and seven different earpiece sizes). “I wear them to listen to music or podcasts while indoor cycling and they stay super comfy throughout the ride,” our tester adds. “I don’t feel like they get gross or sweaty when I work out.”

Like Apple’s AirPods, Technics’ noise canceling earbuds can connect to multiple devices at the same time—but they have almost double the battery life. Also worth noting: The case charges wirelessly, and the water-resistant buds are compatible with Siri and other voice assistants.

Product specs

Battery life: 7 to 7.5 hours | Noise canceling: Yes | Water-resistant: Yes

Pros

• Budget-friendly
• Fits small ears well
• Lightweight

Cons

• Not the best battery life

“To be honest, I’m not super picky about sound or mic quality in my earbuds—what really matters to me is whether they fit my weirdly small ear holes,” one SELF writer says. Enter SoundPeats’ Air3 Earbuds, which “rest comfortably in my ears and don’t slip out unexpectedly,” she says. Like many of our other picks, this pair is noise canceling and water-resistant, with an under-$100 price point that sets them apart.

Even though they’re budget-friendly, they don’t skimp on features: “They pair easily with my iPhone and feel super light, which is a big plus since I often wear them during workouts,” our writer says. If other headphones leave your ears feeling sore, we highly recommend giving these a try.

Product specs

Battery life: 5 hours | Noise canceling: Yes | Water-resistant: Yes

Pros

• Adapts to noisy environments so your voice sounds clear on calls
• Alexa and Google Assistant compatible

Cons

• Some Amazon reviewers say the button placement could be better so you don’t accidentally hit them when adjusting the headphones

You know how your computer or phone screen dims itself based on the light that’s around you? These headphones do the same thing, but with sound (through a process called automatic adaptive sound). Basically, using microphones inside and outside the earcups, they monitor your environment and produce an opposite signal to provide just the right amount of noise cancellation.

“I love that I can’t hear anything other than what’s playing on them when I’m lifting inside the gym,” says Amanda Katz, an instructor at Equinox in New York City. “Plus, they’re totally durable, and I love how sleek they look.”

Product specs

Battery life: 20 hours | Noise canceling: Yes | Water-resistant: Yes

Pro

• Three earpiece sizes
• Adaptive EQ automatically tunes music to the shape of your ear for a better listening experience

Cons

• Some reviewers say the tips don’t work well and that the pods lose battery at different rates
• Pricey

These Apple AirPods will take you from your afternoon meeting to your post-work run. But unlike the AirPods 4, this pair comes with multiple silicone earpieces for a better, more comfortable fit. According to Salma Nakhlawi, strength coach and founder of StrongHER Girls, they stay put and can handle both the impact of track sprints and a solid deadlift session. Her other favorite feature? The active noise cancellation.

“I can have them on transparency mode, which allows background noise and is great for whenever you want to be aware of your surroundings, or I can go full-on noise cancellation by pressing the stem and focus on me, my work, and my thoughts,” she says. These have wireless charging capabilities too, if you use charging pads instead of conventional cords.

Product specs

Battery life: 4.5 hours | Noise canceling: Yes | Water-resistant: Yes

Pros

• Adjustable fit
• Long battery life
• A 5-minute charge provides 1.5 hours of listening time

Cons

• No noise cancellation

If you’re going to be doing a lot of jumping around, whether it be on boxes or while doing burpees, these SELF-approved wireless headphones from Beats are ideal. The wing tips keep them locked in place—even if they come loose, they won’t totally fall out of your ear.

According to Ava Fagin, CSCS, a trainer at Body Space Fitness in New York City, they’re perfect for high-intensity interval training (HIIT). “I’ve used the Beats for about a year and a half and can’t imagine life without them,” she says. “I particularly love that they wrap around my ears so I could do HIIT and lifts without running the risk of having one fall out.”

Amanda Margusity, a trainer at Cyclebar in Connecticut, really appreciates the Powerbeats Pro’s battery life. “They hold a charge for more than nine hours, and the sound quality is 10 out of 10—crystal clear,” she says.

Product specs

Battery life: 9 hours | Noise canceling: No | Water-resistant: Yes

Pros

• Comfortable, adjustable fit
• Long battery life
• Waterproof, dustproof, and sweatproof
• Adjustable sound equalizer via the Jaybird app

Cons

• Some reviewers say they have connectivity issues and charge slowly

Audrey Springer, a running coach based in Tennessee, was tired of reaching for headphones that would fall out the second she started moving. “[The Jaybird Vista headphones] never budge, and the battery life will last you for a full week,” she says of these Fitness Award-winning earbuds that we’ve raved about at length. Plus, since they’re dustproof and waterproof, you can easily bring them to the beach for a swim or pack them for a trail run without worrying.

Product specs

Battery life: 24 hours | Noise canceling: Yes | Water-resistant: Waterproof

Pros

• Allow you to hear sounds around you
• Good sound quality
• No in-ear discomfort

Cons

• Some reviewers report connectivity and fit issues

This wireless, headset-style pair doesn’t actually sit in your ears. Rather, via a technology called “bone conduction,” the headphones rest right outside your ears and deliver sound via your cheekbones (sounds crazy, we know).

For Erin Bailey, a Boston-based trainer, they’re perfect on morning runs (and feel super lightweight). “I love them because they offer really great sound quality, but don’t cancel out other important things around me as I’m running through the city,” she says. Win-win.

Product specs

Battery life: 8 hours | Noise canceling: Yes | Water-resistant: Waterproof

Pros

• Adjustable EQ
• A 15-minute charge provides 2.5 hours of listening time
• Optional cord

Cons

• Pricey
• Padding doesn’t hold up to sweat well

Sarah Madaus, a cycling instructor at Equinox, recommends these Bose over-ear headphones for strength training, walking, and cycling. “I’ve always been an AirPods person, but after my last pair died, I opted for these, which I can use in and out of the gym,” she says. “The plush padding gives a comfortable fit and you can use them as wired headphones to save power. They have customizable touch controls that allow you to change songs, adjust the volume, and switch to noise cancellation.”

The padding does wear out over time—especially when in contact with sweat—but you can buy replacements easily. The battery is an excellent bonus: You can get up to 24 hours of listening time on a single charge.

Product specs

Battery life: 24 hours | Noise canceling: Yes | Water-resistant: No

Pros

• Long battery life
• A 10-minute charge gives you 3 hours of listening time

Cons

• Some reviewers say the ear cups are too small

Zach Williams, CPT, a New York City–based barre and cycling instructor at Equinox, recommends these luxe over-ear Beats headphones. “These are durable, and I love that I can be hands-free while moving around the gym or studio,” he says.

Without using the adaptive noise cancellation, you can get up to 40 hours of battery life at a time (or 22 if you use all the features). If you’re someone who forgets to charge your tech (or check the battery before you head to the gym), the Beats Studio3 are a good pair of headphones to keep in tow.

Product specs

Battery life: 22 hours | Noise canceling: Yes | Water-resistant: No

Pros

• Long battery life
• A 10-minute charge gives you 5 hours of listening time
• Automatically pauses when you take them off
• Alexa compatible

Cons

• Pricey
• Some Amazon reviewers say the touch controls are hard to use

Here’s another set of headphones that won’t slide around during intense workouts. Kara Brown, barre instructor at the Fit In in Brooklyn, New York, uses these for workouts, strolling around the city, and runs. Sure, they’re pricey—but more than 45,000 five-star Amazon reviews claim that they sound (and feel) amazing.

Product specs

Battery life: 30 hours | Noise canceling: Yes | Water-resistant: No

Pros

• Adjustable fit
• Don’t have to worry about charging
• Budget-friendly

Cons

• Some Amazon reviewers say the sound quality isn’t great and the buttons don’t work well

For anyone who simply can’t be bothered with Bluetooth pairing or charging issues, there is a very affordable solution: These Skullcandy earbuds, which you will find at any CVS, corner store, or airport bookstore, are the best budget earbuds around, according to some fitness folks.

“I like these because they fit in my ears very nicely, never fall out, and are comfortable,” says Christa Sgobba, CPT, director of food and fitness at SELF. “But honestly, probably more because they are really, really cheap, so I don’t care when sweat inevitably short circuits them out in three months and I need a new pair.” Anyways, haven’t you heard that wired earbuds are back?

Product specs

Battery life: Wired | Noise canceling: No | Water-resistant: No

Pros

• 3D audio
• Can connect to two devices at once
• Lots of colors to choose from
• Excellent battery life

Cons

• Pricey
• Some Amazon reviewers say the battery runs out quickly

This waterproof pair from Jabra is a great option for anyone who wants ultra-comfy earbuds. The company scanned over 62,000 ears to develop its eargels, which have a semi-open design that prevents pressure build-up. These are meant to work for all kinds of ears, even small ones. If you feel like buds typically stretch your ears out or just don’t fit, these could be the ones for you.

Product specs

Battery life: 36 hours | Noise canceling: Yes | Water-resistant: Waterproof

Pros

• Excellent battery life
• You can stream synchronized audio independently to each earbud (so you can use either or both)
• Ambient Aware feature allows you to tune into your surroundings

Cons

• Touch controls can be hard to avoid when adjusting the headphones’ fit
• Some Amazon reviewers complain that they don’t stay put

Amazon reviewers appreciate that you can customize your listening experience with these headphones, thanks to an equalizer you can access via the JBL app. The Ambient Aware feature is also a great add-on for runners, who may want to listen to their tunes without totally tuning out the world around them. And with a 48-hour battery life, one missed charging session won’t put a cramp in your style (or schedule).

Product specs

Battery life: 48 hours | Noise canceling: Yes | Water-resistant: Yes

Pros

• Budget-friendly
• Comfortable memory foam ear cups
• Excellent battery life
• Option to plug in and use as wired headphones

Cons

• Some Amazon reviewers report durability issues

It’s hard to beat the 60-hour battery life of these under-$100 over-ear headphones. If you love to work out to hip-hop, rap, or EDM, you’ll appreciate Soundcore’s BassUp feature, which can amplify lower frequencies that tend to get lost in headphones.

“I genuinely appreciate and seek out good sound and always keep my eye out for value-priced, audiophile-quality gear—and honestly, for the money, these headphones are exceptionally good,” wrote one Amazon reviewer. “Excellent range, very comfortable, good noise canceling, and a charge lasts literally forever.”

Product specs

Battery life: 60 hours | Noise canceling: Yes | Water-resistant: No

Pros

• Adaptive Active Noise Cancellation adjusts so you can still hear important sounds around you
• Programmable touch controls
• Comes with multiple ear tips

Cons

• Pricey
• Some customization features are only available to Android users

These headphones have some seriously cool tricks: When someone speaks to you in a language other than your own, you’ll hear a direct translation through the buds. Same goes for phone calls. But for Amazon reviewers, the ample customization opportunities, whether it comes to sound quality or touch controls, are key.

“I have been an AirPods user for more than four years and I wanted to give a try to Samsung Buds 3 Pro; I found myself surprised and pleased that you have more settings and options compared to AirPods,” one happy listener wrote.

Product specs

Battery life: 6 hours | Noise canceling: Yes | Water-resistant: Yes

Pros

• Great battery life
• Unique design and fit
• Allow you to hear your surroundings

Cons

• Some Amazon reviewers say the fit isn’t great and there are annoying sounds when using the controls

These are another great option for folks who want to stay alert to sounds around them or don’t like the feeling of in-ear or over-ear headphones. This lightweight pair from Raycon sits on top of your ears without going inside, and comes with adjustable hooks that go around your ears for added stability.

The battery life is also great: “I’ve fallen asleep with these, and they were still playing when I woke up seven hours later. I’ve only had a few open ear wireless headphones be able to do that,” wrote one Amazon reviewer.

Product specs

Battery life: 40 hours | Noise canceling: No | Water-resistant: Yes