Whether you’re taking on a grueling gym session or a late-night run, a workout playlist is essential to keep you going the extra mile, but those hard-hitting beats will fall flat if you don’t have the right headphones to play. sport to ring them.
Here, M&F has the best choices for a great audio companion and sports headphones for every budget.
SoundPEATS Air3 Pro sports headphones
Ideal for : Long distance races
Price: Offer price $59.99 (usually $69.99) from Amazon
The SoundPEATS Air3 Pro Hybrid active noise canceling wireless sports headphones are ideal for those on a tight budget. It’s the cheapest of our picks, but with a 4-star rating on Amazon, based on over 250 reviews, these headphones offer excellent noise cancellation and can block out surrounding gym or traffic noise. We took them for a run and found they had a stable connection. The fact that you can get 6 hours of listening time from a single charge (that’s an hour more than the standard Air3) is also great for runners, allowing for long distances and even marathons. Take the charging case with you and you’ll have a total of 24 hours of battery life until the next charge. Worried about rain or sweat? The Air3 Pro has an IPX5 level of sweat and rain proofing which is a great bonus for buds on a budget.
We found the Air3 Pros to be a good fit and very comfortable, essential when you need to focus on your next PR. In your free time, there is automatic mode switching to deal with different video or gaming latencies. Another added benefit not seen with many sports headphones in this price range is the ability to connect them to the SoundPEATS app to customize sound levels. We found the sound quality to be crisp and even had a surprisingly high amount of bass. For the majority of listeners, the noise cancellation will do wonders, although greater dB sound cancellation may be needed if you’re riding at high speeds or facing wind and rain.
Verdict: At this price, the automatic mode change and audio quality make them worth your money and perfect for activities like running or hiking where you need battery life but don’t want to waste an expensive audio kit. If money is really tight right now, the SoundPEATS Air 3 Deluxe HS were released on November 18 and although the regular retail price is $10 cheaper, they still offer 20 hours of battery life and many of the same features.
Skullcandy Push Active Sports Headphones
Ideal for: Athletes and active people
Price: Bid price: $74 (usually $79.99) from Amazon
While the Skullcandy Push Active True Wireless Sport Earbuds only cost around $10-20 more than the Air 3 Pro, the extra investment will get you a slew of premium features. From a sealing point of view, they are IP55 certified. This means that they can last 55 minutes completely submerged in water (at a pressure of one bar). There’s 10 hours of charge in these buds, with an additional 34 hours available from the charging case. The Skull-iQ voice control technology proved to be very useful for adjusting the volume and switching to different tracks. You can answer work calls at the gym or on the track without moving a finger. In testing, we found the bass to be sufficient but not so explosive that it interfered with vocals. But, perhaps one of the Push Active’s most valuable features is the earhook that keeps you from looking like a loser when standard headphones decide to fall off your head in a busy gym. The buds currently receive a 4-star review from over 3,000 ratings, and it’s easy to see why they’re loved. The Push Actives fit comfortably in your ear, making them perfect for training outdoors without fear of losing them to the elements.
The verdict: One feature that’s missing is active noise cancellation, so if you want to block out nearby interference, the Push Actives are limited in that area, but as they’re more suited to athletes and those who train outdoors outdoors like distance runners, you might be going it alone anyway. The Push Actives also come with 3 different sizes of earcups, which means you should be able to get good noise isolation from the fit. If you want great sound and the extra peace of mind that they won’t fall out of your ears, this is the pair for you.
Beats Studio Buds
Ideal for: Fashion-conscious athletes who appreciate winning sounds
Price: Bid Price: $119.49 from Amazon
The fact that the Beats Studio Buds come in 5 different colorways means you can choose the perfect pair to match your favorite gym outfit, but in addition to the iconic Beats style, you’ll also own some serious sound. Spatial Audio delivers immersive surround sound effects that are typically reserved for the on-ear style of headphones. And, with three sizes of soft silicone tips, you can find a comfortable and secure fit for you. The Beats app provides everything you need to make sure you’re getting plenty of bang from your Beats, and you can also access on-screen information about battery levels (you can enjoy for up to 24 hours when combined with the Pocket Charging Case) or make those firmware updates a breeze.
The Beats Studio Buds offer active noise cancellation with the ability to quickly switch to transparency mode when someone asks you how many sets you have left on the only pec game in the gym. And, speaking of the gym, these buds are sweat resistant, so go ahead and tell that guy you’re going to do 3 more sets! The built-in mic offers dual-beam capability and is great for cutting out background noise, so you can still make that call when you’re next to heavy traffic.
The verdict: As you’d expect, the Beats Studio Buds deliver rich depth of sound, and the different sized ear tips let you find the perfect fit. We also loved the ‘Press and Hold’ feature as it lets you customize what it activates, meaning you can easily manage listening modes, activate your voice assistant or adjust the volume level.
Sony LinkBuds S sports headphones
Ideal for: Audio enthusiasts leading busy lives
Price: Bid price: $128 (usually $199.99) from Amazon
If you’re the type of person who fits gym workouts into a busy schedule, you’ll be pleased to know that the Sony LinkBuds S will give you 60 minutes of playtime in just 5 minutes. Perfect for busy days when the last thing on your mind is plugging in your pods. Sony says the LinkBuds S deliver their best sound quality on a call thanks to advanced voice signal processing, and with 20 hours of battery life offered through the case, these pods will also be perfect for those long, endless meetings. Another awesome feature is how the LinkBuds S sports headphones can automatically switch between noise cancellation or ambient sound and its smart settings will learn from your behavior so they can adjust to deliver the ideal sound setup, depending on your environment.
If sports headphones are going to be worn for a long time, they need to be comfortable, and luckily Sony has nailed that here. They are lightweight and also provide a secure fit. The LinkBuds S are a breeze when it comes to connecting to resources like Alexa and Google Assistant. They are also water resistant to IPX4 so sweat won’t be an issue when doing that all-important workout. An accompanying app lets you control the EQ and how your beats should sound.
The verdict: If premium sound is important to you, the LinkBuds S sports headphones will be your new best friend. It’s not just the playback quality that stands out, but also the mic and audio during calls.
Adidas RPT-02 SOL
Ideal for: Those who don’t compromise on sound or make green purchases.
Price: Bid Price: $229.99 from Amazon
The Adidas RPT-02 Sol are IPX4 rated, making these over-ear headphones ideal for tough, sweat-laden workouts and while they lack sound cancellation, they offer incredible comfort. But what really sets these cans apart from the pack is that they can be charged by sunlight and much of the construction is made from recycled materials. In fact, Adidas claims that 51% of this product is made from 87% recycled plastic. So if you care about the planet as much as you care about your playlist, you’ll feel better than ever working out to your favorite tunes. These earbuds can store a whopping 80 hours of life, self-charging by solar power, and although some earbuds give off severe body odor after long, intense workouts, you can start over every day as the earmuffs are removable. and washable. Sound levels can be adjusted via an accompanying app.
The verdict: Impressive, booming sound that’s not too bulky yet secure enough to lock to your ears during the most intense workouts, plus the ability to charge via the sun, gym goers can’t go wrong with the latest drop audio from Adidas.
Under Armor Project Rock Circum-auricular
Ideal for: Be the king of the gym
Price: Offer price: $275 (usually $299.99) from Amazon
Want to look like “The Great One”? Well now you can, but you’ll have to shell out a lot of money to do it. Still, achieving greatness takes hard work, and with a 4.5-star rating on Amazon, you could become the owner of a true champion among headphones. And, unlike many celebrity-endorsed products, these bad boys stand up to scrutiny: Created in collaboration between JBL, Under Armor and Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson, the wrestler-turned-movie-star insisted on testing and providing comments on the sound quality itself, before putting its electrifying name on these cans. In practice, they are IPX4 rated, which means they can handle water splashing from all directions. This is important because many headphones are not suitable for the gym, where sweating is normal. Not only is the Project Rock sweat resistant, but we found it extremely satisfying that, just like with the Adidas model above, you can remove the earmuffs, wash them and put them back on, meaning you won’t won’t be carrying around a pair of headphones that smell like worn socks.
You’ll get 45 hours of superhero-worthy battery life on a single charge, and we were able to recharge the internal battery with the included USB cable in nearly 2 hours. UA also bundles a 12-month premium subscription to its “Map My Run” app in the box. Speaking of the box, inside is a quality carrying case with a jubilee clip attachment for rugged sessions just as tough as the “People’s Champion” himself.
From a noise-cancellation perspective, DJ likes to focus on his workouts in the gym without being distracted, and you can too because we could barely hear an outside voice on the treadmill or the iron. iron. There’s a quick switch to disable undo, so you can have small talk with the squatter on the next rack. And, when you take the headphones off, they stop automatically. That’s what you call quality! The listening experience is where it really is. You can connect the Project Rock to the JBL app and even try out the Rock’s EQ preset or make your own settings. Either way, you’ll have access to some serious bass without losing some of those subtle tones. In terms of connectivity, you can plug the headphones into your favorite audio player using the jack if you want to save battery or use them as an audio monitor.
The verdict: The earmuffs are extremely comfortable and there is a good distance between the speakers and your ear, allowing for rich sound and a comfortable, breathable fit. The prize may be ‘People’s Eyebrows’, but when you walk around the gym sporting the Brahma bull decals on each ear, you’ll be the undisputed king of the gym.
