A pair of earbuds at the gym can be a great way to get in the zone and block out the world around you. The best options have a stable, comfortable fit so that they don't pop out of your ears during reps. Some people prefer an ear hook design, while others may like stability fins or clip-ons, so you'll want to consult our article comparing different headphone styles. Their durable, water-resistant build should hold up over grueling workouts, and the controls should be intuitive and easy to use, even with sweaty fingers or one dumbbell in hand.
Active noise cancelling (ANC) may also be essential if you're easily distracted by noisy gym-goers, while transparency mode can let you have conversations with others without pausing your audio. As a nice-to-have, some fitness-centric earbuds come with extra features like a heart rate monitor to help you track how hard your heart is working, so you can better tailor your workout to your fitness goals.
We've tested over 920 pairs of headphones, and below are our recommendations for the best workout headphones with an earbud design. If you prefer over-ears for your gym sessions, check out our recommendations for the best over-ear headphones for working out. Still thinking about earbuds? Try the best headphones for running or the best wireless earbuds for more options.
Our How We Test Headphones article takes you behind the scenes in our lab. You'll learn how we choose and purchase products and dive into the details of our review philosophy, from testing and scoring to writing and editing.
You can also discover how we produce recommendations like this one so that you can find the best headphones (or earbuds!) for your needs.
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Best Earbuds For Working Out
The Beats Powerbeats Pro 2 are the best workout earbuds we've tested. These lightweight, sport-centric buds are a solid choice if you prioritize a secure fit while getting in your reps. Their ear hooks keep the buds stable while their silicone coating reduces slipping. And the buds are resistant to water exposure, which is handy if you get caught in the rain. They also have a built-in heart rate sensor, making it easy to monitor your biometrics during workouts, and their physical controls are easy to use, even if you've got sweaty hands.
Like most premium buds on the market, these have active noise cancellation (ANC) to help reduce noise, such as the hum of a treadmill. There's also a transparency mode so you can quickly chat with people who are asking for workout equipment without removing them from your ears. Their balanced sound has a slight bass emphasis, perfect for soundtracking a run. Since Beats is an Apple-owned business, they're also equipped with a proprietary H2 chip, allowing you to seamlessly connect with Apple devices. Unfortunately, they don't offer the same slew of features as a proper Apple product, so if you're an iOS user, you'll want to check out our pick further down.
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Best Mid-Range Earbuds For Working Out
While a price drop can also mean dropping extra features, the Anker Soundcore Liberty 5 Pro offers surprising value at the mid-range price point. Although they lack features like a heart rate monitor or ear hooks, they come with very comfortable, removable stability fins that keep the buds in place while you're working out. They're also water-resistant, so they withstand accidental exposure to rain. Unlike the Beats Powerbeats Pro 2, they also have companion app support with a graphic EQ and presets, so you can fine-tune their warm, bassy sound to suit your liking.
If that's not enough, they have a transparency mode for monitoring the world around you as well as a fantastic ANC system to help reduce ambient sound like grunting gym-goers and clunking exercise equipment. With their ANC on, you'll get nearly seven hours of continuous battery life. While that's less than the Beats, they'll still last through long workouts without pausing. If you need even more, the carrying case holds three extra charges and lets you see the battery status and access basic app features like EQ.
If you prefer an ear hook design and want something even better built, consider the JBL Endurance Peak 4. These colorful buds are pretty sturdy, and they have a higher rating for dust and water resistance, which is handy if you tend to exercise outdoors, in any weather. That said, while they have ANC, it doesn't do much to reduce noise around you.
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Best Budget Earbuds For Working Out
The Skullcandy Push Active True Wireless are the best wireless earbuds for working out on a budget we've tested. Unlike the mid-range pick, the Anker Soundcore Liberty 5 Pro, they're a bit more limited in extra features and are a bit older on the market. However, their sporty, comfortable design, resistance to dust and water exposure, and over-ear hooks for added stability make them worth considering at this price point. That said, it does feel like the attachment point between the ear hooks and the main body of the buds could break over time.
Unlike the previous picks on the list, these buds don't have an ANC system and rely solely on their ear tips for noise reduction. The Skullcandy don't mitigate much against rumbling buses while you wait to cross at a busy intersection, but they'll filter out some of the crunch of leaves underfoot. The buds have a bassy default sound suitable for pop, rock, and EDM, but you can always tune the audio with the app's graphic EQ. And they're supported by a 9.5-hour battery life, plus an extra 3.4 charges from their case.
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Best Cheap Earbuds For Working Out
If you're worried about losing or damaging your buds and want a low-cost option that'll get the job done, the JLab Audio GO Sport+ fit the bill. These inexpensive buds are a great specialized fitness purchase; they have amazing stability thanks to their integrated ear hooks and are water-resistant. Earbuds at this price point will have some drawbacks, though. These buds lack the polished design and build quality of more expensive entries. In particular, there's an embedded USB-C charging cable underneath the case. While this can be a convenient addition, if the cable gets damaged in any way, you're left with no way to top up the case (or charge your earbuds).
Still, they have touch-sensitive controls that are simple to use, and you can even customize them to suit your needs via the companion app. Their bassy sound can also be fine-tuned using the app's EQ if you're in a rush. And the buds last 7.5 hours continuously, which should get you through long workouts without issue, plus there are nearly two extra charges in the case for times when you need to charge on the go to and from the gym.
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Best Working Out Earbuds For iPhone
Apple users won't be surprised to see the Apple AirPods Pro 3 mentioned here; these buds pack a couple of workout-friendly features, but you can only access them on an iPhone. Like the Beats Powerbeats Pro 2, they have a heart rate monitor to track how hard your heart is working during exercise. However, these headphones take it one step further by integrating with your Apple fitness subscription (if you're a member), providing live analytics such as calorie burn and heart rate. They also support quick pairing and seamless switching between Apple devices, as long as you're using the same iCloud account, which is handy if these buds end up as your daily drivers, as you'll be able to easily transition between your MacBook at the office and your iPhone at the gym.
Although they lack stability fins or ear-hooks, they're surprisingly stable in-ear. They're also pretty comfortable, with responsive controls, and both the buds and case are rated for dust and water resistance. One of their standout features is their ANC: it does a phenomenal job of blocking out background noise so that you can focus on your reps. And, when used in adaptive mode, you can smoothly transition from full noise isolation to transparency mode without completely losing your audio, making it easy to chat with your trainer or gym staff in a pinch. To wrap up the package, their sound is quite versatile, but only iOS users will have access to a 3-band EQ for customization.
Notable Mentions
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Beats Flex Wireless:
The Beats Flex Wireless are unique in this list: they have a neck-cable design, so you can drop the buds from your ears and they'll hang from your neck, which can be handy if you tend to lose your buds. They have a comfortable, stable fit, but lack dust- and water-resistance ratings.
See our review -
Bose Ultra Open Earbuds:
If you prefer to stay aware of your surroundings while exercising, consider the Bose Ultra Open Earbuds. Unlike other picks on this list, they don't enter your ear at all; you'll be able to hear everything happening around you. While they have an extremely stable fit, their design doesn't really deliver much bass, which can be disappointing if you want your music to pump you up.
See our review
Recent Updates
Oct 14, 2026:
We've reduced the intent of this article to working out, and with it, our recommendations have changed. We've swapped out the JBL Endurance Peak 4 for the Anker Soundcore Liberty 5 Pro to place greater emphasis on ANC, and we've added the Apple AirPods Pro 3 as an iPhone option for iOS users who want to use their heart rate monitor.
Sep 02, 2026:
We've added a dedicated pick for working out, the Nothing Headphone (a), which feature an IP52 rating.
Aug 03, 2026:
We've relocated our dedicated bone conduction pick to the Notable Mentions to streamline the decision-making process. Our remaining picks are still in stock and relevant for runners and gym-goers.
Jul 09, 2026:
We haven't changed our picks, but we've confirmed our existing ones are still in stock and useful for runners.
Jun 11, 2026:
We've overhauled the text to provide clearer guidance on why products are on the list, and we've added the JLab GO Sport+ and Shokz OpenFit Pro to our picks and Notable Mentions, respectively. We've also validated that our picks are still relevant and in stock, and removed mentions of products that didn't offer clear benefits and trade-offs.
All Reviews
Our recommendations above are what we think are currently the best workout headphones (for most people) in each price range. We factor in the price (cheaper headphones win over pricier ones if the difference isn't worth it), feedback from our visitors, and availability (no headphones that are difficult to find or almost out of stock everywhere).
If you'd like to choose for yourself, here's the list of all of our headphone reviews, ranked by their suitability for sports and fitness. Be careful not to get caught up in the details. There are no perfect headphones. Personal taste, preference, and where you use the headphones will matter more in your selection.