8 best exercise headphones actually worth the investment

Take your sweat sessions up a level with these workout-friendly options

Whether it’s a sweaty HIIT home workout from your living room, a pacey morning 5km run or a peaceful Vinyasa yoga flow before bed, exercise headphones are kind of a must-have for anyone getting a sweat on regularly.

Why, we hear you ask? Well, first things first, it’s quite hard to burpee with a tangled headphone wire wrapped around your shins. Secondly, the damn things fall out half the time thanks to your sweat levels—don’t worry, all of the pairs in this roundup have advanced in-ear grip to make sure, no matter how hard you push, they won’t slip out mid-mountain climber. And, lastly, with the way 2020’s been going, knotted iPhone headphone wires really just aren’t a vibe.

Think of it this way: you’ve got the choice between a Primark or Gucci handbag. Sure, the Gucci’s expensive. But boy, will it be worth the investment for the cost-per-wear. So, come payday, why not treat yourself to an upgrade? With exercise headphone options from £11 to £170, there’s a buy for every budget. We’ve rounded up all the best exercise headphones of 2020, detailing their snazziest features and quirks to know about, so you don’t have to do the legwork. Happy sweating.

What to look for in an exercise headphone?

• In-ear grip
• Sweat-resistant
• Wireless
• Bluetooth
• Long battery life
• Quick charging

8 best exercise headphones to buy for 2020

1. Best wireless exercise headphones: Sony’s WF-XB700 headphones

Battery life: 18 hours

Perfect for exercise and day-to-day life, these are proper wireless and Bluetooth in-ear buds. They’re IPX4 rated, which basically means they’re properly water-resistant, so you won’t have to worry about working up a sweat while wearing them. That’s what they’re designed for. Plus, they’ve got extra bass for blasting your favourite bangers mid-sesh.

£130.00, johnlewis.com

2. Best Bose exercise headphones: Bose Soundsport wireless

Battery life: 6 hours

Bose headphones are pretty well respected in fitness world and for good reason. Most are on the pricier end of the spectrum but last for the long run and don’t break after a few uses. The Bose Soundsport wireless headphones are no different: think a lightweight bud joined together with a short wire, operated by Bluetooth and in-ear with snug-fitting anchoring hooks. Users comment on great sound quality and fit. Of their 813 Amazon customer reviews, they rank 5/5 stars. Not too shabby.

£129.95, bose.co.uk

3. Best Beats exercise headphones: Beats by Dr Dre Powerbeats Pro

Battery life: 9 hours

These Beats buds are unanimously hailed as some of the best exercise headphones in the business. Why? Well, they’re wireless, Bluetooth, sound isolating and kitted out with snug anchoring hooks, to boot. Promising an elevated sound experience and fit, they’re on the pricier side, again, but when you roadtest them, you can feel why. They’re all but impossible to budge once you’ve slotted them into your ears. You need only charge them for a few minutes for a full few hours of battery life, too. Neat.

£219.00, johnlewis.co.uk

4. Best exercise headphones under £200: Jabra Elite 75T

Battery: 28 hours

Now these are the Gucci bag of exercise headphones. The Jabra Elite earbuds boast a wireless range of up to 10 metres, active noise cancellation, Bluetooth connectivity and a whopping 28 hours of battery life. Plus, fun fact: 15 minutes of rapid charge in their charging case provides up to 1 hour of battery life. Not bad.

You can make calls wherever, whenever, with the Jabra’s noise-blocking zone and fitted eargels, too. Plus, during set up, your music will be configured via an in-app hearing test to make sure you’re getting the right sound level for you.

£169.00, johnlewis.com

5. Best exercise headphones under £100: Anker Soundcore Liberty Air 2

Battery: 28 hours

Anker’s USP? Music played through their Soundcore headphones is reproduced with a 15% larger frequency bandwidth. To you and I, that translates to way clearer treble and a lot—two times, actually—more bass. But don’t worry. You’ll be the only one who can hear your tunes, thanks to their noise reduction technology. Another snazzy Anker feature is the HearID, which maps your hearing sensitivity at multiple frequencies and personalities how (and what) you hear. Clever.

£89.99, amazon.co.uk

6. Best exercise headphones under £50: Urbanista Boston Workout Headphones

Battery: 6 hours

6 hours tangle free music? Go on then. These exercise earphones are great for any sweat session, work meeting or commute thanks to their built-in mic. Cleverly designed to stay where you want them, you’ll feel the Bluetooth device on the back of your neck next to a clip-on cord to make sure your earphones don’t slip out place. Sounds simple, but is super important for vigorous workouts.

£34.99, urbanista.com/uk

7. Best exercise headphones under £15: Skullcandy JIB Headphones

Battery: 6 hours

On the hunt for a cheap as chips pair of headphones that the tech gods actually rate? According to the pros in the know, these Skullcandy bargains do the job nicely. Sure, they may not last forever and battery life may only last for 6 hours, but they do have a noise isolating fit, meaning they’ll drown out any background noise, and a built-in wireless remote and mic for playing and pausing tracks and taking and making calls. Enjoy.

£11.76, amazon.co.uk

8. Best exercise headphones for running: JLab Audio Air Sport

Battery: 40 hours

A mid-range headphone that’s comfortable and sweat-resistant, this is the perfect exercise headphone if you workout two or three times a week. They come with a neat little carry case which charges the headphones on-the-go to last for up to 40 hours, plus work from a range of 30 feet. Now that’s impressive. Note: the earhooks have been ergonomically designed to ensure they stay in your ear for any distance run, too.

£69.99, johnlewis.co.uk.

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