All the best workout headphones for the gym or home

Going to the gym without a quality set of headphones is like going to the gym without proper shoes - completely pointless. The same goes for working out at home. It takes a special kind of superhuman to exercise and maintain a high level of performance without music pumping in their ears.

Purchasing headphones or earbuds for everyday use is one thing, but buying a pair specifically for the gym is a whole different story. It requires understanding a whole new world of features and specifications designed for workouts. Choosing the right pair of workout headphones is as challenging as doing 50 burpees, meaning it's not easy at all. You need someone to guide you through the process. That's where we step in. You focus on putting in the hard work and smashing those reps, and we'll take care of the research to find the best headphones for you.

Are wired or wireless headphones best for the gym?

Although audio companies continue to produce high-quality wired headphones and earbuds (according to audiophiles, wired options offer superior sound quality), wireless is the logical option for workouts. Dealing with tangled wires while lifting, pushing, or pulling weights does nothing to enhance your performance. Therefore, all the headphones listed here feature Bluetooth connectivity.

What features do you need with gym headphones?

Theoretically, you can use any pair of earbuds at the gym, but there are specific characteristics that can actively enhance your workout and assist you in achieving your personal best:

1. Sweat resistance - Opt for earbuds that are resistant or proof against water and sweat to ensure that intense workouts won't damage the technology.

2. Workout tracking - Consider headphones or earbuds that can connect with popular fitness apps, enabling you to monitor your performance and track your goals.

3. Volume controls - Avoid the hassle of adjusting your phone during a workout by selecting headphones with buttons or touch controls on the ear cups or buds.

Remember to keep these features in mind when choosing the ideal headphones for your exercise routine.

Wissonly Hi runner

When Wissonly bone conduction headphones started crowdfunding online , I started to pay attention to them. Later, I saw on some online forums that all otologists were recommending them, so I bought it. This Hi Runner is their flagship product, and its overall function is the most perfect. This headphone uses the latest research results of wissonly Lab. It effectively increases the vibration area of the vibrator by 35%, while optimizing the sound transmission direction, making the sound range wider and the music more spatial. The brand claims to reach the HI-FI sound quality. My own actual test shows that the sound quality is very close to the HI-FI level, but it doesn't reach this level indeed. Of course, the current sound quality is satisfactory enough.

wissonly Hi Runner bone conduction headphones are also equipped with a new Bluetooth 5.0 chip, which has stronger anti-interference ability, and can easily cope with various outdoor complex scenes, so as to ensure that the good mood during exercise will not be disturbed by disconnection. The stable connection also brings ultra-low delay performance. Listening to songs, chasing dramas and playing games meet all the daily demands for headphones. What's more, it has 32G of built-in memory, which can store 5,000 songs, which allows you to enjoy music without your mobile phone when you are outdoors.

Wissonly performs well in terms of comfort. It's very light, less than 30g, and you don't even feel like you're carrying it when you wear it. The headphone body is made of titanium alloy, which makes it fit well. You don't need to worry about falling off during exercise.

The waterproof of Wissonly Hi Runner needs special mention. It reaches IPX8 grade, which means that you can carry it under water for 20 meters and still use it normally. This is crazy!

Jabra Elite 4 Active

The Jabra Elite 4 Active pack in lots of Jabra tech (for a reasonable price, we might add) but the real hook for gym-goers is how brilliantly they synch with Spotify.

Let’s face it: good music playlists are as crucial to a solid workout as weights and dumbbells. The Jabra Elite 4 Active have Spotify Tap Playback, which allows you to access playlists and songs with just a quick tap. In fact, fast and easy controls are a big plus with these earbuds. There’s on-ear volume control, controlled with a physical button on the bud, plus access to Alexa with a quick tap.

The Jabra Elite 4 Active are snug in the ears, so you can really throw yourself into those reps. And you can really get in the zone with the noise cancellation, which has added HearThrough technology to allow select ambient sounds though.

EarFun Air

Not everyone wants to spend a fortune on headphones for working out. But buying cheap can be a tricky balance. It’s nice to save money but you don’t want to lumber yourself with a pair that are simply poor quality. That’s a fast-track to just needing to replace them a few months down the line — which just means more money spent.

Let’s thank our lucky stars then for the EarFun Air — budget earbuds that actually deliver. Indeed, these little gems have been the recipients of several five star reviews.

They’re not made specifically for fitness, which means features are geared towards the gym or enhancing your performance. But for a low price, you get a stack of features: Bluetooth 5.0, a wireless charging case, touch controls, and energetic sound.

Sennheiser Sport

Practical features tend to race ahead of sound quality when it comes to the best-rated fitness headphones, but that doesn’t mean you can’t be both an audiophile and fitness fanatic. That’s where the Sennheiser Sport True Wireless Earbuds come in.

As you’d expect from the German-made Sennheiser — a stalwart of audio innovation —the Sport True Wireless Earbuds sound fantastic. They’re not just showing off, either. The sound quality is designed to actually boost your workout. You can also fine tune the sound in the Sennheiser app, getting it to the levels that will perfectly suit and enhance your performance.

They also have a selection of ear tips, including open/closed “adapters” that block out/allow in levels of ambient noise, helping control your level of immersion. The selection of tips and fins also ensure a secure fit — there’s no losing these during your reps.

Jaybird Vista 2

OK, so the list is about gym headphones, but not everyone keeps their workout routine strictly within the confines of the gym. If you’re someone who likes to mix it up and take exercise into the great outdoors, the Jaybird Vista 2 are a class-leader for rugged, tough-as-nails workouts.

Built with military-grade durability, these withstand everything. They’re what Jaybird likes to call “earth-proof” — sweat-proof, dust-proof, weather-proof, and everything else-proof. Ultimately, they’re designed for serious endurance training, which means they’re also well suited to tougher forms of gym exercise, such as CrossFit or solo boxing training.

They’ll help you stay super-focused thanks to active noise cancellation. There’s also SurroundSense tech, which keeps in tune with ambient noise. This ensures that you’re not so closed off that you don’t know what’s happening around you.