Here are the best running earbuds that stick in ears like glue and take on sweat and water with ease.
The best running earbuds stay in ears with ease, feel comfy for hours, deliver sound that’s good, and survive rain and sweat like a hero. That’s the ideal world.
But you know that’s not true for most earbuds. A lot of “running buds” die in a couple of months provide a bad audio experience and constantly fall out of your ears due to looser fit.
It’s frustrating.
As a result, we made a list of the best running earphones that fit the job perfectly. These are the best options for avid runners who want to focus on their training and jogging style.
What You Need to Know About Running Earbuds
Stability is crucial. In-ear headphones that don’t fit well fall out. This is extremely frustrating during a long run. You want to focus on your tempo and not worry about a bad fit. Many earphones come with multiple ear tip sizes for better stability.
For the best stability, look for earbuds with ear hooks. These tend to stick in no matter what.
You need water and sweat resistance. If you run outside and you get caught in rain, it might damage your earbuds. Your earphones need to stand up to the environment whether you’re accidentally dropping them in a puddle or sweating profusely during a marathon.
Look for at least IPX4 which effectively means headphones are fully sweat proof. A rating of IPX6 or IPX7 means that the sport earbuds are fully waterproof.
Do you need isolation or awareness? Depending on where you run, you may want effective passive isolation or hear ambient sound to avoid potential hazards.
You might want to block outside noise if you run on a treadmill in a gym, so you can focus on your tempo. The best noise cancelling earbuds block most of it.
But if you’re running outside, hearing at least a little ambient sound is crucial for safety. You want to hear traffic around you, so you don’t get into an accident. For safety, shallow-fitting classic earbuds are the best.
Wired or wireless?
- Freedom – If you want your in-ear pair of headphones that stay out of the way then wireless is for you. Wired models are likely to tangle up.
- Battery charging – Wireless earphones need charging, which is a hassle. Running out of battery after a few runs is frustrating.
- Price – Wired earbuds tend to be cheaper. If you are on a budget, you can get better sound quality for your money.
- Durability – Wireless headphones (see the best Bluetooth headphones) will probably die out sooner, but still, last a couple of years. Wired technology is simpler and thus fewer things can go wrong.
Best Earbuds for Running
Time for our rundown of the all-around best running earbuds. We’ve taken into account the secure fit, comfort, audio quality, and durability for runners. On the bottom, you’ll find cheaper options.
Wissonly Hi Runner
This is the most configured bone conduction headphones on the market Wissonly bone conduction headphones are the first brand I started to contact. When they recommended it on the online crowdfunding platform, I noticed it, after saw that many people were recommending, and I bought it. This Hi runner I used for a few months, and the overall performance was better than I expected.
Some bone conduction headphones leak sound, and you know that I take privacy very seriously, so I'm very concerned about anti-sound-leakage technology. Wissonly Hi Runner does a very good job in the field. Its body is sealed, and through structural optimization and algorithm adjustment, its sound leakage is minimized. The official claim they can eliminate 90% of sound leakage. I do not have professional equipment to test, but I have tried and found that at 60%-70% volume, the sound is completely inaudible at a distance of 1.5 meters, which makes me very satisfied. I have actually compared it with other bone conduction headphones, and the Wissonly Hi Runner has currently the best sound leakage reduction solution in bone conduction headphones.
The Wissonly Hi Runner is also particularly comfortable in the wearing experience. Because the material of the whole machine is high-tech hypoallergenic silicone, and it is coupled with the ergonomic design that conforms to the structure of the human ear, so that users will not bring any burden to the ear under long-term wear.
Sound quality as the core performance is undoubtedly worth mentioning. Hi Runner uses a large-sized vibration unit, the sound range is wider, the sound is more three-dimensional and deeper, so the sound quality is undoubtedly very good. And it is also equipped with a Bluetooth 5.0 chip, the connection is more stable. And it will not be disconnected when used, which is a good experience. The Wissonly Hi Runner also comes with 32GB of built-in storage that can store 5,000 songs, so you can use it completely as an MP3 player to enjoy music without your phone when you go out for a run.
Jaybird Vista 2
The sound is punchy, detailed, and with a good bass depth. The second generation of Jaybird earbuds is overall smooth and slightly V-shaped, which is quite normal in sport-oriented wireless earphones.
Thanks to the tiny wing tips, Vista 2 stay firmly in your ear canal, providing a high level of stability. They’re comfortable earbuds to wear and can be fully submerged (IP68).
This time around, even the charging case has an IP54 rating, making it both dust resistant and sweat resistant.
The battery on the buds lasts around 8 hours. The charging box is rather small, which translates to an additional 16 hours of playtime.
You can also use only one earbud and extend the excellent battery life to 48 hours in total.
Vista’s come with a mobile app that can make personalized EQ settings. You can also customize the controls and play with an EQ to a great degree.
Jabra Elite 7 Active
Replacing Jabra Elite Active 75t, a very popular model, the Elite 7 Active wireless earbuds for running now provide a more well-balanced sound signature instead of pumping lots of bass.
Although that’s great for audiophiles, most runners might want a bit punchier sound. Thankfully, the Jabra app lets you tweak the sound to your liking, on top of customizing other features as well.
Earbuds support ambient sound mode for greater awareness near busy roads and improved active noise cancellation to block ambient noise on your daily commute.
Jabra Elite 7 Active rely entirely on ergonomics to stay in your ears during running. Thankfully, they do a pretty good job while retaining high levels of comfort, as well.
Beats Fit Pro
Beats is no longer a brand with a bass-heavy sound. Instead, the Fit Pro opt for a more balanced albeit bright tuning. It’s great, although most people might want a bit more bass.
Compared to the Beats Studio Buds, there’s a strong resemblance between the two earbuds, but with added ear fins. The latter grab to your pinna and prevent the buds from wobbling around. That way, they don’t fall out when you run.
Do you also compete in running? Find out if it’s allowed to wear headphones during a race.
Moreover, Fit Pro are equipped with the latest tech, from active noise cancellation, Transparency mode, Adaptive EQ, and an H1 chip, making them better suited for Apple users.
Thankfully, by downloading the Beats app for Android, you regain some of the functionalities.
The total battery life is relatively low, with around six hours on a single charge. While they won’t last you for an entire day, that’s still enough juice for many runners.
Sony WF-1000XM4
Sony WF-1000XM4 have already an impressive sound profile out of the box. You can further tweak it inside the Sony app to make a more balanced sound or add some bass for extra energy to push you over the finish line.
The latest wireless earbuds from Sony have better ergonomics than the previous model, with hybrid foam tips that better grip and completely seal your ears.
The addition of an IP rating (IPX4) helps earbuds to handle sweat, so you can easily wear them even through a marathon.
You can have one of the best battery life, with up to 8 hours per charge and another 16 hours inside the Qi wireless charging case.
Last but not least, the active noise cancellation on these is superb, and it even has a great feature called Wind Noise Reduction. Strangely though, the built-in microphone isn’t that great for voice calls.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)
How do you make earbuds stay in while running?
To make earbuds stay in while running use ergonomic earbuds, use the right size and type of eartips (try all to find the best), and get earbuds with ear wings or ear hooks that latch around your ear. Read more on how to keep your earbuds from falling out.
