The best headphones for running and workouts, from just £24.99
It’s hardly a secret that soundtracking your workout with motivating music can help you reach your fitness goals. Whether you get your treadmill (or tarmac) groove on to Taylor Swift, Tom Jones or Beyoncé, some trusty earphones are a must for achieving that personal best – and happily, you don’t have to spend a fortune for good sound on the move.
Whether you’re after a cheap and cheerful set that won’t fall out the moment you ramp up the pace, or a pricier pair that will impress the most discerning audiophile, the best exercise headphones will help you keep your focus, no matter how you work out.
Ready to go from zero to hero? Our expert testers laced up their trainers and queued up their playlists to find the best gym-proof earphones you can buy.
Right now, you can enjoy some huge savings for Black Friday, including 46% off our Sennheiser winner, 42% off the iconic Beats Studio Buds+ and 32% off the Shokz bone conduction headphones for runners.
What are the best headphones for exercise?
To help you find a workout-worthy pair of wireless headphones, our experts at the Good Housekeeping Institute put a range of top models to the test. Only the pairs that provided premium sound and a secure fit during sweaty sessions made our final roundup of favourites.
These are our top picks, but keep scrolling for the full reviews.
What's the difference between true wireless and near-wireless?
You may have noticed that our hot-list contains a combination of true wireless and near-wireless headphones.
True wireless headphones are, as you might expect, completely free from cables. Instead, they consist of two earbuds that are inserted into the ear canal and connect to your device via Bluetooth.
Near-wireless headphones have a cord running between them as an extra safety net, so if one does become dislodged it won’t fall to the floor.
The choice is completely down to personal preference; decide if you favour the discretion of true wireless, or the added security of near-wireless before taking your pick.
What type of headphones are best for the gym?
A word to the wise: when it comes to headphones for fitness, in-ear, wireless pairs are usually the best bet. There’s no risk of your arms getting tangled in cables mid-session, and they're inserted directly into your ear canal, so they’re more likely to stay put during vigorous workouts.
That said, our experts have managed to hunt down the best over-ear headphones for exercise, if you don't like earbuds digging in.
Sweat and water resistance are must-have features, while ear hooks or wings can help keep your headphones secure while running. If you prefer near-wireless headphones, look for a cable clip that stops the connecting wire flapping about, too.
For runners, open-ear headphones, which use bone conduction technology to transfer sound vibrations along the cheekbones, and help you stay aware of your surroundings, are worth considering.
How we test headphones
Our Good Housekeeping Institute expert tested a range of headphones from the biggest brands while stationary, on the move and during workouts, judging each pair on its design, ease of use and performance (the latter being a combination of comfort, battery life and sound quality).
We also sent them off to a professional sound technician to see which headphones could truly do justice to our favourite running playlists. Once the testing process was complete, we combined our experts' feedback to award final scores, with only the top performers making the final cut.
Sport True Wireless
Score: 96/100
Specifically designed for exercise, our winning buds scored highly for security – they won’t budge no matter how many star jumps or burpees you do – and they proved highly sweatproof, too.
Our expert loved their lightweight design and found them extremely comfortable, even after having them in for hours. They boast effective noise cancelling tech to help you get in the zone during challenging workouts, but there’s also an open adaptor to let outside noise in – useful when you’re exercising outdoors.
In terms of audio quality, our expert was impressed with their “smooth sound” and said there was next to no leakage, so you can turn up the volume without disturbing your fellow gymgoers.
All in all, an excellent pair of earphones for all your workouts, including running, HIIT and strength training. Juste note, the twist-in style may not be for everyone.
Studio Buds +
Score: 93/100
There’s a lot of hype around these good-looking Beats buds and after testing them, we can see why.
According to our sound technician, the audio quality is “nearly flawless” and there’s zero sound distortion, so rest assured, they’ll do your workout playlist justice. The ANC (Active Noise Cancellation) is also top-notch, as is the transparency mode for letting in external sound – a feature runners will appreciate. They stayed put even when exercising vigorously (they didn’t come loose or slip out once) and they have a handy quick-charge feature, giving you an hour’s playback from a speedy five-minute charge.
Unlike many of Beats’ competitors, smart features – including voice activation and ‘Find My’ integration – are available for both Android and iOS users. The buds also scored bonus points for their stylish transparent case.
Momentum 4 Wireless
Score: 93/100
If you’re not a fan of in-ear headphones digging in, may we suggest these impressive over-ear headphones from the audio experts at Sennheiser? They’re supremely comfortable thanks to the soft, padded ear cups, which will sit on your ears nicely, without squishing them down.
While many over-ear designs are bulky and awkward to exercise in, these scored highly for security – they stayed in place throughout our high-energy workouts, without the need for readjustments every few minutes. Music to our ears!
The excellent sound quality and stellar ANC are complemented by a battery that lasts up to 60 hours between charges and responsive touch controls, which are easy to adjust mid-activity. We also liked the auto-pause feature when you take the headphones off.
Fit Pro
Score: 92/100
This is the second Beats offering in our round-up, but are you really surprised? These iconic earphones went down a treat with our tester, who said they remained firmly in place during their bounciest workouts and felt comfortable even when things got sweaty.
In terms of audio quality, our sound expert gave them a big thumbs up, praising their “rich sound” and we were highly impressed with their noise cancelling capabilities while working out and commuting.
The sleek, compact carry case means you can easily slip them into your pocket, and they have a handy quick-charge feature, offering an hour’s playback from a five-minute plug-in, so you’ll never have to plod through a silent workout again. As a bonus, they come in a range of attractive colourways.
Free Buds Pro 2
Score: 86/100
If you’re after earphones that will block out a busy gym, look no further. The advanced noise-cancelling tech and multiple microphones will let you immerse yourself in your playlist and get in the zone. You can also take calls on the go, without any distracting background noise.
Despite all the fancy tech, our tester found them a doddle to set up and use thanks to the step-by-step instructions. Plus, they’re lightweight and ultra comfy so you’ll barely notice they’re in.
From top-quality sound to impeccable noise cancellation, there’s plenty of substance to back up the sleek style. The fit may not be secure enough for super vigorous workouts, but for lighter sessions and everyday use, these neat little buds are hard to beat.
WH-1000XM5
Score: 84/100
If you’re searching for a sturdy pair of headphones to soundtrack your walks and low-impact gym workouts, look to these top-quality cans. Unsurprisingly with Sony, the smooth, punchy sound was “faultless” and there was no pesky sound leakage. The adjustable noise-cancelling also received full marks from our audiophile.
Excellent sound quality aside, these headphones boast a range of smart features. For instance, they will adjust the level of noise cancellation depending on your surroundings and they’ll automatically turn down the volume if you start talking. Additionally, multipoint connectivity means you can connect to your phone, laptop and fitness watch at the same time.
They are on the bulky side, and we found they needed readjusting from time to time, so we’d save these for low-impact activities, running errands or wearing at your desk.
OpenRun
Score: 83/100
These clever bone conduction headphones send audio vibrations through your cheekbones to your inner ears, bypassing your eardrum. As a result, they’re ideal for runners who want to stay safe on the roads. They’re also super comfortable – you don’t have to shove them into your ears like regular earbuds – and they have a protective coating and watertight gaskets, making them waterproof and sweat-proof.
They sat securely on our tester’s ears for all types of exercise, and everyone appreciated the handy voice assistant, which can tell you battery level and control music playback, so you can leave you phone and its distractions in your pocket.
The sound quality wasn’t quite as high as some of the others tested, as the on-the-bone design means you can hear your surroundings and others can overhear your music. While this may not be ideal for gyms and crowded settings, they’ll do the job nicely for all your outdoorsy activities.
OpenRun Pro2
Score: 83/100
If you like the sound of bone conductions headphones, but don't want to compromise on sound quality, look to these shiny new Shokz, which are a little pricier than the originals above.
They combine bone conduction and air conduction technology to generate a decent bass and deliver a fuller, rounder sound. The bone conduction speakers vibrate along your cheekbones to send sound to the inner ear, while the open-air speakers direct music towards the outside of your ears.
Sure enough, our expert was impressed with the “smooth, detailed sound” and “good vocals”. They also appreciated the equaliser in the Shokz app, which allows you to tailor the sound to your personal preferences.
They rated the design and fit, saying the band felt lightweight, comfortable and secure when on the move, and praised the quick-charge feature, which provides two and a half hours of juice with one speedy five-minute charge. The buttons on the body of the headphones allow you to control playback and take calls, although our tester though the call quality wasn’t the best.
Still, if you want to be aware of your surroundings when running, without compromising on sound quality, they’re the best you can buy.
Go Air Tones
Score: 82/100
A quality pair of wireless headphones doesn’t have to set you back a three-figure fee; these reliable JLab earbuds are proof of that. They're lightweight, incredibly comfortable and come with three different ear tips to help you find the perfect fit.
Although they don’t offer noise cancellation, we found they did a decent job of blocking out external sound. The touch controls were responsive, and we appreciated the in-ear assistant, which tells you when your headphones need a charge. The sound quality isn’t up there with Beats or Sennheiser, but the long battery life (32 hours) makes up for this, and when you consider the price, it’s hard to complain.
Oh, and did we mention they come in seven subtle skin tones, so they won’t stick out obviously or clash with your outfits?
AirPods 4 with Active Noise Cancellation
Score: 81/100
The latest versions of Apple’s iconic AirPods have landed and according to our experts, they’re the best yet. You can either opt for the buds with active noise cancellation (ANC) or, for £50 less, the regular buds without noise cancelling tech. We tested the ones with ANC.
Looks-wise, they have a more angled design and shorter stems than previous generations, which the brand claims will provide a more comfortable and secure fit. Sure enough, they didn’t fall out when our tester put them through their paces, and they remained comfy after wearing them for hours on end.
Our audiophile was impressed with the sound quality, praising the bass, smooth treble and dynamic range. They also rated the ANC, which provides three different modes to suit all needs, including a transparency mode for safety and a conversation awareness mode, which automatically lowers the volume when you’re speaking. The spatial audio, which provides a surround-sound effect, is an excellent addition, too.
Unlike the third-gen buds, the AirPods 4 are water-resistant, making them suitable for your sweatiest workouts. There’s a built-in speaker on the case, which will emit a sound to help you find it, and you can take or reject a call by simply nodding or shaking your head.
Check out our technology editor's full review.
Galaxy Buds2 Pro
Score: 81/100
These Samsung buds won’t slip out of your ears on the go and our audio expert couldn’t get enough of their “smooth, rich sound” and top-of-the-range noise cancellation. Additional features such as voice detect, which turns on ambient mode and lowers the volume when you’re speaking, and neck-stretch reminders sealed the deal for our expert.
Though compatible with both Android and iOS devices, those within the Samsung ecosystem can enjoy high-tech extras such as 24-bit audio (enhanced sound quality) and 360-degree head tracking for a cinema-like surround sound experience. As a bonus, the carry case is compact, and the buds come in a range of cute colours.
RPD-01 Bluetooth Headphones
Score: 81/100
Sweat-proof, though sadly not waterproof, these headphones sound strong with plenty of booming bass. The neckband design helps keep them secure when running and, just like our winning in-ear fitness headphones, the earbuds clip together magnetically when not in use.
You’ll get 12 hours of listening time between charges, too. Best of all, they'll set you back less than £45!
ATH-3220BT
Score: 79/100
If you’re looking to save some cash, but still want a reliable pair of headphones, this fuss-free design from Audio-Technica should be on your radar.
Though they aren't as robust as some of our pricier options, the audio quality exceeded our sound technician’s expectations. It isn’t going to blow your mind, but music and podcasts did sound crisp and clear. The headphones also come with a detailed user guide to ensure a smooth setup, and, despite the budget price tag, they boast multipoint connectivity, allowing you to switch between devices easily.
Other standout features? One full charge gives you a mega 60 hours of battery life and if you’re in a hurry, you get three hours of playback from a quick 10-minute charge. We liked the battery notifications, and the voice assistant worked well, too
The ear cups weren’t the comfiest on test and we would have liked a travel case, but you can easily buy one of these on Amazon. All in all, they offer excellent value for money.
Solo Buds
Score: 71/100
Tempted by the Beats buds above but can’t justify the spend? Let us introduce you to the brand’s budget-friendly Solo Buds, which provide many of the same features in a smaller, more affordable package.
They're compatible with both Apple and Android devices, offering features including instant pairing, auto-switching between devices and ‘Find My’ integration, and they boast audio sharing, so you can use two sets of headphones with one device. You can also answer calls, change tracks and activate your voice assistant on the buds.
Our expert was impressed with the sound quality and found them lightweight and comfy to wear (they come with four interchangeable tips to ensure you find the right fit). But to achieve a cheaper price point, they don’t offer active noise cancellation or spatial audio, which may or may not bother you.
The tiny buds scored highly for portability; the case is 40% smaller and 55% lighter than the Studio Buds +, but, unlike most wireless designs, they don’t have a battery in their case for easy charging. On the plus side, the earbuds boast a lengthy battery life – lasting up to 18 hours between charges – so it shouldn’t be too much of an issue. They stayed in place during exercise; however, they're not water- or sweat-resistant, so we’d stick to low-impact workouts such as walking and Pilates.
The verdict on exercise headphones
The best exercise headphones for security, comfort and sound quality are our Sennheiser Sport winners, which are currently on offer for under £100.
Keen runners should consider the Shokz bone conduction headphones, and for those on a serious budget, the JLab Go Air Tones offer excellent value for money at less than £25.
Why trust the Good Housekeeping Institute?
At the Good Housekeeping Institute, our experts test thousands of products every year to find the best on the market, from suitcases and bedding to hair dryers and treadmills. We put each and every product through rigorous testing, both in real-world and lab conditions to provide unbiased reviews you can trust.
Kim Hawley is the health and wellness tester for the GHI, where she oversees testing for a range of wellness products, including headphones. She is a level 4 qualified personal trainer, has a nutrition qualification and has 20 years' experience working in leading health clubs across the UK.
For this test, we also sent the headphones off to a sound technician at a specialist lab, who analysed sound leakage, noise cancellation claims and overall audio quality.
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