From tarmac to trail, these running headphones are the best you can buy for brilliant comfort, solid sound and run-tracking skills.
For some people, the idea of running without motivational tunes is horrifying, and for those who do love a bit of music to speed them along to a personal best, Bluetooth wireless headphones are the best things to happen since Survivor released Eye of the Tiger.
The days of cables flapping around, tangling in knots and dragging the buds out of our ears have mostly been consigned to history thanks to the proliferation of the new wireless technology.
In 2017 there’s more choice than ever; the quality of the audio has come a long way, there are batteries that’ ll outlast our runs, built-in heart rate monitors and even voice-powered, artificially intelligent personal trainers. Performance-enhancing headphones are now a serious tool in the runner’s kit bag.
Brands from Sennheiser and Under Armour/JBL, through to newcomers such as LifeBEAM and KuaiFit, are all battling to be your go-to running buddy.
If that’s not enough, there’s also plenty of r esearch that proves music has the power to improve performance, so with that in mind, here’s a look at some of the best wireless headphones, with options to suit most budgets.
Basic Bluetooth but ideal for quality on a budget
What these earphones lack in high-end features, they make up for in comfort, durability and affordability.
There are few things more distracting as a runner than earphones shaking loose or, worse still, falling out. With a secure fit aided by the rubberized ‘wings’ and the multitude of bud options, the iSport Victory stays locked in. Naturally, they’ re sweat resistant and, at just 15g, they’ re the lightest buds in our list.
Additionally, with 10-hours of Bluetooth battery life, they could conceivably get you through your workday and your post-work run. Sound quality doesn’ t quite cut it for regular use and there’s no heart rate monitor, but for the price they’ re still an excellent basic option for most runners.
Long-lasting battery, impressive wireless range
Our lone on-ear option comes from little-known start-up 66 Audio and is unique in more ways than one. Firstly, the BTS Pro earphones offer a ludicrous 40+ hours of continuous playback from a single charge along with an impressive wireless range of 100-feet.
Most Bluetooth devices give you about 30-feet of leeway, but thanks to the aptX 3D antenna tech you can roam much further away from your mobile device, which is pretty useful for track sessions.
For runners who like as much control over their audio levels as they do fitness levels, the Motion Control app enables easy control of the sound output.
The native apps (there’s also one for Apple Watch) also have a handy ‘Find My Headphones’ feature too. Last but not least, the sound is great for the relatively low price and they feature noise-cancelling microphones.
Great for races
If you can get past the annoying misuse of ‘k’ and ‘z’ , this is a superb wireless option for urban runners. Sound is delivered through your cheekbones, thanks to bone conducting tech which leaves your ears open, free to hear the traffic around you.
If you run with a partner, it also means you can still enjoy a chat along the way, provided, of course, that your friend isn’ t pushing you to run 5-minute miles.
There’s also a handy multifunction button that lets you control music, calls and access voice dialling. They’ re lightweight, comfortable and sweat-proof and have a good secure fit. Also, consider this: If there’s no earbuds then they can’ t fall out. Bonus!
Compact comfort, good quality, competitive price
The compact, durable and affordable Jaybird X2 in-ear buds proved mighty popular among runners. The new Jaybird X3 neckband offers improvements across the board with an even more favorable price point.
Despite being slightly smaller, they’ ve retained the sweat-proof design and surprisingly great sound. Greater control over the audio is also possible due to a new companion MySound app, while the abundance of fitting options means they stay secure in your lugholes.
They’ ve also been updated to Bluetooth 4.1, which means longer battery life, although we struggled a little with intermittent Bluetooth dropouts.
Perfect if you like to leave your phone at home
Whoever came up with the expression ‘jack of all trades, master of none,’ never used the KuaiFit Sport headphones. With 8GB of storage they’ re a music player, fitness tracker, heart rate monitor, real-time running coach and a pair of wireless headphones all in one.
KuaiFit sells fitness plans created by Olympic athletes and verified coaches as part of its offering, and its headphones will store and deliver voice notifications based on your progress towards goals – all while leaving your phone at home.
The KuaiFit app for iOS and Android will store all your data and, if you want to link up to your phone, play music from Spotify too — although we do wish that was supported offline too…
Big sound and simple setup
If you need your power song to supply a little more power, then the Bose SoundSport could be your best bud (s) . With the trademark sound of the US audio giant, these lightweight buds offer a comfortable and secure fit thanks to the StayHear+ tips.
For those with NFC-enabled smartphones and music players, the SoundSport buds can be paired even more easily. The Bose Connect app also enables music sharing with more than one set of buds, perfect if you’ re out running with a friend (and we love that they name which device is connected, something that’s great if you’re carrying around a tablet, phone and media player) .
The SoundSport range comes in two flavors. For an extra $50/£50/AU$50 you can pick up the Pulse variant and add a built-in heart rate monitor. Depending on your training method, this could be a worthwhile investment as we’ve found the heart rate to generally be pretty accurate from the ears with these.
Powerful bass and regular updates
Under Armour’s first foray into headphones entrusts the audio tech to a worthy partner: JBL. With a built-in heart rate monitor you can finally ditch the chest strap, while also summoning voice updates on your progress with a simple tap on the right bud.
When paired with the UA Record app you can even configure these updates to be read out at predetermined intervals, so you know whether you’ re hitting your zones. The over-the-ear buds also feature 5.8mm dynamic drivers and JBL’s PureBass Performance tech on board.
Combined with JBL’s TwistLock tech, the firm is guaranteeing you a custom and secure fit, meaning you’ ll never have to deal with the faff of them falling out mid-run.
Top-quality audio meets cutting edge AI coaching
Leading the way in a new generation of ‘hearable’ tech, the LifeBEAM Vi combines a voice-powered personal running coach with top-class Harman Kardon audio. The on-board AI uses your heart rate and body temperature to adapt to your fitness level and goals.
