5 Best Headphones for Cycling in 2023

We’ve looked at dozens of sports models and found the 5 best headphones for cycling in 2023.

If you’re struggling to find cycling headphones with a stable fit when wearing a helmet or experiencing an obnoxious amount of wind noise, then you’re at the right place.

In this guide, you’ll learn:

What are the best headphones for cycling
What features to look for
How to safely listen to music while cycling

Let’s dig in.

Key Features of Headphones for Cycling

The key features go beyond just sound. You need to consider both your listening comfort and your safety.

We’ve selected the following features as vital for cyclists:

Safety (As In: Awareness of Oncoming Traffic)

Safety is paramount, especially for road cyclists who need to hear the outside world around them.

Cycling on busy streets too often ends up in an accident. You have to stay aware and keep your ears peeled.

So:

Don’t block background noise like vehicle engines and car horns.

Keep the volume low enough, so you can still hear the oncoming cars. It’s dangerous to do otherwise.

Active noise-canceling is useful, but don’t use it when cycling with headphones. Turn the ANC off for better awareness.

Turn on “awareness mode”, “hear-through” mode, or similar if your wireless Bluetooth earbuds support it. This way, you’ll hear traffic.

Consider the best bone conduction headphones that keep your ear canals open to the environment. The sound vibrates via cheekbones. Thus, bone conduction technology is an excellent solution for cyclists. See the top model in the list below.

Stability (Get the Headphones to Stick Like Glue)

Cycling is often energetic and fast. And when there is movement, headphone stability is a problem.

So, what’s the solution?

Get sports-oriented headphones with ear wings and hooks that stay firmly in place even when you’re moving your head fast.

Look for small earbuds (in-ear headphones) that aren’t bulky. The in-ear design is by far the best for the job.

On-ear and over-ear headphones are a definite no-go (won’t fit under a bike helmet and will create heavy wind noise).

Durability (Don’t Waste Your Money on Crap)

You don’t want to replace headphones every few months because they’ve broken.

A durable set of headphones is essential for cyclists with an active lifestyle and those who only cycle around town.

For example:

You get caught in heavy rain, and your headphones aren’t resistant to water. What happens? You’ll most probably have to buy another pair.

Get cycling headphones that have at least some sweat resistance. You might sweat on a hot, sunny day or get caught in the worst weather conditions.

Battery and Bluetooth (How Long Does It Last?)

If you are getting wireless headphones, you want a strong battery that will last your entire biking routine.
You don’t want the lithium battery to die in the middle of a tour, especially if you like to cycle long distances.
But is Bluetooth reliable?
Generally, Bluetooth today is reliable and stable, so you can listen to music without interruptions, even on windy or rainy roads.
How are Cycling Headphones Different from Regular Headphones?
One of the key differences when looking for cycling headphones is that you want to prioritize stability over sound.

Why?

Good sound quality is important but completely useless if you are wearing true wireless earbuds that keep falling out.
Small earbuds that stick in ears and fit under a bike helmet are the best cycling headphones.
Besides, do you really think you’ll be focusing on sonic fidelity when you’re pushing down the pedals and breathing heavily?

How to Choose Earbuds for Cycling?
You need to match up your own unique needs to the right type of headphones.
Good sound quality and stability are essential, but you might need special functions. Not all cyclists are the same, so ask yourself this question:
Where and How Will I Cycle?
To be able to hear is always important for cyclists. However, in some areas, it’s absolutely critical.
Cycling in busy streets and traffic: Get headphones with great awareness. Look for “hear-through” (ambient-aware) mode, open-ear design, or wireless bone conduction headphones since they don’t block the ears.
Long-distance cycling: You need reliable Bluetooth headphones with long battery life, good awareness, and some water protection. When listening to music while cycling, you often get caught by rain or meet an unexpected situation on the road.
As you can see, knowing which cycling headphones to choose is a case of figuring out what features are important to you.
Now you know how to find the right headphones for cycling that will fit you.
It’s time to check the in-depth list of headphones for biking:

Best Headphones for Cycling: The List

Wissonly Hi Runner

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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 Vista 2 provide a smoother, more balanced sound. And you can further tweak it with the app’s EQ.

You can also choose between EQ presets from the community or let the Jaybird app create a personalized EQ.

Despite their bulky construction, wind noise isn’t a huge problem. The outer side is covered in mesh so that wind doesn’t hurt mic quality during phone calls.

Earbuds are pretty comfortable and offer a stable fit thanks to ear gels with wings. Physical buttons are also reasonably comfy to use, with all the controls you need to keep your phone in a pocket.

The best thing is durability, with earbuds sporting MIL-STD-810G shockproof standard and an IP68 water resistance rating.

Jabra Elite 7 Active

Instead of deep bass (like on Jabra Elite Active 75t), the new Elite 7 Active opt for a more balanced sound signature. Albeit still fun for music listening, the earbuds are slightly more detailed and natural overall.

Earbuds perfectly contour your ears due to their ergonomic design. Consequently, they stay inside even during more intense workouts.

Special SAATI Acoustex mesh ensures less wind noise during phone calls, while the earbud’s flush design also reduces wind noise during running and cycling.

Jabra app contains useful features like custom controls, EQ, and the “find my buds” feature. On top of that, they have a reliable connection due to Bluetooth 5.2.

Furthermore, you get a decent active noise cancellation feature and ambient sound mode to amplify ambient noises for better awareness.

Beats Fit Pro

Unlike the PowerBeats Pro model, the Fit Pro has a much more tame sound with a brighter signature. It’s still punchy but not boomy. Thanks to Adaptive EQ, the sound adapts to your ear’s shape.

Earbuds are pretty tiny and have a built-in ear fin instead of hooks. That makes them very comfortable and stable, especially during sports activities, cycling included.

Thanks to the Beats app, you can access all of the features (ANC, Transparency mode) even if you own Android. Apple users with enjoy the benefits of the H1 chip.

The battery life of 6 hours is good enough for a lengthy ride. Popping them into the charging case will fast charge them, on top of giving you extra 18 hours.

Shokz OpenRun Pro

The upgraded TurboPitch sound technology provides an even better bass response than the AfterShokz Aeropex model. They’re no bass monsters but will make your listening experience more enjoyable.

Of course, the biggest advantage of bone conduction is perfect awareness. You will always know what’s happening around you, even when the music plays.

Since you’ll be wearing headphones over the ear, you won’t lose them during cycling. Moreover, the OpenRun Pro have an IP55 rating, so you don’t have to worry about covering them in sweat and dust.

The battery life tops at 10 hours on a single charge. It can charge from 0-100% in just one hour.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)

Can cyclists wear headphones?

Some countries and states allow you to wear headphones when cycling, while others don’t. In California, it’s illegal to cover both ears with headphones, while Texas has no such law. Always check your local laws to avoid getting fined. Read more about road rights and cycling laws.

Do headphones fit under a bike helmet?

Earbuds (in-ear headphones) are small enough to fit under most bike helmets. As long as the helmet doesn’t cover your ears, you will be able to wear most earbuds. Still, some helmets make it uncomfortable to use ear hooks, so check first.

Is it dangerous to cycle with headphones?

If you don’t fully block environmental noise and always check your surroundings before making a turn, you should be fine. The safest are open-ear headphones, like bone conducting headphones for cycling or earbuds with ambient-aware mode.