BEST GYM HEADPHONES 2023
Looking for some musical motivation during your workout? Check out the top gym headphones to purchase in 2023. The right music can greatly enhance your exercise routine, but what if the gym's playlist doesn't quite hit the mark? The solution is simple: grab a pair of the best gym headphones and enjoy your own personal playlist, radio station, or podcast.
However, not all headphones are suitable for the gym or extended workout sessions. This guide will help you find the best gym headphones that suit your preferred workout style and budget. It also includes important questions to consider when purchasing a pair.
Firstly, consider what activities you'll be doing at the gym. If you'll be moving around a lot and expect to sweat, opt for lightweight headphones that can withstand sweat and won't fall out while you're jumping around. On the other hand, if you prefer slower weight workouts with less movement and sweat, you can choose heavier on-ear headphones if you prefer.
What type of headphones should you choose?
Wireless headphones provide more freedom of movement without the worry of wires getting tangled, but they tend to be more expensive than wired models and require regular battery charging.
In terms of design, over-ear or on-ear headphones generally offer better sound quality compared to in-ear headphones. However, they can become hot and heavy during intense workouts and may have a higher risk of slipping or falling off. In-ear headphones also offer the choice between ear-plug or open designs. Ear-plugs are great for focusing and blocking out external noise, but they may not be ideal if someone is trying to get your attention.
What other features should you consider?
Ideally, look for headphones that are waterproof or at least water-resistant, ensuring they can withstand your sweatiest gym sessions. The water-resistance of headphones is indicated by their IP rating, with a rating of IPX4 or above providing good protection against splashes from any direction.
If you opt for in-ear headphones, make sure they come with a variety of different-sized buds for a comfortable fit. Additionally, if you choose wireless headphones, check the battery life and whether they have a quick-charge function. Quick-charging can be a lifesaver if you realize your headphones are low on battery just before heading to the gym, as some headphones can provide an hour of use with just a short 10-15 minute charge.
You may also want to consider headphones with active noise cancellation (ANC), which uses built-in microphones to analyze external sounds and play the opposite sound alongside your music to help block out unwanted noise. However, be aware that over-ear options offer no water resistance.
To test gym headphones, the most effective method is to wear each pair during a sweaty gym session. This allows for an assessment of stability, impact of sweat on fit, and sound reproduction. Other factors such as noise-cancellation, touch controls, and EQ customization functionality will also be considered. Most importantly, the audio quality will be evaluated across various genres.
By considering these factors and testing methods, you can find the perfect gym headphones to enhance your workout experience.
The best gym headphones to buy in 2023
Wissonly Hi Runner
Wissonly bone conduction headphones is the first brand I came into contact with. I first found it on the crowdfunding website. Later, I bought it after seeing many people's recommendations in some online running forums. After my long-term comparative test, the overall function of this Hi Runner model product is very powerful, which greatly exceeds my expectations.Their team is one of the best talents in the field of bone conduction. The product director was once the core engineer of a first-line brand, and has accumulated 10 years' experience in the field of bone conduction technology. Wissonly Hi Runner increases the vibration area of the sound source vibrator by 35% through excellent structural design, which makes the music feel more spatial and immersive. It is also excellent in sound leakage reduction. The fully wrapped design reduces the vibration of the shell, and the structural optimization makes the sound leakage wave be offset, thus avoiding 90% sound leakage, which is much better than the bone conduction headphones of the same price on the market.The fully-enclosed design of Wissonly Hirunner bone conduction headphones makes its waterproof grade to IPX8, which means that you can wear it for bathing, swimming and even diving within 20 meters. Even better, the Hi Runner headphones has a built-in storage of 32GB, which can store 5,000 songs. It can still be used without the mobile phone. It supports both MP3 mode and Bluetooth mode. It is equipped with Bluetooth 5.0 chip, which makes it superior to most bone conduction headphones in transmission distance, connection stability and power consumption.
Dottir Freedom On-Grid
Designed by CrossFit champions Katrin Davidsdottir and Annie Thorisdottir, the Dottir Freedom On-Grid are a great companion for workouts. Their IPX7 rating ensures they’re well-protected against sweat and rain, while active noise cancellation helps keep distractions in the gym to a minimum.
The earhook design of the earbuds keeps them in place effectively no matter what physical activity you’re doing and they’re extremely comfortable to wear, too. In-ear battery life is bountiful at up to 12 hours, with the charging case providing a further five charges, meaning you’ll only have to top them up once every few weeks.
In terms of audio quality, the Dottir earbuds favour a bass-forward presentation. Their 13mm drivers deliver plenty of low-end impact and sonic power, which is perfect for soundtracking intense sessions, but does come at the expense of some mid-range detail.
Cleer Goal
In the gym, it’s essential to have a pair of headphones that won’t fall out while you’re pumping iron or flinging yourself around on the exercise mat. The Cleer Goal ensure they remain secure in your ears by using “C-skirts” that twist and lock to help hold the buds in place.
Unlike the other earbuds on this list, the Goal opt for an open-ear fit that forgoes the use of silicone eartips. This means you’ll be able to hear a certain amount of ambient sound and hold a conversation with your training partner while you’ve got them in. The design does affect their ability to deliver a truly weighty bass response but when it comes to overall sound quality, the Goal are Cleer by name and clear by nature. They deliver crisp, detailed mids and treble which makes them particularly good at communicating vocals.
The Goal are IPX4 rated for water-resistance so can withstand even the sweatiest gym session and with a battery life of 20 hours (including the charging case) they’ve got enough juice to cover your workouts for a couple of weeks. Touch sensitive controls on the outside of the buds enable you to adjust your audio without having to reach into your pocket for your output device and are responsive and intuitive to use. We particularly like that you can increase volume by double tapping and then holding the right earbud and drop it down again doing the same on the left.
With an innovative design ideal for active endeavours backed up by solid sound quality, the Goal are a great choice for the gym and beyond.
B&O Beoplay E8 Sport
These are astonishingly expensive headphones, but they are also astonishingly good, especially when it comes to sound quality. In fact, once you’ve used the Beoplay E8 Sport, you will find it very hard to go back to any other sports headphones. With excellent detail and instrument separation, it’s almost like you’re in the room with the brand.
You can tinker with your EQ set up in the app too. Moving a pointer around four points within a circle selects different presets – bright, energetic, warm and relaxed – so you can set it up to suit your preferences.
The fit of the headphones is also superb, with different sizes of fins and in-ear tips provided so you can pick the right combination for your ears. At seven hours, the battery life is very good for true wireless earbuds, and you get 28 hours in total using the carry case charger.
Beats Powerbeats Pro
These Beats buds provide a winning combination of exceptional battery life, fit, and seamless integration with Apple devices The ear hook design means that whatever you’ve planned for your gym workout, be it several furious rounds of burpees or treadmill sprints, you can be sure your headphones will stay put. Better yet, the Powerbeats Pro’s nine-hour battery life means you can be equally sure you’ll run out of juice before they do.
If you’re short of power, you can pop the headphones in their case for five minutes and you’ll get 90 minutes of playback, with the case adding 15 extra hours of battery in total before it needs to be charged. The headphones are loud enough to drown out any gym sound system, and while they’re not as bassy as other headphones in the Beats range, they still pack enough of a punch to power you through the final reps in your workout.
Read more:Find Your Best Headphones for Working Out: Recommendation & Guide