.jpg?w=1920&resize=1920,960&ssl=1 "The 6 Best Running Headphones in 2025, According to the Pros")
I will say that the Ultra Opens aren’t great for making phone calls. The microphone doesn’t seem to pick up my voice super clearly, especially when I’m somewhere with a lot of background noise. (It does give me a good excuse to ignore any calls until after I’m done with my run.)
Battery life: 7 hours (buds), 19.5 hours (case) | Waterproof: IPX4 water resistance | Noise-Canceling: No
Best Budget Pick: JBL Vibe Beam
Yes, it’s possible to find high-quality running headphones without shelling out a ton of cash. For around $50, the Vibe Beams from JBL have great battery life—eight hours, plus another 24 in the case—and can handle sweat, rain, and dust. Plus, their “ambient aware” mode immerses you in your audio while highlighting sounds around you (like that dog, cyclist, or car), so you stay safe on the run.
Bonus: You can also tweak the sound quality, as with some other headphones on this list. All you’ve gotta do to make your preferred adjustments in the JBL Headphones app.
Battery life: 8 hours (buds), 24 hours (case) | Waterproof: IP54 water resistance | Noise-Canceling: No
Best Noise Cancellation: Apple AirPods Pro 2
Noise cancellation can be a double-edged sword for runners. Although it’s an excellent way to tune out annoyances (like your own feet pounding on a treadmill), if you block everything, you could be putting your safety at risk. That’s why coaches typically suggest reserving it for indoor runs.
With the AirPods Pro 2, you get the benefits of noise cancellation without the safety concerns, thanks to Apple’s “adaptive audio” mode. It automatically adjusts the amount of noise cancellation based on how much sound you’re exposed to (just switch it on by just holding down the stem of the earbud). You can even adjust the levels to let in more or less noise. When I tested it out, I found I could still hear the traffic around me, it just wasn’t as loud——it didn’t overwhelm my music.
And the full-on noise cancellation is solid. Pamela Stahl, a runner in California, tells SELF that the Pros 2 let her listen to music on the treadmill without feeling like she’s about to damage her eardrums: “Thanks to the noise cancellation, I don’t have to turn up the volume so high,” she says.
While the adaptive audio feature is also available on the AirPods 4, I prefer the Pro 2s for running. Not only do you get a couple extra hours of battery life per charge, but I also find that they stay in place better, thanks to the silicone tips. (You get four sizes, to make sure you find a good fit.) The only time they’ve fallen out on me is when I’ve been moving my head around, like in a yoga class.
Battery life: 6 hours (buds), 30 hours (case) | Waterproof: IP54 water resistance | Noise-Canceling: Yes
Best Waterproof: Jabra Elite 8 Active
Jabra designed these earbuds to stand up to your toughest adventures. They’re dust-proof and can be submerged underwater without damage—Jabra even backs this up with a two-year warranty. So, if you happen to find yourself taking a dip in a lake post-run (highly recommend!), your buds will be A-okay.
Two other helpful features for runners are the exceptional battery life and secure fit. Ultramarathoners will appreciate that the Elite 8 Actives can last a whopping 14 hours—long enough to see most of us through the average 50-mile race. And everyone can take advantage of the three ear gels in the box that help you get a great fit.
The Elite 8 Actives also have what Jabra calls “adaptive hybrid active noise cancellation,” which automatically optimizes levels based on sounds it detects. You can even set it to cut out wind noise. Dworecki says that one of her clients, who splits her training between outdoor runs and indoor treadmill miles, finds that the range of noise cancellation settings helps her find the right level for every route.
Battery life: 14 hours (buds), 56 hours (case) | Waterproof: IP68 water resistance | Noise-Canceling: Yes
Most Secure: Beats Fit Pro
If you’ve ever fought with earbuds falling out on the run, the Beats Fit Pro might solve your struggles. The secret is the flexible wingtip on top of each earbud: You can bend and tuck it right under the cartilage of your outer ear, then twist to lock it in place. For an even more precise fit, you can try three sizes of silicone eartips—the combo makes each bud feel super stable.
These headphones also have top-notch sound quality, adaptive noise cancelling, and a transparency mode that lets you hear noises around you. Plus, spatial audio adjusts the sound as you turn your head, so you can lose yourself in your music during those miles when you really, really need some distraction.
Battery life: 6 hours (buds), 18 hours (case) | Waterproof: IPX4 water resistance | Noise-Canceling: Yes
What to look for in running headphones
How can you make sure you’re getting a solid pair of headphones? Coaches recommend keeping these guidelines in mind while you shop.
Although over-ear headphones offer the best sound quality, many runners find them too bulky to run in. “They can trap heat and sweat, which can get uncomfortable. They’re also typically less stable on your head,” Dworecki says. (If you’re built different, she recommends looking into lightweight options like the Treblab Z2.)
Earbuds are the more popular choice, as they slip right into your ear canal. You can also buy bone conduction or open-ear headphones that are small and light, but won’t block off surrounding sounds. Nervous about earbuds falling out? Some styles, like the Shokz OpenRun Pro 2, have a wire or bar that goes behind your head to keep them in place.
Running headphones should be able to stand up to sweat and, ideally, some rain. You can check out how water-resistant a pair is by looking at the ingress protection (IP) rating. The first digit refers to how well the device will stand up to solids (like dust or dirt)—not all have this, and will just say X instead—while the second tells you how good it is at keeping out liquids.
The water resistance scale starts at 0 for no protection and goes up to 9, which means you’re safe even from hot, high-pressure jets in a jacuzzi. For running, an IPX4 means your headphones can handle sweat and splashes, while an IPX7 ensures they’ll survive even if you drop them into a puddle.
Noise cancellation reduces outside sounds by detecting noise with a tiny microphone, then producing a sound wave in the same frequency (but opposite amplitude) to cancel it out. Many headphones, like the Apple AirPods Pro 2, also have a transparency mode that allows in ambient sounds, so you don’t end up startled by something you couldn’t hear.
How long your headphones’ battery lasts is a major factor for distance runners to consider. “I’m a slower runner, so I like something that’s going to get me to the very end or past the end of my race,” Young says. Even if you’re only going for 30-minute runs, if your headphones are constantly dead, you’ll end up having to delay your runs to wait for them to power up.
How we chose these running headphones
First, we polled runners and running coaches for their favorite headphones and got their best advice on what to look for in a good pair. Using their tips, we scoured countless sites to find headphones that checked off all the right boxes. The only pairs that earned our seal of approval were durable enough to stand up to sweat, secure enough to wear while sprinting, and safe enough to run with outdoors.
Frequently asked questions about running headphones
Which headphones won’t fall out while running?
Thanks to their flexible wingtip, Beats Fit Pro are known to be secure earbuds that won’t fall out. In general, it can be helpful to buy a pair that comes with multiple silicone tips, so you can get just the right size for your ears.
What are the best running headphones for iPhone users?
Most running headphones are compatible with iPhones. But if you want to stay in the Apple universe, the AirPods Pro 2 make for excellent running headphones. They have a stable fit and an adjustable adaptive transparency mode that automatically tailors the noise cancellation to your surroundings.
Do pro runners wear headphones?
It’s not unheard of to see a pro runner with earbuds in during their solo training runs. However, they’ll rarely sport a pair during a high-level race (where headphones might be banned, especially for top competitors).
Plus, pros often train in groups, so they prefer to chat rather than zone out to music. “It really just depends on the situation and who they’re training with,” Dworecki says.
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