The Best Running Headphones to Buy in 2024

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When it comes to using headphones and in-ear headphones, some things are non-negotiable. Your running headphones should have some kind of ambient sound feature, whether it’s simply letting sound pass through naturally or having microphones that pick up the sound around you and transmit it to your ears. They also need to be able to withstand the daily wear and tear from your hard-earned sweat, not to mention the occasional drizzle. Finally, features like battery life, comfort, and a secure fit are important for every pair of headphones, but they’re especially important when you’re away from home for an extended period of time.

The next headphones and headphones in this review are based on these metrics, but also have some other options that may be important to you. If you’re looking for other headphone reviews like the best bone conduction headphones , the best headphones for working out , the best noise-canceling headphones , and the best wireless headphones or earbuds , I’ve got you covered.

Best Open-Ear Headphones for Running

In my experience, there is no environmental sensing technology that is as good as your real ears, even with advances in spatial awareness technology. This is why bone conduction headphones are perhaps the best option, making the Shokz OpenRun a great choice. They are small, lightweight and provide great sound. The IP67 water resistance rating makes them ideal for running in rain, sweat or dust/sand. You can also take calls and be heard clearly thanks to noise-canceling microphones that pick up your voice on noisy roads.

The Best Running Headphones with Ambient and Spatial Awareness Technology

On the other side of the open ear technology spectrum, we have ambient and spatial awareness technology that picks up the sounds around you and plays them back into your headphones along with your music. While I’ve tried some impressive technology to achieve this, I still prefer open-ear headphones when running. However, many ambient and/or space sensing headphones can be used for purposes other than running, such as noise canceling, taking calls, or simply listening to music at home or at the gym. For this, I recommend the JBL Endurance Peak 3 , which has one of the best environmentally aware transparency modes I’ve tried. They also fit very securely on your ears thanks to the hook design and are one of the most affordable headphones in this roundup.

Best Running Headphones for Comfort

Comfort and fit are important: No one wants to constantly adjust their headphones during long runs. If that’s your main concern, consider Shokz OpenFit . They are very light (8.3 grams) and have a soft hook that fits comfortably around the ear. Although these headphones are not conductive, they are open-ear so you can still hear what’s going on around you. They are rated IP54, which means they are water and dust resistant.

Best Running Headphones Based on Battery Life

If you run very long distances or simply don’t always remember to charge your headphones, consider the JLab Epic Air Sport ANC Gen 2. These headphones will give you a total of 70 hours of battery life, with 15 hours of that on a full charge. and an additional $55 off the Portable Charging Case. They are also very safe thanks to their ear hook design and are IP66 rated which means they are waterproof. If you like to tinker with equalizer settings, the companion app gives you complete control over it.

The best budget headphones for running.

One of the most affordable pairs of headphones you can get, it also checks all the boxes you’d want in a good pair of running headphones: a secure fit, water resistance, an open ear to hear what’s going on around you, comfort, and decent battery life. 1More Fit SE S30 provides 10 hours of playback and 30 hours in the case; IPX5 rated to withstand sweat and rain; and offers good sound for its price range.

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