10 Best Headphones & Earbuds For Running Reviewed

Overall Quality
Running can be quite noisy. From the sound of the outside world to the thumping of your own heart, you have a lot going on in terms of stimulation. We know how important it is that your music comes through loud and clear. We made sure not to include any headphones that weren’t able to produce noteworthy sound quality. It is literally the bottom benchmark for any audio devices performance and any piece of equipment that couldn’t meet it wasn’t worthy of making our list.

Additionally, we know that the main reason people listen to music during their routines is motivation and morale. Not being able to properly hear the music undermines this key component of headphones for athletic use. Which is why we have such a strong belief in how essential sound quality is in choosing headphones for running.

Sound Isolation
According to most runners, sound isolation is the biggest and most significant factor they overlook and they regret it deeply on their runs. How much or how little sound isolation your earbuds or headphones have can make all the difference in the world. Blocking outside noise can be great when you are flying long distances on an airplane, but dangerous when you are running in a big city

One big thing to look at is the price compared to the overall value. Really, when choosing any type of audio equipment, earbuds and headphones included, it’s important to remain price conscious. This is because there is no shortage of companies that are more than willing to charge you an exorbitant amount of money for their sound tech.

Premium earbuds and high-fidelity powerhouses come with a large price tag, but are they really worth it? We made sure to match up all the qualities against what their cost is to provide the best buys at all price range. No matter your budget, you will be sure to get the biggest bang for your buck.

How the headphones connect to your smartphone or other device is broken down into two basic ways: corded or cordless. What we mostly have to look at with corded headphones is tangling and durability. Is the cord designed in a way that results in tangling issues often? The durability of the cord comes down to how likely it is the cord will become severed within its casing, requiring a replacement. Anyone who has bought low-quality headphones before can tell you what a common problem this is and it should be obvious why we would want to avoid anything like that on this list.

Nowadays wireless headphones are both practical and accessible. The things you have to wary of with wireless headphones are charge and connection. How difficult is it to connect these headphones to your device? Do users run into a lot of technical problems or issues connecting to Bluetooth? And of course one of the most important questions; Will the charge of these headphones last as long as my run? If any of these questions receive a negative response then the headphones don’t make the list.

Comfort This is another segment where manufacturers can promise you the world, but it’s such a personal preference, that their advice should be taken with a grain of salt. We made sure to listen to runners from all walks of life to ensure a pick that matches our preferences and how you plan on wearing them. From marathon runners to casual joggers, we took note of what they have to say in regards to long-term comfort levels.

Anyone who has used those clumsy, one size fits all earbuds that come bundled with smartphones have experienced how they manage to pop out of your ear; every single time you make a slight move. We tried to eliminate this everyday annoyance by offering better options that say put, and even have customizable inserts that ensure they fit every ear type and size. Nobody wants to pause mid-run to put their earbud back in.