There are many forms of running but regardless of this, buying the best bluetooth headphones for running should be a necessity if you run..
You may enjoy jogging or even sprinting as a form of high intensity cardio. Maybe you have to quickly change your pace as a part of a particular activity such as soccer.
If you like to listen to music while exercising, it’s possible that you already use corded sport headphones. I’m sure these have delivered incredibly motivating tunes which have allowed you to give your all in every exercise. However, we’re all aware of some of the problems associated with these types of earphones. The fact that you’re here makes me think that you are already aware of these problems.
Obviously the main issue we have is the cord itself. Let’s say that you’re doing a sprinting session and you’re pumping your arms, this arm movement can easily knock the tips out of your ears by pulling on the cord. Even if you’re running at a slow pace and the arm movement isn’t an issue, the general jogging movement can easily pull out the buds. This isn’t just frustrating but may even have a major impact on how you feel during the rest of the day. I know I’d be feeling pretty crummy if I had my workout ruined.
The solution to this common problem – get a pair of bluetooth headphones!
The best part about these types of products is that they can be utilized for just about anything. You can use them for other exercises such as weight training in the gym or even throughout your normal day-to-day activities. Believe it or not, poorly fitting earphones with cords can make your day miserable regardless of whether you’re running or not!
Wireless Headphones for Running – Important Features
At this stage, it’s clear that you need to find a pair of bluetooth headphones which provide a great fit. But what other factors will you need to take into account? Well you definitely have to keep comfort in mind and considering the fact that you’ll be doing lots of outdoor exercises, you should be looking at getting water and sweat proof bluetooth headphones for running.
You’ll also need to decide how important the sound quality is! Are you the type of person who gets by with whatever or do you need a perfectly clear and crisp delivery of that inspiring music?
The price tag of the product may also have an important part to play. Generally the top premium bluetooth models which combine all of the above features will demand a top dollar. Due to this, you must determine how much you’re willing to spend.
Based on the above features we’ve just discussed alongside some other essential features, the top 3 sets on the market which would be suitable have been listed. These 3 products have been selected after a period of thorough research and testing. Considering the fact that these bluetooth sets are the very best available when it comes to running, they’ll also command a high price.
In order to satisfy those of you who would prefer a wallet-friendly pair of bluetooth earphones, a further 3 pairs have been chosen which combine excellent quality with fantastic value. This means that no matter what you’re interested in, there’ll be something for you!
Top 3 Products
[table id=11 /]Plantronics BackBeat FIT
Available in a blue or green colour, the Plantronics BackBeat Fits are the best wireless bluetooth running headphones on the market in 2018. This set includes most of the standard features including a sweat proof design and a microphone. However, these are features that don’t really interest us. Well then, let’s look at the qualities which we’re looking for.
Firstly, the BackBeat Fit isn’t designed as a typical in-ear model but rather the design follows more of an around-the-ear style. This means that the buds that are incorporated fit less tightly than traditional in-ear sets such as the JayBird BlueBuds X. You may be thinking that the loose fit will be disadvantageous. However, this actually means that you’ll be able to hear the traffic while you’re out for a running session. In my opinion, this is a huge positive point of the BackBeat Fits as most earbuds don’t allow this to happen. I say this because it can be quite dangerous when the noise blocking feature minimizes your awareness to traffic and the outside environment.
So now you’re probably thinking okay fine the loose fit is beneficial but won’t they fall off when I start jogging or sprinting? Well, do you remember when I mentioned around-the-ear style? The buds are combined with a silicon design which will fit around your ear securely. I must admit the fit isn’t fantastic as the buds won’t fit completely inside your ear. However, what I do know is the fact that the buds won’t fall out from your ears like they would with a traditional in-ear style.
Right, the fits great and comfortable while you’re on your early morning run. But will the sound quality be just as impressive? Most products these days do well in some aspects but let you down in others. Well, I was quite pleased with the sound delivered. There was fantastic clarity and a decent bass. However, you shouldn’t be expecting audiophile-grade sound. After all, this set is aimed at sports and exercise. What is important to mention is the fact that the noise cancelling feature isn’t effective if you’re in a busy environment so make sure you take that into account.
JayBird BlueBuds X
We’ve already spoken about the BlueBuds when it comes to bluetooth earbuds. This shows how much we like this pair. However, these are traditional earbuds so getting a secure fit may be a problem. At it is such an expensive set, the fit is excellent especially due to the little “wings” added to the design. However, this still wouldn’t be able to compare to the fit provided by the BackBeat Fits. Due to the typical earbud (plus wings) design, the tips may fall off quite easily especially during plyometric exercises. On top of this, the only way of getting a secure fit is by trying different sizes of ear tips included. Personally, it doesn’t fit that well and I certainly can’t see these staying in my ear when I go out for some hill sprints. However, you’ll love this set if you go out running at a steady pace.
While the fit can be an issue when doing intense sprints, the rest of the qualities associated with these BlueBuds are undoubtedly excellent. The sound is fantastic and even though it can’t compare to full size earphones, it’ll probably be the best when you consider the fact that we’re looking at a pair of bluetooth earbuds. The noise cancelling feature is superb and it’ll significantly block out the external sound if you manage to establish a great fit/seal. I feel that this can be dangerous but it can also be highly advantageous in some cases.
Alongside the sound, we have the standard features such as a great quality microphone and a sweat proof design. The sweat proof design is so important to JayBirds that a lifetime warranty against sweat is included with the product.
In overview, I feel that the BlueBuds are quite expensive and I’m not sure if it’d be a good idea to spend such a huge amount especially if you’re unable to establish a good fit.
JayBird Freedom Sprint
The JayBird Freedom Sprints are the official training in-ear headphones for the USA triathlon. Similarly to the BlueBuds, JayBird has also included the lifetime warranty against sweat with the Sprints. However, this might have been to create an image of a top quality product. Let’s see if the Sprints did well during our testing!
When it comes to running, this set provides a surprisingly good fit which should stay in your ear when you’re travelling at a steady pace. The availability of 9 fitting choices is a positive point. However, just like the BlueBuds, I feel that this set won’t be able to cope during a high intensity sprint.
I found that the sound quality was pretty good and certainly provided high standards considering the fact that this set is much cheaper than the other 2 sets we’ve already discussed. This was delivered in excellent clarity and crisp while the bass was highly impressive. In order to minimize external noise on a busy street, you’ll need to ensure that an effective seal has been established.
While the microphone delivers great sound quality during a phone call, there is one major negative point worth discussing. I felt that the main negative point of this model was the below-par battery life. The Sprints provide a listening time of 4.5 hours and this seems very low especially if you’ve gone out without charging the battery. This is especially important when you consider the price tag of this set.
The overall design is extremely lightweight and the set looks quite small which can be a positive point. With the wide array of impressive features, I’d definitely get this set if I wanted a pair of cheaper premium bluetooth headphones. Therefore, if the battery life doesn’t concern you then by all means get the JayBird Freedom Sprints.
Cheap Bluetooth Headphones for Running
Motorola S11 HD
The Motorola S11 is quite a stylish looking bluetooth set. It’s also quite a bit cheaper than the Plantronics and JayBird sets we’ve already discussed. The sweat proof feature along with a behind-the-neck design makes this product ideal when running and doing other forms of exercise in the gym.
Despite this, the first thing that stands out is the incredibly bulky design. In terms of looks and the feel, the Motorola S11s feel highly durable and would be able to withstand all sorts of rough handling. However, this is just looking at things from a positive perspective. The bulky durable design will make it harder to obtain a perfect fit. This is mainly due to the stiff plastic material the set is made from. You might have difficulty putting these S11s on in the first place.
If you do manage to find an exact fit, you’ll find that the ear buds are quite comfortable while the neckband is also lined with a soft material. We also get 3 different sizes of buds in order to ensure suitability for different ear sizes. Whether 3 sizes will be enough to fit your ears remains to be seen.
The charging time of this set was something that I found to be quite impressive. Just 5 minutes of charging this product will get you a play time of an hour. This is a huge positive point especially if you’re always on the go.
The sound quality delivered by this model is quite good and you’ll be able to listen to excellent bass and crisp in your music while going your daily jog. The only issue I have is that your movement may knock the buds slightly out of place and this will have a profound effect on the sound. However, a quick adjustment of the neckband should solve this.
Avantree Jogger Sports
From the name, we can guess that these earphones are made specifically for running and a wide variety of other sports. This surely means that a secure fit will be on top of the list?
Well these come in the earbud form so they’ll be fitting inside your ears. The short cord will be placed around both ears which will provide that secure fit. I think that this set will fit quite securely and when you end up establishing a decent fit, the comfort levels will be quite good too.
From my observations, I felt that the design was eye-catching and the entire set is well made. This is especially after I checked the controls which are located on both ear pieces. The battery life is what truly impressed me as this will be better than most premium bluetooth running headphones.
Despite this, I felt that the sound was decent at best. In fairness, I wasn’t expecting anything great at this price. At the end of the day, I would buy these inexpensive wireless headphones if I wasn’t too bothered by the sound and just needed something to accompany me during my long runs.
Jarv Joggerz BT-301
As the name would suggest, the Jarv Joggerz BT-301s will be the perfect pair for you. They’re the cheapest set we have incorporated into our rankings and they’ll certainly provide great value if you’re under a strict budget.
There is a variety of colours available and this makes the overall simple design quite attractive but it’s worth mentioning that these aren’t in-ear headphones. In fact, the design is based on a behind-the-neck style which uses ear cups that will rest on your ears rather than be placed inside the ear canal.
While the fit and comfort levels are quite good for active people, I’m not sure if this comfort will continue if worn for extended periods. This is due to the on-ear cups which may put pressure on your ears. Because of this, I feel that these will be great if the sole purpose is to use them while running.
The battery life associated with this set is great and can easily compete against higher-end models. Additionally, the location of controls and the microphone on the set allows for an easy functionality feature.
The sound quality is decent but I think this is absolutely fantastic if you take the price tag into account. Due to this, I would say that these headphones will provide fantastic value if you are to go for them.
Best Bluetooth Headphones for Running Buyer’s Guide
Let’s face it; even the best headphones aren’t always the right choice when it comes to listening to music, audiobooks, and podcasts while running. We’ll gladly trade a bit of sound quality and only something smaller, lighter, and stronger. It doesn’t harm if they’re resistant to perspiration, dirt, and rainfall either. Make sure they are simple to interact with while on the move, and you’ll likely have a winning combination.
Fortunately for runners, there’s a wealth of Bluetooth-enabled headphones that meet that description these days, many of which excel when it comes to comfort, sound quality, and fitness tracking features. The selections below are the best headphones for running but also kick ass for general fitness, too.
The Criteria We Used For Our Evaluation Of Headphones & Earbuds
Sound Quality
Running can be quiet noisy. From the sound of the outside world to the thumping of your own heart, you have a lot taking place in conditions of stimulation. We realize how important it is that your music comes through noisy and clear. We ensured never to include any earphones that weren’t in a position to produce the outstanding audio quality. It really is literally underneath benchmark for just about any sound devices performance and any device that couldn’t meet it wasn’t worth making our list.
Additionally, we realize that the primary reason people pay attention to music throughout their routines is motivation and morale. Not having the ability to correctly hear the music undermines this critical element of earphones for athletic use, which explains why we’ve such a solid perception in how essential audio quality is within choosing earphones for running.
Price Compared To Value
When selecting any form 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 excessive amount of money for their sound tech.
Premium options and hi-fidelity powerhouses come with a big 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 make sure to get the largest value for your money.
Sound Isolation
According to many runners, audio isolation is the largest & most critical factor they ignore, and they repent it deeply on the runs. Just how much or how little audio isolation your earbuds or earphones have can make all the difference in the world. Blocking outside sound can be great if you are traveling long distances with an aircraft, but dangerous if you are working in a big city (listening for car horns). We made sure to include the amount of sound isolation to give our readers the options when making their selection.
How They Connect
How the headphones connect to your smartphone or other device is broken down into two basic ways: corded or cordless.
What we should mostly have to check out with corded earphones are tangling and durability. Maybe the cable designed in a manner that leads to tangling issues often? The strength of the cable boils down to how likely it’s the cable can be severed within its casing, needing a replacement. Whoever has found low-quality earphones before can let you know what a universal problem this is and it ought to be clear why we’d want to avoid anything like this upon this list.
Nowadays wireless earphones are both practical and accessible. The things you have to wary of with wireless headphones is 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 linking 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 negative results then the headphones don’t make a 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 out that matches our preferences and how you intend on putting on them. From marathon runners to informal joggers, we took be aware of what they must say when it comes to long-term comfort levels.
How Well Do They STAY STATIC IN Your Ear
Whoever has used those clumsy, one size matches all earbuds which come bundled with this smartphones has experienced the way they can pop out of your hearing; each time you make hook move.
Our buying guide seeks to get rid of this everyday annoyance by providing options that say put and even have customizable inserts that ensure they fit every ear type and size. Also included in our selections is “how” they stay put; whether it be through a supportive attachment or on their own because nobody wants to pause mid-run to put their earbud back in.
Other Important Factors To Consider When Selecting The Best Earbuds Or Headphones
Just walk into any electronics store, and you will find that it’s super easy to get distracted by extravagant features and creative packaging whenever choosing a set of headphones or earbuds for your runs. Don’t lose concentrate runners; we’ve gathered a brief set of considerations which should help you create a far more significant, informed decision.
In the end, the very last thing you should do is decide on a pair of earbuds and discover that you’re unhappy with the sound quality, or a set of headphones and find that they irritate your ears. Let’s take a peek and a few of these critical factors collectively and we’ll have you running to your favorite playlist in no time!
Know Which Type Of Form Factor You Are Comfortable With
Perhaps the most significant decision that you will have to make is form factor. While this may be overlooked, let’s go over the pros and cons of the proverbial “earbud vs. in-ear headphone” debate. Earbuds and in-ear headphones are the familiar tiny earpieces that have become more and more popular thanks to them being bundled with most smartphones and mp3 players.
Both earbuds and in-ear headphones are super portable and typically offer you much more freedom because of their lightweight. Now, don’t expect to get the same sound quality that you’ll get from earphones that cover your hearing entirely. While the top quality earbuds do audio great in comparison with their cheaply built counterparts, audiophiles don’t consider these to maintain the same little league with headphones.
When contemplating in-ear headphones over earbuds, most runners don’t recognize that there are two separate form factors so far as construction goes. Earbuds sit down in the outer plate of your hearing, while “in-ear” earphones actually get into your hearing canal. And that means you will want to consider how comfortable you are with placing something into the ear. There are also two different types of headphones, there is what is called “ear pad” headphones that typically do not cover the entire ear, and there are “over the ear headphones” which, you guessed it, cover the entire ear.
Ear Pad headphones are typically the most comfortable because they sit on the outside of your ears so your lobes won’t get pinned back. As far as audio isolation will go, these sit down right in the centre (audio somewhat leaks both ways). This is really an advantage to runners because you’ll actually have the ability to hear some outdoors noise with regard to safety. However, consider that due to audio leakage, these will never be perfect for an aircraft trip as they will let sound in; or to listen to in the library as they will let the sound out.
Over-the-ear headphones, on the other hand, offer very best, crisp sound with the excellent bass response and the most isolation from outside noise then you can get. However, the tradeoff here is obviously that they are very large and bulky and can make a runner’s ears very hot for their increased cushioning. That is why most runners typically won’t choose to look with a full-size couple of headphones.
How Will Cables Impact Your Working Regimen
Let’s discuss wires (or absence thereof), Bluetooth technology is excellent in its the capability to provide runners with a wire-free run. Both outdoor runners and in house treadmill runners concur that having a pair of Bluetooth earbuds gave them a lot more freedom on their runs. The first thing to consider here is battery life. Our list provides you with what you can expect from a full battery charge, however, keep in mind that this means that you will have to be plugging these in and charging them either before or after each run or two. If you’re the kind of person who is not great at remembering to charge your smartphone, perhaps a set of Bluetooth earbuds is not the ideal solution. Additionally, if you are an audiophile retain in brain that Bluetooth audio quality is seldom as effective as that of their wired counterparts.
Durability
Another factor that you will be going to want to consider is durability. Some runners survey that they perspiration more than others concerning the working that they are doing. If you are a runner that sweats a lot, you’re going to want to look for a pair of earbuds or in-ear headphones that come with either some sweat resistant material or a lifetime warranty against what damage. There seems to be an expensive pattern of throwing away earbuds a couple of times a year, save yourself a huge amount of money and make an audio investment (pun designed) on your selection depending on what you’re heading to place them through.
All The AREAS OF Comfort
Finally, much like almost every other device that you decide to take with you on your runs, comfort is vital. While this is an individual preference and may differ wildly between runners, you should think about if a right neck of the guitar strap or a behind the throat wiring system is way better for you. Additionally, if you don’t find the sensation, Earbuds that come equipped with some arc support will help you keep the earbuds in your ears without them falling out during your runs. If you don’t mind putting these tiny devices in your ear canal, then you will enjoy more sound isolation and clearer tones.
Choosing the Best Bluetooth Running Headphones
So we have now looked at 6 sets which vary greatly in price. We have also established which ones rank higher after thorough testing. While this is clear, I’m compelled to mention one point.
In our opinion, all 6 of these sets are the best available on the market in 2019. However, with the exception of the Plantronics BackBeat Fits, I don’t think any of these models would stand a chance during highly explosive activities such as sprinting. You’ll need to take this into account when buying the most suitable pair from the list.
Taking part in sprints is one of my favourite activities and for this reason; I would get the Plantronics. This set provides great qualities and features in every aspect. The only issue is that the price is quite expensive. Therefore, if you’re a serious runner and severely limited by your budget then by all means get the Jarv Joggerz.
Just ensure that you pick a style that will fit you well!