10 Best Headphones for Running and Working Out in the Gym

The Youthwhisper Bone Conduction Headphones are a budget-friendly, open-enclosure choice that offers the unique benefit of allowing ambient sound in, making them ideal for outdoor exercising where you need to stay aware of your surroundings. They're wireless and sweatproof, suitable for an active lifestyle. While they excel in portability and build quality, they don’t provide noise isolation, which may be an issue in noisy environments. The sound quality is not their strong suit, so if you prioritize audio fidelity for music or immersive experiences, you may want to consider other options. They are also not the best fit for calls, gaming, or watching TV, but are very good for listening to books or podcasts. Their microphone is just fair; they offer a solid 8 hours of battery life but lack wireless charging and have a 2-hour charging time. They're durable, come with ear hooks, but don’t have an app for equalization or control customization.

The Shokz OpenMove headphones are bone conduction headphones, which means they rest on your cheekbones and transmit sound through vibration, allowing you to hear your surroundings, a feature that is ideal for outdoor runners and cyclists who need to be aware of their environment. They have good comfort and are very good in terms of build and mic quality, making them reliable for calls and meetings. However, they have poor overall sound quality and soundstage, so if you're looking for an immersive music experience, they might not be the best choice. They are sweatproof and dustproof, making them durable, especially for exercise. Their battery life for typical use is around 6 hours, and they lack active noise cancellation, which means they won't block out background noise effectively. If you prioritize situational awareness and plan to use them primarily for outdoor activities or in noisy environments where you need to hear outside sounds, they might be the right fit for you.

The Sennheiser Momentum 4 headphones offer very good overall sound quality and excellent comfort. They come with active noise canceling and are suitable for extended wear with a long battery life. Their build quality and built-in controls are considered very good. These headphones are well-suited for music listening, calls and meetings, gaming, TV and video, and also for air travel due to their noise isolation capabilities. However, they may not be the best choice for exercise due to their over-ear form factor and size. They also provide an app for equalization and audio control customization, and they support high-quality codecs like AptX Adaptive for improved wireless audio transmission.

The Sony WH-CH520 headphones are a budget-friendly, closed-back, over-ear option, offering a wireless experience without the ability to connect via a wired connection. They are praised for their comfort and have a very good built-in microphone quality, making them suitable for calls and meetings, but may not be the best choice for critical listening purposes, as their overall sound quality is good but not exceptional. They provide excellent battery life, boasting up to 52 hours of typical use, and come with features like app control customization and an integrated microphone, but lack active noise cancelling. They are foldable for better portability and also come with virtual surround capabilities. However, they are not sweatproof or dustproof certified, which could be important if you plan to use them during exercise or in challenging environments.

The Bose Quiet Comfort 45 headphones offer very good overall sound quality and are particularly well-suited for music, calls and meetings, and air travel, thanks to their excellent noise isolation and comfort. They also excel in portability since they're foldable and have a compact carrying size. These over-ear, closed-back headphones are wireless but come with a detachable cable, offering flexibility in how you use them. Although they have a premium price and are optimized for both Android and Apple devices, their performance for gaming and TV is poor, potentially due to latency issues. Suitable for prolonged use, they have an impressive battery life of over 20 hours. However, they may not be the best option for exercise due to their design and lack of sweatproof certification.

The Audeze Maxwell are premium closed-back over-ear headphones with both wireless and wired capabilities. They offer very good overall sound quality, with an impressive soundstage and imaging capability, making them excellent for immersive music, gaming, and TV/video experiences. Comfort and build quality are also rated very high, along with mic quality, which benefits calls and meetings. The headphones support LDAC for high-quality audio over Bluetooth and feature a detachable cable, a boom mic for clear communication, and an app equalizer for sound customization. They are substantial in weight and size, so they aren't ideal for exercising or use on-the-go. While they aren't specifically optimized for Android or Apple, they do work well with either, and the battery life is lengthy, allowing for prolonged use. However, they may not be the best choice for those seeking optimal noise isolation or portability, and there's no mention of sweat or dust resistance, which could be a consideration for some users.

The Sennheiser HD 350BT headphones offer strong overall sound quality and are particularly impressive for music and TV/video experiences due to their dynamic drivers and support for AAC and AptX Low Latency codecs, which ensure high-quality audio and reduced lag. They feature good comfort and very good build quality, with convenient built-in controls. However, they aren't ideal for exercise due to their over-ear form and only fair portability. While they provide very good noise isolation, they lack active noise cancelling, which might be important if you're looking to use them in particularly noisy environments or for air travel. Additionally, they are not sweatproof or dustproof, and they do not come with wireless charging, which could be considered downsides depending on your needs. Their battery life is robust at 33 hours, making them suitable for extended use without frequent recharges.

The Sennheiser HD 250BT headphones, released in May 2021, are over-ear, closed-back, and of a budget price. With wireless capability and dynamic drivers, these headphones offer very good overall sound quality and mic quality, as well as very good scores for durability and built-in controls. They have a 25-hour battery life but don't support wireless charging, requiring 3 hours for a full charge. They are sweatproof certified for those who exercise. Notably, they have AptX Low Latency support, enhancing their aptness for gaming and TV/video experiences by reducing audio lag. They do not have active noise cancelling, but the closed-back design provides a degree of noise isolation. The HD 250BT is equipped with an integrated mic, foldable design for portability, and an app that allows equalizer and audio controls customization. They are not optimized specifically for either Android or Apple, making them versatile for various device users. However, their comfort during air travel is considered poor, and they are not dustproof or sweatproof certified.

The Focal Bathys are high-end, over-ear, closed-back headphones with both wireless and wired connectivity options. They offer excellent sound quality and soundstage, with best-in-class performance for gaming, TV and video, and air travel. They feature active noise cancelling, app equalizer and customization features, but have a fair microphone quality. Suitable for long listening sessions due to excellent comfort, they have a substantial weight and are less portable. For wired use, they still require battery power due to the internal amplifier. They support AptX Adaptive for low latency but are not sweatproof or dustproof, making them less ideal for exercise. Battery life is considerable at 31 hours, but with a 1.5-hour charging time and they do not offer wireless charging.