Best Wireless Earbuds for Running 2019
If you’ve seen our article on the best headphones for working out, you’ll notice that a lot of the rules and best practices for purchasing earphones specifically for running and cardio are pretty similar. If you need a refresher, here’s what we recommend you consider when purchasing any sort of wireless earphones/earbuds/headphones specifically for exercise—
- Sweating
- Moving
- Leaning
- Stretching
To maximize the life of your earbuds, there are a couple of additional things you’ll want to consider.
- Cleaning—Your earbuds will accumulate moisture all the dirt and grit that floats near your ear. Cleaning the buds and the surface of the earphone itself will prevent dirty materials from slipping beneath the cracks and causing internal damage.
- Room Temperature—Your earbuds aren’t invincible, and you should take every precaution necessary to keep them from extreme temperatures. Don’t place them near heaters or air conditioners as their internal electronics are vulnerable to the elements.
The earphones/buds listed below are manufactured from trusted sellers. Jabra, Beats, Bose, and JLab are just some examples of companies that have products specifically for exercise. Third-party sellers may entice you with cheaper prices, but they are unlikely to last you as long as the ones below will.
In-Ear
The Backbeat has a different design compared to most wireless earphones/buds. Since you’ll be using them primarily for jogging, the designers at Plantronics have engineered the Backb
eat to be the best for sitting in your ears and on your neck as you run through all sorts of terrain.
The problem with wireless earphones/buds is that while you want to be enthralled with your music, you should be aware of your surroundings, especially if you’re running outdoors. The neat thing about the Backbeat is that the unique curvature of the earbuds allows outside noise to filter in without drowning out your own music. You’ll want to be aware of cars, bicyclists, and other people you can’t visually see. Thanks to the Backbeat, you’ll be able to listen a little more intently to the environment around you.
You’ll want to be aware of cars, bicyclists, and other people you can’t visually see. Thanks to the Backbeat, you’ll be able to listen a little more intently to the environment around you.
Men’s Fitness ranked it number nine out of ten in terms of the best sport earphones on the market, and for good reason. Almost all sport earphones advertise themselves as “sweatproof”. This term is tossed around loosely in the industry but the X3’s take it to a whole new level. You might as well classify them as life-resistant because they have proven themselves against sweat, and the various elements you’ll find outdoors.
The X3’s are further customizable via the MySound app which adjusts sound quality among other things. Since Bluetooth earphones can only really control music volume and play/pause, Jaybird gives you the option of tuning the device to your liking.
Jabra’s Elite Sport earphones are probably the most advanced wireless devices on the market. They eliminate the need for cords altogether, both from the earphones to your device and between the earphones themselves. As a result, they require a portable charging case to properly 
charge as there is no external port on the earphones. A three-hour long battery life is considerable given that battery life in general usually drops off as the earphones age.
The Elite Sport comes with the SportLife app available through a smartphone allows the earphones to track your speed, calorie burn, and heart rate among other statistics. Because they are connected with smartphones, they have the ability to pick up phone calls at will.
The steep price of the Elite Sport might deter customers, but the Elite Sport is for the consistent runner that is looking to increase the tempo and efficiency of their cardio workout. Should you choose, the Elite Sport will come with a 3-year warranty against sweat, the primary cause of earphone/bud damage.
Beats products get a pretty bad rap across the board for being unreliable. Tales of hundreds of dollars spent only to have them fail not long afterward are not uncommon. These are certainly worrying factors, but again, the key is the responsibility of your own device. Keeping them out of harm’s way is going to be a priority. If the price is steep and you didn’t purchase a warranty plan, it should be your first priority (unless warranty came with the product).
Regardless of Beats’ reputation, the Powerbeats 3 are very popular, especially among professional athletes. The sound quality of the Powerbeats 3, in general, is quite literally, mind-blowing. At its maximum, the battery life of the Powerbeats 3 is around twelve hours. That’s probably more life than you’ll need for an entire workout let alone a day.
The tether that connects both earphones is equipped with a small microphone for volume and call control. A small but noticeable addition is a circular object that ties the tether closer together to prevent it from swinging entirely to one side.
Bose is renowned for its ingenuity in comfort and sound cancellation. While you don’t get a lot of the latter with the Soundsport, it’s the next best thing in sound quality. If you’re not looking to spend hundreds of dollars on a pair of reliable sport earphones, consider the Soundsports to be your go to gadgets.
The Soundsports aren’t too flashy and do their job remarkably well. The ear tips are designed to stay in your ear no matter the intensity of your cardio workout.
On-Ear
The only on-ear headphones on our list are the 66 Audio BTS’. You don’t normally see people running around with their headphones on because they’re bulky and tend to slide off, but the BTS’ have a much smaller band across the top.
You’ll have added sound cancellation and quality due to the fact that they are headphones. A full thirty hours of playtime is going to be the game changer in the wireless headphone market. Depending on how long your cardio workouts are, the BTS will provide more than enough tunes to satisfy your drive.