There’s a little ritual I do before every run. After the required prelude of lacing sneakers and applying Body Glide, I put in my earbuds, close my eyes, take a deep breath, and press play. In that moment, I shrug off the worries and responsibilities of the day. For the time being, it’s just me, the music, and the movement.
The act of propelling your body forward through space can have significant benefits for your physical and mental health, but the hardest part is taking that first step. If a good playlist or podcast is the motivation you need to get going, earbuds are an essential piece of running equipment.
Our conversations with runners—from casual beginners to marathoners—have revealed that different runners value different headphone features. So instead of naming a single top pick for everyone, we have recommendations for two different types of runners: those who want to block out sounds and those who prefer to hear the outside world.
Our recommendations in this guide come from the research and testing we’ve conducted for our general guide to the best workout headphones. Whereas that guide looks more broadly at sweat-resistant headphones and earbuds for a variety of workout activities, this guide focuses on some of the unique concerns that runners have.
Best for runners who want to block out noise
These sealed earbuds are designed for runners who want to block out external noise, whether it’s the sound of a treadmill or the general din of big-city life.
The JBL Reflect Aero TWS wireless earbuds have an exceptionally high level of protection against water and sweat (with an IP68 rating), and these small, light earbuds should stay securely in place when you run, thanks to their stabilizing wings.
The sealed design and active noise cancellation reduce the sounds of traffic, the gym, or noisy workout equipment. If you need to have a quick conversation or listen for an external sound, the natural-sounding hear-through mode is a tap away. Or when you want more situational awareness, you can choose to wear only one earbud at a time.
The battery life of eight hours is good for true wireless earbuds, and the pocket-size case offers an additional 16 hours of juice.
The six-microphone array successfully reduced wind noise in our tests, and voices sounded clear for phone calls and video chats. This pair can also connect wirelessly to two devices at once.
Google and Alexa users will appreciate the hands-free, voice-activated-assistant compatibility. This pair has touch-based controls that are large and easy to use, and we found that they were less prone to misfires than other touch-based controls we’ve tried.
However, you can assign only two sets of controls: playback controls, ANC/hear-through controls, or volume controls (not all three at the same time). Alexa and Google fans may not mind this, since their preferred digital assistant is always listening for its wake word—so no tap is necessary.
Apple users can access Siri, but it involves a tap-and-hold on the touch control. (If you want hands-free “Hey Siri” control, consider the Beats Fit Pro instead.)
Out of the box, the Reflect Aero TWS earbuds sound good, with some added oomph in the bass and added energy in the frequency range where consonants sit. Many people will enjoy the sound as is, but we liked it better after doing a little EQ tinkering in the app. If anything goes wrong, JBL covers this pair with a one-year warranty.
The stabilizing wings may bother people with sensitive ears or small ear canals. Though the winged design is ideal for running because of its grip, it can be fatiguing to wear for hours on end.
If you don’t want to spend a ton of cash on running earbuds—either because you’re new to the hobby or you jog only once in a while—the durable, affordable JLab Go Air Sport earbuds are a great option. This wireless pair is sweat-resistant, with an IP55 Ingress Protection rating.
The hook-over-the-ear design keeps the earbuds securely in place. It’s especially helpful for people with hard-to-fit ears or a super-bouncy stride, and some people may find this design to be more comfortable than earbuds that use stabilizing wings (like the JBL Reflect Aero TWS discussed above).
Eight hours of listening time per charge is ample for most long runs, and the case holds an additional three full charges. You get a full suite of touch-based controls that are reasonably simple to use while you’re in motion—with a little practice.
While the sound quality can’t match that of our more expensive picks, it is still enjoyable—and pretty stellar for $30.
This sealed pair doesn’t let in any outside sounds and has no hear-through mode. It isn’t a good match for runners who want to hear their surroundings to be safe or have a quick conversation without removing their earbuds. As with any sealed earbuds, this pair will amplify footfalls and breathing sounds.
However, like the JBL Reflect Aero TWS set, this pair lets you use either earbud independently, if you prefer to keep one ear open. The large case likely won’t fit in a pocket, but it should fit in a running belt.
The microphone quality is somewhat muffled. People should be able to understand you, but they may ask you to speak up on occasion if you’re naturally soft-spoken.
This pair is the budget pick in our main guide to the best workout earbuds and headphones, so just pop over to that guide to get more details.
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