

They are incredibly comfortable on a broad range of ear shapes, but runners may find that these don’t feel as secure. Jabra Elite 7 Active and Elite 7 Pro: These earbuds have a more standard earbud design without wings or hooks.

But we don’t recommend making important calls while knocking out a 5K anyway, so in our tests, we looked for intelligibility rather than perfection in call quality. Although wind noise, traffic noise, and sweat in the microphone can cause difficulties for any headphone mic, problems are far more likely in running headphones. You should be able to take a quick call and get back to your run. Unsealed designs that provide more awareness of your surroundings usually have a lot less bass response than sealed designs. Runners may have to accept some sonic compromises depending on the type of earbuds they prefer. Running headphones are a piece of sporting equipment, so in this category we’re a little more forgiving of sonic flaws. Sound quality should be solid and not distracting.Running headphones are designed to get a little moist on occasion, and a good company backs up its build quality with support and replacement if something goes awry. Warranty coverage of at least one year against sweat damage is critical.Brand reliability is key because, if something goes wrong, you want to know that the company involved will be around to stand behind its product.A good pair of running earbuds has intuitive controls that you can use without much thought. You don’t want to have to stop running just to skip a track or adjust the volume. Ease of use matters more than usual in this category.
#Plantronics backbeat fit 3200 Bluetooth
Even a short wire that connects the two Bluetooth earbuds can snag and bounce annoyingly.

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. Our recommendations in this guide come from the research and testing we’ve conducted for our general guide to the best workout headphones, for which we’ve tested more than 250 sets of headphones and considered many more. We have a noise-isolating pair for treadmill runners, a couple of unsealed designs that let you hear your surroundings when running outdoors, and an inexpensive set for occasional runners or folks on a budget. So instead of giving you a single top pick for all runners, we’re recommending a variety of earbuds to suit assorted needs. Our conversations with runners-from casual beginners to marathoners-have revealed that different runners value different headphone features. If a good playlist is the motivation you need to get going, earbuds are an essential piece of running equipment. The more punishing the environment, the higher the rating. To endure sweat, headphones need a rating of IPX4 or higher.
