Great running headphones make running better, whether it’s listening to music to push your pace or a podcast to expand your mind. The best headphones stay in place, are comfortable, sweat-resistant, and sound great, while keeping the environment clear in your ears to maintain situational awareness.
With a comfortable headband and an open ear design for the best awareness of your surroundings, the Shokz OpenRun Pro 2 are our favorite running headphones. They are comfortable, rock-solid stable, IP55-rated, and offer excellent sound quality. We unanimously agree that these headphones are the best running headphones, by a wide margin.
For indoor runners, the snug and comfortable fit of the Apple AirPods Pro 3, combined with amazing sound quality, makes them a great choice for use in the gym. The strong noise cancellation helps block out the blaring gym radio, clanking of weights, and chatter around you. If you want to take it outside, the transparency feature can bring the world in to keep you safe.
The best running headphones prioritize environmental awareness over sound quality and noise cancellation. However, working out often requires the opposite of blocking out distractions to reach your personal goals, so we’ve tested the best workout headphones too. For general everyday use, check out our wireless earbuds review.