Best headphones for running 2024

Best for: The audio aficionado

For some people, even when out trying to knacker their knees in the grim, grey, rain-becursed streets of the Capital, only the very best in audiophile-level aural will suffice. For these most demanding outdoor ear users, I present the crème de la crème of the current earbud crop, the all-new BeoPlay EX from Bang & Olufsen.

Undeniably small and stylish with an excellently ergonomic design, a selection of 4x soft silicone tip sizes and a stick shape ensure a secure, comfortable fit in your shell-like, meaning that they’ll stay put no matter how hard you bound along, while cramming advanced audio into your ear canal.

How advanced? Well, first of all, the EX features Bluetooth 5.2 to provide a strong, stable connection to your smartphone, adaptive Active Noise Cancelling (ANC) to completely block out the jarring caterwaul of the outside world and its raucous residents, and also a Transparency Mode so you can run, listen to your top tunes, but also be fully aware of everything happening around you.

Doing the hard work is a pair of powerful 9.2mm Neodymium drivers, delivering perfectly balanced highs, mids and bass, tweaked to your own demandingly high standards via the customisable EQ featured on the accompanying B&O app, so, no matter how arduous your run, you can endure it by being soothed by the absolute smoothest of rich, crystal-clear sounds.

Rated at IP57, too, the BeoPlay EX are completely sweat and waterproof, even if you were to ham-fistedly drop them (or yourself) into a particularly deep, flooded-full pothole of up to one-metre deep, they will keep belting out the bangers for up to 30-minutes.

With glass touch controls adding to both the aesthetic and control convenience, flicking back and forth through tracks, altering volume and answering/ending phone calls is nicely intuitive, while the earbuds offer up to six hours of playback with ANC on, eight hours with ANC off, and a total of 28 hours with a fully charged case on your person.

Posh, high-performance personal audio for speedy street-stalkers, the new BeoPlay EX brings nothing short of exercise audio excellence.

• Battery life: Up to 6-hours (ANC), 8-hours (without ANC)
• Connection: Bluetooth 5.2
• Noise cancelling: Yes
• Waterproof: IP57
• Charging case: Yes, with Qi
• Accessories included: USB-A/USB-C charging cable, silicone tips (4x sizes)

Best for: High-end, low-price

If you’re just as demanding when it comes to your in-ear run-entertainer as those who opt to own the B&Os above, but you can’t quite stretch to Bang & Olufsen prices, then fear not, for the latest tone-makers from Technics have got your sweaty back. Beguilingly named AZ40M2, the boffins at Technics have managed to cram a compelling large amount of advanced audio tech into a tiny set of earbuds and, somehow, done so while keeping the price down to a piffling 130 pounds.

By ‘advanced audio tech’, I mean Active Noise Cancelling to keep the world out, complete with Ambient Mode to let the world back in again, when necessary. Plus, an Attention Mode that focuses on speech when you’re on a call and there’s Beamforming Technology to ensure you can always be heard clearly regardless of any racket around you. You will also find Single Earphone use for when you want to keep an ear to the ground, Bluetooth 5.3 for the strongest, most stable smartphone connection possible, built-in Amazon Alexa, and 5.5 hours of use (ANC on) available from the earbuds and an impressive 18-hours when used in conjunction with the charging case.

Noise-wise, the Technics feature 6mm drivers housed in a unique acoustic chamber, complete with a harmoniser, so the sound that shimmies down to your eardrum is richly detailed and beautifully balanced at all volumes.

IPX4-rated, the AZ40M2 may not be quite as water-ingress-mocking as the B&Os, but running in light rain won’t prove a problem, and controls can be customised and EQ altered with the greatest of ease via the Technics Audio Connect app on your phone.

Coming complete with a four-strong selection of differently sized silicone tips, the fit is comfortable and secure enough to guarantee they won’t end up exiting your ears and bobbing off gently down a nearby sewer stream no matter how hard you bounce.

As I say, packed with an incredible amount of serious sound tech for the price, the Technics AZ40M2 is nothing if not deeply desirable tricked-out Hi-Res audio on the hoof.

• Battery life: Up to 6.5-hours
• Connection: Bluetooth 5.3
• Noise cancelling: Yes
• Waterproof: IPX4
• Charging case: Yes, with Qi
• Accessories included: USB-C charging cable, silicone tips (4x sizes)

Best for: Utterly secure earbuds

Now, in these financially challenging times when it may feel blasé to be frittering away your lolly on luxuries like ‘food’ and ‘heating’, I can understand all too well the fear attached to losing one or both earbuds due to over-zealous jogging action, then having to find the funds to replace them or, horror of horrors, indulge in exercise au naturel. Well, feel seen, because Groov-e has developed a set of ear-goers that come with both belt and braces for a fit even less likely to come loose than Bruce Banner’s purple pants, thanks to a combination of in-ear fit snugness and an over-ear hook. Yes, even if you shake your head violently around as though you’d been possessed by some dervish devil, the Sport Buds aren’t going anywhere.

That’s right, Sport Buds, right there in the name, what we have here is a set of earbuds, complete with a built-in power bank charge case, that has been designed for the ears of the Greek god Hermes, with IPX4 sweat and rain resistance, Bluetooth 5.0, and a pair of decent drivers that eke out audio into your ears that will make the deafening disquiet of society around you fade sweetly into the background. Not complete, though, for the Sport Buds don’t come armed with ANC, which helps keep you neatly in the moment and able to hear that man shouting “Look out for that open manhole!” at you from across the road.

With a battery life of up to four hours per bud, and up to 28 hours with the use of the charging case, there’s power aplenty to go around, and at only £30, you can still afford to splash out on some of the frivolous food and heating I mentioned earlier.

• Battery life: Up to 4 hours
• Connection: Bluetooth 5.0
• Noise cancelling: No
• Waterproof: IPX4
• Charging case: Yes
• Accessories included: USB-C charging cable, silicone tips (2x sizes)

Best for: Secure fit and Skullcandy skills

Skullcandy – a maker of all things ‘ear’ that is pretty much too cool for school – had been a favourite of mine ever since I slipped into a set of its Crusher ANC 2 cans, so I was expecting audio big things from the Push Active based on its big brother.

Akin to the Groov-e we just flirted with above, the Push Active melds together in-ear and ear-hook fastenings to create a sense of ear-clamping stability even greater than having your head in a velvet vice, so the chances of these sporty little numbers exiting your ears by accident are so ludicrously low it’s not even worth mentioning. So, moving on.

Featuring two small but mighty 6mm drivers, pumping out powerful and decidedly dynamic sound, the Skullcandy’s audio performance comes backed by an exceedingly stable Bluetooth 5.2 connection to your smartphone, meaning music is never interrupted and calls are always clear, despite the lack of ANC studious ignoring outside audio for you.

With Alexa built-in (via the Skull-IQ app), hands-free control stops all the fiddling around, an IP55 rating keeps them safe from sweat and jets of water, and a rough 10 hours of playback from the buds themselves translates to a total of 44 hours with a fully juiced charge case.

Then there’s that aforementioned Skull-IQ app – not only does it allow you access to Alexa to let you make calls, launch Spotify, and get directions if you’ve run too far too fast. It also lets you remotely trigger the camera on your phone and gives you a full 5-band EQ to play with to hone that tone to just the way you want it.

A stunning portable sound solution for those stomping the streets, and currently on sale at a tenner off, down to £60, an absolute bargain to boot.

• Battery life: Up to 10 hours
• Connection: Bluetooth 5.2
• Noise cancelling: No
• Waterproof: IP55
• Charging case: Yes
• Accessories included: USB-C charging cable, ear gels (S, M, L)

Best for: Being driven ever onwards

I’ll tell you a secret, despite all my over-ear headphone jabbering of late, I have most recently been relying on on-ear headphones for most of my day-to-day dalliances out and about. Whether that’s running, strolling, or even savagely avoiding eye contact on public transport, because while I love the way ANC can disconnect you from the hurly-burly of hoi polloi., butI have learnt that there is definitely an advantage to be had in being aware of the ambient irritations around you, especially when jogging.

This brings me to the Soundcore Aerofit Pro. Firstly, I’d like to attract your attention to the design – slick, modern, minimalist – they’re every bit what you want from a set of open-ears in terms of elegant aesthetics. Light, too, despite the size, they also hug your ears gently but firmly, like a quiet keen koala bear, so there’s little chance of them making a bid for earphone freedom while you’re out giving it some grunt.

And there’s a reason I drew attention to the size, too. Yes, they are a tad on the less-than-tiny side, but then that’s because they have fantastic 16.2mm oversized drivers, thus delivering the kind of thunderously tight bass that, frankly, you simply don’t deserve at this price.

What’s more, using the very latest Bluetooth 5.3, the connection to your phone is more stable than a significantly stubborn concrete elephant, so you’ll never miss a single sound, no matter how subtle.

IPX5 sweat- and light shower-resistant, battery life impresses too, giving you a good 14 hours of earbuds from a full charge and up to a monument 46 hours in conjunction with the charging case, so even if you’re one of those insane ultramarathon runners, you’ll tunes aplenty to keep you company as you complete your epic self-infliction.

So, the Soundcore Aerofit Pro, a smooth ballet of style, power and performance, fits like a glove and fills your King Lears with a sound that’s distinctly detailed and born for bass.

• Battery life: Up to 14 hours
• Connection: Bluetooth 5.3
• Noise cancelling: No
• Waterproof: IPX5
• Charging case: Yes
• Accessories included: USB-C charging cable, detachable neckband

Best for: Ultra comfort, Ultra experience

Bose is a name synonymous with superior audio and, as part and parcel of that, superior pricing. But if there’s one thing my many years of AV kit reviewing have taught me, firstly, premium always comes at a price, and secondly, products pumped out by both names have always been well worth the price.

The Ultra Open open-ear is a wonderful, unique slice of design that does away with ear hooks altogether, instead using an ingenious flexible joint that simply pops into the bottom of your concha and wraps around the exterior of your ear, positioning the 12mm drivers behind the lower end of your helix (your main flappy bit) for a grip that’s both firm to the point that there’s no accidentally displacing it, and yet so very comfortable you will, in all truth, forget you’re wearing them at all.

Well, you will until you turn them on, that is, for that’s when the Bose Immersive Audio kicks in and you wonder a) how it can be so good, and b) just how much people around you hear. In answer to the first question, it’s OpenAudio technology, or ‘witchcraft’, because something situated outside of the ear should not sound so incredibly rich and detailed, without of course, being played at such a volume that surely all and sundry can hear it. No, no they cannot. Sure, up close, the audio emitted by the Bose is discernible, but only within the area most would refer to as ‘personal space’ and, whilst I’m not sure how you jog, I’m guessing not in a three-legged race.

Of course, this wholly open-ear design also means you can hear absolutely everything happening around you, so not just people shouting, cars honking and bike couriers bashing their bells, but actual conversations too, like a normal person. Quite something.

Offering up to 7.5 hours of playtime (4.5 hours with Immersive Audio) and up to an extra 19.5 hours via the charging case, the IPX4 rating keeps sweat and light rain at bay, while the Bose Music app allows you to adjust the EQ to personalise your playlist, taking full command over bass, mid-range and treble on the trot.

Exceptional in all areas, Bose Ultra Open is, simply put, the unquestioned pinnacle of ingenuity and innovation in open-ear audio technology. And that may even be an understatement.

• Battery life: Up to 7.5 hours
• Connection: Bluetooth 5.3
• Noise cancelling: Immersive sound
• Waterproof: IPX4
• Charging case: Yes
• Accessories included: USB-C (A to C) charging cable

Best for: Long-distance listening on a budget

Not a brand I was previously aware of, the Sivga SO2 open-ears came into my life when I suddenly found myself relying on public transport quite a lot and proved an essential ally in keeping me suitably removed from the inane chatter of my fellow passengers.

An ear-hook design, the SO2s sit securely enough to hang on in there with little give, no matter how hard you like to slap your soles against the slabs, and at a feather-bothering 10g, they’re hardly going to weigh you down, even if your run out sees you embracing that alfresco exercise for the full 10 hours of battery life the SO2s afford you (30 hours with charging case).

What’s more, they feature Bluetooth 5.3 for the strongest possible smartphone connection, boast big 14.2mm PU + titanium diaphragm dynamic drivers, complete with an intelligent algorithm sound effect that enhances bass, brings clarity to mid-frequency and transparency to treble, resulting in sound quality that belies the asking price by a country mile.

Also equipped with 4x microphones and AI smart noise cancelling, calls are crystal clear, so whether you’re jogging through the cacophony of city centre cars or amongst overly vocal suburbanites out in the charming parks of, say, Stanmore, your voice will always be heard.

Finally, IPX5-rated, sweat and sky showers will prove no threat, and all this for the next-to-no-money price of just £56, a brand name known or not, after weeks of use now, I assure you, you simply can’t go wrong with the Sivga SO2.

• Battery life: Up to 10 hours
• Connection:  Bluetooth 5.3
• Noise cancelling: No
• Waterproof: IPX5
• Charging case: Yes
• Accessories included: USB-C charging cable

Best for: Slick style, strong sound and sterilisation

The strikingly stylish ARC II from Cleer Audio comes packing some serious sonorous spank. And by that, I mean, Bluetooth 5.3, aptX Adaptive, Snapdragon Sound and LE Audio compatibility, plus even native voice assistant control to make the whole operation of ARC II as easy as forming words.

Then there’s the whopping 16.2mm dynamic graphene neodymium drivers that beam the ARC II’s decidedly rich audio right into your ear canal, enhanced to bespoke levels via the adjustable EQ available in the accompanying app.

IPX5-rated against sudden showers and capable of eight hours of playback or a total of 35 hours when you bring the charging case into play, whilst all cases I’ve looked at here do the charging thing, I’ve saved the Cleer Audio one to last thanks to its rather specialised USP. You see, while it powers up the earcups like any other case, it also bathes the open ears in UV-C light when they’re not in use, effectively disinfecting them and killing off up to 99.9 per cent of bacteria, even tackling the likes of COVID-19.

Powerful, wearable, eminently listenable, and capable of multipoint connectivity, too, the Cleer Audio ARC II really are the full open-ear performance package – earphones ideal for outside pursuits with the added advantage of being able to neutralise anything nasty you may bring back home with you.

• Battery life: Up to 8 hours
• Connection: Bluetooth 5.3
• Noise cancelling: No
• Waterproof: IPX5
• Charging case: Yes
• Accessories included: None

Best for: Going Pro, occasionally going home

Bone conduction technology is a system where sound waves from the speaker drivers are sent vibrating through your skull rather than into your eardrum, the advantage in that being no loss of sound quality and no loss of ambient audio at all.

Now, I’m no stranger to Shokz, having reviewed other of its models before. In fact, a set of Shokz was the first bone conduction headphones I ever tested and, pun fully intended, I can tell you they were an absolute ear-opener.

So, here we have the OpenRun Pro, a name that instantly sets out its stall as bone conduction cans not only for those who ‘run’ but also for those who run ‘pro’. Sitting above the ears with a band round the back of the head linking the two conduction units and keeping everything comfortably in place. Bone conduction audio can feel a little odd initially, but you soon adapt, and for the purposes of being entertained and simultaneously paying attention, such as when out running, there’s probably nothing better suited.

Linking to your phone over Bluetooth 5.1, the Pros come IP55-rated, too good to go in the rain and feature a battery life of up to 10 hours per full fuelling. Obviously, no charging case comes with bone conduction cans, but with a cool magnetic charging cable and an hour's charge time, you’re not going to have to hang around long before being able to hit the streets once more.

• Battery life: Up to 10 hours
• Connection: Bluetooth 5.1
• Noise cancelling: No
• Waterproof: IP55
• Charging case: N/A
• Accessories included: Magnetic USB-C charging cable

Best for: Free flowing from jog to swim

Creative Outlier’s Free Pro+ bone conductors are very similar in look to the Shokz and, indeed, all other bone conduction headphones (such is the nature of the bone beast), but while the transmission technology also remains the same, here we have an IP8X-rating, which means these vibe-bringers can take on submersion down to 1.5 metres for up to 30 minutes, meaning that, not only are the snug and secure on the run, they’re also primed for a dip in the pool.

What’s that? Bluetooth doesn’t penetrate water well? Well, firstly, good knowledge, sending a Bluetooth signal from your phone on dry land to where your head is, possibly underwater, would be ineffectual, wouldn’t it? Fortunately, then, the Free Pro+ comes with a built-in memory capacity of 8GB on which you can store your own music for use when splashing around.

With a battery good for up to 10 hours of continuous playback, support for Siri and Google Assistant, and multipoint connectivity for hooking up to three separate devices at once, when the run is done, dive into something different, cool in the pool, and take your calls and chords as they come while you float free.

• Battery life: Up to 10 hours
• Connection: Bluetooth 5.3
• Noise cancelling: No
• Waterproof: IPX8
• Charging case: N/A
• Accessories included: USB-C charging cable, earplugs

Best for: Tough tech with cool control

You may know Suunto from the rather special smart sports watches it makes for those who take their training very seriously, but you may not be aware that it makes an equally special line in sporting headphones too. Okay, I say ‘line’, when what I mean is ‘duo’, as the line comprises the entry-level Suunto Sonic, or the premium option, the Suunto Wing.

Why go premium? For a whole heap of features that rock a phat one. Firstly, a few stats: connecting over Bluetooth 5.2, the wireless feed to your phone will always be stable and strong, meaning no annoying break-up or sudden silences midway through an extra-spurt-of-exercise-effort-inspiring song or, indeed, an important phone interview. IP67-rated, the Wing can survive being submerged in water as deep as up to one metre for up to half an hour, so if you slip and fall in a river while out grinding it up in the Great Outdoors, you can enjoy a half-hour of unobstructed audio while being dragged downstream to your fate.

The Wing also features LED lights to make you more visible at night, so excellent when around traffic or for just attracting attention, if you’re that kind of runner. You get up to 10 hours of playback/chat and the Wing comes with a power bank (not charge case) that juices them up good and proper for another 20 hours. And, my personal favourite, the Suunto Wing comes with Head Movement Control, allowing you to skip songs or answer a call simply by shaking or nodding your head instead of fumbling for a button.

Aimed pretty squarely at the runner who likes to mix up urban exercise with a more adventurous fleet of foot exploits in the parks and woods, the Suunto Wing will let you fly.

• Battery life: Up to 10 hours
• Connection: Bluetooth 5.2
• Noise cancelling: No
• Waterproof: IP67
• Charging case: Sort of
• Accessories included: USB-C charging cable, power bank, storage bag, earplugs

Best for: The brass tacks of bone conduction

Delivering HD sound right through your very face, Haylou’s sub-£100 bone conduction cans are an excellent option for the runner seeking nothing but strong sounds and simplicity of use from their headphones.

Utilising Bluetooth 5.2, you can be assured of a continuously stable connection to your smartphone, free from the fade of general drop-off of lesser BT flavours, while an onboard battery life of eight hours, while a 10-minute Fast Charge, via the magnetic cable, will give you an extra two hours of playtime just like that.

Rated IP67, they’re good down to depths of one metre for around 30 minutes, so should you turn your run into some kind of mini Ironman event, then the BC01s are along for the ride.

Two buttons on the right of the band allow for control of music and calls, with excellent bass and decent detail being the defining points of the former, and dual omnidirectional microphones and cVc call noise cancellation enhancing the latter.

Light, comfortable and capable of serving up some well-detailed sound, if you want decent audio on the jogging go, just use your head.

• Battery life: Up to 8 hours
• Connection: Bluetooth 5.2
• Noise cancelling: No
• Waterproof: IP67
• Charging case: N/A
• Accessories included: USB-C charging cable, earplugs