The Best Running Headphones 2024 

The Running Channel team have tested over 40 headphones, and we’ve selected our favourite in seven different categories. If you’re looking for the best headphones for running in 2024, then these are our top picks. 

For each of these categories we consider how they feel, the quality of audio, waterproof rating (for runners we can also consider this: sweat proof), ‘shake test’ (do they come off if you shake your head!), mic quality and value for money. 

If you want to jump to the different categories, then we’re looking at: 

• Best Open Ear Headphones
• Best Sound Quality
• Best Fit
• Best On A Budget
• Best Durability
• Best Battery Life
• Best Over Ear Headphones 
• Best Overall Headphones and Our Community Pick

And if you’re wondering about the waterproof rating, then you can learn more about that here, or the short version is that you’ll see an IP (‘ingress protection’) rating with two numbers. The first is X to 6, and is about solids (like dust), and the second is X to 8 and is for fluid (sweat, rain). X means no data/testing, while the higher the number, the better the protection (so, for example, IP68 is the highest protection headphone).

BEST OPEN EAR HEADPHONES 2024

A word on open ear headphones: These are ideal for runners as they don’t cover or block the ears, so you can still hear sounds around you, which is important for safety. Some sit in front of the ear and are bone-conducting, meaning the sound vibrations move along your cheekbones instead of through the air. There are also headphones which go over the ear canal, but do not press into the ear canal. If you want to wear headphones in a race then these are the best options for you. 

Shokz Open Run Pro
PRICE – £159.95/$179.95
WATERPROOF RATING – IP55
BATTERY LIFE – Up to 10 hours 
CHARGING CASE? – No
NOISE CANCELLING? – No

These are the ninth generation of this popular headphone, and regarded as the original bone-conducting headphones. The team thought they’re great for podcasts, and also for the safety of wearing while running. They come in different sizes to fit everyone. 

Suunto Wing
PRICE – £169/$199
WATERPROOF RATING – IP67
BATTERY LIFE – Up to 10 hours 
CHARGING CASE? – No, but comes with a portable charging case, adding 20 hours of playback
NOISE CANCELLING? – No

We liked the hands free control meaning you could skip a song by nodding your head instead of needing to press a button. And these have LED lights on the side of the headphones, making you more visible when you’re out running. It’s got impressive sound quality for bone conducting headphones. The portable power pack means you can charge on the go.

Bose Ultra Open Earbuds 
PRICE – £299.95/$299
WATERPROOF RATING – IPX4
BATTERY LIFE – Up to 7.5 hours 
CHARGING CASE? – Yes – Up to extra 19.5 hours with case
NOISE CANCELLING? – Yes

Bose call these ‘ear buds reimagined’. They wrap around the ear, and sit like a traditional in-ear bud, but you can still hear everything around you. With auto volume (which changes the audio as the sound around you goes up and down) and immersive audio, James says the audio quality is phenomenal (something expected of Bose). The main consideration here is the high price. 

Cleer Audio Arc II Sport
PRICE – £199/$169.99
WATERPROOF RATING – IPX5
BATTERY LIFE – 8 hours 
CHARGING CASE? – Yes – 27+ hours 
NOISE CANCELLING? – No

These hook over the back of the ear, and then sit in front of the ear canal. Those with smaller ears may find them uncomfortable for long periods, while running in them (or doing a HIIT workout) may cause them to move around. They have nice head gesture controls, and UV-C light in the case sanitises the earbuds while not in use.

BEST SOUND QUALITY HEADPHONES 2024

Bose Quiet Comfort Ultra Earbuds 
PRICE – £299.95/$299
WATERPROOF RATING – IPX4
BATTERY LIFE – Up to 6 hours 
CHARGING CASE? – Yes – provides up to 3 full charges 
NOISE CANCELLING? – Yes

Each earbud has four microphones and immersive audio, giving ‘mind-blowingly good’ sound quality according to our testers. The noise cancellation is superb, as is the comfort (which can be best suited to you by fitting different earbuds). 

Bose Ultra Open Earbuds 
PRICE – £299.95/$299
WATERPROOF RATING – IPX4
BATTERY LIFE – Up to 7.5 hours 
CHARGING CASE? – Yes – Up to extra 19.5 hours with case
NOISE CANCELLING? – Yes 

Find out more about it in the review above, and know that we’ve never included an open-ear headphone in this category before, which is testament to just how good the sound and technology is in these headphones. 

Apple Airpods Pro (2nd Gen)
PRICE – £229/$249
WATERPROOF RATING – IP54
BATTERY LIFE – Up to 6 hours 
CHARGING CASE? – Yes – Up to 30 hours with case.
NOISE CANCELLING? – Yes

A very popular headphone, these are great all-rounders that can work on a run, on a commute, for phone calls, and more, making them very versatile. They have different ear tips to fit everybody, and they have adaptive audio which changes based on your surroundings. The noise cancellation is improved from the previous version.

BEST FITTING HEADPHONES 2024

JBL Endurance Peak 3 
PRICE – £89.99/ $99.95
WATERPROOF RATING – IP68 (up to 30 mins at 1.5metres) 
BATTERY LIFE – Up to 10 hours
CHARGING CASE? – Yes – Additional 40 hours
NOISE CANCELLING? – Yes

These sit over the front of the ear canal, and have good sound quality for the price (which is significantly lower than others we tested). The powerhook design may begin to cause pressure on a very long run, but on our shorter runs the comfort was really good. A bonus is that it automatically powers off even when not in the case. 

Beats Powerbeats Pro
PRICE – £269.95/$249.95
WATERPROOF RATING – IPX4
BATTERY LIFE – Up to 9 hours 
CHARGING CASE? – Yes – Increases to 24 hours playback 
NOISE CANCELLING? – Yes

These high-performance earbuds had long been a favourite for James. The audio quality is great, but it’s the comfort and stability during runs (including very long runs) which makes these stand out in our testing, with the ear hook keeping these securely in place. Each earbud also has volume and track control. And as James says (out of personal experience): “You can sweat buckets in these and they don’t break!”

adidas FWD-02 Sport
PRICE – £200/$170
WATERPROOF RATING – IPX5 
BATTERY LIFE – Up to 6 hours playback 
CHARGING CASE? – YES – 19 hours of on the move charging
NOISE CANCELLING? – No 

Better known for sportswear and trainers, these adidas earbuds have been developed with insight for runners. They come with extra ear tips, so you can find the best fit for you, and they are both sweat-proof and the earbud touch controls work when you’re wearing gloves. They also let in ambient noise, which is a benefit for running. 

BEST HEADPHONES ON A BUDGET 2024

Tribit Flybuds3
PRICE – £49.99/$35.99
WATERPROOF RATING – IPX8
BATTERY LIFE – 5 hours
CHARGING CASE? – Yes – Up to 100 hours
NOISE CANCELLING? – No

These in-ear headphones come with different tips and wings to find your best fit. They have a 10-metre wireless range, and the charging case gets an industry-leading 100 hours of power – a bonus is that you can also charge your phone from this headphone charging case. The narrow fit could be a problem for some, but the comfort is good for most and the sound quality is great for this low price.

Jlab Go Air Pop
PRICE – £24.99/$25
WATERPROOF RATING – IPX4
BATTERY LIFE – Up to 8 hours
CHARGING CASE? – Yes – 32+ hours
NOISE CANCELLING? – No

The neat and compact case comes with a built in charging cable, which is a great feature. They come in a range of colours, and the sound quality is good – while they aren’t noise cancelling, they work well to block out too much extra noise. The touch control functions allow you to change tracks, change volume, and answer calls.

Jlab Go Air Sport
PRICE – £30/$30
WATERPROOF RATING – IP55
BATTERY LIFE – Up to 8 hours
CHARGING CASE? – Yes – 32+ hours
NOISE CANCELLING? – No

All the benefits of the Go Air Pop, just with a secure (and soft tactile) over-ear hook to help keep these headphones more secure during activities, plus they have a superior sweat-proof rating. Excellent fit and audio for a low price. It’s a winner!

BEST DURABILITY HEADPHONES 2024

Jabra Elite8 Active 
PRICE – £199.99/$199.99
WATERPROOF RATING – IP64
BATTERY LIFE – Up to 8 hours 
CHARGING CASE? – Yes – Up to 23 hours battery
NOISE CANCELLING? – Yes

‘The world’s toughest headphones’ is the claim made by Jabra for these. They have great solid and liquid protection. The grippy coating makes them feel premium and secure, the sound quality is superb, and they’re compatible with smart watches which is a bonus for runners. 

Jaybird Vista 2
PRICE – £189.99/$189.99
WATERPROOF RATING – IP68
BATTERY LIFE – Up to 8 hours
CHARGING CASE? – Yes – Total 24 hours with case 
NOISE CANCELLING? – Yes

With a sports fit, these stay secure as well as very durable (so durable that they survived Sarah putting on through the washing machine!). A great feature is the optional noise cancelling, so you can choose to have that function on or off depending on your situation. The app connected to these allows you to customise the controls, and also has a handy ‘find my buds’ feature for those who often misplace their headphones!

Shokz Open Run Pro
PRICE – £159.95/$179.95
WATERPROOF RATING – IP55
BATTERY LIFE – Up to 10 hours 
CHARGING CASE? – NO
NOISE CANCELLING? – NO

Detailed more above, these are designed for runners and athletes, so pass the all-important sweat test during long, sweaty and rainy runs. 

BEST BATTERY LIFE HEADPHONES 2024

Jlab Epic Air Sport
PRICE – £99.99/$99.99
WATERPROOF RATING – IP66
BATTERY LIFE – Up to 15 hours 
CHARGING CASE? – Yes – 70 hours battery life
NOISE CANCELLING? – Yes

15 hours on the ear alone, and up to 55 additional hours through stored power in the case (and, like the other Jlab’s above, they have their own in-built power cable). Great sound quality, great fit around the ear, and noise-cancelling in the ear (which you can also turn off to allow more natural sound in during runs). The music also automatically pauses when you take them out of ear, and starts again when you put them back. A very good option for their price. 

JBL Endurance Peak 3 
PRICE – £89.99/ $99.95
WATERPROOF RATING – IP68 (up to 30 mins at 1.5metres) 
BATTERY LIFE – Up to 10 hours
CHARGING CASE? – Yes – Additional 30 hours
NOISE CANCELLING? – Yes

Detailed in the best fitting section above, you get 10 hours of battery life and 30 more hours from the charging case (although it’s quite a chunky case, so not necessarily one to slip into your pocket). 

Adidas Sport RPT-02 SOL
PRICE – £200/$230
WATERPROOF RATING – IPX4
BATTERY LIFE – Up to 80 hours stored
CHARGING CASE? – No
NOISE CANCELLING? – No

A headphone that will never run out of charge?! These are solar-charged headphones, which can also store 80 hours of battery reserve. The inner headband and ear cushions are removable, so can be washed. 

Our overall favourite headphones for battery life in 2024 are the Jlab Epic Air Sport.

BEST OVER EAR HEADPHONES 2024

A word on over ear headphones and running: we don’t typically recommend these for runners as they are not so good for their durability and sweat protection, plus they block out more sound while running. However, there are good options which may work in the gym or when you aren’t running. 

Beats Solo 4
PRICE – £199/$199
WATERPROOF RATING – Not IP rated as waterproof so not recommended for getting sweaty!
BATTERY LIFE – Up to 40 hours 
CHARGING CASE? – No 
NOISE CANCELLING? – No 

While we reviewed the Solo 3, the Solo 4 are now available at the same price. They have a ‘fast fuel’ feature where a 10-minute charge can give up to five hours of playback. The on-device controls work very well, and the audio is excellent. 

Beats Studio Pro 
PRICE – £349/$349
WATERPROOF RATING – Not issued
BATTERY LIFE – Up to 40 hours listening time 
CHARGING CASE? – No
NOISE CANCELLING? – Yes

Beats are very highly-regarded for their sound quality, and these are no exception, with their cinematic surround sound (they also have excellent noise cancellation as well). These fit well around the ear. They have a ‘Find My’ feature compatible with Google and Apple. A top-end headphone.

Adidas Sport RPT-02 SOL
PRICE – £200/$230
WATERPROOF RATING – IPX4
BATTERY LIFE – Up to 80 hours stored 
CHARGING CASE? – No
NOISE CANCELLING? – No

Detailed above with their solar self-charge, these are a good option for runners because they have a good IP rating for sweat and water, plus you can remove sections to wash them and keep them clean. 

BEST OVERALL HEADPHONES 2024

There’s just two more winners: best overall headphones and our community choice award.

***

If you want to see Sarah and James talking about these headphones (and performing the all-important shake tests!), then here’s the video for you: