Want to know what the best running headphones are right now? Along with my fellow Run Testers, we’ve tested dozens of the latest products from all the brands, big and small, including the likes of Jaybird, Jabra, Sony, AfterShokz, Beats, Apple, Sennheiser BOSE and many many more.
After many soundtracked miles on tarmac, trails and treadmills, we got together to select the best headphones for runners.
Whether you’re on a sub-£100 budget, you’re a commuter runner and want something that’ll work well in the office and on the run, you have decided to finally go true wireless, or you need an option with battery life that’ll last longer than you can on the trails, we’ve got it covered.
We highlight 13 pairs of the best headphones you can buy right now – including a quick look at seven solid options under £100.
Best running headphones: Top options for runners in 2020
How to find the best running headphones for you
Whether you’re a podcast addict or you need those motivational tunes to kick you on for a few extra miles, a decent set of running headphones are an essential part of a runner’s gear. These days the quality and price of the bluetooth wireless headphones that stream your tunes from your phone without the inconvenience of a long cable, easily outperform the old traditional wired options.
That’s because wireless tech has jumped on a long way. Completely cable-free true wireless headphones now let you run with just a small set of buds that pop into your ears with no distracting dangly bits flapping around.
The very top-end headphones in this space like the Apple AirPods Pro can cost as much as £250 but we’re seeing very solid options for £130 and there’s now a whole new wave of true wireless headphones for under £100.
The convenience, comfort and sound quality make these well worth a look if your budget can stretch.
So what do I look for when I’m testing headphone? Well, in order of priority, I’m on the lookout for headphones that deliver…
- Comfort and stay-put fit
- Battery life
- Sound quality
- Durability
- Ease of use
- Extra features
And, of course, all of that is qualified by price. Unsurprisingly comfort is key, there’s no point having last-all-day headphones with brilliant sound that make your inner ears throb after 40 minutes. Most sets come with a range of wing tips and ear gels so you can size for a good fit but it’s worth making sure that’s definitely the case.
When it comes to battery life you can expect a decent set of true wireless headphones to give you anywhere from 4.5 hours right up to 10 hours from a single charge. The wireless options such as the Jaybird Tarah Pro and Powerbeats 4 offer 14 and 15 hours respectively.
The good new running headphones now also offer some form of rapid charge so you can juice up enough for a run in the time it takes to runcrastinate for a bit.
True wireless headphone also come with charging carry cases that act like a boosting battery pack, doubling your buds lifespan. These can range from adding 10 extra hours right up to 100.
Another thing worth consideration is whether you want to hear what’s going on around you or you’d rather drown out the world outside so all you can hear is Tina Turner blasting out Simply the Best. If safety and situational awareness is a concern then check out the latest trend for bone conduction and open-ear headphones, these leave your ears free to catch that car/stranger/dog coming up behind you.
Finally, it’s worth noting that many of the best new running headphones do much more than just soundtrack your runs. Products like LifeBEAM Vi and Jabra Elite Sport also offer heart rate tracking and real-time coaching too. So if you want to kill two birds with one stone, and have your headset double as a training tool, check out these clever new headphones that are starting to bring virtual coaching into play.
Now read this: How to choose the best running watch for you
