Though most people use wireless earbuds when hitting the gym, some prefer over-the-ear headphones for fitness and workouts. Sure, they're bulkier, but they do an even better job of blocking out ambient noise in the gym, trail, or even when mowing the lawn.
That said, many of these headphones are not suited for active use. So, with that in mind, we've gathered options that can handle the blood, sweat, and tears – well, mostly, sweat – and that you don't need to feel too precious about when trying to focus on your fitness goals. The best over-ear headphones for fitness and workouts also sound good and come with a comfortable and secure fit.
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TREBLAB Z2
Best overallSitting in the under-$100 band, the Treblab Z2s were built for an active lifestyle. These cans are light yet pack enough features and tech to compete with more premium ones. The ANC, works surprisingly well, complemented by ear pads that naturally mold to the shape of your ears. The pulsating low-end you'll get from these headphones will get the adrenaline pumping while you're lifting weights. Since they also support aptX, you can also stream high-quality downloaded tracks.
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Beats Studio3
Premium pickHeavy bass and sturdy build define these headphones. Listen to your favorite beats at the power rack with the Beats Studio3 over-ear headphones and be amazed at its comfy fit and seriously powerful audio quality. Available in multiple colorways, these cans are best applied to working out (despite the name). They were designed as an everyday pair of headphones, but their long battery life and sound push them into the fitness cans category.
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Philips A4216
Best valueEasy on the pocket, the Philips A4216 headphones are protected by IP55-grade environmental sealing — which means you can wear them with the same great quality in a sandstorm, rainstorm, or blizzard. Lasting 35 hours on each 2-hour juice-up, the A4216s sound best with electronica or other bass-heavy tracks. The 40mm neodymium drivers do their best to produce the thump while keeping the rest of the audio clear.
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Raycon Everyday Headphones
VersatileThe Everyday Headphones from Raycon are aptly named for their well-rounded usage. You can take them to the gym, for a jog, on the train, or even do teleconferencing with them. Moreover, the classy-looking headphones are IPX4-grade protected, so you need not worry about gym sweat or light rain. The active noise cancellation, powered by a Qualcomm chipset, does a great job of blocking out unwanted ambient noise. The set also includes Bluetooth 5.0 and nearly 40 hours of battery life.
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Plantronics BackBeat Fit 6100
The Plantronics BackBeat Fit 6100 headphones are well worth their price. Not only are they the best-looking sports audio gear on this list, but they are made sturdy and have IPX5-grade weather and moisture protection. But the best feature is the Awareness mode, which lets you chat with your gym buddy or trainer while isolating unwanted noise, not to mention letting you hear passing cars when on a jog. Awareness isn’t ANC, but it’s effective on a crowded floor.
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Skullcandy Hesh ANC
The Skullcandy Hesh ANC headphones are popular for a few reasons. First, they have excellent ANC, perfect for use in noisy environments like gyms. Second, the headphones offer a well-balanced sound profile, with clear highs and mids and a punchy bass, providing an immersive and driving listening experience. With a long battery life of up to 22 hours, you can listen to your favorite music all day without recharging.
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Anker SoundCore Life Q20
If you want something to listen to during less intensive workouts, try the Anker Soundcore Life Q20 headphones. Their comfortable over-ear design helps reduce noise and distractions during fitness activities while offering a secure fit. The up-to-40 hours of battery life is more than enough to last through multiple exercise sessions. They sound sweet with loads of bass yet remain clear across the spectrum, offering a fantastic casual listening experience. However, they are susceptible to moisture damage.
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JBL Live 660NC
Not only do the JBL Live 660NC pump out the company's signature sound thanks to 40mm drivers, but these headphones offer both adaptive noise cancellation and Ambient Mode to either block out ambient noise or let you hear what you need to stay safe. Though not necessarily targeted for the gym, the voice assistant integration makes these a great choice for lighter workouts. Plus, the battery life is pretty stellar, so you won't have to charge up too often.
Dig deep; the beats will help
We all need a little extra motivation, so picking the right headphones for your workout is crucial. If the fit is too loose, you'll struggle between every set, or even worse, have some incident because those headphones go flying while you're in the middle of something. So, having a pair of properly fitting headphones is even more important here.
They also need to have an IP rating for sweat resistance – look for at least an IPX4 (the last number refers to water resistance) if you don't want your headphones slowly degrading over time because they can't handle a little water.
Over-ear headphones have better isolation and will have some decent passive noise cancellation. Still, some have the active kind, which does an even better job of blocking out unwanted grunting and other miscellaneous gym sounds.
Of course, sound quality is always important as you want the music to sound good – always the biggest issue when grabbing some random cheap wireless headphones instead of vetting what you're going to buy.
With that in mind, we think the Treblab Z2 are great all-rounders for their bass-heavy sound – perfect for getting the blood pumping, and their solid build quality. If you want to prioritize audio quality and battery life, we suggest spending a little more on the Beats Studio3. Of course, some people have a limited budget, and, for those people, the Philips A4216 is the ideal option.