The perfect headphones for working in 2024

Connectivity: Wi-fi | Type: In-ear with wingtip | Assistant help: Google Assistant, Siri | Water resistance: IPX4 | Energetic noise cancellation: Sure | Battery life: As much as six hours

Read our full review of the Beats Fit Pro

The Beats Fit Pro got here out on the head of the pack because of their snug, safe design, good sound high quality and transparency mode and basic ease of use, amongst different issues. As Billy detailed in his review, the Match Professional’s wingtip design units them other than different Beats earbuds and makes them notably good for working and different exercises. The buds are pretty small and light-weight, and the wingtip on every is versatile sufficient to hug your ear snugly with out an excessive amount of strain. This helps them really feel safer if you’re transferring round quite a bit, be it throughout a morning jog or whereas taking a HIIT class. The buds are additionally rated IPX4 — not the best degree of safety out of every thing I examined, however sufficient for even my sweatiest classes.

Because it have been, the Beats Match Professional stayed put throughout each single run and exercise. Nevertheless, adjusting their place on the fly can result in certainly one of my few gripes: unintentional presses of the onboard controls. There have been a lot of instances once I went to maneuver a bud and I ended up pausing my music within the course of as a result of the buttons are really easy to set off. Whereas I do favor the tactile suggestions of a bodily button versus the contact controls on different earbuds, Beats ought to have modified their place on the buds or made them a bit more durable to totally interact.

Sound high quality is stable and, because of its punchy bass and total steadiness, is particularly appropriate for exercising. Spatial audio help is nice to have, and whereas Adaptive EQ means you’ll be able to’t tweak the EQ your self like you’ll be able to with different buds, it does make for persistently good audio high quality. It’s additionally one much less factor to play with out of the field, which I anticipate many individuals will admire; these earbuds are a real unbox-and-go choice.

ANC can be nice on the Beats Match Professional, however transparency mode is what actually shines. Like I mentioned, full ANC might be harmful if you’re working exterior, whether or not you’re in the course of a metropolis or on a path. It pays to have the ability to hear what’s occurring round you, not less than a little bit bit, and the Match Professional’s transparency mode was the most effective out of the earbuds I attempted. Just like Apple’s AirPods Professional, it sounded extra pure than on our runner-up decide, and it’s simple to activate or off both with onboard buttons or from the management panel in your iOS or Android smartphone.

Talking of, the Beats Match Professional works notably properly with iPhones because of the built-in H1 chip, however Android customers can obtain the companion app to entry issues like fast pairing, management customizations and a battery standing indicator. I didn’t get into element in regards to the setup course of as a result of, properly, there isn’t a lot of 1. As quickly as you unbox the Match Professional and open the case, the H1 chip communicates with iPhones and different iOS gadgets to virtually immediately pair the buds and get them prepared to be used.

I’ll say, although, that I used to be shocked by one factor once I unboxed the Match Professional: how low cost their charging case feels. Whereas it supplies an additional 21 hours on high of the buds’ promised six hours of life, the construct high quality of the case itself appears like an actual step down in comparison with the buds themselves. Some charging instances on a lot cheaper options felt extra substantial than the Beats Match Professional’s, however I acknowledge that it received’t deter most individuals (together with me). Apart from that and the contact controls, the Beats Match Professional gives a whole bundle for runners and different athletes alike, one which can be utilized all day, not simply throughout coaching classes. Plus, their commonplace $200 value isn’t too cost-prohibitive, and so they can usually be discovered on sale for much less.

Connectivity: Wi-fi | Type: In-ear| Assistant help: Siri, Google Assistant | Water resistance: IP68 | Energetic noise cancellation: Sure | Battery life: As much as eight hours

The Jabra Elite 8 Active virtually bested the Beats Match Professional, however in the end the latter received because of their wingtip design and extra natural-sounding transparency mode. However apart from these two issues, the Elite 8 Energetic are simply pretty much as good, if not higher than, the Match Professional.

Initially, the Elite 8 Energetic has one of many highest sturdiness rankings of any earbuds we examined. Rated IP68, it’s protected towards every kind of mud and particles and it’ll survive being submerged in water at excessive strain. Jabra additionally subjected the Elite 8 Energetic to military-grade testing, defending them from extreme humidity, excessive temperature, rain and altitude. That is extra safety than most individuals want, however it can probably give some individuals peace of thoughts to know that these buds can take a beating. For runners, you received’t have to fret in case you get caught in a sudden downpour throughout your last mile.

That additional safety doesn’t make the Elite 8 Energetic cumbersome or unattractive as one may assume. These buds are among the most snug I attempted, with a light-weight design and a safe match. The soft-touch end on the buds themselves and their charging case provides a degree of luxurious that the majority others I examined didn’t have, too. There are onboard controls as properly, and so they’re not as liable to unintentional presses as these on the Beats Match Professional.

As certainly one of Jabra’s dearer gadgets, the Elite 8 Energetic have a terrific sound profile out of the field however in case you favor, you should use the corporate’s app to tweak the EQ utilizing a line graph that spans bass, mid and treble. You too can save personalized presets. The app gives six preconfigured settings, and I discovered myself utilizing Bass Increase and Energize most whereas exercising (they’re fairly related with robust bass, however Energize emphasizes highs a bit extra). These personalization choices will give the Elite 8 Energetic an edge over the Beats Match Professional for some. On high of all that, Jabra’s buds help spatial sound with Dolby Audio.

The Elite 8 Energetic supply adaptive noise cancellation, and so they do a great job of analyzing your surroundings and blocking out interferences. “HearThrough” is Jabra’s model of transparency mode, and it’s helpful when working exterior in a metropolis or an space with a lot of visitors even when it’s not as natural-sounding as the identical mode on the Beats Match Professional. Jabra’s is designed to neutralize wind noise whereas additionally letting you keep conscious of your environment, so you’ll be able to hear your podcasts regardless of how gusty the surroundings. I ran in some notably windy climate whereas testing these out, and I had persistently good listening experiences with each HearThrough and ANC activated.

As for battery life, the Elite 8 Energetic will get eight hours on a cost with ANC on, and an extra 24 hours within the charging case. You’ll be able to rise up to 56 hours of complete use in case you’re not utilizing ANC, which is exceptional. The case additionally feels extra substantial than that of the Beats Match Professional, and you’ll wirelessly cost it (a function that’s overlooked on Beats’ buds).

Finally, the Beats Match Professional and the Jabra Elite 8 Energetic are neck and neck in our high picks checklist. However whereas the Jabras supply a bit extra customization and extra sturdiness, not everybody will want these bonuses. Nevertheless, in case you’re an athlete who likes to mess around with sound profiles otherwise you need among the most sturdy wi-fi earbuds out there at present, the Jabra Elite 8 Energetic are those to get.

Connectivity: Wi-fi | Type: In-ear | Assistant help: Alexa, Siri, Google Assistant | Water resistance: IP57 | Energetic noise cancellation: Sure | Battery life: As much as seven hours

The Jabra Elite 4 Active supply the most effective worth for the cash of any pair of earbuds on our checklist. For $120, you get an IP57-rated design, stable sound high quality with adjustable EQ, good ANC, the identical HearThrough transparency mode because the Elite 8 Energetic, app connectivity and a complete of 28 hours of battery life. These have been among the best buds for me to “decide up and go” with, whether or not it was for an impromptu stroll across the block, a sweaty HIIT session in my basement or an hour of labor throughout which I actually wanted to dam out distractions and get issues carried out.

Just like the Elite 8 Energetic, the Elite 4 Energetic is tremendous snug and Jabra has actually gotten the onboard controls proper on this collection. The buttons are usually not really easy to press that you simply by accident set off them everytime you alter the match, and so they present satisfying suggestions if you truly do press them. Sound high quality and ANC are spectacular, and I principally by no means needed to fear about working out of battery earlier than I believed to myself, hey, you may need to high these up.

The principle variations between the Elite 4 Energetic and the more-expensive Elite 8 Energetic are that the latter have the next IP ranking, spatial sound help with Dolby Audio, an extended total battery life (56 hours with the charging case), voice steering and that satisfying soft-touch end. The IP ranking and prolonged battery life are the 2 principal options that would compel some to splurge on the Elite 8 Energetic as a substitute. Additionally, spatial audio is good when you’ve got the buds semi-permanently positioned in your ears continuously pumping out tunes, whatever the exercise. In any other case, although, you’re getting a ton of wonderful options with these $120 earbuds.

Connectivity: Wi-fi | Type: In-ear with hook | Assistant help: None | Water resistance: IP55 | Energetic noise cancellation: No | Battery life: As much as eight hours

When you’ve got lower than $50 to spend, you’ll be able to’t go improper with the $30 JLab Go Air Sport. I didn’t have excessive expectations going into testing these, however I used to be shortly impressed by their match and sound high quality. A lot of gadgets billed as workout-friendly headphones have this hook that wraps across the high of your ear, and on the Go Air Sport it does assist maintain issues securely connected to your head. The hooks on these buds specifically are fairly versatile and have a soft-touch end, which makes them extra cozy (I attempted a number of equally designed buds with a lot stiffer hooks that have been a ache in additional methods than one.) Admittedly, a hook design will take some getting used to in case you’re new to it, but it surely’s a surefire method to get a little bit additional stability throughout intense exercises.

Sound high quality is fairly good on these buds as properly, though not almost as balanced because the Jabra Elite 8 Energetic or the Beats Match Professional. I additionally admire that you could cycle by means of three completely different EQ modes — Signature, Balanced and Bass Increase — utilizing the onboard controls. There’s no app to fuss with, and that was a pleasant change of tempo for me after largely testing buds with some sort of software program controls.

You’ll be able to anticipate eight hours of playtime on the Go Air Sport, plus one other 24 hours of battery life with its charging case. Whereas the USB-A cable constructed into the underside of the case is helpful, actually needs to be a USB-C connector as a substitute (it’s the yr 2024, in spite of everything). The case can be on the cumbersome aspect; you’ll be able to nonetheless throw it right into a backpack or purse simply, but it surely’s not as svelte as instances you’ll see with dearer buds.

Connectivity: Wi-fi | Type: Open-ear | Assistant help: None | Water resistance: IP54 | Energetic noise cancellation: No | Battery life: As much as seven hours

I used to be apprehensive about making an attempt open-ear headphones, particularly whereas working. However the Shokz OpenFit pleasantly shocked me from the primary time I put them on. Earbuds with open designs like this permit for extra situational consciousness, with the objective being to let noise in quite than block it out. The OpenFits do a terrific job of this with out skimping on sound high quality or consolation.

The buds themselves virtually float over your ear cavern and Shokz’s soft-finish “dolphin arc” hook is versatile sufficient to securely wrap across the high of your ear with out placing an excessive amount of strain on it. There’s a bud-like portion on the different finish of the hook that acts as counterbalance, leading to a dependable match that by no means faltered throughout all types of actions together with working, power coaching and indoor biking. Granted, none of these workout routines contain shaking your head an excessive amount of; possibly don’t put on the OpenFit to take heed to head-banging demise steel (in case you can’t management your self).

Sound high quality is stable contemplating the design, and the OpenFit will get fairly loud as properly. These buds have Shokz’s Direct Pitch expertise, which makes use of reverse sound waves to optimize the space and angle to your ear canal. The corporate claims this helps cut back sound leakage. In my testing, I discovered that true to a sure extent. The OpenFit had the most effective sound high quality and total quantity out of the entire open-ear gadgets I attempted, however in case you crank the quantity as much as the max (or shut), the individual subsequent to you’ll positively hear what you’re listening to.

As I alluded to beforehand, these aren’t for anybody who needs to dam the world out throughout train (or in any other case). However the OpenFit is perhaps the best choice for individuals who reside in cities or anybody who continuously runs exterior amongst visitors, pedestrians and different hazards. There’s no query that you simply’ll hear what’s occurring round you and that may be essential to conserving your self protected on these streets.