10 Best Running Headphones 2025 in the United States

The Bose QuietComfort Bluetooth Earbuds offer a premium experience with several strengths and a few areas to consider. These earbuds feature active noise cancellation, making them ideal for blocking out distractions during runs or workouts. The sound quality is excellent, delivering deep bass and rich audio to enhance your listening experience.

With an IPX4 rating, they are resistant to water and sweat, which is crucial for active users. The fit is customizable with multiple eartip and stability band sizes, ensuring comfort and security during movement. The battery life of up to 8.5 hours is impressive, and a quick 20-minute charge can extend playtime by 2 hours, which is handy for those on the go.

Additionally, Bluetooth 5.3 technology allows for a stable connection and the ability to connect to multiple devices simultaneously, adding convenience. The built-in microphone and touch controls provide easy access to manage calls and music without hassle. However, the earbuds might be on the heavier side for some users, weighing 70 grams. The IPX4 rating, while adequate for sweat, may not provide enough protection for more intense water exposure. Despite these minor drawbacks, the Bose QuietComfort Earbuds are a solid choice for runners and fitness enthusiasts looking for high-quality sound and effective noise cancellation.

The Beats Powerbeats Pro 2 are designed with runners and active users in mind, offering a secure and comfortable fit thanks to flexible earhooks reinforced with nickel titanium alloy and five sizes of ear tips. They are sweat and water resistant with an IPX4 rating, meaning they can handle rain and sweat during tough workouts. One of the standout features is their impressive battery life—up to 45 hours with the charging case—and quick charging that gives 1.5 hours of playback from just 5 minutes of charging.

Sound quality is enhanced by Adaptive EQ and Personalized Spatial Audio, delivering clear highs, rich mids, and strong bass to keep motivation high during runs. The earbuds also include Active Noise Cancelling with Transparency mode, letting you focus or stay aware of your surroundings when needed. Wireless connectivity is strong with Class 1 Bluetooth 5.3, supporting seamless pairing with both Apple and Android devices, and controls are easy to use with physical buttons, touch, voice commands, and app customization.

The built-in heart rate monitor updates your pulse in real time, adding fitness tracking directly from your earbuds. While the IPX4 rating offers good but not full waterproofing, so they are not suited for heavy water exposure like swimming, and the USB-C charging cable is not included, these earbuds remain a solid choice for runners who want secure fit, excellent sound, long battery life, and useful fitness features in a wireless package.

The SHOKZ New OpenRun Pro 2 are open-ear, bone conduction headphones designed with runners and active users in mind. Their standout feature is the open-ear design combined with bone conduction technology, which lets you enjoy clear, immersive sound while staying fully aware of your surroundings—a big safety plus for outdoor running. They deliver a rich audio experience by blending bone conduction with air conduction drivers, offering deep bass and crisp highs, which is uncommon for open-ear headphones.

Comfort and fit are well addressed through a lightweight (just 30 grams) design with flexible titanium alloy memory wire and ergonomic ear hooks that hold the headphones securely in place without causing pressure or discomfort. This makes them stable during vigorous movement and resistant to slips or shifts. For sweat and water resistance, these headphones are sweatproof and water-resistant, suitable for sweaty workouts and light rain, though they are not fully waterproof for swimming or heavy downpours. Battery life is solid, offering up to 12 hours on a single charge with a quick one-hour recharge, enough for most daily runs or workouts.

Connectivity relies on Bluetooth 5.3, providing a stable wireless connection within about 33 feet. The controls use physical buttons, which can take some getting used to but work reliably even when running. They also support customization through the Shokz app, allowing users to switch between EQ modes to enhance sound depending on their environment. Call quality is enhanced with dual wind-resistant microphones and AI noise reduction, making it clearer even when running outdoors. Because of the open-ear design, the sound might leak a bit and won’t provide the noise isolation that traditional earbuds offer. These headphones suit runners who prioritize safety and comfort while wanting decent sound quality and reliable performance. If you want earbuds that block outside noise or have a fully waterproof design, these might not be the best fit, but for most runners, they strike a thoughtful balance between awareness, comfort, and audio.