The Best Wireless Earphones for Athletes: Features to Look For

If you’re a jogger or runner, you almost certainly know this story: you’re out for your morning jaunt around the neighborhood, or training for a half-marathon, or just ticking away the virtual miles on the treadmill. You’re trying your best to hit your stride, to pound your feet in time with your tunes. But your earphones just won’t cooperate. They’re either constantly nagging you with their uncomfortable fit or popping out of your ears on a regular basis. And if you somehow manage to make it through a workout with earphones intact, once you’re done and pull them out, they’re a salty, icky mess. Even with regular cleaning, they’re unlikely to make it another six months at this rate.

Been there? Done that? Got that T-shirt? Then what you really need is a great pair of earphones designed to enhance your workout, not detract from it. If that sounds like what you’re looking for, here are a few things to keep in mind:

Sweat-resistance is non-negotiable

Whether it’s freezing outside or tropically hot, one thing is for sure: if you run long enough, you’re going to work up a sweat. That means you need to make sure your earphones are designed to withstand a reasonable amount of briny water without corroding or shorting out.

The easiest way to ensure that your earphones can stand up to such abuse is to look for one little four-character code: IPX4. Headphones that earn this rating, like Phiaton’s TWIG PRO, Bonobuds or BonoBuds Plus, now available in pink and grey, have proven themselves capable of standing up to ten minutes worth of water sprayed at them from every direction via a nozzle, so it’s safe to say they can handle however much sweat you throw at them.

Comfort and fit are key

Of course, it’s true that you want any good pair of earphones to be comfortable, but that’s especially true when you’re a runner. The thing is, everyone’s ears are different, so finding the earphones that work best for you might involve a little trial and error. If you find yourself constantly shaking your earphones out of your ears when running, something like BonoBuds Plus might be exactly what you need. It provides you with not only four different sizes of silicone ear tips to help you find your perfect fit, but also three different soft ear wings that fit right into the folds of your outer ear, ensuring that your earphones stay snug no matter how vigorously you shake them.

Better batteries are a must

Granted, most of you probably don’t go for runs that last more than an hour or so, but that doesn’t mean you can discount battery life when shopping for good running earphones. Buying a model with longer playtime between charges means you’ll get more running days off a battery before needing to plug it in. It also means your earphones are less likely to run out of juice during a jog. The BT 110 will deliver 4.5 hours’ worth of music between charges and features 125 hours’ worth of standby time for those days when you just can’t find the motivation to hit the pavement.

The BonoBuds Plus, meanwhile, will crank out 7.5 hours’ worth of tunes (or 12 hours if you turn off noise cancellation, which you should if you run in the city), and can hold a charge for 220 hours when not in use. For those of you who slept in math class, that’s more than nine days. And if you go two weeks without needing your running earphones—well, let’s just say that it’s not their fault if you aren’t ready for that upcoming 5K.

By Dennis Burger

March 20, 2018

Recommended Reads:

Reasons You Need Water Resistant Earbuds

Best Earphones for Working Out: 3 Essential Features

IPX4 Water Resistance: What It Means and Why You Need It