The best earbuds and headphones for workouts and the gym in 2026

Bose Ultra Open HeadphonesThey were not the first Clip-on earbudsbut it was the Bose Ultra Open Earbuds that really launched this subgenre of true wireless earbuds. They’re somewhat overpriced, but other than that, there’s a lot to like about them, including a surprisingly comfortable and secure fit and very good sound quality for open buds. Initially, the headphones did not feature multipoint Bluetooth pairing, but the feature was added in July of 2024. Read our Bose Ultra Open Earbuds review.

JBL Summit Endurance 3: With JBL launching a new Endurance Peak model in spring 2026, the third-generation earhook-style sports earbuds should be available at a decent discount. Available in black or white, the Endurance Peak 3 headphones offer better battery life (up to 10 hours with four additional charges in the box), improved performance for voice communications and an IP68 rating that makes them completely water and dust resistant. They also have an Ambient Aware mode and a Talk Thru mode that can automatically lower the music volume and open the speakers to the outside world. This means that you can have a conversation with someone without removing the buds from your ears.

Anker Soundcore AeroClip: Soundcore by AeroClip are Anker’s current flagship earbuds. Not only do I like their design – they have a premium look and feel – but they are comfortable to wear and have very good sound for clip-on buds. Equipped with 12mm drivers, it delivers ample bass with good volume and decent clarity. The headphones sound fuller and more open than many cheap headphones, and are among the best open-ear headphones I’ve tried (Android users should note that they have support for Sony’s high-quality LDAC audio codec).

Skullcandy 360 ANC method: In a surprise move, Skullcandy joined forces with Bose in 2025 to create a budget version of the $299 Bose QuietComfort Ultra headphones. With “Sound by Bose,” the Method 360 ANC headphones not only sound better than most earbuds in this price category (they sound very similar to the $170 Bose QuietComfort headphones), but they also fit comfortably and securely thanks to Bose’s Fit Kit system, which features stability straps to lock the headphones into your ears. They’re on our best wireless earbuds list and remain good value, but Skullcandy has released these 540 ANC method In 2026 (has a 20% smaller case). Read our Skullcandy Method 360 ANC review.

Shockz Open Fit Air: Shokz, formerly known as AfterShokz, has been a long-time leader in bone conduction headphones. However, this model, like Shokz’s OpenFit true wireless earbuds, does not use bone conduction technology. They feature an open design that releases sound into your ears using custom earphone drivers, which Shockz calls “air conduction” technology. While Shokz’s flagship OpenFit 2 headphones sound a bit better, have better battery life (up to 11 hours instead of 6 at moderate volume levels) and a physical button control, the Open Fit Air cost about $60 less and are a bit lighter and very comfortable to wear. However, these items appear to have been phased out by Shokz.

Edifier lolly clip: Bose’s Ultra Open Earbuds may be the best-sounding and most comfortable earbuds out there, but they’re $300. In contrast, Edifier’s new LolliClip headphones cost $130 and sound very close to what you get with the Bose Ultra Open Earbuds—and they’re almost as comfortable to wear while fitting securely to my ears. They also have some features that the Bose headphones don’t have, including active noise cancellation (it’s not quite as effective but you feel like it blocks out some noise in the lower frequencies), a heart rate monitor, a blood oxygen sensor, and spatial audio with head tracking. There is also a low latency mode for gaming and supports LDAC for Android users.

Jabra Elite 8 Active Gen 2: Jabra described these, sadly discontinued, headphones as “the world’s toughest earbuds,” and based on our tests (they survived several drops without a scratch), that may very well be true. Although there are two new color options, the Gen 2 model doesn’t look any different from the original but does include the LE Audio smart case, allowing wireless streaming from any device with a USB-C or 3.5mm port (I tested it with the in-flight entertainment system and it worked well, with no audio delay). The Elite 8 Active Gen 2 also features enhanced spatial audio powered by Dolby Audio “for a better music experience,” enhanced Natural HearThrough for improved awareness when outdoors, and improved noise cancellation performance.

Soundcore by Anker Sport X10: The Soundcore Sport As long as you get a tight seal, they sound good, with strong bass and good detail. They also have active noise cancellation, which is effective but not as good as the noise cancellation of the Sony or Bose. It’s also fully waterproof with an IP rating of IPX7, which means it can be fully submerged in up to 3 feet of water for 30 minutes. Battery life is rated at up to eight hours with three additional charges in the charging case.

Shokz open movement: Shokz’s OpenMove bone conduction headphones list for $80, though we’ve sometimes seen them drop below $70. It replaces the older Titanium model and features some small design upgrades. I found them comfortable to wear, and while they don’t sound great, they sound relatively good for bone conduction headphones – again, keep your sound quality expectations in check or you’ll be disappointed. It’s very good for listening to podcasts, audiobooks, and newscasts while running.

Sennheiser Sport True Wireless: The Sport True Wireless bluetooth earbuds (about $130) are essentially Sennheiser CX True Wireless earbuds with sport fins—for a more secure fit—and better durability. It has an IP54 rating that makes it splash and dust resistant. The CX True Wireless, which has an IPX4 rating, does not offer dust resistance.

Skullcandy Push Active : Thanks to the earhook design, they’re essentially a more affordable version of the Beats Powerbeats Pro and actually fit my ears a little better than the Powerbeats Pro – I’m not usually a fan of earhook-style headphones, but this is one of the better models. It also costs much less than Beats.

ClearAudio Arc 2 Sport: Cleer’s original Arc earbuds were solid sports earbuds that featured decent sound for open-style headphones that sit over your ears and blast sound into them. The 2023 model (about $170) improves on sound quality and offers additional improvements and feature upgrades, including a new “improved” charging case with UV sterilization and multipoint Bluetooth connectivity (Bluetooth 5.3), all of which greatly improves the product.

Beats Powerbeats Pro: Although the Powerbeats Pro are still popular for working out, they have been around for several years, so it’s best to buy them at a deep discount.

JBL Live Pro 2: Over the years, JBL has produced some true wireless Bluetooth earbuds, but there haven’t been anything that really excited me. This has finally changed with the arrival of the new Samsung-owned brand Live Pro 2 and Live free 2 Sprouts. Both sets of buds – the Live Pro 2 have a stem while the Live Free 2 have a pill-shaped design – offer a comfortable fit along with strong noise cancellation, very good sound quality and voice calling performance, plus a solid set of features, including multipoint Bluetooth pairing, an IP rating of IPX5 (splash-proof) and wireless charging.

Sony Link Buds: The LinkBuds are, in a sense, Sony’s answer to Apple Standard AirPods. Although they don’t sound as good as the flagship Sony WF-1000XM4 or the LinkBuds S noise-isolating Bluetooth earbuds, they offer a conservative, innovative design and a more secure fit than the AirPods, as well as decent sound and very good voice calling performance. Like the third-generation AirPods, their open design lets you hear the outside world, which is what the Ring is all about. Read our Sony LinkBuds review.