The Best Workout Headphones of 2026

• Ambient sound modes: Noise canceling, transparency mode
• Dust and water resistance: IP68
• Battery life: 8 hours (with ANC), 32 hours with the case

With their grippy, secure fit, outstanding IP68 water and dust resistance, and impressive battery life, the Jabra Elite 8 Active are one of the best workout companions you could ask for. Offering up to eight hours of use between charges with their ANC (Active Noise Cancellation) turned on (14 hours with it switched off) and 32 hours of playtime if you include the juice stored in their storage case (56 with ANC turned off), it’ll be weeks before you need to charge these earphones before heading to the gym. Five minutes of charging provides enough juice to give you one hour’s worth of playtime.

If you’re working out or running outside, you can opt to turn on HearThrough Transparency mode to keep you aware of your surroundings. Because not getting hit by a car you didn’t hear speeding up behind you is always a win.

No matter how you choose to listen to your tunes or podcasts, your content will sound great, thanks to support for Dolby Spatial Sound and AAC and SBC codecs—which makes them viable for use with iPhone and Android devices. The Elite 8 Active sound reasonably good with nice, supportive bass and a rich midrange, but the high frequencies sound too sizzly (drums’ high hat cymbals in particular are a bit harsh). That harshness can creep into voices as well.

Differences are minor, but when compared to similarly priced earbuds they don’t quite measure up. In the Jabra Sound+ app (available for iOS and Android devices) is a five-band EQ that can take some of the edge off, although its frequency bands don’t quite target the troublesome frequencies.

We liked that during testing, the Elite 8 Active’s rubberized coating kept these ‘buds in our ears where they belonged, no matter what activity we were doing.

Read our full Jabra Elite 8 Active review.

• Ambient sound modes: Noise canceling, transparency mode
• Dust and water resistance: IP66
• Battery life: 13 hours, over 50 hours with case

JLab's Epic Air Sport ANC offer more than just a rugged sport set. Their great fit is remarkable, especially for people who struggle with traditional earbuds. Their IP66 rating means they’ve got excellent dust and water resistance—but don’t submerge them.

Their over-ear loop design helps their fit shine for high-impact workouts and everywhere else. The loops’ soft silicone construction fit comfortably, even while wearing glasses. While some people don’t love this style, it allows a more secure fit than other purely in-ear options like the Jabra Elite 7—we never once felt that they’d fall out and get lost.

The loops aren’t removable (see the non-Sport sibling if you want to skip them). However, the Epic Air Sport do come with multiple silicone ear tip options, plus a very comfortable foam tip.

Overall the sound is a bit bass-heavy, but JLab's app offers extensive EQ options to help you fine-tune your sound. Battery life was slightly less than claimed; we measured around 13 out of an advertised 15. Still, that’s phenomenal for true wireless headphones. If you enable features like noise canceling, you’ll get less battery life.

Speaking of noise canceling, it’s pretty mild. It doesn’t hurt to have it, of course, but if you’re looking specifically for noise cancelation, you’ll want to look elsewhere (like our best noise-canceling headphones guide).

The Epic Air Sport ANC also offer an adjustable transparency mode, which JLab calls Be Aware. It helps you hear your environment in high-traffic areas.

The wireless-charging case is a bit larger than the others in this category, but its hefty battery holds about 3.5 additional charges. Its attached USB cable may be a strength or a weakness depending on your personal preferences.

• Ambient sound modes: Noise canceling, transparency mode
• Dust and water resistance: IPX4
• Battery life: 6 hours (with ANC), 27 hours with the case

The Beats Fit Pro can't be dunked in the sink like many workout options, but their excellent fit, boatload of features, and respectable IPX4 water resistance makes them a very good choice for anyone that wants a set of versatile workout buds. This is especially the case for iPhone owners, as the Beats Fit Pro offer similar coziness with Apple devices in a more rugged package.

They offer a secure fit thanks to their rubbery fins, as well as having decent battery life, and great sound quality. Their noise canceling is quite good, and the natural-sounding transparency mode is of particular interest for neighborhood runners who need to hear traffic, both thanks to the H1 chip (the same that drove the original AirPods Pro).

The Beats app is cross-platform, so Android users will get more out of these than AirPods. But they also have plenty of iOS features. There’s iCloud/Music Sharing, Hands-Free Siri, Spatial Audio with Dynamic Head Tracking, and Find My tracking so you won’t lose them.

That’s not to say they’re perfect. They falter a little when voice calling in a windy environment. The case doesn’t offer wireless charging, and they can occasionally be finicky on Android phones.

Still, those issues are minor. They’re not the absolute most rugged pair, but they’re great workout buds that feel just as natural in your home office as the gym. If you're an iPhone user looking for workout buds that also offer plenty of AirPods features, these are a slam-dunk. Read our full review of the Beats Fit Pro.