Best wireless headphones for sports

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We bring you the keys to be able to buy the best wireless headphones for sports , and there are factors that we do not take into account when choosing one. We give our technical and experienced point of view.

We are not only going to talk about headphones, but their use in sports and the details to pay attention to. Many look for running headphones that don’t fall out, making special mention of in-ear headphones, which are so cheap and so fashionable. Therefore, we are going to give you a selection of headphones along with many tips.

Index of contents

  • Certifications against water or sweat
  • Running headphones that do not fall out: how to avoid it
  • What sport do you play? Tips for gym and outdoor sports
  • Don’t neglect the sound
  • Bluetooth version is key: choose the most recent
  • The best wireless headphones for sports
    • skull candy tell me
    • JBL Endurance Jump
    • Sony WF-C500
    • Jabra Elite 3
    • Razer Opus
    • Bose Sound Sport
    • Bose QuietComfort 45, one of the best wireless headphones for sports

Certifications against water or sweat

The first piece of advice is that you pay attention to whether they carry IPX7 or similar certifications so that the seller gives us a guarantee that the headphones are protected against sweat and water . Against dust it is not so important, although some models also incorporate it, but the more sugar the sweeter.

Is essential? In my experience, it is not essential that they carry these certifications , especially if the sport you are going to practice is not outdoors, why? Because it is interesting that they have certifications against splashes or water in case of using the headphones for running (when it rains), rowing, calisthenics, etc.

Without going any further, I have used many headphones for sports and those that did not have IPX2 protection (sweat) have not broken. What’s more, do you think that the DJ’s who are working hours don’t sweat? The closed-back over-ear headphones they use don’t come with these protections and work for years.

Running headphones that do not fall out: how to avoid it

This is the million dollar question, and if you have ever googled running headphones that don’t fall out , know that we give you the answer. I myself looked for this at the time because in-ears have never worked for me (I recently returned some JBLs), despite the fact that they sound very good. I offer 4 solutions:

  • In-ear, but with clip . When I say clip I’m not talking about a “semi-clip” (as the Bose SoundSport offers), but you have to look at a clip like the Powerbeats Pro from Beats by Dr.Dre. I’m not recommending, just illustrating models.
  • In-ear, semi-clamp. There are many more models of this type, and I say semi-clamp because it is still a kind of small silicone that is placed inside the ear, as is the case with the aforementioned Bose or the Pioneer SE-E9TW-H and many others.
  • Earbuds or earphones. Apple took them out and marketed them “like pipes”, and basically they are headphones that are not in-ear because they are not inserted into the ear canal, but placed superficially. Still, there are people with earphones or earbuds who fall out, but consider the next one.
  • On-ear or Over Ear(the traditional headband ones). These earphones will only fall off from hair sweat or very strong impact. However, to make them fit snugly you can wear a cap and put them on top, that way they won’t slip due to sweat.

If I have to choose one, I prefer the on-ear or headband ones because of the versatility they provide and the possibilities they offer:

  • They usually have really good sound quality (if you know how to choose).
  • More interesting sound cancellation.
  • You can use them as wireless headphones to play sports, to walk down the street or by any means of public transport (bus, subway, train, etc.).

What sport do you play? Tips for gym and outdoor sports

As a person who loves audio and sports, I wanted to make a simple compilation of tips for people who are looking for wireless headphones for gym , powerlifting , crossfit , running , trail or any other outdoor sport:

  • Wireless headphones for gym. I strongly recommend headband headphones (on-ear) because they isolate you much better, there are usually models with active noise cancellation , they are ergonomic and have great autonomy.
      • The counter will be for those of you who do heavy deadlifts or Touch & Go because they can fall with the vibration of hitting the ground.
      • If it is summer or very hot, the synthetic leather on the ear pads will peel off quickly.
    • Wireless headphones for running or trail. If the in-ears work very well for you and fit perfectly, don’t hesitate to go for this type of headphones. I would not recommend the headband ones so much because they are more cumbersome and when you sweat a lot they can become annoying, in addition to weighing more than the in-ear ones.
    • Headphones for climbing or any other aggressive free sport. Here I would go for an in-ear with clip to make sure they don’t fall out 100% (although you don’t practice this type of sports alone).

Don’t neglect the sound

More or less, you already know what type of earphone you are going to look for or what suits you best, but do not forget that sound is very important: we look for the best wireless earphones for sports.

  • Drivers or controllers. They are responsible for creating the sound and we see different types of drivers. The theory says that the larger the diameter of the driver, the better sound it will offer in bass, but there are cases in which this is not true. Likewise, if the manufacturer indicates the mm of the wireless headphones for sports (in headbands they are usually indicated), you can more easily identify the best ones.
    • In the in-ear you can not install a large driver, so you will see that many come with a dual driver: one for bass and one for medium and high frequencies.
  • Note that the frequency range is decent, from 20 to 20,000 Hz is quite good and is the one that matches the human ear. However, this is not going to tell you that the headphones are good, but that they are quite versatile for different musical genres. If you want a lot of bass, you have to look for ones that have a range of 20-15 Hz at least.
  • Sensitivity and sound pressure level(SPL). Do not go crazy with the decibels because more is not better: ones with active and passive noise cancellation are more interesting than ones that sound very loud. In addition, my experience says that in wireless headphones that use bluetooth… you have to go well above €100 to find ones that do not distort at high decibels. Normally, you will find headphones with 85 to 120 dB of SPL .
  • Impedance(ohms). The higher the impedance, the higher the resistance; that is, the headphones need more power to sound at their maximum. For this reason, you will see that the best wireless headphones for sports do not have the ohms that the Hi-Fi models have, since they must consume less energy.
  • Be clear that if the manufacturer does not give much dataon amps, ohms, frequency ranges or decibels… the sound quality will not be spectacular. Otherwise, they will share much more data.
  • If they indicate the total harmonic distortion, it is a good sign . When a headphone has a diaphragm that cannot vibrate fast enough, distortion is created. The lower the distortion percentage, the better. A good value is <1%.
  • Noise cancellation. There is passive and active, but it is somewhat difficult to find both in a sports headset. Of course, using ANC is going to increase the use of the battery of the headphones, so it will be a huge drawback for those of you who use in-ear or earbuds because the autonomy will be very reduced.

Bluetooth version is key: choose the most recent

Why is it important to choose the latest bluetooth version ? In most wireless headphones for sports, you will find version 4.0, 5.0 and 5.1, leaving 5.2 for the most recent. The differences are clear:

  • Higher data transfer speed. The higher data transfer speed we have, the less delay we will see between audio and video. In addition, it is more interesting in terms of audio quality to be able to use a connectivity that allows much more data to be transmitted in the same period of time.
      • Bluetooth 4.0 -> 25-35Mbps.
      • Bluetooth 5.0-> up to 50Mbps.
      • Bluetooth 5.1 and 5.2-> up to 50 MBps.
    • Operating range. For many it is very interesting to be able to leave the mobile anywhere and to be able to listen to music throughout the house. In the case of sports, it is not important because the headphones are going to be connected to the smartphone or smartwatch that we are going to take with us.
        • 2 -> up to 60 meters.
        • 0 -> up to 100 meters.
        • 1 -> up to 200 meters.
        • 2 -> up to 240 meters.
      • Consumption. Another key is BLE (Bluetooth Low Energy), which will allow us to enjoy our headphones more because it means better autonomy. The improvement between the different versions is that BLE evolves to BLE++.
      • Audio compression. In all versions it is quite simple, but Bluetooth 5.2 brings the Low Complexity Communication Codec, which allows compression and decompression with high efficiency. In this way, it can be played on multiple devices at the same time.

The best wireless headphones for sports

With all the technical guide exposed, we only have to choose the headphones and I anticipate that you are not going to find the ones that you have already seen on the net.

skull candy tell me

We open the compilation of the best wireless headphones for sports with these Skullcandy Dime , a brand that has always caused me doubts, but that dissipate with this model. They are a success and the reasons are solid:

  • IPX4 certificationto resist water.
  • Pretty good comfort for in-ears.
  • Powerful bassthat, with its closed setting, reverberates in the ears.
  • Passive noise cancellation.
  • Breathabledesign .
  • Its microphone is not bad, although in these types of headphones they are usually bad.
  • Price below €40.

As in all in-ear sports headphones, its weak point is its battery that will reach 4 hours giving thanks. Of course, we can extend it with its case up to 12 hours in total.

JBL Endurance Jump

Here you have the running headphones that do not fall off at a very succulent price for everything they offer in return. I present to you the JBL Endurance Jump , wireless headphones characterized by a clip-on and closed design .

If you knew the JBL Endurance Sprint , tell you that they are an improved version of these, finished in a resistant rubber perfect for any sport. It provides a very balanced sound with great isolation , being very interesting for any musical genre.

They come without ANC, but their passive cancellation surprises with hardly any sound filtering into our ears. Do not expect a great microphone because the JBL team is where the most specifications have been cut, and it seems fantastic to me, doing sports mode do not disturb!

Personally, I find them to be a bargain for around €50 and if you have problems with the in-ears… the clamp saves your life.

Sony WF-C500

What if I have no problems with the in-ears? Well here you have the Sony WF-C500 , super interesting headphones for practically the same as the previous ones. They are an economical option that offers a battery of up to 14 continuous hours (using a case).

From the sound we can say that it is ideal for many musical genres, being customizable through the equalizer and predefined settings through the application . It doesn’t have ANC, but it seems super versatile for anything: it doesn’t matter if you play sports or not.

Why are they one of the best wireless headphones for sports? The IPX4 certification and its battery allow us to recommend them for this purpose. Unfortunately, those of you who train very hard or with strong impacts… they will surely fall off because they are basic in-ears.

Jabra Elite 3

If you can afford it, go straight for the Jabra Elite 4 , but the Jabra Elite 3 is pretty much the same thing, cheaper and priced modestly. We are going to the mid-high range of sports headphones , and who does not recommend this model… bad.

Jabra goes further by offering IP55 certification, and they are breathable and stable headphones that are suitable for running , powerlifting , crossfit and a host of other sports. They will be your headphones if you are a bass-head because their bass is very powerful , all without neglecting the mids and treble.

Another asset is the brand’s application with equalizers and presets , which is very useful for anyone who is a music fanatic. It is not worth paying more than €80-85 for them.

Razer Opus

Let’s go with the first over-ear or on-ear recommendation in wireless headphones for sports: the Razer Opus . Indeed, many of you will think that this brand is not suitable for this purpose and that you pay more for the brand than anything else… but they have done things well.

Here we have active noise cancellation , THX certification for movies, a battery life of 25 hours, bluetooth 5.0 , physical controls (I like them better), ambient mode to toggle ANC and its design is very well built.

Although it is not the TOP 1 option for sports, they are stable and their closed design can be used for the gym. I myself train with over-ear headphones and I wouldn’t change them for the world, the only bad thing is the sweating of the ears.

The price can be a problem for you, since they go to approximately €150.

Bose Sound Sport

This is another model that cannot be missing from a compilation of the best wireless headphones for sports. These are the Bose SoundSport that have been on the market for so long giving joy to sportsmen and athletes.

They’re comfortable, stable, breathable and offer balanced sound with a semi- open design that works better than most in-ears. That said, do not think that they are the holy grail because they have design flaws and their battery is not very good. The best thing about these headphones is the sound because the bass, midrange and treble are clearly differentiated.

Bose QuietComfort 45, one of the best wireless headphones for sports

We’ve jumped right into the latest version of the Bose QuietComfort , which is 45 and it’s awful any way you look at it. We know that their price is a barrier for many users, but if you can afford them they are amazing because:

  • Balanced sound with powerful bassthat does not cover the mids and highs. In addition, it is adjustable with its app.
  • ANCinherited from the QuietComfort 35 II, which are amazing.
  • Battery of more than 21 hours.
  • IPX4.
  • Not only is it ideal for sports, but it is also suitable for the office and traveling.
  • The performance of the microphone and its noise isolation are surprising.
  • Bluetooth 5.1.

They are the best thing to do sports without the headphones falling out.

We hope this information has been helpful to you. If you have any questions, comment below and we will reply shortly.

 

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