Few things will kill your workout mood faster than headphones that don’t fit well or are hard to use. The JBL Reflect Aero TWS set is our favorite pair of earbuds for the gym because it doesn’t have any wires. We love how well it fits, how easy it is to use, how waterproof it is, and how well it blocks out noise. Also, these headphones sound really good.
1. TWS JBL Reflect Aero
The JBL Reflect Aero TWS true wireless earbuds are the best workout headphones for the gym because they stay in place, have simple controls, and are waterproof and sweatproof. This pair can handle buckets of sweat because it has an IP68 water-resistance rating. JBL includes three sets of stabilizing wings to help keep the earbuds in place, so you can choose the set that fits your ear the best. (However, people with small or sensitive ears may find that the pressure from the wings gets tiring over time.) This pair of true wireless earbuds has a good battery life of eight hours, and the small case gives you an extra 16 hours of power.
This pair sounds good as well. Many people like how the earbuds give a slight boost to the bass and consonants, and you can fine-tune the sound using JBL’s mobile app. Active noise cancellation and a sealed design can help block out gym noise, but if you need to hear what’s going on around you, you can turn on a “hear-through” mode with just a tap. You can also choose to use only one earbud at a time if you’d rather. You can connect these earbuds to two devices at once, and the six microphones help block out wind noise and make sure phone calls are clear.
If you use voice-activated assistants like Amazon Alexa or Google Assistant, you’ll love that these earbuds work with them. Even though this pair’s touch-based controls are easy to learn and use, we wish they could control volume, playback, noise cancellation, and the “hear-through” feature all at once. Unfortunately, you have to pick one of those features to leave out. If anything goes wrong with the Reflect Aero TWS set, JBL will fix it for free for a year.
2. Beats Fit Pro
If you like Apple, the Beats Fit Pro set is a good alternative to the JBL Reflect Aero TWS pair, but it costs more. The Fit Pro set makes it easy to pair and switch connections with Apple devices that are connected to iCloud. It also lets you use “Hey Siri” without touching the device. Like our top pick, these earbuds have wings that help keep them in place. The sealed design and active noise cancellation can block out gym noise, while the hear-through mode lets you be aware of your surroundings or talk between workout sets. The IPX4 rating for water resistance should be enough for most activities with the Fit Pro set, but the IP68 rating of the Reflect Aero TWS makes that pair better for people who go mountain biking, sweat a lot, or are just harder on their gear.
The Fit Pro pair sounds great, and the bass is just a little bit stronger. The six hours of listening time (with ANC on) is about average, and the quick-charge feature gives you an hour of playback after putting the earbuds in the charging case for five minutes. However, the case isn’t as small as the case for the JBL pair. On Apple devices, these earbuds have physical buttons that let you skip tracks, answer calls, and adjust the volume. On Android devices, you can customize the buttons and pair them with just one touch (if you download the Beats app). Either of the Fit Pro’s earbuds can be used on its own, but multitaskers may miss the JBL pair’s ability to connect to two devices at once. The microphones block out noise from the wind and the background, so you can take a quick call even when you’re jogging.
3. Go Air Sport JLab
The JLab Go Air Sport set is a good choice if you want a pair of wireless earbuds that do what you need without costing a lot. Instead of wings to keep the earbuds in place, this pair of truly wireless earbuds has flexible hooks that fit securely over the top of each ear. This style is often more comfortable for people with small or sensitive ear canals. With an IP55 rating, the Go Air Sport pair is resistant to dust and water, so these earbuds will be fine during sweaty workouts. They have a battery life of eight hours, and the charging case can hold another 24 hours of power, though it’s bigger than we’d like.
This pair is sealed, but it doesn’t have noise cancellation or a mode that lets you hear outside sounds. But each earbud can work on its own, so if you need to hear what’s going on around you, you can leave one ear open. Touch-based controls let you play/pause, skip tracks, change the volume, and turn on the digital assistant. However, they don’t always work right, especially if you have long hair that can get in the way of the sensors. For the price, the sound quality is surprisingly good, but audio fans should be aware that each of the three preset EQ settings has some kind of flaw. We like that the charging cable is built in, so you never have to carry a cord. However, the end of the cable is a USB Type-A plug, which is becoming less popular. Even with the problems, the JLab Go Air Sport offers a lot for a pair of earbuds that costs less than most gym memberships. It also comes with a two-year warranty from JLab.
4. MoveBuds Tribit H1
If you want to worry less about the battery life of your earbuds, the Tribit MoveBuds H1 set is a good pair of true wireless earbuds that costs less than $100. When it comes to truly wireless earbuds, the 15-hour battery life is the best. You can wear them all day without having to charge them. This is good because the charging case, which adds 35 hours of power, is about the size of a bar of soap. This pair is waterproof and has a high IPX8 rating. The hooks that go over your ears keep the earbuds in place. We like that there are six different sizes of ear tips in the package, which makes it easier to find the right fit. The MoveBuds H1 pair is sealed to help block out gym noise, but it doesn’t have the active noise cancellation or voice-activation features of our more expensive choices. It does have a mode that lets you hear what’s going on around you, or you can just use one earbud at a time. The sound quality is good right out of the box, and we were able to tune it to our liking with the equalizer adjustments in the app. The MoveBuds H1 set also has full touch-based controls on board, as well as four microphones that make sure callers can hear you clearly. Tribit’s one-year warranty covers mistakes that happened while making the product.
All View
The sound quality was good out of the box, but we were most satisfied after playing with the EQ in the Tribit app. We were impressed by how many small changes we could make to get the sound just right. Even though this pair doesn’t have the same sense of space and detail as our top picks, the sound quality is great for true wireless, waterproof earbuds that cost less than $100. Callers will also think you sound good because the earbuds have four microphones that make sure your voice comes through loud and clear.
