I tested the best headphones and earbuds for working out during my daily run

Check out our full review of the Beats Fit Pro.

Who it's for:

Beats Fit Pro earbuds check the boxes for most athletes. These small buds fit comfortably in ears, and three different sizes of ear tips create a comfortable, secure fit. With active noise cancellation, the buds block out noise so you can focus on your workout. However, there is still some noise leakage, which isn't a bad thing if you need to remain aware of your surroundings for safety.

If you like touch controls, the Fit Pro have a clickable button that makes it easy to take calls or play/pause music. Despite being built into the iOS system, Beats buds work for iPhone and Android users alike with easy connectivity.

Why we like it:

You can't beat the quick connectivity of the Beats Fit Pro. As an iOS user, I just had to open the case for the Beats Fit Pro to connect nearly instantly. Earbuds can be a tough fit for me, so I appreciated the multiple-sized ear tips that created the most secure fit.

It took me a second to get comfortable with the Beats Fit Pro, but the wing-tipped design kept them secure in my ear as I moved through my workouts. They can still fall out, particularly if you're bending over, but they're much more secure than typical earbuds. While I was initially very impressed with these earbuds' secure fit, I discovered that newer earbuds like the Jabra Elite 8 Active Gen 2 or Bose QuietComfort Ultra earbuds stay in place even better.

What I initially really loved about the design was the touch controls. While most headphones don't have actual buttons to use for touch controls, these do, making it a breeze to take calls. However, that makes it a little too easy to end calls — I accidentally ended a call or two while using these earbuds.

The sound quality on the Beats Fit Pro is excellent. The active noise cancellation dimmed the busy world around me so I could tune into my podcast while I was working out. I did find that the ANC got a little buzzy around loud noises as it worked harder to block them out, and ultimately, I found it a little distracting. With an IPX4 rating, they're water-resistant, making me confident that my sweat or a sudden rainstorm wouldn't cause any damage.

Read our full review of the Apple AirPods Pro (Generation 2).

Who it's for:

If you want ANC without all the bulk, the AirPods Pro are small, discreet, and (thanks to the long-awaited USB-C charging port) easier to charge. Though over-ear headphones typically provide superior ANC, these AirPods have impressive noise cancellation for a pair of buds. You'll probably enjoy them a little extra if you have other devices within the Apple ecosystem.

Why we picked this:

Are they pricey? Absolutely. Is their ANC worth it? Here's what Mashable Senior Editor Stan Schroeder had to say: "These are the first pair of earbuds I'd actually consider taking on an airplane (instead of my much larger and clunkier over-ear headphones)." Though these aren't the only Apple headphones with ANC, we highly prefer these over the AirPods Max, which we think are way overpriced (they're double the cost of these Pros) and don't have the performance to justify that price tag.

Other than that killer ANC, AirPods are great for travel because they take up minimal space in your carry-on, they sound great, and they have a Conversation Awareness mode which automatically lowers the volume when you're talking, so placing a drink order is easy as can be. And with their new USB-C port, you can charge them directly from an iPhone 15.

To get a perfectly snug fit to maximize your listening experience, you'll have your choice between four ear tips. Apple claims these buds support lossless audio, but as of right now, only with the Apple Vision Pro, so you'd have to shell out an additional $3,500 for that experience.

You can find AirPods on sale with some regularity if you shop from Amazon or Walmart — we recommend waiting until they at least drop down to $199 at either retailer before buying a pair during any time of year. During Black Friday, we wouldn't buy these until they're at least $189, if not $179, or even their current record-low price of $168.99.

Check out our full review of the Bose Ultra Open earbuds.

Who it's for:

If you're working out in the evening or biking in busy areas, safety is a big concern. While you want to be able to listen to your music, it's essential to hear the world around you, too. The Bose Ultra Open offer an ingenious design. These earbuds clip onto your ear like a cuff and don't block your ear canal. They provide the right balance of high-quality audio while keeping you connected to the world around you.

Even if you're less concerned about noise transparency, these headphones are just flat-out comfortable. If you don't love the feeling of having earbuds in your ears, these are great in between.

Why we like it:

The Bose Ultra Open earbuds easily have the most unique design of all the headphones on this list. While I was hesitant about how well the clip-on style would work, I was quickly on board. They wrap around your ear, providing surprisingly good audio quality despite no noise cancellation benefits. Plus, they're super comfortable even for long periods of time, and they're ideal if you hate the clogged-up feeling of traditional earbuds. And while they seem like they might be less secure than regular earbuds, I found that they stayed in place even through frequent movements.

When working out, especially in busy areas, I'm often concerned about safety, and these buds ensured I could hear cars or bikes coming my way. That's why I loved the Bose Ultra Open; I had the best of both worlds — I could tune into my podcast and still hear the world around me.

Who it's for:

If you really hate the feeling of earbuds, the Shokz OpenRun Pro strike a good balance. They hook over the top of the ears, and the bone conduction speakers sit on your jawbone to deliver sound waves to your inner ear.

These certainly don't have the best sound quality compared to Beats, Apple, or Bose, but if you're willing to put that aside, the Shokz OpenRun Pro are comfortable and stay firmly in place. That means you won't have to fidget with them throughout your workout.

Why we like it:

Bone conduction headphones offer a comfortable, workout-friendly alternative to wireless sports earbuds. The Shokz OpenRun Pro stay firmly in place, and I didn't need to adjust them nearly as much as I did with the other earbuds on this list. Plus, the 10-hour battery life on these is unbeatable, even if they don't have an easy charging case.

Where the Shokz OpenRun Pro falters is with sound quality. If you're listening to something of low quality, it only makes it sound worse. Listening to a podcast with a poor audio track only made it sound more patchy. I also had to crank the volume way up as I was working out in busy areas, and even when I had the volume maxed out, I still wanted the sound to be louder.

Thankfully, the Shokz OpenRun Pro comes in two sizes (standard and mini), as they're not adjustable like other headphones. I tried out the standard size, but I probably should have gone for the mini, as the cord was rather loose and got caught up in my long hair.

Despite these minor drawbacks, these are a great option if you don't want to go for earbuds and are looking for noise transparency.

Who it’s for:

If you want a pair of fail-safe, trusted earbuds for working out, the Jabra Elite 8 Active Gen 2 is the one. Whether you're running on pavement or at the quick pace of the elliptical, these headphones aren't moving in your ears.

If you are concerned about them falling out in tough conditions — maybe you're a trail runner — these are the only headphones on this list with a US military-grade standard of durability. Aka, they aren't going to crunch if you step on them. Plus, an IP68 rating makes them dust- and water-resistant.

While the sound might not impress the pickiest audiophiles, it delivers clear, consistent sound, while the ANC quiets the surrounding world so you can focus on your music as you move through your reps.

Why we picked this:

For a pair of headphones designed for working out, we want to see all of the following: a secure but comfortable fit, sweat resistance, easy connectivity, good sound quality, active noise cancellation, and responsive touch controls. The Elite 8 Actives measure up on every front.

The ear tips come in three sizes; the small ones fit perfectly in narrow ear canals. The buds sit snugly in the ear and don't budge when chugging along on the stair climber or elliptical. Plus, the touch controls have an actual button to press that's responsive but not too touchy, unlike the Beats Fit Pro (which previously held this superlative), that leave you vulnerable to accidentally ending calls.

For the weeks we tested them, the headphones instantly connected every time we opened the case and put them in. The AirPods Pro were the only other earbuds with such easy connectivity.?Plus, the battery life can't be beat. The earbuds run for nine hours, and the charging case provides another 32 hours with ANC and 56 hours without ANC.

They deliver good sound, but not quite as rich as the Bose QuietComfort Ultra or Sony WF-1000XM5 earbuds. The sound from the Jabra Elite 8 Active is flatter compared to those more audio-focused earbuds, not to mention they have weaker ANC, but ultimately, they're still our ideal earbud for working out.

Check out our full review of the Bose QuietComfort Ultra earbuds.

Who it's for:

For those who value noise cancellation above all else, the $299 Bose QuietComfort Ultra earbuds are worth the investment, offering the best ANC experience we've had with a pair of earbuds.

Why we picked this:

Over-ear headphones are the typical pick for those who want the best noise cancellation, but in recent years high-end earbuds have started to prove themselves worthy competitors. Bose is already known for offering some of the best ANC, so it's no shock that these earbuds, which were released just this past fall, showcase what the brand is best at.

Mashable contributor Timothy Beck Werth said that these earbuds offer the best ANC of any he's tested, a lineup that includes products from Apple, Beats, and Jabra. In fact, he writes, "Bose's noise cancellation is so good that I often use these earbuds when I'm not even listening to music." Customizable stability bands help create a tight but comfortable seal that helps unwanted sound stay out (and sets these earbuds apart from other ANC buds on the market).

Though we appreciate the QC Ultra's noise-cancellation first and foremost, we also enjoyed Bose's foray into spatial audio with the Immersive Audio feature that can be toggled on and adjusted via the companion app. It's good, not great, and definitely not the top reason to get these earbuds, but still a pretty nice feature — and certainly welcome at this price point.

Speaking of the price point, we were shocked that at $299, these earbuds don't offer functional multipoint pairing. While you can technically connect more than one device at a time, you do have to manually change your device with the app, instead of switching back and forth simply by changing your audio output, like you can with the Sony WF-1000XM5 or AirPods Pro. While we do think Bose needs to update this feature ASAP, the ANC, combined with the comfort for long-term wear and sound quality, still earned these earbuds a spot on our list.