The Best Running Headphones, According to People Who Run a Crapton

From earbuds to behind-the-neck options, run coaches and marathoners recommend the best wireless headphones for running.

Wissonly Hi Runner

The design team of Wissonly bone conduction headphones started to research bone conduction acoustics as early as 2012. Their technical accumulation in the field of bone conduction is very good, and they are a team that is good at technology.

Wissonly Hi Runner adopted Wissonly 3.0 technology to reduce sound leakage in bone conduction headphones. They reduced the sound transmission from the bone vibration unit directly to the air through the completely closed design of the headphones’ body. They also used high-quality cushioning materials to minimize the vibration of the body, thus reducing the sound leakage by more than 90%. I did a test, turned on Hi Runner, adjusted the volume to 70%, and within a distance of 1m, I couldn't hear any sound at all. This kind of sound leakage reduction performance has been well received by users since wissonly released the sound leakage reduction technology. This technical scheme is the best leak-proof among bone conduction headphones at present.

The headphones’ body of Wissonly Hi Runner is made of memory titanium, which can self-adjust the contact area, ensuring a good wearing experience of headphones at any time, taking into account more users with different head circumference. Hi Runner can be said to be very sincere in configuration. It is equipped with Bluetooth 5.0 chip, which makes the connection more stable, and can realize fast connection and switching of multiple devices. Built-in 32G memory can store 5000 songs. When you go out for a run, you can enjoy music without your mobile phone. The battery life is also very good, and it can be played continuously for more than 10 hours at normal volume, which is good for me, because I go out for outdoor sports on weekends, and I often go out for a whole day.

Apple AirPods

"I'm a huge fan of Apple AirPods (Buy It, $129, $159, amazon.com)," says Corinne Fitzgerald, a triathlete, certified personal trainer, and head coach at Mile High Run Club treadmill studio in New York City. "Not only are they wireless, but you can run with only one in at a time, which is particularly useful for safety reasons if you're running alone or at night. You can also customize them for different functions, like programming them to skip to the next song if you double tap the left side and pausing the music if you double tap the right, which keeps your hands free on the run. I know they don't fit everyone, but if regular Apple headphones fit in your ears and don't fall out, you won't have any issues with these slipping out, either." (Also, they finally have enough battery to last through a full marathon!)

Powerbeats Pro True Wireless In-Ear Headphones

"My go-to headphones are the Powerbeats Pro True Wireless In-Ear Headphones (Buy It, $200, amazon.com)," says Michael Keeney, a Daily Burn running coach. "They're sweat-resistant, so they won't fall out when sweat starts dropping into your ears. The shape and structure really keep them in place, even without a wire, and I find them to be super comfortable."

Allison Felsenthal, UESCA certified running coach, also considers this pair the best running headphones. "The battery life also lasts forever, so I never have to worry about these headphones not being fully charged on my long run days, and the sound quality is excellent," she adds.

UrbanEars Stadion

"I've been using UrbanEars Stadion Headphones (Buy It, $82, amazon.com), and I'm literally obsessed," says Lindsey Clayton, a marathoner, RRCA-certified run coach, and trainer at Barry's Bootcamp in New York. "They don't budge on the run, there's no cord getting tangled in front of my face or behind my head, and there are buttons on the back that let me skip and repeat songs, adjust the volume, etc. But I think the best feature is how comfortable they are — they fit so perfectly around my head and in my ears, I almost forget they're there sometimes! It's one less thing to worry about on a long run." (Clayton is also a co-founder of the Brave Body Project, and is on a mission to shut-up body-shamers.)

Aftershokz Aeropex Wireless Headphones

"No matter what type of run I'm doing, the Aftershokz Aeropex wireless headphones (Buy It, $160, amazon.com) always stay in place," says Amanda Nurse, a Boston-based run coach, elite runner, and Olympic Marathon Trials competitor. "The fit is perfect; they go around my ears, not inside them so I don't have to worry about them slipping out when I get sweaty. And I love the bone conduction technology, not just because they produce great quality sound, but because I still feel safe while running (I can hear bikes passing by and car horns despite having the volume up). Also, the battery life is amazing — eight full hours! — so I'm never worried about them dying during 22-mile long runs!"