2021 Best Earbuds For Running That Won't Fall Out

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The Winners

Best Overall Bluetooth Earbuds: Jabra Elite Active 85t (Amazon Link)
Best Bluetooth Earbuds on a Budget: Mifo O5 Plus Gen 2 (Amazon Link)
Most Durable Bluetooth Earbuds: Bose Soundsport Free (Amazon Link)
Best Sweat proof/rain proof (IPX Rating): Jaybird Vista (Amazon Link)
Best Battery Life: Apple Powerbeats Pro (Amazon Link)

How We Reviewed Each Earbud

You’ve made a shortlist of earphones, and now you have to figure out which one to get. Here’s a list of criteria that you can use to find the best earphones for you.

IPX Waterproof Rating Guide

Can your earphones survive a strong rain shower, or accidentally falling into a puddle? Check its International Protection Rating, which verifies how its casings and electronic enclosures can keep out the elements.

IPX 1 – safe from condensation and vertically falling water
IPX 2 – safe from water hitting it at 15 degrees
IPX 3 – safe from water hitting it at 60 degrees
IPX 4 – safe from water splashing it from any angle
IPX 5 – safe from low-pressure water stream
IPX 6 – safe from high-pressure water stream
IPX 7 – can be safely immersed in water for 30 minutes
IPX 8 – can be safely submerged in water continuously

Durability

Sports earphones aren’t cheap, so it’s frustrating (and expensive) to see them break after just a few months of use. The best brands are built to take the wear-and-tear of constant movement and are even certified shock-proof.

Battery-life

Training for a marathon? You’ll want earphones that will last as long as your workouts. Look at the actual hours of continuous listening after just one charge. Some manufacturers may claim that batteries can last for 24 hours, but that may refer to the combined playing time before you have to recharge the portable charging case.

One-Ear Listening

Sometimes, you’ll need to take off one earbud so you can be more aware of your surroundings. This could be for safety reasons, like running on a busy road or late at night, or if you want to be able to talk with your running buddies. The best running earphones can give you good audio quality whether you’re using one or two buds.

Sizes and Adjustability

This is the most important criteria when you’re looking for the best Bluetooth earbuds for running that won’t fall out.

Just like running shoes, they fit perfectly and are so comfortable that you almost forget that you’re wearing them. You can switch out the buds for the right size, or adjust the ear hooks or any attachments that help hold them in place.

A good fit can also improve sound quality, as it creates a seal that cancels out background noise.

Sound Quality

Small, wireless earphones need to use special codecs (shorthand for compression/decompression) which make audio small enough for fast wireless transmission. Cheaper earphones will lose a lot of the sound quality, but the best ones use higher data rates that require less compression—and retain more of the original sound.

You also need to check which codecs are compatible with your device. If it’s an Apple, your earbuds need to support SBC and AAC. If it’s an Android, it can work with almost every codec (SBC, LDAC, AAC, aptX, and aptX HD).

Ambient Sound

Basically, this is how much of the environmental noise you’ll hear while wearing your earphones. Ideally, you should be able to adjust this according to your needs and situation. You may want the ability to block all noise when you’re running on a treadmill, and then shift to Ambient Mode when you’re running on a busy street.

With these criteria, you can find the best wireless earphones for your needs, budget, and preferences.

Jabra Elite Active 85t

 4.4/5

The Jabra offers high sound quality, a customizable listening experience, comfort and durability. And if you like to run outdoors, it allows one-ear listening, and withstands rain and sweat

What We Liked:
High sound quality. It has 12 mm speakers, and can support high-quality AAC codecs to preserve the audio quality. It also has customizable equalizers, so you can adjust bass and other frequencies to your liking.
Personalized listening experience. Use the My Sound App to take a hearing test, and it will optimize and calibrate the sound based on your own personal hearing profile.
Adjustable ambient sound. Thanks to its advanced Active Noise Cancellation (ANC) technology, you can block out all noise, or switch to Hear Through mode—all through the convenient Jabra Sound app. You can also define the functions of the bud control buttons!
Long battery life. You get 5.5 hours of continuous listening on a single charge, and 25 hours hours if you use the charging case. And if you run out of battery in the middle of a run, just 15 minutes in the charging case will give you another hour of listening time.
Voice control.It works with Siri, Alexa and Google Assistant, so you change settings without breaking your stride.
Excellent mic quality. If you need to take calls in the middle of the run, its six-microphone technology and wind protection algorithms ensure that you always get crystal-clear conversations.
Comfortable. It’s smaller and lighter than other earphones, has a more comfortable oval shape, comes with several silicon ear tips for a perfect fit.
IPX 4 rating. Caught in a downpour? No problem—it can be splashed from all angles.

Bose Soundsport Free

 4.4/5

These are one of the best earbuds for running that won’t fall out. You’ll have to do some serious head-banging—and possibly get a bad case of vertigo— to shake them off.

What We Liked:
StayHear tips. The silicone ear tips follow the shape of your ear, and are perfect for people who have trouble finding traditional round or oval earbuds that fit. Reviewers also say that they’re the most comfortable earphones they’ve ever owned
Find my Buds feature. Misplaced your earphones? Use the Bose “Find My Buds” to find them in a few clicks.
Sweat and weather resistant. With its IPX4 rating, it can get splashed by strong rain, snow or steady sweat.
Well-rounded audio quality. The sound is very clear and crisp, and captures the bass very well. You don’t have the option to block out sound, but that can be a plus if you always run outdoors and need to remain aware of your surroundings.

Apple Powerbeats Pro

 4.8/5

Apple designed these earphones to stay in place during any workout: a secure slim fit, ear hooks to keep them in place, and long battery life.

What We Liked:
Superior comfort. These earphones are so comfortable you wouldn’t mind wearing them all day. They’re light, slim, and—thanks to their patented micro-laser technology—reduces the in-ear pressure you can feel while listening to music.
Sweat and water-resistant design. Since they’re IPX 4, perspiration and rain can’t hurt them. And thanks to their material and design, they don’t slip when you’re wet or feel hot when you sweat.
Easy controls. Both earbuds have a control button, so you can change the volume or your playlist with either hand—or simply ask Siri to do it for you.
Long battery life. Enjoy nine hours of listening time with each charge, and a total of 24 hours with the charging case.

What We Didn't Like:
Mediocre sound quality. Experts agree that Apple put more thought into comfort and design than the actual sound. While it doesn’t sound bad—and if you’re not an audiophile, you may not even care—there are many earphones that give a better listening experience at half the price.
Clunky case. The charging case is much bigger and heavier than the Apple AirPods Pro, and are difficult to slip into your shorts. You’ll probably need a belt bag if you want to bring this around on a run.
Sound quality. The clip design can cause a gap where ambient sound can leak in, and

Bang & Olufsen B8 Sport

 3.5/5

If you’re on a budget, these wireless earphones can give a decent listening experience, and the ability to hear background noise for a safer run.

What We Liked:
One-tap controls. It’s so easy to change music tracks, adjust the volume, or take a call, the easy touch controls.
Good sound. Get the Bang ; Olufsen Signature Sound, and the ability to adjust your sound profile through the app’s ToneTouch controls.
Customizable transparency mode. Use the app to adjust how much of ambient noise you want to hear.
No drop-outs. The audio is sent through a magnetic field, which minimizes any drop-outs and dead spots.

Apple AirPods Pro

 4.7/5

If music quality is important to you, then the Apple AirPods Pro may be a better choice than the Apple PowerBeats Pro.

What We Liked:
Great sound quality. Clear sound, powerful bass, and no sharp frequencies that can irritate your ears no matter how long you’ve been listening. People say that it even has better sound quality than the wired Apple headphones—which is rare, since wireless Bluetooth earphones usually have more compressed sound.
Sweat and water-resistant. With IPX 4, it survives long workouts and heavy rains—it’s as tough as you are.
Excellent noise cancellation. The microphones pick up ambient noise and cancel it out, to keep you focused and “in the zone” even if you’re in a noisy gym.
Decent battery life. While there are earphones with better batteries, the 4.5 hours you get with each charge will last you through most runs. The charging case gives multiple charges up to 24 hours.

Samsung Galaxy Buds+

 4.6/5

These Bluetooth earphones give solid, all-around performance at a relatively affordable price. It also has one of the best apps to give you more control and convenience.

What We Liked:
Customizable listening experience. While the earphones’ sound quality is pretty average, the Galaxy App controls are excellent: you can set the playback controls, or adjust the boosts on your bass or treble, and pick any notifications you’ll hear on your buds.
Customizable ambient sound. You can adjust how much outside noise you can hear, and whether or not you want to amplify any voices.
Comfortable and durable design. The silicone tip feels soft and light, and the wing tips hold them securely through any workout.
Long battery life. Fully charged, you get six hours of listening time, and an additional seven hours from the charging case. Just 15 minutes of charging can give you 1.7 hours of battery life.

Raycon The Performer E55

 4.2/5

These earphones are really good for heavy-bass music. Turn up the volume and get pumped for your next run.

What We Liked:
Improved sound quality. Compared to the previous models, the Performer E55 has a better chip set, for better listening and a more stable connection. However, reviews say that it tends to favor the bass—great for bass fans, but not for more neutral sounds.
Comfortable Fit. The earphones come in five sizes, so it’s easier to find something that fits well with your ear shape.
One-ear listening. You can use the buds together, or just wear one so you can be more conscious of environmental sounds.
Long battery life. Get six hours on a single charge, and up to 36 hours from the charging case. You can also buy a separate wireless charger.

Jaybird Vista

 4.6/5

You can’t find a more durable pair of earphones—you could drop them into a puddle and leave them there, and they’ll be fine. The wing and ear tips also keep them secure, even if you’re sprinting or even doing somersaults.

What We Liked:
Durable. Not only is it waterproof and sweatproof (with an IPX of 7), it’s shock-proof and dust-proof. If you’re the type to run outdoors, or have a tendency to drop or manhandle your earphones, this one’s for you.
Comfortable. It’s small and light, and the sports fins help them stay snug and give a tight sound seal. It comes with small, medium and large ear tips
Powerful app. You can customize the control buttons, control music levels, locate your buds, and even take a call.
No video lag. Unlike many other wireless earphones, this won’t lag if you use it to watch a video on your phone or tablet.
Quick-charge option. Though you get 6 hours of continuous listening with a single charge, you have the option to do a five-minute charge to get an additional hour of battery life.
Decent sound quality. While it doesn’t have the best sound quality, it has a warm, well-rounded sound and a good bass.

MiFo O5 Plus Gen 2

 4.2/5

Despite being less than $100, these earbuds boast of having one of the best batteries and most waterproof casings.

What We Liked:
Best battery life. You can enjoy 7 hours of continuous play time, and 700 hours with the chargeable case. The charging base gives 100 hours of play time, and is so powerful it can double as a power bank for your phone.
Great sound at a good price. Even if it’s below $100, you still get a rich sound quality and a powerful bass.
Completely waterproof and dust-proof. These earbuds can actually be submerged in up to 3 feet of water for a long period, and still work perfectly. The casings also keep out dust and dirt, for greater durability.
Seamless Switch from Single to Bi-Aural mode. You can use one earbud, connect the two earbuds to separate devices, or the two earbuds together. Even if you decide to put one of the buds back into the case, you won’t get disconnected from the signal.
One-touch ambient sound. Just press the power button for 2 to 3 seconds, and it will switch to Transparent Mode, where you can hear conversation and surrounding sound.

What We Didn't Like:
Small earbuds can be a plus or a minus, but either way, it will take time to get used to both the way it feels and how to use the smaller buttons.
Heavy charging case makes it difficult to bring when you’re running
Background noise is amplified when you take phone calls