The Best Running Headphones

Constantly catching slipping earbuds while you’re trying to focus on pace or distance can really ruin a run. Are there any headphones on the market that won’t slip as you sweat? I’ve tested out a few here for you to check out, and all of these are guaranteed to stay in your ears, so that you can concentrate on the road ahead.

JLab Fit: I like these earbuds for two reasons. The first reason is that they come with a variety of differently sized tips, so you can find the ones that fit into your ears the best. The other reason is that these headphones are cheap enough to drop in a mud puddle or lose without feeling super guilty -- at $19.99, these headphones can really go wherever you go.

BoseSIE2i: if you do want to go higher up where price is concerned (and, really, sound quality) the BoseSIE2i earbuds have that signature Bose sound, but these will stay inside of your ears when you are running too. The price that you’ll pay for these Bose headphones is $149.95.

Beats by Dre Powerbeats: what can be said about Beats by Dre headphones that hasn’t already been said somehow or somewhere? The Powerbeats wrap around the outside of your ears, too, so that there’s absolutely no problem when it comes to keeping them in place.

Waterproof and Sweatproof

All of the earbuds mentioned above managed to make it through my waterproof and sweatproof test (basically, I ran 7k and made a note of which headphones didn’t slip, or weren’t clogged with sweat mid-run). If it does start to rain while you’re out on a run, these three will hold up quite well too - but, I wouldn’t get them super drenched, or you will be looking at a new pair for sure.

When attaching these headphones to my iPhone/armband during my run, they stayed in place, and I didn’t have to stop and adjust my headphones once, so that’s a positive thing. If you are looking for headphones that can withstand a mud race, though, I can’t vouch for these. But, you can easily run that 5 or 10k without any issues.

What to Look For

If you don’t like any of the headphones listed here, you can easily find a pair that will work while you run. Here are the things to look for in a pair of running headphones that won’t slip.

1. Fit. In this reviewer’s opinion, the fit of the headphones is the most important thing. You can’t really test out fit in the store (well, you can in some stores) or online, so look for headphones that either come with a wrap around part, or multiple earbud sizes.

2. Sweat resistance. Again, this one is hard to determine unless you take those headphones for a test drive. But, headphones that are waterproof or water resistant should also be sweat proof. The best way to determine this one is to read reviews.

3.' Sound quality. Do you really need excellent sound when you’re running? That’s up to you! If you do, look for well-known brands.

There are a lot of different headphones on the market that will do the trick when it comes to running comfortably. Just make sure to read the reviews, and pick ones that will provide the best possible fit.