I’ve tested a lot of wireless earbuds and headphones at the gym over the years. While just about any model works fine, some are better suited for gym use and other sports than others, particularly in terms of design. Sports buds are not only sweat- and water-resistant, but they often have sport fins or ear hooks to help keep them securely attached to your ears. And earbuds with an open design, including clip-on models that attach to your ears like earrings, let you hear the outside world for safety. For even more workout audio options, check out our best bone-conduction headphones, best running headphones, best clip-on earbuds and best true-wireless sports earbuds with ear hooks lists.. Pros. Improved design: buds are 20% lighter, case is 33% smaller, and ear hook is slimmer, incorporating nickel-titanium alloy. Equipped with Apple’s more powerful H2 chip. Improved noise canceling and natural-sounding transparency mode. Very good sound quality. Excellent voice-calling performance with new microphones and voice accelerometers to help pinpoint your voice. Built-in heart-rate sensors. Physical control buttons work well during athletic activities. Improved design and sound quality with smaller case. Strong battery life and wireless charging. Cons. Premium price. Some users may not get a tight seal with included ear tips. A few features missing from AirPods Pro 2 (no Precision Finding, Conversation Awareness or Adaptive Audio). Some Apple-exclusive features unavailable to Android users. Built-in heart-rate monitor may not seem like a needed feature to some people. Why I like them. Read full review Jump to details. Pros. Comfortable fit and good build quality. Strong sound for open earbuds, with large 11×20 mm dual-diaphragm drivers. Good battery life (up to 12 hours). Noise reduction technology takes the edge off ambient sound. Good voice-calling performance. Wireless charging. Cons. Fairly pricey. Noise reduction feature doesn’t muffle sound as well as AirPods 4 with Noise Cancellation. 9.2/10 CNET Score. Why I like them. While I didn’t get the new H3 chip I had hoped for, or a charging case that doubles as a Bluetooth transceiver for in-flight entertainment, I did get most of what I wanted from the AirPods Pro 3. The changes may seem incremental to some folks, but key elements — fit, sound quality, noise cancellation and a single-charge battery life — have all seen noticeable upgrades.. Read full review Jump to details. Pros. Design upgrades to the buds and ear tips improve their fit. Noise cancellation has been upgraded and is now top-notch. They sound better, with improved bass response and more clarity. Built-in heart-rate monitoring with new sensors. Excellent voice-calling performance (upgraded microphones). Battery life rated for up to eight hours (up from six for AirPods Pro 2). Cons. They still use the H2 chip found in the AirPods Pro 2. Heart-rate monitoring is buried in fitness apps. While they work with Android, many of their features
