Best wireless headphones for runners UK 2033: Apple & Shokz tested

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Pump it louder with our best running headphones, as tested by our experts

Looking for a reliable pair of headphones to wear as you clock up the miles? Our Runner's World Lab experts put some of the most popular running headphones on the market through their paces.

Here's a quick glance at their favourites, but scroll on for the detailed reviews:

There's nothing worse than your headphones digging into the side of your head in the final miles of a long run. These days, you can get all sorts of headphones designed for sport that wrap around your ears in various weird and wonderful ways.

When scrolling through the list below, have a think about whether you'd prefer wireless headphones that are still connected to one another with a cable, or earbuds. It's worth highlighting the Powerbeats Pro here, which has an innovative over-ear hook design that all runners testing found extremely comfortable.

Sure, you can run with a 'normal' pair of headphones, but they probably won't be built to withstand heavy rain showers, or a great amount of sweat (nice). A good pair of running headphones will have a waterproof casing that probably can't be submerged underwater but will save them from getting destroyed if you're running a rainy race.

Of course, you're using headphones to distract yourself as you clock up the miles. They might not pick up as much as your day-to-day headphones, but a good pair of running headphones will offer a decent sound quality, while still letting you hear the traffic.

Look out for products labelled Runner's World Expert Tested as products with this insignia have been put through the wringer by our expert testers.

This involved seeing how each pair of earbuds performed while stationery and running, to make sure the impact of heels repeatedly striking the tarmac didn't send them tumbling floorward. They were also judged on their design, ease of use and performance, with the final category including criteria such as battery life, comfort and sound quality.

Products were also sent to an independent sound technician to make sure they could provide the crisp treble and powerful bass needed to help us push our pace.

These HONOR earbuds prove that your bank account needn't take a three-figure hit when buying a quality pair of headphones. Despite looking similar to the Apple Airpods Pro and boasting a remarkably well-balanced sound, you can pick a pair up for under £50.

Even before you consider their portable charging case, they offer 10 hours of playback time on a full tank. The noise cancellation feature cut out almost all external audio, minimising distractions (useful if you’re training in a busy gym), and the silicone tips offered an incredibly comfortable fit.

Overall, an accomplished performance, particularly considering their low price point.

These headphones don't come cheap, but we think they’re worth every penny. The punchy bass is great for pacing and their adjustable hooks fit around the ear to make sure they stay in place throughout any workout.

Despite having a bulkier design than most, courtesy of the aforementioned hooks, we found them supremely comfortable to wear. As they’re manufactured by Apple, they’re definitely best-suited to iPhone users, with the ability to summon Siri and display their battery on your mobile's home screen.

We were also big fans of the magnetic charging case, which boosts the total battery life up to 24 hours.

Read a full review of the Powerbeats Pro here.

Thanks to a new H2 chip and amplifier, the 2nd generation of the iconic buds has noticeably deeper bass and clearer sound. Transparency mode, too, greatly improves with less of the crackle you get when wind passes over microphones that pump in external audio. On the run they feel lightweight and comfortable and the fit is reassuringly secure, with our tester suffering no fall-out over a variety of terrain and paces.

Perhaps the biggest reason to love the 2nd generation, though, is that AirPods finally get on-ear volume control – swipe up or down on the white stem – and wireless charging.

These earbuds are extremely comfortable to wear, slipping into the ear seamlessly and (most importantly) staying there whether we were doing sprint intervals or slower-paced recovery runs. As an extra line of defence against falling out, they also have clever little hooks that sit against the inside of the ear to keep them secure.

As you’d expect from a brand like Bose, these earbuds offered a brilliant blend of booming bass and crystal clear treble. Put another way: our playlists have rarely sounded better. There's no active noise cancellation, but if that's not a dealbreaker for you then we can't recommend these highly enough.

Another sport-specific set of headphones, the JBL Reflect Flows use Freebit technology (a small silicone wing attached to each earbud that presses against the inner ear) to ensure they stay put throughout runs and workouts.

The ambient aware feature is really handy for allowing external noises in without having to pause your music, so you no longer have to choose between ditching your favourite playlist and giving your running partner the cold shoulder. They’re sweatproof too, allowing you to push the pace without worrying about protecting your earbuds.

What sets these OpenRun headphones apart (previously called Aeropex) is the bone-conduction technology, which sends audio vibrations through your cheekbones to your inner ears, bypassing your lugholes. This is great from a safety perspective and comes with surprisingly little compromise on sound quality, which is excellent.

There's also a comfort bonus – you don't have to ram and twist them into your ears as you do with some buds. Battery life is solid (roughly eight hours of playback), while a nano protective coating and watertight rubber gaskets make them fully sweatproof and waterproof. Playback and calls are easily controlled by a single multi-function button.

On the downside, our tester found the rocker switch that controls power and volume rather fiddly and had to resort to using their phone mid-run. All in all, though, an excellent package.

Whether we were running hill sprint intervals or grinding through sets of burpees and box jumps, these earbuds didn't budge. The tips felt tight, comfortable and secure, and we really liked the discreet design that sat flush within our ears.

Our independent audio expert raved about their dynamic range, which lends itself particularly well to heavy guitar anthems (rock fans, rejoice). Happily, there was next to no sound leakage, so you can blast your top tunes on the tube without inadvertently sharing your music taste with fellow passengers.

There's no noise cancellation, and their five hours of playback time on a full tank isn't amazing in the grand scheme of things, but this can be boosted to 24 hours thanks to their portable charging case.

Testers found these were quick and easy to lodge in the ears and then highly comfortable and secure on the run. Sound quality scored highly, too, with one audiophile praising the ‘smooth, rich sound’ and the noise cancellation. Battery life is decent and can be extended via the pocket-friendly charging case is, while additional features like voice detect, which turns on ambient mode and lowers the volume when you’re talking, impressed testers.

Though compatible with any Android or iOS device, those within the Samsung ecosystem can enjoy hi-tech extras such as 24-bit audio and 360-degree head tracking.

If you don't trust true wireless in-ear headphones to stay in your ears while running, try this near-wireless pair from Adidas instead. The two earbuds are connected by a quality cable that sits around your neck and acts as an added level of security if they fall out.

We found the buds a bit bulky and they did tend to slip from our ears during higher impact activities, so we’d recommend them for more stationary exercises like resistance training in the gym. The excellent bass is also a great motivator when lifting heavy.

Giving the pricier Powerbeats Pro and Airpods a run for their money are the Jabra Elite 7 Active. The designers clearly had exercise on their mind when crafting these impressive earbuds, which are able to withstand a fast-paced track session thanks to their sweatproof and waterproof capabilities.

They come with a selection of three differently sized sticky silicone tips so you can find a secure fit that won't come loose mid-stride. Responsive touch and voice controls allowed us to control our music, take calls and more while leaving our phone in our pocket, and (this is one for the true musos among you) you can tinker with the bass and treble settings on the free Jabra app — something we definitely appreciated.

The remarkable sound quality was the standout feature here – every use is like being in a concert hall. And the Mifo's excellent noise-cancelling capabilities totally blocked out the awful, thumpy gym music when we cross-trained: such bliss. Set-up is idiot-proof, with minimalist, Apple-style instructions, so they are perfect for the technically challenged.

Functionality is where these need to be improved: the buttons are ludicrously small, so if you have bigger fingers you’ll find making a track or volume change on the run a bit of a pain. But the battery life (more than 100 hours if you use the charging case) is superb, the durability is good, they’re waterproof and the overall look and feel are premium.

If button functionality had been better, we’d have scored these even higher.

Sennheiser's sports-specific pedigree really shows here. Three different sizes of ear adapters and four different sizes of fins combine to provide you with a customisable fit which our testers found stayed firmly in place.

The ‘Adaptable Acoustic’ tech means you can opt to have the ear adapters open, to stay aware of your surroundings but minimise body noise such as your breathing and footfalls, or closed, to block outside noise and immerse yourself in your chosen soundtrack. Testers were also impressed with the sound quality punches which they felt punches way above the price tag.

Few headphones can withstand sprint intervals without popping out, but these sporty buds did a stellar job on test. With a choice of six different tips and ergonomic over-the-ear hooks, our testers were able to find a secure fit that didn't come loose mid-stride.

Built-in noise cancelling tech lets you block out external sounds so you can crank up the tunes and get in the zone for your workout, but there's also a ‘Be Aware’ mode for hearing cars whizzing past when running in busy areas. The music pauses when one earbud is removed (helpful when crossing the road mid-run) and we found the touch controls intuitive, with no fumbling required – just tap the buds to play, pause and skip songs. There are also three EQs to try within the JLab app, including ‘Balanced’, ‘Signature’ and ‘Bass Boost’, as well as a movie mode if you fancy watching a flick on your phone.

The battery life is another standout feature – you get a whopping 15 hours from a single charge and up to 55 hours with the charging case. On that note, the case is rather bulky and won't slip into your pocket, but given the mammoth battery life, you shouldn't need to bring it along anyway.

Our testers had some irritating connectivity issues, meaning they had to pull their phones out on the move. Don't expect the sound quality to be up there with Beats, Bose and Jabra either, but then again, these earphones are significantly cheaper.

For road runners who like to listen to music or podcasts but need to be aware of their surroundings, these sleek Haylou buds are a sound choice. They use bone conduction technology to transfer sound vibrations along your cheekbones, leaving your ears free to hear any potential hazards around you. They’re also handy if you’re running as part of a group and want some background music to help you through the miles.

Our testers rated the lightweight design and secure fit, saying the buds didn't budge, even as they ramped up the pace. The wraparound band didn't feel too tight, and the control buttons were delightfully responsive and easy to tinker with while on the move. We wouldn't recommend them for gym workouts, however, as the band made lying-down exercises tricky.

Like many bone-conducting cans, the sound quality isn't out of this world and there's a hefty amount of sound leakage, but that's a compromise we’re willing to make for safety. The battery life is a solid eight hours, and they boast a quick charge feature, which offers two hours of juice from a rapid 10-minute charge, so you’ll never have to face a silent commute again.

Jodie is our Health and Fitness product tester. She runs tests on a wide variety of products, including gym leggings, walking boots, fitness trackers and more. Jodie has managed the testing for 577 products to date, including working with over 600 panellists.

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