Do you think using wired headphones to listen to music while running is a good idea? Probably not! I don’t know if you have realized or not but almost all runners would agree with me we need the best wireless headphones for running outdoors.
I’ve used wired headphones in my life as a beginner runner and I used to hate it.
Because every time you start running the earphones would either fall off your ears or wires get tangled.
Then I switched to wireless earphones (Apple AirPods) and I love them because they don’t fall out easily when you’re jogging, sound quality is good and battery life is really amazing.
Yes they were expensive but I still bought them because running with wired earphones is a bad choice.
The sole purpose of running is actually enjoying the workout and feeding your mind with positive energy and releasing the stress levels. I do this by listening to my favorite playlist while running.
I am a music lover and 90 percent of the time you will see me using my favorite headphones while running outdoors, except when I am doing sprinting. One of the reasons I use headphones while running is that it helps me to stay focused on my running activity. It also helps me to maintain the mind muscle connection when I am working out in the gym.
I am writing this post because I really had a hard time while choosing the best wireless headphones for running.
After spending dozens of hours researching best earphones for running and after reading hundreds of reviews, product descriptions and watching Youtube videos I was finally able to get my hands on the best headphones for runners available in India….which I will reveal soon.
The wireless earphones that I liked and bought were a bit expensive but believe me that they are certainly one of the best wireless bluetooth headphones available in India, without a doubt.
Trust me, once you start using my favorite headphones (Bose SoundSport), you will throw all other headphones if you have in your house. Because the sound quality you get from Bose soundsport cannot be compared to other headphones available in the market.
In this article I will use the word “headphones” however there may be a case when the product is an earphones, earbuds, over-the-ear headphones, earpods, airpods or whatever name you want to give them.
The following list covers the best of the best bluetooth headphones for runners, in India.
The Best Bluetooth Headphones for Running 2021
Some of these headphones might be expensive for few people therefore I will include an alternate and cheaper model that can also be considered to be the best headphones for a runner.
1. Bose Soundsport Truly Wireless Sports Headphones – Best True Wireless headphones
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The Bose soundsport is truly the best of the best headphones that you can use for running. Although it is not made for running but it is definitely a must have gadget to have if you are a runner.
The main reason why people buy Bose products is because of its exceptional sound quality. When it comes to sound quality Bose comes in the top 3 in the world.
The best part about these earbuds are they do not fall out while running or even when you are doing weight trainings in your Gym. For a fitness freak like me that’s the main thing I consider while buying a new headphones.
I use them often when I do weight trainings in gym but for running I prefer to use Apple airpods because they are more sleek and lighter.
Mind you with all the greatest features that Bose soundsport has, it will set you back for a whopping 19K rupees. If you are looking for the best over-ear headphones with superb sound quality and are willing to spend this kind of money on headphones then your best bet is Bose Soundsport.
The only downside I see in these headphones is that they are not the best noise cancellation headphones in the market so you would be able to hear cars honking, people talking, girls chit-chatting etc. in the background. For some people this is a blessing and for some people it’s frustrating especially after spending this kind of money.
Therefore if you are looking for a headphone that has good noise cancellation to give you that pure audio nirvana feeling than look at other options in the market. One of the best noise cancellation headphones in India are Sony WF-1000XM3 and they are truly wireless earbuds so you can definitely use them for running or workouts.
Bose gives you 3 different pieces of silicone tips to use with these earphones so that you get a secure fit. But even if you get the best silicone tip in your ear you would still be able to hear some of your surroundings.
Also people who are standing or sitting next to will be able to hear your music sometimes if you play at louder volumes. So these will give you zero noise isolation.
Pros
- Premium, exceptional and crystal clear sound quality
- Comfortable, secure fit ensures earphones don’t fall out while running or during your workouts
- 100% Sweat resistant
- Long battery life, upto 5 hours of music playback on every charge
- Ability to answer calls while running or workout out
Cons
- Expensive
- Look bulky
- Not the best noise cancellation headphones
2. Jabra Elite Active 65T – Best Running headphones for Noise Cancellation
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Jabra is an American brand specializing in audio & video equipment. It was acquired by a European company, called GN Audio in the year 2000.
Jabra is well known in the audio and video market and their products include wireless earbuds, noise-cancelling headphones, headsets, video conferencing cameras, fitness-tracking sports headphones and many more…
The Jabra 65T is a great running headphones with all the features that you are looking in a good earphone.
These are sweat proof and water proof therefore you don’t have to worry about rains when you step out wearing these.
They also pair well with Siri, Google assistant and Alexa so you can easily make calls while on the run.
Although the music output is really good but you can also adjust the bass, treble and other settings using the EQ manually.
You just need to connect on the Jabra mobile App and you’re good to go.
The best part I liked about Jabra 65T are that they are active noise cancellation earphones which means you will have 100% noise isolation while running. However you do have a hear through setting that allows you to listen to your surroundings.
This is really useful for runners who ideally want to hear what is happening around them plus its a good feature from a safety standpoint as well.
Pros
- Truly wireless design to ensure headphones don’t fall out while running and working out.
- Ability to customize sound controls using Jabra Mobile App.
- Solid battery life of upto 10 hours on every charge
- Very durable, scratch resistant, sweat and water resistant
- Value for Money
Cons
- No buttons on the earpods to answer calls so you will have to press them inside everytime which hurts the ear.
- Couple of users complained about a weird sound coming while the music was being played.
3. Beats Powerbeats Pro – Best Bass Headphones in India
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The Beats powerbeats Pro is our first over-ear headphone in our list of best wireless headphones for running. Beats is a market leader in audio products especially headphones. Founded by the famous rapper and music producer Dr. Dre, Beats was recently acquired by Apple. So all beats products are now covered under warranty by Apple India.
Speaking of sound quality, the Beats Powerbeats Pro probably would easily beat everyone in the market when it comes to Bass. It has a super high bass output and even better than what you get from Sony and Apple airpods.
The sleek design ensures that the headphones doesn’t fall or pop out of your ears when you are doing high intensity exercises whether its running, skipping, jumping jacks, deadlifts etc.
The battery life is extremely good giving you almost 9 hours of playback time on a single charge.
There is NO noise cancellation but if you turn up the volume then you would get total isolation for sure. Again this might be good for some people who need isolation when working out but for some runners they can turn down the volume so that they can hear the surrounding sounds while on the road. Because it is sometimes kind of risky running on the road especially early mornings not to be run over by a vehicle.
Perhaps the only downside with these is that they are a bit expensive on the pocket. But with that said if you are looking for high-bass output headphones and you can afford these BPB then go for it.
Pros
- High Bass output to give you a premium experience
- Over-the-ear feature helps the headphones to be intact while doing high intensity exercises or fast running
- Fantastic battery life of 9 hours on single charge
- Sweat proof and splash proof
Cons
- No Noise cancellation
- Expensive
4. Apple Airpods 2
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Our number four on the list are again an in-ear headphones from Apple but these are suitable only for iphone users so if you are an Android user you can skip to the next one on our list.
I’ve been using Apple Airpods (2nd Generation) since last 5-6 months on most of my runs and had a pretty good experience. I do switch between bose soundsports and Airpods from time to time. The are certainly lightweight, have a good battery life and comfortable for your ears.
My initial thoughts when I saw Airpods was that they might fall out of ears when running. But they have been doing pretty good on all my runs and do not fall out. But when I am doing push ups, skipping or speed drills than they do fall out of my ears. I probably keep them in my pockets when I am doing sprinting or when I am doing interval running sessions.
Therefore if you are a sprinter or you do more of sprinting, skipping or other HIIT exercises then they may not be the best headphones for doing high intensity exercises. At the same time if you are a slow runner or if you run at the same speed throughout your runs then these will be perfectly fine for you.
While most other headphones on this list are a bit heavy / bulky the Apple Airpods gives you a sleek and lighter experience while on the runs.
You get premium sound quality as with any other apple product, full warranty and it pairs within 3 seconds to your iphone. In fact the Apple airpods automatically turn on the moment you plug them in your ears. When you remove them the airpods turn off automatically and the audio / video stops.
Pros
- Lightweight, comfortable and ideal for slow jogging, tempo running.
- High quality sound quality, probably better than Apple wired earphones
- Pairs quickly, automatically with iPhone.
- Turns off automatically when you pull them out of ears.
Cons
- Not ideal for HIIT, fast running / sprinting / interval running sessions
- Not for Android users
5. AUKEY Key Series T10 True Wireless Earbuds – Best Wireless Earbuds under 10K
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The Aukey T10 was launched in India last year and exclusively available on Amazon. These headphones have received tremendous appreciation from fitness freaks and sound lovers. With a rating of 4 out of and 700+ reviews on Amazon, these headphones deserves to be included in the list of best headphones for running in India.
Unlike other cheap looking wireless headphones the Aukey T10 look sleek and comes in matt black look.
They come with noise isolation and include 3 different sizes of ear-tips and in-ear ear-hooks for a reliable, customized fit.
The charger comes with dual charging options: one that you can connect to a USB and the second one with a wireless charging surface. You just need to place the earbuds in the charging case and place that on the surface to charge. The charging case has built-in magnets that will help to hold the earbuds in the case.
The sound quality of these earbuds are really very good but they cannot be compared to the sound quality of Apple Airpods or Beats Powerbeats Pro.
The company claims the battery life to give you 6 hours of playback time on every charge however users mentioned that the best they can get is around 6 hours of battery life. In my opinion a 6-hour battery life in one charge is pretty good considering the price you’re paying for these.
Another good thing about these is that the calls will be played back on both earbuds, unlike some other products in the market where the calls are played back only in 1 earbud, including the Bose soundsport.
You can actually check if the Aukey product you received is original or not by entering the 20-digit unique number that can be found on the package box. It comes with 18-month warranty.
Pros
- Great sound quality
- Superb design, stylish matt look and fitting for all ear sizes
- Value for money (best
Cons
- Charging case is bulky and not easy carrying in pocket
- Touch controls need to be improved.
6. Anker SoundBuds AK-A32350J1
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The anker soundbuds is a perfect solution for people with an active lifestyle. Whether you like to walk, run, lift weights or do moderate level intensity exercises the Anker Soundbuds can be a good option.
These headphones have a good battery life of around 6-7 hours on a single charge.
The sound quality is pretty decent with the use of APTX technology that is being used by Anker.
They come with IPX5 ensures complete defence against any sweat while you are exercising or even rain if you are outside. The unique ear-hooks ensure that the headphones do not pop out when you are running or doing any exercises.
Many users claimed that they loved using these earphones in the gym because they provided a great passive noise cancellation experience while doing the workouts.
The only downside in these earphones is that the microphone picks up sound from your surrounding while you are taking a call. So the person on the other end will have a lot of difficulty if you are in a noisy place like a metro, bus or other crowded places.
Pros
- Affordable
- Ear-hook design ensures headphones don’t fall out while running or other physical exercises
- Can be used for multiple purposes and not just for running
- Solid battery life of 6-7 hours on each charging
- Decent sound quality
Cons
- Few complaints about durability and longevity. Users claim there were issues after 3 months of usage
- Mic picks up a lot of surrounding noise when you are on a call with someone
7. Sennheiser CX Sport Bluetooth – Best Mid Range Running Headphones
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These are built for the athlete inside you to make your every movement effortless. The Sennheiser’s CX Sport headset maintains a perfect balance between a great design and exceptional sound quality. They are extremely lightweight, comfortable for your ears and are sweat and splash resistant.
The battery life of the Sennheiser CX Sport is around 6 hours on a single charge. The good thing is that they charge really quickly so a 15 minute charge will give you a playback time of around 2 hours.
Sennheiser has tried its best not to over complicate things in this model by giving the controls along the wires and not on the earbuds.
The built-in hooks ensure that the headphones doesn’t fall out during running or any other physical activity. Sennheiser provides three different hook sizes to ensure that you get the proper fit as per your ear size.
Pros
- Premium sound quality
- Fantastic design and colors
- Different sizes of hooks available to ensure proper fit
- Good battery life of 6 hours on a single charge
Cons
- Complaints of headphones popping out of ears on high intensity workouts and fast running
7. JBL Endurance Jump Sport – Best Waterproof Headphones for Running
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The number 7 on our list of best running headphones in India is JBL Endurance Jump. These wireless bluetooth headphones comes with a secure fit ear hook design which automatically turns the power on/off when putting on or taking off the earphones.
Whether you Run, skip, squat, deadlift or do push-ups it is guaranteed that the JBL endurance jump would never fall out of your ears, thanks to its fantastic design.
On top of that you get a IPX7 waterproofing and 8-hours of battery life on every charge to give you a premium experience at a price point of less than 4K. It means that you can wear these even when you go out to run in the monsoon season.
The noise cancellation feature is really good for people who want full isolation during their workout.
Overall sound quality is good but one major downside that the Bass is not upto the mark and the treble sound is too sharp.
Pros
- Run, swim, ride or lift weights but these headphones would not fall out of your ears, thanks to its fantastic design.
- Really affordable, within the price range of 4K
- Available in multiple colors
- Touch controls allow you to easily manage your music and calls
Cons
- Bass output is not upto the mark. Not for the high bass lovers
- Not suitable for people who wear glasses
- Couple of users complained that the they can’t hear properly even after turning the full volume.
- NOT the best headphones for people who like to listen loud songs
8. HIFIMAN TWS600 True Wireless Sports Earphones – Best Running headphones with long battery life
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Never heard about this company called HIFIMAN? Me too…
But the HIFIMAN TWS600 turned out to be a hidden gem.
After doing research on this company we came to know that this company is headquartered out of New york, USA. According to Hifiman’s website the company started operations in 2007. However their manufacturing facilities are based in southeast Asia. They do have a lot of distributors in USA as well as a number of dealers in Southeast Asian countries.
These were launched last year in India and have been selling on Amazon India from September 2019. As of now there are only 9 reviews of this product on Amazon with a rating of 4.2. This might change when you are reading this article.
This product deserves to be in the list of best running headphones in India. Why?
Because of its overall quality, technology used, sound quality, secure fit, playback time and charging time.
The company claims that it has 38.5 hours of playback time and requires only 1 hour to charge it to 100 percent. When we did a little bit of digging we found that most users actually appreciated the long battery life of HIFIMAN TWS600.
Another Amazon buyer wrote this:
To make it short and easy, the HIFIMAN TWS600 comes with an exceptional crystal clear sound quality, secure fit, long battery life, great design.
9. Aftershokz Trekz Open-Ear Wireless Headphones – Best Bone Conduction Headphones in India
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If not then don’t worry because even I had never heard about this technology. However after doing an in-depth research I came to know that it is certainly a very useful technology for few people with hearing deficiencies.
People with hearing issues may benefit from the bone conduction headphones because the technology doesn’t rely solely on the eardrum. We don’t want to get too technical about bone conduction but if you really want to understand more about bone conduction than you may check this article.
In short these headphones are made or useful for people who don’t want any isolation while hearing the music. It means you would still be able to hear your surroundings while listening and enjoying the music.
Therefore it is absolutely useful for runners, cyclists or even people who want to talk on the phone while driving but also be aware of the nearby traffic.
The unique selling point of these headphones are that your ears remain completely open to ambient sounds for maximum situational awareness whether you are running, cycling or just driving in traffic.
Most users appreciated the long battery life of 6-7 hours of playback time. On top of this these are ultra lightweight and sweat resistant. The sound quality is absolutely fantastic but you won’t be able to enjoy real music because they don’t cover your ears.
Pros
- You can hear and enjoy ambient (surrounding) sounds if you are working out in the outdoors
- Eardrums are protected and less chances of damage that is caused by other headphones because of listening to loud volume.
- Crystal clear sound, ultra lightweight and can be used while walking, running, HIITs, cycling and even driving
Cons
- Lack of noise cancellation and isolation because of its design
- The person next to you can hear the music being played.
10. Tagg Inferno, Wireless Bluetooth Earphone - Best Cheap Wireless Headphone for Running
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The Tagg Inferno are the cheapest wireless headphones in our list. Although they are cheap mind you they are by no means a bad choice to buy for your runs, especially if you are a beginner.
Tagg is a 100% Indian company but we are not sure if these headphones are manufactured in India or China.
You cannot compare the sound quality of Tagg Inferno with the likes of Bose soundsport, Apple Airpods and some other brands on our list of best headphones for running. Because there is a huge difference in the price range of these headphones and other ones on our list. These are probably the best cheap Wireless headphones in India.
Mind you even if they are cheap but they don't look like cheap material. The headphones do give an appealing look and the design ensures a snug fit to your ears when you are working out or running.
One of the downside in TAGG Inferno is that they cannot be used for longer durations because of the design. Most users commented that their ears started hurting when they used them for longer durations.
Don't expect noise cancellation / noise isolation from a product at a price point of 2000 rupees. A lot of users who used these for calling mentioned that the person on the other end gets a lot of disturbance and surrounding noises while talking. Therefore it is best advised to use these headphones only in a quiet place.
For some people this actually beats the idea of buying a headphone altogether if they are getting a headphone which picks up surrounding sounds while talking to someone.
Pros
- Cheap and Affordable
- Decent for beginner runners or people who just started working out
- Good battery life of 6-7 hours on a single charge
Cons
- Decent sound quality but very little bass output
- 2-3 second lag when playing Youtube or playing games
- No advised to wear for longer durations to avoid ear pain
- Disturbance in connectivity/sound during phone calls
What to look for when buying wireless headphones for Running - Buying Guide
Headphones should not fall out while running
One of the challenges of wearing an earphones while running is that the earphones should not pop out of the ears while running.
This happens in cases where you are wearing a half-wireless headphone like the bose soundsport. Ofcourse this would not happen if you are wearing actual headphones (those bulky over the hear headphones) or you are wearing those in-ear headphones like the Jabra Elite 6T.
Trust me if you get this one right then your probability of choosing the best headphones for running will be quite high. Therefore don't make a mistake on this one. Look at buying only those headphones / earphones which doesn't fall out while running or working out in the gym.
Sweat / Water Resistant
This one is for people like me who sweat a lot especially when I do sprint training.
I love doing sprint training because of two main reasons - it shoots up my metabolism rate for the rest of the day and secondly it gets the work done in a much lesser time.
A 20-minute sprint training session is equivalent to a 10K jogging or running session.
Therefore if you are one of those people who sweat a lot then it makes sense for you to buy only those headphones that are sweat resistant. So pay more attention to the sweat resistant feature when buying a new headphones for workout or running.
Battery Life
How frustrating it would be to wake up early morning for your runs, only to notice that the battery of your headphones are about to die.
Having a good battery life is a prerequisite for most of the gadgets these days, be it a mobile phone, a laptop, an ipod or any other gadget. The same thing goes for wireless headphones...
When you are using wireless headphones it will consume not only the battery of these headphones but it will also drain your phone's battery. A good pair of headphones are ones which have a music playback time of atleast 5 hours. A 5-hour playback time is considered to be good enough if you are going to use the headphones regularly on a daily or alternate day basis.
If you are looking for wireless headphones for travelling purpose than you need a headphone that has a better playback time than five hrs.
Also make sure that the charging time of these headphones is less than 2 hours. You would not want to keep charging your headphones on charging throughout the day.
Sound Quality
Perhaps the sound quality should be the number one factor that you should consider while buying headphones for running. But the above three factors are much more important than sound quality.
This is because sound quality only matters when you actually have nice earphones which does not fall during running, have a good battery and are sweat resistant.
If I see the above three parameters are met then I would look into the sound quality of these headphones.
But how would you judge the sound quality of a product which is already packaged in the stores.
Also if you are buying online you would not be able to judge the sound quality of these headphones.
Call Answering / Rejecting
Call answering feature is also an important factor to consider while buying headphones for running. Especially for runners who run in the evenings.
They often get calls from their family and friends during their runs. A good headphone should have the feature to answer / reject the call with a tap of finger and you get this feature in Apple Airpods.
Price
Price is the first thing that comes to our mind while doing online shopping. But I don't mind paying an extra premium for the products that are of superior quality and durability and have a long life.
That is why I pick up Apple AirPods when I am running or travelling. They really tick all the boxes that I've mentioned above except the price.
Yes they are a priced a bit higher as compared to other headphones in the market yet they are the best when it comes to quality, comfort, battery life, ease of carrying and they don't fall when while you are running.
Few Cheaper Alternatives of Best Selling Bluetooth Headphones for Running in India
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Summary
If you are a runner and a music lover it really makes sense to use the best wireless headphones for running. You can either pair your headphones with your phone or a smartwatch if you use one. In my opinion Apple Airpods or Bose Soundsport should be your best choice however it depends on your budget as both of them are a bit expensive as compared to others on the list.
We have done an extensive research and given various options for different budgets so that you can pick something according to your own budget.
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