The best headphones for working out: Expert tested and reviewed

Finding the right earbuds to work out in is challenging, especially if you sweat a lot. Bone conduction headphones might be the perfect solution. By wrapping around your head and sitting near instead of entirely in your ear, the Shokz OpenRun Pros transmit sound through the bone architecture, allowing your ears to breathe. This is great for anybody who exercises for a long time, like people training for a half marathon or cyclists going on hours-long bike rides. 

The headphones deliver a 10-hour battery life, and according to Jack Wallen’s testing, he’s gotten close to a week’s worth of running without needing to charge. In addition to the long-lasting battery, Wallen was also impressed with their sweatproof capabilities, especially given his track record of ruining running earbuds and their quality sound performance. 

Review: Shokz OpenRun Pro

“The OpenRun Pro sound offers more bass than you’d expect for a pair of bone-conducting headphones, and the fit is so minimal that you forget they’re on your head,” says Wallen. 

Finally, another ‘pro’ of bone-conducting headphones is the ability to hear your surroundings. This is especially important for outdoor runners who should be constantly aware of their surroundings, and Wallen assured that the OpenRun Pros helped him “avoid disaster.” 

Bone conduction headphones aren’t for everyone, but if you love exercising outdoors, rain or shine, want environmental awareness, decent sound for your music and podcasts, and a long battery life, the OpenRun Pro headphones are the platonic ideal of a workout headphone. 

Shokz OpenRun Pro specs: Weight: 1.02 ounces | Battery life: 10 hours | Bluetooth version: 5.1 | Waterproof: IP55 | Noise cancellation: Dual noise cancellation