Best Running Headphones and Earbuds for 2026

Shokz has released the second-gen OpenFit 2 with a slightly upgraded design, upgraded drivers that noticeably improve the sound quality, better battery life and a new physical control button. The changes don't seem huge on the surface, but the improvements are significant. They fit my ears more comfortably than the originals and have superior sound quality with more bass and better clarity. They sound excellent for open earbuds -- at least in quieter environments.

The problem with bone-conduction headphones has always been that they just don't sound all that good. That is unless you plug up your ears, which defeats the safety benefit of their open-ear design and is why they're so popular with runners and bikers. Well, that just changed. Shokz has finally cracked the code on bone-conduction sound quality with a novel dual-driver design in its new flagship OpenRun Pro 2 headphones ($180).

With the OpenRun Pro 2, Shokz has solved the bass deficiency issue by adding a second, more traditional speaker driver that's tasked with firing bass frequencies toward your open ears. Shokz employed that same micro-speaker technology (it calls it "air conduction") in its first non-bone-conduction headphones, the OpenFit ($140) and Open Fit Air ($120) true-wireless earbuds.

Anker's Soundcore AeroFit 2 open earbuds have been completely redesigned and look quite different from the original AeroFit buds, which also listed for $100. The second-gen Aerofit are not only more comfortable but look sleeker, sound significantly better and offer all-around improvements. The buds aren't as light as the Shokz OpenFit 2 buds and don't sound quite as good, but they cost quite a bit less and offer good all-around performance with augmented bass response. Available in multiple colors, they're a good option for those looking for ear-hook style open earbuds with a fairly premium design and good sound quality without the high price tag of top-end models.

Why I like them

The original Powerbeats Pro were released in May 2019, so Beats has had a lot of time to plot how to improve the second generation of its popular ear-hook style true-wireless sport earbuds. And improve they have -- by quite a bit. Not only do they feature a new, more refined design with better ergonomics, but new drivers, a more powerful Apple H2 chip, a new built-in heart-rate sensor and, yes, active noise canceling for the first time in a pair of Powerbeats. And that noise canceling is quite good, as is the sound quality and voice-calling performance -- so long as you get a tight seal from one of the five different included eartips. Read my Beats Powerbeats Pro 2 review.

These new Powerbeats Pro 2 fit my ears better thanks to Beats improving the overall ergonomic shape of the earbud and completely redesigning the ear hook -- it's 50% smaller and incorporates nickel-titanium alloy, so it's both flexible and durable. The buds themselves are 20% lighter.

Reasons to buy

Fitness enthusiasts prefer earbuds with ear hooks to prevent their buds from falling out of their ears during intense workouts. Typically, such earbuds don't offer the greatest performance, but the Powerbeats Pro 2 share many of the same qualities and features as the AirPods Pro 2, featuring very good sound quality, along with strong noise cancellation and voice-calling performance. In short, they're versatile, also performing well as everyday earbuds. It's also worth noting that while the Powerbeats Pro 2 have some Apple-exclusive features, Beats does have an app for Android users that makes these more Android-friendly than AirPods.

Reasons to skip/keep looking

While Beats has improved the Powerbeats Pro 2's design and ergonomics, they still may not be a comfortable fit for everybody's ears, and some people may not get a truly tight seal from any of Beats' eartips. (I had an issue and had to use another set of eartips from my collection.) If you don't get a tight seal, you'll likely be unimpressed with the sound quality and noise canceling and may want to return them to the store where you bought them. (Try to find some alternative eartips before you do that.)

The Soundcore by AeroClip are Anker's current flagship clip-on earbuds. Not only do I like their design -- they have a premium look and feel -- but they're comfortable to wear and feature very good sound for clip-on buds. Equipped with 12mm drivers, they serve up ample bass with good volume and decent clarity. The buds sound fuller and more open than many cheaper clip-on buds and are among the better sounding open earbuds I've tried (Android users should note that they have support for Sony's high-quality LDAC audio codec). I also thought they worked well for making calls. For the most part, callers said they could hear me clearly -- even in noisier environments like the streets of New York City (Anker says they have 4 beamforming mics, wind-blocking meshes and advanced AI). Battery life is rated at up to 8 hours at moderate volume levels and the buds are IPX4 sweat- and water-resistant (they're splash-proof). Their only drawback is their somewhat high price tag.

The well-designed OpenDots One are among the best open earbuds out there right now. While they don't sound quite as good as the Bose Ultra Open Earbuds, they're pretty close and fit my ears slightly better and have better battery life. Read review. 

Reasons to buy

Like the Ultra Open Earbuds, which sell for $299, they're a bit overpriced, but at least they cost less than the Bose and their case has wireless charging.

Reasons to skip/keep looking

The Shokz OpenDots One may cost less than the Bose but they're still pretty pricey.

Bose's Ultra Open Earbuds may be the best-sounding and most comfortable clip-on earbuds. But they list for $300. In contrast, Edifier's new LolliClip buds cost $130 and their sound is pretty close to what you get with the Bose Ultra Open Earbuds -- and they're almost as comfortable to wear while fitting my ears securely. They also have some features the Bose buds don't have, including active noise canceling (it's not all that effective but you do sense it muffling some noise in the lower frequencies), a heart-rate monitor, blood oxygen sensor and spatial audio with head-tracking. There's also a low-latency mode for gaming and support the LDAC audio codec for Android users.

The buds have a battery life rating of up to 6 hours with noise canceling on and 9 hours with it off at moderate volume levels. As for water-resistance, their IP56 rating means they can withstand a sustained spray of water and they're also dust-resistant. As I said, I was overall impressed with the sound quality. It's not going to be quite as good as what you get with noise-isolating earbuds with silicone ear tips that you jam in your ears, but for open buds it's quite good. With these type of buds, which allow you to hear the outside world for safety reasons, the bass tends to be a little weak. But the LolliClip buds output ample bass (you have a few EQ settings to choose from, including a bass boost mode) and offer decent clarity. Note that you will have to play around with the fit of the buds on your ears to optimize the sound quality -- a little adjustment can make a significant difference. Voice-calling performance was good but not exceptionally so.

My only gripe is with the touch controls. They're a little finicky (you have to figure out just what is the touch zone), but you do get several customization options in the Edifier ConneX companion app.

The Nothing Ear (Open) buds may not sound quite as good as Shokz' OpenFit 2 buds, but they do offer very respectable sound for open earbuds and I found them lightweight and comfortable to wear (the overall fit and where the buds end up sitting on your ears will impact sound quality, particularly when it comes to bass performance). Overall, the buds are well-designed and feature Nothing's signature translucent plastic on the exterior of the bud. They're IP54 certified, which means they're splash-proof and dust-resistant.

Aside from their design, I liked their pinch controls and slim, elongated case. Voice-calling performance was also good, though it can be a little harder to hear callers in noisy environments because these are open earbuds. Battery life is rated at 8 hours at moderate volume levels with an additional 22 hours in the charging case. While there's a bass boost mode as part of the equalizer settings in Nothing's companion app for iOS and Android (there's also a "low-lag gaming mode), the buds can deliver only so much bass. But I was happy wearing them nevertheless.

The Soundcore Sport X20 has some nice upgrades over Anker's original Soundcore X10 earbuds. They include an improved design, adaptive noise canceling, superior battery life, slightly better sound and multipoint Bluetooth pairing. Like the previous model, these have an interesting design with rotating swiveling ear hooks. They don't swivel as much as the X10's ear hooks, which is a good thing (they stayed on my ears very securely). I also liked that the charging case has a smaller footprint than a lot of buds with ear hooks. 

Fully waterproof and dust-proof with an IP68 rating, the X20 has slightly larger drivers than the X10 (11mm instead of 10mm). As long as you get a tight seal from the included ear tips (you get five sizes), they're able to deliver good sound with punchy bass and good detail. They lack a bit of clarity, particularly at higher volumes (there was a touch of distortion), and the noise canceling isn't as good as Sony or Bose's noise canceling. The buds are affordable and a good value overall.

As for battery life, it's rated at up to 12 hours with noise canceling off and 7 hours with it on. Voice-calling performance is also decent but not exceptionally good.

Truth be told, in some ways, I like the Sony's new LinkBuds Fit better than its flagship WF-1000XM5 noise-canceling earbuds. While they don't sound quite as good or have noise canceling that's quite on par with those buds, they're lightweight (4.9 grams) and fit my ears comfortably and securely. Part of that is due to Sony's new Air Fitting Supporters, but it's also redesigned its ear tips and included a wide range of sizes, including XL tips that fit my ears well. Despite being a slight step-down from the WF-1000XM5s for performance, their sound quality, noise canceling and call-quality performance are all very good. They also have built-in voice controls. Read our hands-on first take.

Shokz, the company formerly known as AfterShokz, has long been the leader in bone-conduction headphones. However, this model, like Shokz's step-up OpenFit true-wireless earbuds, doesn't use bone-conduction technology. They have an open design that fires sound into your ears using custom speaker drivers, which Shokz dubs "air conduction" technology.

While Shokz' flagship OpenFit 2 buds sound slightly better, have better battery life (up to 11 hours instead of 6 at moderate volume levels) and a physical control button, the Open Fit Air cost around $60 less and are a tad lighter and quite comfortable to wear. Available in three colors, they're lightweight (8.5 grams) and comfortable, and I liked how the ear hooks felt soft but had just the right amount of rigidity. They're IP54 splash-proof and dust-resistant and their charging case is fairly compact for this style of sports buds with ear hooks.

While the earbuds sound quite good for open earbuds, they don't sound quite as good as a set of noise-isolating earbuds in this price range (they're a tad bass shy). Nor do they sound as good Bose's Ultra Open Earbuds, which do cost more and serve up a little more bass and fuller sound; the Bose also sound slightly better than Shokz' Open Fit buds. Equipped with two microphones in each bud, the Open Fit Air offer good voice-calling performance. Additionally, the feature multipoint Bluetooth pairing so you can pair them to two devices simultaneously.

The Bose Ultra Open Earbuds have one of the most unusual designs of any earbuds I've tested over the last several years. They clip onto the side of your ears, kind of like earrings, and their open design has micro speakers that fire sound into your ears while still being able to hear what's happening around you. At $299, they're somewhat overpriced, but otherwise, there's a lot to like about them, including a surprisingly comfortable, secure fit and very good sound quality for open buds.

While the LinkBuds Open retain the ring-shaped open driver of the original LinkBuds, it's slightly smaller than the original's driver (11 versus 12mm). Also, the Air Fitting Supporters are an improvement over the original's Arc Supporters, which were quite slim and didn't conform to the shape of your ear as well as these new supporters do. The combination of the slightly smaller driver design and the new supporters should allow the buds to fit more ears more comfortably and securely. However, those with smaller ears may have some issues with them.

I personally got a very secure fit and was able to run with the buds without a problem (they're IPX4 splashproof). The originals created some pressure points for some wearers. I had to fiddle around with their positioning in my ears from time to time, but I didn't experience any pain points with the LinkBuds Fit. However, Apple's new AirPods 4 were slightly more comfortable in my ears, though they didn't fit as securely. 

Aside from the fit, the other big change is to the sound quality. It's definitely improved. Despite the smaller drivers, the buds play more loudly and also deliver a little more bass. The buds are equipped with Sony's V2 digital processing chip and Sony says the driver's have a "high-compliance diaphragm and powerful neodymium magnet" that were "specifically selected to reproduce clear mid and high frequency sound." I also liked the built-in voice controls.

The Beats Fit Pro technically aren't AirPods, but they're built on the same tech platform as the AirPods Pro (yes, Apple owns Beats). Unlike Beats' earlier and less expensive Studio Buds and 2023 Studio Buds Plus, the Beats Fit Pro includes Apple's H1 chip and has most of the AirPods Pro's features, including active noise cancellation, spatial audio and Adaptive EQ. I'd venture to call them the sports AirPods you've always wanted.

Shokz's OpenMove bone-conduction headphones list for $80. The OpenMove headphones have some small design upgrades over their predecessors. I found them comfortable to wear, and while the sound isn't great, it's relatively good for a bone-conduction headphone. Again, keep your sound quality expectations in check or you'll be disappointed. They're very good for listening to podcasts, audiobooks and news broadcasts while you run. I tend to listen to Sirius XM radio while running. 

This model charges via USB-C and includes a simple carrying pouch. Battery life is rated at up to 6 hours.

Cleer's Arc 2 earbuds were among the best-sounding open wireless earbuds with an ear-hook design. Among this style of open buds, the new Arc 3 buds are still near the top for sound but other companies like Shokz and Bose have caught up and arguably sound slightly better. But the Cleer Arc 3 buds have something that other buds of this ilk don't have: a touchscreen LCD built into its charging case. It allows you to control playback and access the buds' features, including EQ settings and even use the case as a remote to snap a photo on your smartphone.

In fact, the Arc 3 are probably the most feature-rich open earbuds out there right now -- and they're fully waterproof with an IPX7 rating. They have built-in voice controls to raise and lower volume, and skip tracks forward and back, as well as Dolby Atmos spatial audio with head-tracking. Additionally, you can nod your head twice to take a call or shake your head back and forth to reject it (this feature is referred to as gesture controls). And finally, they have a UV light that sterilizes the buds when they're in the case. Oh, and a step counter.

While the sound can be a tad uneven from track to track, and the buds' bass lacks a little punch compared to what you get with a good set of noise-isolating buds in this price range, they fit my ears comfortably and securely. They also offered solid voice-calling performance. They're a little expensive but their price seems to be creeping down a bit.

I didn't try the original Soundpeats GoFree earbuds, but the second-gen GoFree 2s deliver a good value, with decent sound for open earbuds that sit on top of your ears -- there's a touch of distortion at higher volumes, but they have ample bass. While they don't quite look or feel like premium buds, they also don't look or feel cheap. They're missing premium features like ear-detection sensors (when you take one off, your music doesn't automatically pause), and their companion app for iOS and Android is a bit underwhelming. But I found them pretty comfortable to wear, they fit securely and their touch controls worked well.

They're equipped with Bluetooth 5.3, have support for the LDAC audio codec for devices like Android phones that support it, and they are IPX5 splash-proof. Battery life is rated up to nine hours at moderate volume levels and their case is one of the more compact cases I've seen for these types of earbuds.

I thought voice-calling performance was acceptable, though not great. These are open earbuds, so they do let sound in, and it can be a little hard to hear callers in noisier environments.

JBL upgraded its ear-hook style sport earbuds in 2023. Available in black or white, the Endurance Peak 3 buds offer better battery life (up to 10 hours with four extra charges in their case) improved voice-calling performance and an IP68 rating that makes them fully water- and dust-proof. They also have an Ambient Aware transparency mode and Talk Thru mode that can automatically lower your music's volume level and open up the buds to the outside world. That means you can have a conversation with someone without removing the buds from your ears.

They stayed on my ears very securely during runs and I thought they sounded quite good, although they do have a bit of bass push (i.e. they have powerful bass). Just be aware that if you don't get a tight seal, sound quality will be significantly worse. Also, like other earbuds with ear-hook designs, the case is on the beefy side. The buds do seem durable and if you get a good fit, they're an excellent and less pricey alternative to the Beats Powerbeats Pro. I also thought the touch controls worked well; I was easily able to toggle through the sound modes.

As long as you can get a good, secure fit, the lightweight second-gen AirPods Pro make excellent earbuds for running and feature a top-notch transparency mode that allows you to hear the outside world. They now come with extra small ear tips for those with very small ears, but Apple still doesn't have extra-large tips for those with larger ears.