The best wireless earbuds for running

The JBL Live Beam 3 are a set of very well-designed earbuds, featuring a lollipop-style design and short, ovoid nozzles that provide a comfortable listening experience, though silicone ear tips may trap heat. These earbuds pack a ton of attention-getting features, accessible primarily through the app, including EQ adjustment, a fit tester, and personalized EQ. In our testing, the sound offers a pleasing timbre with strong bass and emphasized highs, leading to a high immersiveness rating despite mediocre distortion. The microphone provides excellent noise rejection, making your voice sound good enough for chat clients in various conditions. We found the active noise canceling pretty adept at hushing surroundings, effectively taking care of most sound under 300Hz and isolating 10-30dB of outside noise. The battery life impressed us, lasting 8 hours and 14 minutes with ANC, which is great for true wireless earbuds, and they support Qi-compatible wireless charging.

The Sennheiser Momentum True Wireless 4 present a fashionable design with metallic accents, but their large housing may stick out, though the concha fins help ensure a secure fit. These earbuds boast extensive features through the Sennheiser Smart Control app, including self-tuning, a 5-band equalizer, and support for advanced codecs like aptX Lossless and LE Audio. We found the sound quality to be stellar out of the box, with high marks for both tuning and immersiveness, which is especially good for gaming and movie content. However, the microphone performance is well below what we expect for higher-tiered true wireless earbuds, with highly variable speech quality and poor environmental noise suppression, particularly with wind. In our lab tests, the active noise canceling performed pretty well, posting 83% average noise attenuation, and the passive isolation is also very good. The battery lasts a commendable 7 hours and 45 minutes, exceeding what most current true wireless earbuds manage, and the case supports Qi wireless charging.

The Jabra Elite 8 Active Gen 2 maintain a comfortable form factor with a ShakeGrip coating to prevent slippage and boast an impressive IP68 water and dust resistance for the earbuds. Their headline feature is the LE Audio smart case, which can transmit audio wirelessly from any 3.5mm or USB-C source, complemented by a comprehensive Jabra Sound+ app offering Dolby Spatial Sound and a 5-band equalizer. Most people will enjoy the sound quality, which received a near-perfect rating in Timbre and good scores across Distortion and Immersiveness from our simulated panel of listeners. The microphone system performs well in all environments, effectively focusing on your voice and blocking out most simulated office, street, and wind noise. We found the noise canceling to be great, reducing most environmental noise by 80% and low-frequency rumble by about 30 dB. The battery life is significantly above average, lasting 9 hours and 3 minutes, with the case providing an additional three charges and supporting both USB-C and wireless charging.

The EarFun Air Pro 4 feature a lightweight design that we found comfortable for hours, with five different ear tip sizes and IPX5 water resistance. These earbuds offer a wealth of features, including in-ear detection, customizable tap controls, and an extensive EarFun Audio app with 30 EQ presets, five ANC modes, and support for aptX Lossless and LDAC codecs. We were impressed by the sound quality, finding that the earbuds sound good out of the box and closely follow our headphone preference curve, earning great scores across the board. While the microphones accurately pick up the voice in quiet environments, they are not ideal for noisy conditions, though we noted a modest improvement in windy and street conditions over their predecessor. The active noise canceling brings major upgrades, noticeably reducing external noise by an average of 75% on its strongest setting and blocking an additional 10-20dB compared to passive isolation. We measured the battery life at 8 hours and 44 minutes, which is above average, and the charging case supports both USB-C and Qi wireless charging.

The JBL Tour Pro 3 earbuds feature a typical bud design with short, ovoid nozzles that easily fit, though their housings are large and somewhat heavy, they nestle securely. The Smart Charging Case is a standout feature, serving as a standalone user interface and an audio transmitter for USB, 3.5mm, and wireless connections, complemented by the JBL Headphones app for extensive customization. We found the sound to be really decent, geared toward a consumer-friendly audience, achieving high marks across the board from our virtual panel of listeners for Timbre, Distortion, and Immersiveness. The microphone quality is crazy good at getting rid of noise, handling office noise, street sounds, and wind with insane effectiveness, though it struggles a little with echoes. These earbuds cancel noise very well, hushing away about 83-84% of outside noise, and offer a good transparency mode. Our testing showed a respectable battery life of 8 hours and 17 minutes with ANC on, making them suitable for an entire workday, and the case supports Qi-compatible wireless charging.

The Anker Soundcore Liberty 4 Pro feature a unique charging case with a reflective cover and a small, non-touch display for quick controls, while the earbuds offer a comfortable fit with stem-based pinch controls that include convenient volume swiping. These earbuds pack a truly staggering amount of features through the Soundcore app, including HearID Sound Test, 22 EQ presets, spatial audio modes, and adaptive sound leakage compensation. We found the sound quality to be great, with most people likely enjoying the default sound, which exhibits an emphasis on bass frequencies but otherwise closely follows our preference curve. The microphones work well for taking calls on the go, clearly capturing voices and doing a great job of focusing on speech while handling wind noise and reverb effectively. The active noise canceling performs well, reducing low-frequency noise by about 30dB and proving great at blocking city sounds. We measured the battery life at 5 hours and 42 minutes with ANC enabled, and the case offers quick charging capabilities.

The Skullcandy Method 360 ANC with Sound by Bose earbuds are practically identical in shape and size to Bose's QuietComfort Ultra Earbuds, utilizing Bose's ergonomic design for a secure, snug, and comfortable fit. Their headline feature is the "Sound by Bose" branding, incorporating Bose-tuned drivers and an app (reskinned from Bose) with a customizable 5-band EQ and various ANC modes. We found the default sound to be very bass-heavy, spacious, and enjoyable for many, although it sacrifices some detail and clarity in the mids, and our MDAQS scores indicated high Timbre and Immersiveness but lower Distortion. The microphone delivers a clear but noticeably processed voice quality, intelligible but sounding thin and slightly recessed, though it offers good noise rejection but struggles in windy conditions. The noise cancelation is respectable for its price, reducing low-frequency sounds by up to 28dB and higher-pitched sounds by up to 35dB, effectively dulling everyday distractions. These earbuds managed 7 hours and 43 minutes of battery life with ANC on, which is a respectable result, and feature Rapid Charge, but lack wireless charging.

When choosing among these wireless earbuds, we see a clear spectrum of features and performance tailored to different needs. For those seeking exceptional value with a rich feature set, the EarFun Air Pro 4 stand out with their great sound, customizable EQ, and effective ANC at an affordable price, making them a strong all-rounder. If you prioritize durability, an excellent microphone, and the unique ability to transmit audio wirelessly from any wired source, the Jabra Elite 8 Active Gen 2 are an outstanding choice, especially for travelers or active users, and they offer impressive battery life. The JBL Tour Pro 3 and JBL Live Beam 3 both impress with their innovative smart charging cases, offering on-case controls and extensive app features; the Tour Pro 3 takes it further with its audio transmitter for ultimate versatility, while the Live Beam 3 provides similar benefits at a slightly lower price point. For a premium experience with future-proofing thanks to advanced codecs like aptX Lossless and LE Audio, the Sennheiser Momentum True Wireless 4 offer stellar sound and ANC, though their microphone performance is a trade-off. The Anker Soundcore Liberty 4 Pro deliver many premium features and great sound at a more accessible price than top-tier flagships, with their unique case adding a touch of flair. Finally, for those who want a bold design, strong bass, and effective noise canceling on a budget, the Skullcandy Method 360 ANC with Sound by Bose offers a compelling package, leveraging Bose's ergonomic design and tuning at a fraction of the cost, though with a bass-heavy sound profile. Ultimately, your best choice depends on whether you prioritize value, specific advanced features like audio transmission, top-tier sound, or rugged durability.