The best workout headphones

The Apple AirPods Max are luxury headphones featuring a sturdy stainless steel headband and aluminum ear cups, feeling well-built yet heavy, though the headband distributes the weight brilliantly for comfort with plush padding and deep ear cups. We appreciate features like top-notch noise canceling and transparency mode, a smooth digital crown for controls, and auto-pause sensors, though they lack a power button, opting for a low-power mode in their case. In our testing, the sound quality is very solid with a clear, pleasing profile that appeals to most listeners, featuring a notably reduced emphasis in the highs and a little extra kick in the sub-bass, with vocals remaining plenty clear. The microphone quality is not always predictable, with performance depending heavily on your connected device, yielding best results with Apple devices or flagship Android phones. The active noise canceling on the AirPods Max is fantastic, excelling at attenuating low-frequency noise and performing comparably to other top-tier ANC headphones. We measured the battery life at approximately 21 hours of constant playback with ANC turned on, which is solid, though they can drain if not placed in their smart case.

Sporting a complete redesign, the Sony WH-1000XM5 offers comfort with soft coating, vegan leatherette, and deep, wide ear pads that accommodate larger ears, though they lack an IP rating for moisture protection. We found many popular features, including ear sensors for auto-pause, ambient noise passthrough activated by cupping your hand over an ear cup, and a capacitive touch panel for controls, enhanced by the Sony Sound Connect app for customization. The sound quality is decent with strong bass and treble emphasis, and a somewhat recessed midrange, which provides a consumer-friendly profile that we found can benefit from equalization, though LDAC offers very good wireless audio quality. Equipped with an eight-microphone array and an AI noise rejection algorithm, the call quality is quite good, particularly excelling at rejecting outside noise in our samples. The WH-1000XM5 offers a pretty big improvement in overall noise attenuation and ANC performance, effectively blocking sounds like engines, trains, and street noise to about one-eighth of their original perceived loudness. Our standard battery test yielded 31 hours and 53 minutes of playback with ANC on, well beyond a normal week’s commuting, and fast charging provides 180 minutes of playback from just three minutes of charge.

Designed primarily for comfort and fit, the Bose QuietComfort Ultra are lightweight at 253g, featuring wide ear cups and soft padding that create a good seal, though they do not have an ingress protection rating. Controls are straightforward with a multifunction button, power button, and a touch-sensitive strip for volume, and the Bose Music app allows for equalizer adjustments, immersive audio settings, and firmware updates. In our evaluation, the sound quality is quite good for ANC headphones, and the CustomTune feature adjusts the sound to your ear anatomy, delivering a consistently decent experience, even if the immersive mode didn't always enhance audio quality for us. The microphone array provides clear, intelligible speech in various simulated situations, making them suitable for phone calls, though in-call results can vary due to network compression. Bose lives up to its reputation with excellent noise canceling, as the large, dense ear pads provide great isolation, and the ANC effectively reduces loudness of sounds like bus engines and airplane whines by about 87%. Our standardized test protocol showed the battery lasting for 27 hours and 37 minutes of continuous playback with ANC, which is sufficient for extended use or long flights.

Primarily constructed of matte-finished plastic with an aluminum skeleton band, the JLab JBuds Lux ANC are comfortable for hours with soft foam ear cups shaped to accommodate ears, and they fold up compactly for travel, though they lack an IP rating. On-headphone controls consist of rubberized buttons on the right ear cup, which can be customized via the JLab app, offering a 10-band EQ, adjustable ANC modes, and a volume limiter. The sound quality is pretty decent, characterized by a strong bass emphasis and a large bump in the 5-10kHz range that can boost cymbals and sibilant sounds, appealing to commuters, and is easily improvable with the in-app EQ. In our tests, the microphone performs an excellent job fighting reverb, allowing your voice to come through clearly in most situations, though it struggles somewhat against wind noise. The noise canceling is somewhat weak compared to high-end models, providing 10-20dB of attenuation under 700Hz, but the ear cups offer outstanding passive isolation for high-frequency noise. We measured an impressive 44 hours and 22 minutes of battery life with ANC on, significantly outperforming many competitors and providing more than enough power for a week's use.

Despite their large size, the Heavys H1H headphones are comfortable to wear with a cushy headband and roomy earcups that provide a quality seal, and they feature swappable ear cup shells for personalization. These headphones boast a unique 8-driver design, "Hellblocker Noise Cancelation," a transparent mode, Bluetooth 5.1 with aptX Adaptive support, and a convenient physical volume knob that doubles as Play/Pause. As musicians ourselves, we found the sound truly shines for heavy music, delivering low-end punch, crisp distorted guitars with good definition, and excellent separation of instruments, making them an ideal pair for enjoying intricate heavy tunes. The Heavys H1H can be used for calls, but our review did not detail the specific quality of the microphone. The "Hellblocker Noise Cancelation" effectively keeps outside noises at bay, though engaging it causes a minor loss in bass response while hardly changing treble frequencies. Our review did not detail the specific battery life for the Heavys H1H headphones.

Sony addressed previous design gripes, offering a more robust hinge and a foldable design with the Sony WH-1000XM6, though some found the ear pads relatively thin and noted the ANC mic could rub against the ear, affecting comfort for some. The WH-1000XM6 provides a familiar control scheme via a capacitive touch plate and physical buttons, and the Sony Sound Connect app unlocks extensive features like a 10-band equalizer, 360 Reality Audio, and speak-to-chat. We found these to be measurably the best-sounding Sony WH-1000X-series headphones yet, offering a pleasing sound profile that is also much easier to equalize in the lows and mids compared to previous models. With a 6-mic beamforming array and AI-trained model, the microphone system does a fantastic job handling outside noise, including wind, ensuring clear voice transmission in various environments. These are competent noise canceling headphones, comparable to other top-end ANC headsets, relying on very strong isolation to make high-frequency incidental noise less likely to reach your ears and allowing the ANC system to shine in the sub-1kHz region. Our standardized battery test showed the Sony WH-1000XM6 lasting for 37 hours and 14 minutes, an admirable performance for powering through a week or an intercontinental flight.

The Nothing Headphone 1 presents a unique retro-futuristic design with square aluminum slabs and transparent elements that certainly stand out, and we found them comfortable for hours with a secure fit and cozy memory foam ear cushions, despite their weight. Uniquely, these headphones boast an IP52 water and dust resistance rating, offer a satisfying tactile control system with a roller for volume and a paddle for track skipping, and provide a comprehensive 8-band custom equalizer within the Nothing X app. In our testing, the default sound signature is good, though dark, with some notable underemphasis in the midrange and treble that benefits significantly from EQ tweaking, which the Nothing X app facilitates robustly, leading to a more natural listening experience. The four-microphone array with AI-powered Clear Voice Technology delivers solid microphone performance, effectively suppressing background noise like wind and droning sounds, though it struggles significantly with echo and reverberation. The Headphone 1 delivered consistent noise cancelation performance, providing effective attenuation for low-frequency noises and very good passive isolation for higher frequencies, resulting in an average attenuation of 85% across samples, although ANC mics struggled with excessive wind. We measured an impressive battery life of 42 hours and 53 minutes with ANC on, exceeding the manufacturer’s claim and outlasting many competitors, with fast charging providing 5 hours of ANC-off playback from just 5 minutes of charge.

When choosing wireless headphones, your decision often comes down to your budget, preferred features, and how you plan to use them. For those firmly in the Apple ecosystem who prioritize seamless integration and top-tier noise canceling, the Apple AirPods Max are an excellent, albeit heavy, choice. If you're an Android user looking for premium noise canceling and advanced features like Snapdragon Sound, the Bose QuietComfort Ultra is a strong contender, while the Sony WH-1000XM6 offers class-leading sound quality improvements and robust ANC, making it a superb all-rounder. For those who want great performance without breaking the bank, the Nothing Headphone 1 stands out with its unique design, IP52 water resistance, and long battery life, though it benefits from a bit of sound customization. Similarly, the JLab JBuds Lux ANC provides fantastic value with its impressive battery life and decent noise canceling for budget-conscious commuters. Finally, for the dedicated heavy music enthusiast, the Heavys H1H are uniquely tuned to deliver an engaging sound for those genres. Ultimately, if you prioritize outstanding noise canceling and sound quality in an all-around package, the Sony WH-1000XM6 or Bose QuietComfort Ultra are excellent premium options. For a compelling mix of features and value, especially if you like a distinctive style and don't mind a little EQ adjustment, the Nothing Headphone 1 is a compelling choice.