<h2 class=”body-h2″>What to look for when buying running headphones</h2><h4 class=”body-h4″><strong>A comfortable fit</strong></h4><p class=”body-text”><strong></strong>There’s nothing worse than your headphones digging into the side of your head in the final miles of a long run. These days, you can get all sorts of options designed for sport that wrap around your ears in various weird and wonderful ways. </p><p class=”body-text”>When scrolling through the list below, think about whether you’d prefer wireless headphones that are still connected to one another with a cable, or earbuds. It’s worth highlighting the <a href=”https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B07RB7YHWH” target=”_blank” rel=”nofollow”>Powerbeats Pro</a> here, which have an innovative over-ear hook design that all our runners found extremely comfortable during testing. </p><h4 class=”body-h4″><strong>Waterproof casing</strong></h4><p>Sure, you can run with a ‘normal’ pair of headphones, but they probably won’t be built to withstand heavy rain showers, or a large amount of sweat (nice). A good pair of running headphones will have a waterproof casing that, while not suitable for submerging underwater, will save them from getting destroyed if you’re running in a downpour. </p><h4 class=”body-h4″><strong>Sound quality</strong></h4><p><strong></strong>Of course, you’re using headphones to distract yourself as you clock up the miles. They may not pick up as much as your day-to-day cans, but a good pair of running headphones should offer decent sound quality, while still letting you hear the traffic.<br></p><h2 class=”body-h2″>How we test</h2><p>Look out for products sporting our <em>Runner’s World Expert Tested</em> logo as they’ve been put through the wringer by our expert testers.</p><p>This involved seeing how each pair of performed while stationary and on the run, to make sure the <a href=”https://www.runnersworld.com/uk/health/injury/a776545/common-causes-of-foot-pain-when-running/” target=”_blank”>impact of heels</a> repeatedly striking the tarmac didn’t send them tumbling to the ground. They were also judged on their design, ease of use and performance, with the final category included criteria such as battery life, comfort and sound quality.</p><p class=”body-text”>Products were also sent to an independent sound technician to make sure they could provide the crisp treble and powerful bass needed to help us push our pace.<br></p><h3 class=”body-h3″>Editors’ Choice</h3><p><strong></strong>The ‘Editors’ Choice’ earbuds listed below are those that have been tested – and highly rated – by the editors and contributors on our team. Over the years, we’ve tried and tested our fair share of running headphones and, as technology has evolved, so have our expectations when it comes to comfort, sound quality and performance.</p><h2 class=”body-h2″>The best headphones for runners 2024</h2>”/>