Since I started working as a full-time audio journalist in 2019, I have personally evaluated over 160 audio devices. However, has been in the business since 2006, and our team has reviewed over 300 earbuds to far. Thanks to our stringent in-house earbud testing procedure, only the best arrive here.
Whether you’re powering through your commute with an inspiring soundtrack, zoning out with a soothing playlist, or streaming a podcast on a lengthy journey, the best earbuds may completely change the way you listen.
A longer battery life, more comfortable designs, and improved Bluetooth codecs have led to the majority of consumers choosing the best wireless earbuds in 2025. While the top-rated wireless versions are the main subject of this list, some wired jewels for those looking for high-resolution or affordable music are also included. To make sure it meets (or above) expectations, every selection has undergone extensive testing for music quality, noise cancellation, mic clarity, and battery life.
Table of Contents.
- No 1 Bose Ultra Open Earbuds
- No 2 Beats Solo Buds
- No 3 Beats Powerbeats Pro
Top 3 Best Workout Headphones In 2025.
No 1 Bose Ultra Open Earbuds.
The Bose Ultra Open Earbuds are Bose’s attempt at transferring its premium audio expertise and signature bassy sound into an open-ear form factor, and by any metric it succeeds. Since it was believed that true audiophiles wouldn’t be searching for open-ear headphones, the greatest bone-conduction and open-ear headphones typically prioritize a snug fit over sound quality.
Rather, open-ear headphones have been marketed mostly as workout headphones that let you hear people and traffic when cycling or running, or listen to music while swimming. Although open-ear form factors are primarily used for workouts, more and more brands are realizing that they have other lifestyle applications, both in the workplace (such as responding to a colleague while listening to music or participating in a virtual meeting) and on the street (it turns out that being more aware of your surroundings isn’t only useful while exercising).
with order to provide you with the highest sound quality possible with headphones that do not fit in your ear canal, Bose has now released a product that uses Bose Immersive Audio to direct two drivers at your ears. The sound quality is excellent; it’s the best I’ve experienced from open-ear or air-conduction headphones. Their immersive sound-stage technology produces spatial audio that’s perfect for listening to music at home or while running a 10K. Attending work meetings is also a pleasant experience, and I can hear my workplace environment and listen to the person on my laptop conversation without any interruptions.
The battery cylinder is tucked behind your ear, and the headphones are neatly designed to connect onto the side of your ear’s helix rather than over the entire ear. Even on my first five-kilometer run with the buds, they have so far failed to come off, but they do seem a little unsteady due to the uneven weight distribution. For now, they’re really amazing, but a comprehensive review will be necessary to fully appraise them.
Pros
- Very little sound leakage
- Intuitive to wear and use
- Immersive Audio capabilities
Cons
- Premium price
- Uneven-feeling weight distribution
No 2 Beats Solo Buds.
The Beats Solo Buds may feel like a bargain. They have an amazing battery life, are incredibly comfy, and are small enough to fit in a pocket. Additionally, their mobility and continuous 18-hour battery life more than make up for the loss of more expensive features like adaptive EQ and noise cancellation.
The Beats Solo Buds are the brand’s most affordable earphones to date. They come in a little package that is convenient to carry in a backpack or back pocket and don’t have the bulk of many more expensive genuine wireless solutions. Additionally, they have what may be the longest in-bud battery life I’ve ever observed, easily lasting several days of nonstop listening. However, they make a number of concessions that make it more difficult to suggest them to true music lovers.
The Beats Solo Buds have a decent number of features, but they are obviously far from as many as those found in more expensive models. While one-touch pairing makes connecting them a breeze for Apple users, multi-point pairing is incredibly reliable. I literally only needed to tap them to my devices to get started. They come in four different colorways.
The Beats Solo Buds are also offered in the more vivid colors of Arctic Purple (our review model), which is a pleasingly subtle lavender hue, and Transparent Red, a bold crimson with a translucent case. Matte Black and Storm Grey, which are essentially the same hues that most earbuds arrive in, probably speak for themselves. But there is a serious disclaimer attached to this.
You won’t get any additional juice while the buds are in the case because the incredibly thin case for the Solo Buds requires an internal battery, which means that 18 hours is the maximum.
Pros
- Awesome 18-hour in-bud battery life
- Compact buds with comfortable fit
- Cheapest Beats buds ever
Cons
- Quiet and lacking in bass
- No ANC or in-ear detection
- Can get better sound at this budget
No 3 Beats Powerbeats Pro.
An important advancement for the Apple-owned Beats headphone brand is the Beats Powerbeats Pro. They are Apple’s most expensive workout buds, but they have drawbacks, such as limited noise isolation, IPX4 rating, and no noise cancellation.
The Beats Powerbeats Pro are a solid step for Apple and its series of workout-focused headphones. When the Powerbeats Pro were first released in 2018, Apple could have produced a passable, sweat-resistant pair of wireless earbuds and been done with it. However, the Powerbeats Pro are unique because they are incredibly comfy, sound good, and never seem to fall out. When they were first released, they came with a matching charging case and were offered in four different colors: black, ivory, navy, and moss.
It appears that the range has been reduced to three after a year. The Beats Powerbeats Pro may be pricey, but not excessively so. We do like them over Apple’s AirPods since they are an excellent pair of headphones for a variety of situations, including exercise. There are several positive aspects of the Beats Powerbeats Pro’s design. These headphones seem sporty, yet they’re also functional enough to wear outside of the gym.
With a volume rocker and a center playback control button where the Beats logo is located on each of the two earbuds, the Powerbeats Pro offer the convenient feature of allowing you to control your music with whichever hand is free.
(Of course, you can achieve the same result by simply saying the wake word with a voice command if you have Hey Siri enabled.)
Additionally beneficial is the fact that the Pro buds are quite comfy, both in terms of how they fit in and around the ear and how they feel when you’re
Pros
- Easy pairing with iOS
- Immaculate fit
- Enjoyable sound
Cons
- Case is fairly bulky
- Limited noise isolation
- Only IPX4 rated
Meet the team.
In order to decide whether or not to recommend them, our audio tech staff tested hundreds of pairs in various settings. How can we determine what to search for? Because between us, we have years (if not decades) of experience reviewing a wide range of headphones, from pricey, world-blocking noise-cancelling buds to inexpensive, upbeat earbuds.
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