Sports Earbuds Buyers Guide
What to look for in the Best Sports Earbuds
Buying online can be a little trickier than buying in person when you can't test things out. So, to help you find the right earbuds for you, we are going to break down the factors that you should pay attention to when you're picking out your sports earbuds.
Wired or Unwired?
With wired headphones, you don't have to worry about battery life. Also, the connection will always be perfect as long as there are no wiring issues. This can result in better sound quality and overall more reliability in a pair of earbuds. However, you do have to deal with a wire hanging from your ears.
If instead, you decide to go with a set of wireless earbuds, you gain the convenience of having them totally wire-free, but they will not have the rock-solid reliability of wired headphones.
The nice thing about modern technology in headphones is that wireless headphones generally have no issues as far as connectivity goes. If you buy a pair of headphones that don’t connect properly, it is likely a manufacturer's defect. So you can pretty much choose based on whatever your preference is.
Sound
Many things are going to affect the sound coming out of your headphones. The quality of the hardware, the components, the way they fit, the Bluetooth signal, and more. The most important thing to pay attention to is the quality of the sound components.
The best earbuds will have neodymium drivers and CSR chips. CSR chips were created as a low-cost version of high-quality sound so you can get the best possible audio while still being able to afford the headphones.
The way that the headphones fit will be a contributing factor because if they can seal within your ears tightly, then you won't have a lot of outside noise and the music can get straight into your ears.
You want to have good sound quality because the level of bass and the clarity of trebles will allow you to hear things the way they were intended to. With resounding bass, you can get into the music and focus on pushing yourself and get into the flow state so you can enjoy the workout fully.
Durability
Your headphones need to be durable enough to handle the activities you're going to be doing. Whether it's running, biking, hiking, kayaking, yoga, or any high-intensity activity, your headphones will need to be built of strong enough materials to handle the pressure.
If you are going to be sweating a lot, then consider getting headphones that have at least an IPX4 waterproof rating. This will make sure that they can handle the moisture that is coming their way.
If your headphones are cheaply made then when you snag the cable, or if they are dropped, they are not going to last a long time. Especially when you're working out, you need to have a little bit of added durability so they don't stop working whenever something happens.
Comfort
Comfort is what is going to give you the ability to wear your headphones for hours on wend without taking them out of your ears. Memory foam tips and ear clips help you feel more comfortable when you are wearing your earbuds.
Memory foam is one of the most comfortable types of padding for the inside of your ears as it allows the headphones to fully conform to the shape of your ear canal. Also, silicone tips can work well.
They tend to be a little bit more slippery though, so ensure if you're going with silicone that they have the ear clips to keep them in place. If you get a pair of headphones with multiple sized tips, you can pick and choose which ones are most comfortable for you as not all people's ears are the same.
Battery Life
Battery life is slightly less important unless you're planning to be using your headphones for more than just sports. If you are primarily using your headphones for working out, then it is easy enough to charge them up and use them whenever you know you are going to work out.
If however, you are looking for a pair of headphones that you can listen to for extended periods day after day, you may benefit from having a pair of wired headphones instead of wireless so you don't have to worry about the earbuds dying.
Bluetooth Signal
Ensure that your Bluetooth signal is at least 4.0 or higher. The best Bluetooth signals will be 5.0 or higher, but it also comes with an added cost. Bluetooth 4.0 is still fairly impressive and strong so you can enjoy a good enough signal without paying the extra money that a higher-end version requires. However, if you're looking for the cream of the crop, then paying the extra money could be worth it for you in the long run.
Conclusion
We hope the information provided will give you the confidence you need to pick out the best sports earbuds for you. We love to listen to music in the most immersive way possible during a workout as well. You can't go wrong with any of our 10 best earbuds in 2023.
If you've enjoyed this review by Music Critic, please leave a positive rating:
- 3/5
- 2 ratings
2 ratingsX
Very bad! | Bad | Hmmm | Oke | Good! |
---|---|---|---|---|
50% | 0% | 0% | 0% | 50% |