While earbuds are a common choice for sports, many people still prefer to use over-ear headphones during mild exercise. Finding the best over the ear headphones may not be easy. Headphones make you sweat more than usual and tend to fall while exercising. But some Bluetooth ones are available that can serve well for running or for working out.
Note however that most over the ear headphones are not built to withstand intense physical activity, hence, exercising with them regularly will cause damages that the warranty does not cover. Here are some recommendations on the best over ear headphones for working out to buy based on our research. They are not built for sports and so you should take care while using them for a workout. Monitor their performance and do not use them heavily in-between workout sessions.
Best over-ear headphones for working out in 2021:
1. Beats Studio 3 Wireless
Beats Studio 3 Wireless headphones are a very comfortable pair of Bluetooth over ear headphones. They have a well-padded design, are lightweight, well-built, and simply give the wearer a feeling of superior quality. They are good for use during a workout because they fit tight enough to not fall off with frequent body movements, but not so tight that they quickly become uncomfortable.
Another plus is that they have active noise cancelling feature. This helps you have some quiet at the gym or while running on the road. They also have a flexible sound profile that accommodates most genres, and some extra amount of bass to keep you excited and motivated. Beats Studio 3 Wireless headphones lets you blast your tunes at any volume without leaking sound and bothering people nearby.
Like most over-ear headphones, they do not breathe well and make you sweat more than normal; this may cause discomfort during intensive workout sessions. Though they feel stable, they are heavy and tend to shift a little while laying down.
Beats Studio 3 wireless headphones are for you if your primary concern is a good fit and you are willing to spend a little more money. They are generally comfortable, stable, and look good. A fine gym companion. Buy them if you don’t mind the extra cost. But if you prefer to go for a budget-friendly set of headphones, then we would recommend the Plantronics BackBeat Go 810, also one of the best over the ear headphones for the gym.
2. Razer Opus Wireless
They are very cushioned wireless headphones that stay clamped secure enough on your head. They do not fall off while you’re running or exercising at the gym. The controls are touch-sensitive, so you can adjust the headphones output easily without pausing your activities or interrupting your rhythm.
The default sound profile of Razer Plus Wireless is very well-balanced and matches almost any audio or music content. Notwithstanding, their accompanying app lets you access audio presets and graphic EQ to adjust the sound output to your own taste. The headphones also have an ANC feature that lets you block out outside noise like background gym activities, moving vehicles, and pedestrians’ chatter.
On the other hand, if you like to remain in tune with the environment and don’t mind the outside sounds, you can use the pass-through mode of the headphones to let in background noise. Unfortunately, they may not be a good choice for making calls when you’re outdoors or when it is very noisy because the integrated microphone will not do a good job of filtering background noise out of the speech. One other con is that they are bulky and when they are not in use, it is not convenient carrying them around.
However, they are still one of the best over ear headphones that we’ve tested because their sound profile is well-balanced and they have a wide array of features.
3. Jabra Elite 85H
One of the best things about the Jabra Elite 85H is its impressive battery life. It is a well-designed quality set of active noise cancelling headphones. It is built with a mixture of different materials, and the outer layer is covered with fabric. This is an interesting deviation from what we are used to but the fabric layering implies that it will collect more dust.
The sound quality is at the higher end of the spectrum, though it can’t be compared with the quality of more expensive headphones like the Sony WH-1000XM3.
There are three buttons on the ear cups. One to play/pause, and the other two for adjusting volumes and skipping tracks. They are easy to use and reasonable for headphones of this price range.
The SmartSound ANC feature of these headphones is interesting. It scans the background sounds and cancels noise accordingly as you commute. Even with this feature, the battery life of the device is incredible.
At 10.4 Ounce, the Jabra Elite 85H is generally a comfortable, quality, and reliable choice for over-the-ear workout headphones.
4. Sennheiser PXC 550
Audio experts and audio enthusiasts love the Sennheiser brand. The PXC 550 especially is one of their favorite quality over ear Bluetooth headphones. Sennheiser PXC 550 offers impressive sound quality that stands out among Bluetooth headphones. Despite being large, they are not too heavy and are really comfortable to use during long periods of workouts.
The headphones weigh 227 grams or 8 oz. The design of the ear cups pampers the ears with adequate breathing space. One sweet feature is the touch control, which senses when you wear the headphones on your head and automatically power on. They have buttons that are well-positioned and also have voice control options for everything that the buttons command the headphones to do. This comes in handy when you’re working out and you don’t want to interrupt your activity in order to adjust volumes of change music. These interesting features, along with the very good blue sound output make the Sennheiser PXC 550 a proper choice for over ear headphones to use during a workout.
5. Plantronics BackBeat Go 600 Wireless
Among all the ones we’ve reviewed in the budget range, the Plantronics BackBeat Pro Go 600 Wireless is the best over ear headphones for working out. They are Bluetooth enabled devices that fit well and do not fall off at the slightest movements during exercise. They stay over your ears during light to moderate workouts but will fall off when head movements become too much.
With a battery life of 17 hours, you can take them to several workout sessions before they run out. They are the best headphones for listening to hip-hop, EDM, and pop music because they produce a vibrant v-shaped sound profile that works well with those genres of music. Most headphones that fall in this price range do not support the pairing of multiple devices, but the Plantronics BackBeat Pro Go 600 does. So without undergoing the usual Bluetooth pairing process, you get to stream podcasts from your home computer and also listen to tunes at the gym.
A disadvantage of these headphones is that they are made with mostly plastic and so do not give a premium-quality feel to the wearer. They also do not consistently deliver audio in the bass range. However, they are still a good pick if you need over-ears with plenty of features for a very pocket-friendly price.