The best earbuds for running of 2023: run to the beat

Shokz, formerly AfterShokz, is a leading brand in the world of wireless, bone conducting headphones. The OpenRun Mini is a quick-charging and lightweight model in the range, made specifically for running.

The wraparound headphones sport a slim titanium frame with grippy silicone coating, weighing in at 25g. They feature Shockz's bone conduction technology - Shokz TurboPitch - now in its ninth iteration, which optimises their sound to increase their bass.

Moreover, a single charge will allow the headphones to gain eight hours of music play and call time. While a 10-minute quick charge will garner 1.5h of play time. Not bad!

The water-resistant headphones are IP67 rated and stay firmly in place regardless of how much you sweat. This is largely due to their intelligent design, with weight being distributed in such as way as to balance the headphones over the ears and behind the head as you run. There’s pretty much zero probability they’ll fall out too.

So how does the bone conducting work? Quality audio is transmitted via vibrations that are received directly by your cochlea (inner ear), bypassing the eardrum altogether. Shokz's PremiumPitch 2.0+ technology aims to deepen the bass while reducing vibration. In real talk this means your ear canals are left completely open so you can remain aware of any road/trail traffic around you. This awareness is hugely important for a pair of running headphones. Big tick

Budget friendly, a secure fit, and remarkably good sound quality; the JLab Go Air Sport earbuds are a great choice for a no-frills experience. You won't find a load of features on these, but they do have all the essential touch controls and a microphone that just about gets the job done.

As the name suggests, the Air Sport can handle some serious activities. Their durable construction is sweat-resistant and they can cling onto your ear like a stubborn koala bear. Many earphones that employ ear hooks are overly stiff and if they don't fit perfectly, they can really hurt after a while. The Air Sports' ear hook strikes a nice balance, being stiff enough to lock in place, but easily pulled back and never pinching.

In addition to their highly secure fit, these earbuds are also very comfortable, with three sets of tips ranging between S, M, and L. It can be a bit fiddly getting a tight seal, but once they're secured, you can go absolutely bananas with full confidence that they're staying by your side.

The JLab Go Air Sports can connect as individual earphones or as a pair. When you put the second earbud in, the shift from mono sound to stereo is highly pronounced. This is great for immersing yourself in the audio, but a bit scary if you've just been keeping track of car sounds with your free ear. There isn't any technology to help you hear the outside world, but there's also no active noise cancellation, so some sound does inevitably bleed in.

Overall, with simple controls and three EQ presets to choose from, the Go Air Sport earbuds excel at consistently producing quality sound no matter what you're doing. They're superb for their price, though we'd recommend switching over to your phone's mic if you need to take a call!

The Jabra Elite 7 Active has become one of our favourite running earbuds to use. Jabra's whole set-up has been created with ease of use in mind, from the slim charging case to the ergonomically shaped buds. Most striking when you first pop these earbuds in is the lightweight design, the whole bud coming in at a mere 5g.

The buds themself do a pretty decent job of sealing to the ear, we only had one escapee during a particularly sweaty interval session. The good grip is down to what Jabra calls their 'ShakeGrip' technology, which employs a liquid silicone rubber compound to hold securely to the ear. It also comes with a choice of S, M, L earbuds.

Most of all, we like how versatile these earphones are. Yes, they're excellent for running, but they also double up as an excellent option for watching videos, taking work calls, and everyday use. This is down to the active noise cancellation available, which can completely block background noise.

Thankfully, you do have the option to adjust the level of cancellation so that you can still hear background traffic when running. On top of this, Jabra have embedded their 'HearThrough' technology, which uses internal microphones to transmit background noises. This also has different levels to choose from.

All things considered, though the price may seem steep (unless you can grab a deal), you only need to invest in one pair of earbuds with the Elite 7s. We love the sound customisation and in-build personal equaliser, too. Battery life is also excellent, providing up to 30 hours with the case, with a five-minute charge providing another hour of juice.

The Shokz OpenFit running earphones represent a new direction for Shokz, who are known for being pioneers in bone conduction audio technology in sports headphones. The OpenFit earbuds offer an open-ear design, which is key to providing an extremely comfortable fit for all ear sizes, as well as maintaining that all-important situational awareness when you run.

What sets the OpenFit apart is the 'DirectPitch' audio technology here debuted by Shokz, who claim this system directs sound waves with precision, resulting in an immersive audio experience. Compared to Shokz's traditional bone conduction tech, we found DirectPitch to offer a clear and crisp sound with less vibration. You can also customise EQ via the Shokz app.

Priced at £179, the OpenFit earphones are not the most budget-friendly option, but they're are an excellent choice for outdoor activities where situational awareness is crucial, offering a balance between comfort and technology. The earbuds come with a convenient magnetic charging case (USB-C), which provides up to 28 hours of playback time (seven hours without case).

Read our full review of the Shokz OpenFit running earbuds

These lightweight and stylish earphones are ideal for lower-intensity runs and everyday use. The Aero Dynamic's sound quality isn't mind-blowing, but it is drastically improved by monkeying around with the EQ settings on the 1More companion app.

As well as adjusting the sound mixing, the app also lets you toggle between noise-cancelling and 'transparent' listening modes. The latter mode uses the microphone – which is impressively clear – to feed you noise from your surroundings which is crucial if you're running on any wide public bridleways or crossing roads.

When it comes to their fit, we found the 1More Aero surprisingly stable for an earbud that lacks any extra security features. We had to shake our head for a neck-pain-inducing amount of time before they came loose. They come with four sizes of silicone ear tips which fit snugly once you find the right ones, and the hard plastic housing lodges each earphone in place quite effectively.

These aren't for super technical runs – their key highlight is comfort. Weighing in at just 4.9g each, the Aero Dynamic earbuds are designed to conform naturally to your ear canal, and the uniquely oval shaped ear tips achieve this excellently. The pressure across your ear is even, and we felt no discomfort after hours of use.

In all, the super lightweight 1More Aero Dynamic has some fab features and scores very well for comfort. They aren't the most secure, but with an easy setup and solid microphones, they're a great choice for all-day use.

When it came to the Majority Tru Sport, we wanted to know whether it was really possible to find a reliable but affordable pair of sports earbuds. They don't promise you the world and fall short. No, Majority have kitted out the Tru Sport with a simple design and basic functions needed to listen out on the trails.

With the Tru Sport you get Bluetooth 5.2, IPX7 water resistance rating (ingress protection), 30 hours of playback, USB-C fast charging, and a multifunction touch button on each earbud. What's more, each of these functions does the job.

Sounds quality is sharp and pleasant, while the decent playback time means you can take these out on your long run without worry you'll be left out of juice before reaching home. The buttonless touch controls take a bit of getting used to if you've not used them before, but quickly become intuitive.

When it comes to fit, the over-ear hook is soft and flexible and helps the earphone sit secure to our ears. Of course, they're never going to be as comfortable as a bone conducting option, like our best in test Shokz OpenRun Mini. But in all, the Majority Tru Sport are a gem in the affordable price-range.

Read our full review of the Majority Tru Sport

The Soundcore Sport X10 have an innovative design, durable finish, and excellent audio output for those big bass fans. When we first went to use the Sport X10, the swivel hook design had us stumped. The earphones curl inwards to fit into the case, and can be rotated to hook up and over the ear, with the bud itself shaped nicely to sit into the eardrum. This makes the fit relatively adjustable and really secure while running.

Soundcore says the audio system is designed to deliver twice as much bass, through use of their BassUp technology. We like this extra boost when listening to upbeat tunes on the trails. Like many others here, you can personalise the output via an app, with 22 EQ presents to choose from. There is active noise cancellation, but we've found that you can still hear background traffic while running which is a plus.

Sweat as much as you want as you run became these earphones are not falling out. The X10 is also IPX7 rated, meaning it's fully waterproof. We personally prefer a slim button over touchpad for volume and next track commands. The X10 has two small button controls at the top of each bud which can also be customised in the app.

There's not much to say in terms of downfalls to the Soundcore Sport X10, apart from the plasticky case, which in our opinion downplays the quality of the earphones inside.

If you're after a pair of bone conducting earphones for your runs, then One Odio's OpenRock Pros might hit the spot for you. Unlike our best in test headphones from Shokz (see above), the OpenRock earphones are not connected across the back, making them more versatile for everyday use also.

The curled earphone design sits along the top of the ear, with the metallic 'OpenRock' logo part sitting above the eardrum (see below photo). The earphone balances on the ear fairly well, but certainly feels less secure than others reviewed here, especially when in motion. The big plus here is of course comfort for the eardrum, with no tight earbuds or pressure points.

The OpenRocks are the heftiest earphones on test, coming in at 13g each, but it's more the bulk that's noticeable when you compare them to Jabra's tiny 5g earbuds, for instance. Nevertheless, they come into their own over longer runs thanks to the large playtime capacity of 19h for one charge. With an IPX5 rating, they're resistant to sweat, dust and moisture, but not waterproof like the Soundcore earbuds above.