TOP 10 Best Over-ear Headphones for Working Out

Calling all gym rats! Are you striving to find the best over-ear headphones for working out in 2022? Well here are our TOP 10.

The TOP 10 best over-ear headphones for working out in 2022 have been researched, tried and tested by users to bring you the best the market has to offer for your gym sessions.

With all the great headgear out there it can be difficult to choose the right headphones for working out.

Earbuds can be inconvenient, because when you sweat, they tend to fall out. So, despite them being the most lightweight option, they don’t always make the cut for the gym.

Over-ear headphones for working out are the solution!

The most important things to look out for are comfort, sweat resistance, sound quality and active noise cancellation (ANC), or at least noise isolating Ear cups.

The products below meet these requirements, and more.

We have featured headphones specifically designed for working out. With excellent Bluetooth connectivity, banging sound quality, noise isolation and cancellation, and a comfortable, secure fit for your workouts at the gym, outdoors or at home.

Introducing the TOP 10 Best Over-Ear Headphones for Working Out in 2022!

These have been researched, tried and tested by users to bring you the best the market has to offer for your gym sessions. 

Sennheiser PXC 550-II

The closed back PXC 550-II over-ear headphones for working out from Sennheiser will help you stay focus during your workouts. Featuring 32mm dynamic drivers and industry leading Adaptive Noise Cancelling technology-NoiseGard. This feature adjusts to your surroundings to block out any unwanted gym noise, so you can hear your music, and nothing else. The convenient touch controls give you control over your music and voice assistant, so you can pause and make a call easily on the treadmill. The triple microphone design provides amazing voice clarity.  The comfortable and breathable design will allow you to work out without discomfort…to your ears at least! The sound settings are completely customisable, allowing you to tailor your sound to your unique listening preferences. The battery life stands at an impressive 30 hours, so the PXC 550-II can keep up with your busy lifestyle. Finally, these are compact and collapsible so are easy to transport to and from the gym.

Specifications Pros Cons
Bluetooth 5.0 compliant Great battery life Not loud enough
Adaptive noise cancellation Good frequency range Bulky design
Not water resistant Compact foldable design
30 hours Touch sensitive controls
40 metre range Customisable sound settings
Voice assistant

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BEATS STUDIO3

Beats by name, beats by nature! Look no further than these headphones for the best over-ear headphones for working out. Like the Beats Solo3, these provide an immersive, pounding and uplifting workout experience. But unlike the Solo3’s, the Studio3’s provide real-time audio calibration to keep the tunes balanced and clear. Forget you are even at the gym with the adaptive noise cancelling technology that their Solo3 counterparts don’t have. The 40 hours battery life is enough for a weeks’ worth of gym visits, without worrying you will run out of juice. But if you do, then a quick refuel of 10 minutes for both you and the headphones will have you back on the treadmill in no time! And don’t be worried about getting caught without battery. The beast Stusio3’s have an LED fuel gauge to show the battery level. If you prefer buttons to touch controls, then these are the headphones for you. They are Android and Apple compatible and connect seamlessly. Not only do these headphones have all the mod cons you need for the gym, but they also look pretty great.

Specifications Pros Cons
Advanced Class 1 Bluetooth Technology Great battery life Noise isolation isn’t as good as other brands
Adaptive Noise Cancelling Good noise cancellation
40 hours battery Apple W1 chip
Compatibility
Comfortable

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JBL Live 660NC

The JBL Live over ear headphones for working outwill make you feel alive! And most importantly will stay in place while jogging, lifting or sparring. The sound quality is driven by 40mm drivers that will make you feel like you have been transported directly to a concert. With adaptive noise cancelling technology and ambient aware mode, you choose how much you interact with your surroundings. With a mind blowing 50 hours battery life you won’t even need to use the quick 10-minute charge to get an extra 4-hours battery.

Specifications Pros Cons
Bluetooth 5.0 Good secure fit Android 6.0 or higher is required for full access to voice assistant
Adaptive noise cancellation Ambient aware mode Tight fit
50 hours battery Good sound quality
Voice assistant Noise cancellation

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Plantronics BackBeat Go 600

What? A pair of outstanding headphones for less than $30?! Yep. These Plantronics headphones produce rich, balanced sound across a range of different styles, genres and modes. Do you prefer catching up on series while working out than listening to music? Well, these headphones will perform as well in that genre as they will listening to your favourite tunes. Add a boost to your bass with customised EQ settings. The ear cup design is large, providing comfort, ventilation and noise isolation so you can feel confident that your focus will be on your work out, and not on your ear gear! The battery life stands at 17 hours. While not the best, it’s still plenty for your morning workout, trip to work, lunch stroll and trip home. And if it isn’t, you always have the 3.5mm back up jack. They don’t come with many frills, but for the price these are the best over ear headphones for working out.

Specifications Pros Cons
Bluetooth with 10 metre range Bass Boost No ANC
17 hours battery Can be used in wired or wireless mode  
  20 days standby time  
  Large ear cups  
  Lightweight  
  Price  

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ANKER SOUNDCORE LIFE Q20

Anchor yourself into your sound with the Anker Soundcore Life Q20 headphones. One of the best over-ear headphones for working out 2022. Featuring a closed back design with custom oversized 40mm drivers that produce high-res, clear and detailed sound.  The 4 active noise cancelling microphones are ideal for the crowded gym. These headphones use Bass Up technology to boost your bass and keep you motivated. One charge gives you 40 hours playtime, which is around 600 songs! Worry about your reps and not your battery or connection. The Bluetooth 5 technology gives you a 15m range of uninterrupted connectivity, and they come with an AUC cable, so you can also enjoy high quality sound in wired mode. The design has your comfort in mind with memory foam ear cups and rotating joints that adapt to the shape of your head.

Specifications Pros Cons
Bluetooth 5 AUX Good active noise cancelling Cannot charge and listen at the same time

Can get a bit hot and sweaty

Hybrid Noise cancellation Good sound quality No mic in wired mode
Not water resistant Comfortable
40 hours battery life Can be used in wired and wireless mode
10 metre signal range

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Skullcandy Hesh 3

Enjoy an optimal listening experience while you work out with Skullcandy Hesh 3 over ear headphones for working out. The Skullcandy Hesh 3’s are an upgrade of the Hesh 2’s. The upgrade has resulted in a better fit, reinvigorated design, and an increased battery life. The sound remains Skullcandy, with powerful bass and 40mm drivers. The ear cups provide a noise isolating fit so you can drown out the gym noise and stay focussed on your workout. These are lightweight and the ear cups are covered in memory foam. They also pivot giving you a comfortable fit that won’t get in the way of your focus. They come in 4 different colours, have excellent Bluetooth connectivity and hold 22 hours battery. You can see the battery level, and the headphones will also notify you when your battery level is getting low. A fast 5-minute charge will give you an extra 90 minutes battery. Just enough time to squeeze in a cheeky gym sess.

Specifications Pros Cons
Bluetooth wireless technology Collapsible design The bass may just blow you off the treadmill!
Noise isolating Battery level notifications No ANC
22 hours battery Great connection  
40mm drivers Powerful sound  
  Flexible fit  

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BlueAnt Pump Zone

The Blue Ant is native to Australia and is in fact a wingless wasp that stings when under threat. These headphones will add a sting to your workout with their 40mm drivers pumping out thundering bass that will shake your bones. These have been designed to be durable, comfortable and affordable. They are sweat proof and lightweight, but built with aluminium alloy, so no worries about them keeping up with you in the gym. These can be used in Bluetooth or wired mode giving you more freedom when it comes to battery life and devices. But with 30 hours battery life and rapid charging your only concern will be finding more time to use them. The touch controls make it easy to change tracks, control the volume and take calls with the touch of a button. And their collapsible design means they will fit nicely into your gym bag.

Specifications Pros Cons
Bluetooth 4.1 Collapsible design Bass may be a little heavy for some.
Sweat proof and IP54 antimicrobial Thundering bass  
Voice assistant Sweat proof  
30 hours battery Build quality  
3.5mm jack Good sound quality  
  Comfortable, secure fit  
  Can be used in wired or wireless mode  

 

Avantree New ANC031

Enjoy impressive, wired sound wirelessly with these Avantree headphones. Clear, detailed, banging sound with industry leading ANC technology at the flip of a switch. With up to 28 hours battery life and an ultra-lightweight comfortable fit, you could wear these all day, not just for your workouts. The ear cups are super soft and provide a noise isolating fit to add to the already existing ANC. You won’t notice the music playing in the gym or your fellow gym goers! The Avantree New ANC031 headphones can be used in wired or wireless mode to give you ultimate freedom when it comes to battery preservation and device choice. Use these at the gym in the morning and wired on your PC or laptop in the evening.

Specifications Pros Cons
Bluetooth 4.1 Good sound quality In wired mode cannot control mic or volume via headphones
40mm drivers Excellent ANC  
3.5mm cable Good build quality  
28 hours battery Decent carrying case included  

 

Can be used in wired or wireless mode

 

 

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Bose SoundLink II

Bose’s legendary sound design is simply…well legendary! With the highest sound quality around, matched with bluetooth multi-connectivity and slick design, these SoundLink Around Ear headphones perform equally in the gym, the studio or home cinema! Thank you for finally making some of the best over-ear headphones for working out Bose! It can be hard to decide whether you want to watch an episode of your favourite series or listen to music while working out. With these headphones, you can connect to two devices and switch effortlessly between watching and listening throughout your workout! The design is ultra-lightweight and the earcups are oversized, but not overly padded, providing ventilation, noise isolation and comfort.

Specifications Pros Cons
Advanced microphone system Impeccable design High price point
15 hours playback time Crisp and dynamic sound In-call sound can cut out or become choppy
Connection to 2 bluetooth devices Double bluetooth connection  Weak construction
Latest bluetooth technology Lightweight and great looking Not great for bigger ears

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Under Armour JBL Sport Train

These on-ear JBL Sport headphones are designed for fierce athletes like you, and are some of the best over-ear headphones for working out. With Under Armour’s unique Super Vent fabric technology these headphones are breathable, fast-drying and durable. The fabric is removable and washable and can be washed with your gym gear. These are IPX4 sweat resistant to give you the extra resistance you need for those tough, sweaty workouts. The Under Armour grip material on the headband and ear cushions provide a soft feel and a secure fit. The speed charge feature allows you to recharge quickly and enjoy the 16-hour battery life day after day. JBL use Talk Through technology that allows you to talk and listen during your sets by lowering the music and amplifying speech.

Specifications Pros Cons
Bluetooth 4.1 Removable and washable Under Armour Super Vent fabric Over ear design does not provide much noise isolation
40mm drivers Good noise isolation  
16-hour battery life Great battery life  
IPX4 rated Good carrying solid carrying  
  Durable  
  Lightweight  

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Don’t sweat it…

With the great tech choice above, you will have no trouble finding the best over-ear headphones for working out 2022!

The headphones above use a closed back design and if you are looking for the best closed back headphones for under $200 for all your listening activities then you will find them here The Best Closed-Back Headphones Under 200

If you’re the type of gym rat who likes to blast out some classical music during workouts, then head over to our article here  for the TOP 10 headphones for classical music 2022.

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Paul Goral

I am the founder of North Creek Music and I have a master’s degree in Engineering Acoustics. Sound is my passion. I wanted to start this blog and share my passion with others.

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