Please stop wearing your AirPods Max at the gym

I get it. You paid a premium for those sleek, matte aluminum Apple AirPods Max, and it feels good to show them off. You love the sound quality, the seamless Apple integration, and the way they make you feel just a bit more put together. But listen—you need to stop wearing the AirPods Max to the gym.

Not because they look ridiculous (though they kind of do when you’re bench pressing in $549 earmuffs), but because they were never designed for that environment. No amount of flexing is worth risking a pair of headphones that, quite frankly, were built for a lounge chair, not a leg press.

Why you shouldn’t wear AirPods Max during workouts

For starters, the AirPods Max have no official sweat or water resistance rating. The minimum is usually IPX4, but the Max have zero durability against moisture. Apple does make that clear in the fine print, but an unsurprising number of people don’t read that far before throwing them into a gym bag. That lack of protection means your sweat—a constant in any real workout—can slip through the mesh canopy, soak the memory foam ear cushions, and potentially seep into the drivers. And if damage occurs? Apple won’t cover it because, guess what, water damage voids the warranty. Game over.

Now, you might think, “I just lift weights; I don’t sweat that much.” And maybe you won’t sweat enough to damage the drivers. But here’s what others are maybe too polite to tell you: even mild perspiration adds up. Moisture builds inside those plush ear pads, creating a bacteria-friendly, stink-prone environment. It doesn’t take long before your ear pads start smelling like a gym bag. And it’s not just you who has to live with the funk—everyone around you will, too. No microfiber cloth will fix that. You’ll either suffer through the stench or cough up a hefty $69 for new cushions. Again. And again.

Then there’s the simple matter of physics. These headphones are heavy. At 385 grams, they’re some of the heaviest consumer headphones on the market. That weight becomes a liability the moment you start moving. Running or jumping, they are going to bounce around on your head. Even lying flat on a bench press can cause them to shift or slide. You’re constantly adjusting instead of focusing on form. That’s not only annoying but a bit unsafe.

But what I want to stress the most is that there are so many options out there better suited for the gym. If you want to stay in the Apple ecosystem, the AirPods Pro 2 ($189.99 at Amazon) offers solid sound with IPX4 sweat resistance. Even the Beats Fit Pro ($159 at Amazon) provides a gym-friendly fit with great audio and the same H1 chip for seamless pairing with iPhone.

Did you know you can even track your heart rate with earbuds now? The new Powerbeats Pro 2 ($249 at Amazon) offers this feature along with the newer H2 chip and over-ear hooks to remain stable. And if you want both heart rate and body temperature tracking, the Sennheiser MOMENTUM Sport ($329 at Amazon) can do it all for serious athletes.

You could also try a pair of open-earbuds, an increasingly popular product category for maintaining situational awareness, or even bone-conduction headphones like the Shokz OpenRun Pro 2 ($179.95 at Amazon), which are built for awareness and durability and won’t punish you for breaking a sweat.

The AirPods Max are luxury headphones, not gym gear. They sound phenomenal. They look sharp. But using them in the gym is like taking a Ferrari off-road. Sure, you can do it—but why would you, when there are all-terrain vehicles built for the job?

If you have money to burn and can buy another $550 replacement without blinking, then good for you. But for the majority of people, please follow my advice: Spare your headphones. Spare your wallet. If you want to listen to music at the gym, then for the love of your ears, invest in a pair of workout-ready earbuds or cans. Your future self (and nose) will thank you.