The best wireless earbuds for running

The JBL Live Beam 3 features a well-designed lollipop-style stem with touch controls, and their short, ovoid nozzles make for a very comfortable listening experience, though we noted that getting a good fit with the ear tips is not always guaranteed. These earbuds pack a ton of attention-getting features, requiring the JBL app for full functionality, which enables EQ adjustment, a fit tester, and personalized ANC settings. In our testing, we found the sound quality generally pleasing, with a high immersiveness rating and strong, consumer-friendly bass, though it's not ideal for critical listening due to an enormous bass shelf and mediocre distortion. The microphone array offers excellent noise rejection, ensuring your voice sounds good enough for chat clients, handling phone calls without much issue. We found the ANC unit pretty adept at hushing surroundings, effectively reducing most sound under 300Hz, and it performs comparably to other top-tier earbuds despite not being the absolute best we've measured. With ANC on, the JBL Live Beam 3 lasted 8 hours and 14 minutes, which is a great result, meaning you will seldom worry about running out of battery life during typical use.

The Sennheiser Momentum True Wireless 4 features a fashionable design with metallic accents, but we found the large housing can stick out, requiring fiddling with the concha fins for a secure fit, especially for smaller ears. These earbuds come packed with advanced features accessible through the Sennheiser Smart Control app, including self-tuning to your ears, a 5-band equalizer, and support for the latest Bluetooth codecs like aptX Lossless and LE Audio. Our testing shows these earbuds sound great out of the box, with a stellar tuning and immersiveness that makes them fantastic for most listeners and particularly good for gaming and movies. While you can use the Sennheiser Momentum True Wireless 4 for phone calls, we found the microphone performance well below expectations for higher-tiered earbuds, with highly variable speech quality and poor environmental noise suppression, especially with wind. The active noise canceling performs well, achieving 83% average noise attenuation in our lab, and we found it effectively quiets train noise, making them excellent companions for frequent travelers. In our standardized battery test, the Sennheiser Momentum True Wireless 4 delivered 7 hours and 45 minutes of music playback, which is beyond what most current true wireless earbuds manage.

The Jabra Elite 8 Active Gen 2 retains a comfortable, durable design with ShakeGrip coating for secure fit during workouts, and we found the physical button controls easy to use. The headline feature is the LE Audio smart case, which can transmit audio from any 3.5mm or USB source to the earbuds, making them incredibly versatile for travel or gaming consoles, alongside Bluetooth 5.3 with Multipoint support. We found most people will enjoy the sound quality, with a simulated panel of listeners rating the default sound very highly in Timbre, Distortion, and Immersiveness, though we noted an under-emphasis in low-mids and highs. The six onboard microphones provide good call quality in all environments, with excellent noise rejection that focuses on your voice, ensuring you are heard clearly. These earbuds offer great noise canceling, reducing most environmental noise by 80%, and effectively blocking low-frequency rumble like airplane engines, though we found them less effective at attenuating mid-range noise like conversations. In our battery testing, the Jabra Elite 8 Active Gen 2 lasted an impressive 9 hours and 3 minutes, which is significantly above average for wireless earbuds.

The EarFun Air Pro 4 features a lightweight design that we found comfortable for hours, with five included ear tip sizes for a good fit and IPX5 water resistance. These earbuds are packed with features rarely found at their price point, including Bluetooth 5.4 with aptX Lossless and LDAC codec support, Google Fast Pair, Bluetooth Multipoint, and a comprehensive app with 30 EQ presets and five ANC modes. We were impressed by the sound quality, finding that the earbuds sound good out of the box and closely follow our headphone preference curve, with a simulated panel of listeners giving great scores across the board. While the six onboard microphones accurately pick up voice in quiet environments, we found they are not ideal for calls in noisy settings, as background noise can still be heard, though voices remain discernible. The improved ANC offers a noticeable attenuation of noise, blocking out 10-20dB of additional noise and reducing external loudness by an average of 75%, which is very helpful in noisy environments like a bus. In our battery test, the EarFun Air Pro 4 lasted 8 hours and 44 minutes, which is above average, and the case supports Qi wireless charging.

The JBL Tour Pro 3 features a unique design with large, somewhat heavy housings that nestle in the ear, and we found the short, ovoid nozzles provide an easy fit, with four additional ear tip sizes and foam tips included. These are feature-dense earbuds, highlighted by the Smart Charging Case which acts as an audio transmitter for USB, 3.5mm, and wireless connections, and serves as a standalone user interface for many app features like EQ and ANC settings. Our virtual panel of listeners found the JBL Tour Pro 3 sounds the way most people want true wireless earbuds to sound, with high marks across Timbre, Distortion, and Immersiveness, geared toward a consumer-friendly audience. We found the microphone unit exceptionally good at getting rid of noise, handling office noise, street sounds, and wind insanely well, though it struggles a little with echoes. The JBL Tour Pro 3 cancels noise very well, hushing about 83-84% of outside noise, and its transparency mode works effectively, allowing for conversations while wearing the earbuds. In our standardized testing, the JBL Tour Pro 3 lasted 8 hours and 17 minutes with ANC on, which is a very respectable result, providing ample listening time for long commutes or workdays.

The Anker Soundcore Liberty 4 Pro features a unique charging case with a sliding reflective cover and a small built-in display, while the earbuds themselves offer a comfortable fit with a stem that supports convenient swipe controls for volume. These earbuds are packed with features, including the Soundcore app's HearID Sound Test for personalized EQ, 22 EQ presets, multiple spatial audio modes, Easy Chat, and Adaptive Sound Leakage Compensation, alongside LDAC codec support and Bluetooth Multipoint. We found the sound quality to be great, with the default sound closely following our headphone preference curve, and our testing showing high Timbre and Immersiveness scores from a simulated panel of listeners. The microphones work well for calls on the go, effectively focusing on the voice and handling simulated wind noise and reverb well, though some background noise can get through in office and street environments. The Anker Soundcore Liberty 4 Pro does a good job of blocking external noise, reducing low-frequency rumble by about 30dB, and we found them effective at quieting a noisy city, with adjustable ANC levels. In our battery testing, the Anker Soundcore Liberty 4 Pro lasted 5 hours and 42 minutes with ANC enabled, with the case offering additional charges and very fast charging.

The Skullcandy Method 360 ANC features a design nearly identical to Bose's QuietComfort Ultra Earbuds, utilizing Bose drivers and ear tips for a secure, comfortable fit that we found stable and free of ear fatigue, though the case's slider mechanism feels less secure. The headline feature is the "Sound by Bose" branding, backed by a Skull-iQ app that mirrors the Bose app, offering a customizable 5-band EQ, multiple ANC and transparency levels, and a low-latency Studio Mode. We found the default sound to be very bass-heavy, leading to a boomy low end that can cause muddiness by overshadowing the mids, though it still achieved high Timbre and Immersiveness scores from a simulated panel of listeners. The microphone delivers clear but noticeably processed voice quality, sounding thin and compressed, but we found it does a good job with noise rejection, minimizing background distractions, though it struggles with wind. These earbuds provide respectable noise cancellation for their price, reducing low-frequency sounds by up to 28dB and high-pitched sounds by up to 35dB, which is effective for dulling everyday distractions, but not on par with premium ANC. In our testing, the Skullcandy Method 360 ANC managed 7 hours and 43 minutes with ANC on, with the case providing a total of 32 hours of playback.

Choosing the right wireless earbuds can feel overwhelming, but we've tested seven top contenders to help you decide. If you're a traveler or someone who frequently connects to older devices like airplane entertainment systems, the JBL Tour Pro 3 and Jabra Elite 8 Active Gen 2 stand out with their smart charging cases that double as audio transmitters, a truly unique and practical feature. For those prioritizing excellent sound quality and future-proofing, the Sennheiser Momentum True Wireless 4 delivers a stellar audio experience, especially for Android users with its advanced codec support, though its microphone struggles in noisy environments. If you want a lot of features without breaking the bank, the EarFun Air Pro 4 offers incredible value, packing premium codecs, strong battery life, and solid noise canceling into an affordable package, despite its microphone not being ideal in loud settings. The JBL Live Beam 3 also provides a wealth of features and pleasing sound with strong bass, making it a logical choice for those who like bleeding-edge tech. For a balance of good noise canceling, great sound, and a unique (though somewhat gimmicky) case display, the Anker Soundcore Liberty 4 Pro is a strong contender. Finally, if you're on a tighter budget but still want effective noise canceling and a bass-heavy sound "by Bose," the Skullcandy Method 360 ANC offers a compelling option, just be aware of its very strong bass and processed microphone sound. Overall, for most people seeking a versatile all-rounder with top-tier battery life and excellent microphone performance for calls, we lean towards the Jabra Elite 8 Active Gen 2. However, if the smart case isn't a must-have and you value cutting-edge audio features with a slightly more consumer-friendly sound, the JBL Tour Pro 3 is also an excellent choice.