Workout headphones can help keep you in the “zone” during your exercise routines.
This article will talk about the features you need to consider when buying the best wireless workout headphones.
It will include information on:
The pros and cons of different form factors for headphones
Why water resistance is important
Ingress Protection rating and its relevance
Varying battery life of headphones
How sound isolation can be helpful
And more!
So if you want to find the perfect wireless workout headphones for you, then you should continue reading.
Let’s get started.
Whether you’re someone who regularly visits the gym, goes on runs around the neighborhood, or works out at home, you’ll be able to be more efficient and perform your absolute best when you’re hyper-focused listening to your favorite music.
You wouldn’t want to get distracted by the sounds of clanking weights accompanied by the grunts and groans of the other gym go-ers as you try your best to get in the “zone”. You’ll be needing as much focus and determination as possible in order to lose weight and keep in shape, especially if you’re doing some high-intensity workouts.
That’s why you need a proper pair of wireless workout headphones in order to make this happen. There are factors you should take into account before choosing what headphones you should buy so that you can get the best possible experience.
1) Form Factor
Wireless headphones come in a range of different shapes and sizes that you can effectively use during workouts. It is very important to learn about them and understand what you find most comfortable wearing because you’ll be wearing these throughout your workout and other activities.
Although the concept of comfort is subjective and it can differ from person to person, there are some factors to consider regarding each type of headphone. In the end, this choice mainly comes down to personal preference.
The 3 main types of headphones that you can wear are:
Over-ear
Most people find these to be the most comfortable type of headphones since no pressure is applied to the ear or inside the ear. In addition, these headphones are more likely to stay snug and fit on your head while exercising as long as the headband supporting the headphones has a reasonable amount of clamping force.
However, since you’ll be wearing these when you exercise, over-ear headphones may become too hot and uncomfortable during long periods of physical activity where you’ll be sweating a lot.
In-ear
Athletes and fitness fanatics love these kinds of headphones due to their small size and general portability. Not only that, but you won’t have to worry about having these headphones fall off or get loose during a workout, as long as you wear them snugly.
Although some people find them to be the least comfortable type, it’s perfect for bringing around wherever you go because of how little space it takes up.
On-ear
They aren’t as comfortable as over-ear headphones, but they’re generally fine to wear during workouts and physical activities. These headphones are great if you want more portability than over-ear headphones, but still enjoy the look and feel of wearing headphones with a headband while exercising.
Despite that, on-ear headphones may become less comfortable after extended workouts because of the amount of pressure being put on the ear, especially if the headphones have a generally hard clamp force.
2) Water Resistance
During intense workout or exercise, you tend to sweat a lot. This sweat can, over time, damage the fabric of your headphones. This is why you need to use headphones that are water/sweat resistant and provide you with an adequate level of protection.
Ingress Protection Rating
In order to know if your device is water-proof or sweat proof, just take a look at its Ingress Protection (IP or IPX) rating. The rating consists of two numbers that corresponds to the level of protection a device has against the intrusion of solids or, in this case, water.
Your headphones would need to have a rating of IPX4 at the very least in order to be sweat-proof. For more information about the Ingress Protection rating, its other values, and different protection levels you can refer to Acrodyne’s IP Rating Reference Chart taken from the International Electrotechnical Commission’s (IEC) 60529 standard.
3) Battery Life
The battery life of your headphones is important as it defines how long you can use it for the duration of your workout. Wireless headphones have different battery durations, and this is dependent on the type/size of headphone itself.
Basically, on-ear/over-ear headphones have longer battery life than in-ear wireless headphones since its earcups can house bigger and stronger batteries.
Although wireless headphones have varying battery durations, most of them can probably last enough on one charge for your regular workout duration of a couple of hours or so.
4) Sound Isolation
Most in-ear and even on-ear headphones have noise isolation capabilities due to their design of being placed inside or on the ear. Gyms are generally noisy, so having wireless headphones with inherent or electronically active noise-canceling technology is a great way to minimize distractions.
5) Mic
Having wireless headphones during your workout allows you to have convenient control over your calls and music playback. The microphone is usually located within the inside of the driving house or earcups of the headphones. If you’re trying to look for wireless headphones with mics that allow you to make crisp, high-quality calls, then you may be disappointed since most of these devices have subpar mic quality which can only be attributed to the way they were designed.
Conclusion
Trying to look for the best wireless workout headphones isn’t easy, but hopefully, this article helped narrow down your selection and made you aware of your needs. We highly recommend that you get headphones that have the right form factor for you, are water/sweat-proof and have decent battery life that lasts for at least the duration of your workout, if not more.