The best workout headphones are essential for anyone who enjoys fitness. They also make excellent gifts because as long as you know the kind of exercise the person you’re buying for is into, you can make an educated guess about the headphones that will best suit them.
That’s because the activity they enjoy the most might require a different set of features. For example, you can’t take most regular pairs of earbuds swimming, but the Zygo Solo in our list below is specially designed for the pool. In the same vein, you can wear the most secure-fitting headphones while you run, but you might want a pair that keeps you aware of your surroundings, like the Shokz OpenRun Pro.
In this best workout headphones gift guide, we’ve selected headphones at a range of price points, so whatever your budget, you’ll find an option here. But we’ve also focused on selecting headphones for a range of activities. So whether your loved one likes to pound the pavement, take a dip in the pool, or focus on their personal best at the gym, there’s a pair of headphones that’s right for them.
If you’re looking for more of the best present suggestions ahead of the big day, look at our guides to the best Christmas sales in the US and Boxing Day sales in the UK. These guides are packed with more great holiday and Christmas gift ideas.
Best workout headphones gifts
The cheap as chips option
The Sony WF-C700N earbuds aren’t strictly built for fitness. But we’re recommending them because they deliver great sound, are incredibly comfortable and secure (a priority for working out), and have an impressive sub-$100/£100 price tag. Although you will find rivals with more fitness-focused features, we doubt they’ll tick all of the major boxes like these do, and we’re pretty certain they wouldn’t be as affordable.
If you want an even more budget-friendly alternative, take a look at the JLab Go Air Sport.
Ultimate ambient awareness
The Shokz OpenRun Pro are bone-conduction headphones, which means they don’t need to sit inside your ear canals to deliver great sound. They’re the best running headphones who like to stay aware of their surroundings. Although there are other options available in this style, these are our favorites as not only is the audio quality on offer here impressive, but they’re also incredibly light and comfortable to wear.
For bone-conduction headphones for swimmers and outdoor runners, try the H2O Audio Tri multi-sport headphones instead.
A safe bet
The Beats Fit Pro are our top pick in our best workout headphones guide. These noise-cancelling earbuds are essentially the Apple AirPods Pro but more workout-friendly, with wing tips to keep them secure and a bassier sound. This means if you’re keen to buy headphones for a fitness lover but don’t know their precise needs and priorities, we’d recommend these as they’re fantastic all-rounders with sports-specific features.
The Sony WF-1000XM4s are pricier and not sports-specific but for excellent sound to suit most people, you can’t go wrong.
Stability superpowers
Our second recommendation for Beats buds, the Beats PowerBeats Pro are older than the Fit Pro above and don’t have the more advanced features, like Spatial Audio or ANC. But they do have earhooks for added stability – great for running and intense workouts – and a better battery life on a single charge that’ll keep you moving for longer.
If you want an equally stable pair of true wireless buds with a similar earhook design, consider the JBL Endurance Peak 3.
Bring on elite endurance
The Jabra Elite 8 Active are a tough pair of buds. They’re dustproof, waterproof and sweatproof with impressive battery life and a design that stays put during any gym workout. They sound great too, with Dolby Spatial Sound and truly immersive ANC. If you’re buying for someone who needs a high-performing pair of buds for the gym, these are our top pick.
For an alternative pair of buds that perform similarly but are also designed for swimming, check out the JBL Reflect Aero.
Streaming underwater magic
The ultimate in sound performance when you’re swimming, the Zygo Solo can stream content from a smartphone using an FM transmitter that can penetrate water – no other headphones can currently do this, making them some of the best waterproof headphones. This means if you know someone who loves swimming (and crucially swims somewhere where they can keep their phone nearby) these are a fantastic and high-end choice, but are priced accordingly.
Take a look at the Shokz OpenSwim for a cheaper, lightweight option.
More holiday sales in the US
- Amazon: 70% off Kindle, TVs, tablets & clothing
- Apple: AirPods, Apple Watch & iPads from $79
- Adidas: 40% off running shoes & clothing
- Beauty: 51% off makeup, skincare & hair tools
- Best Buy: $800 off TVs, laptops & headphones
- Cheap TVs: big-screen 4K TVs from $269.99
- Christmas: 40% off decor, pajamas & trees
- Dell: Inspiron and XPS laptops from $260
- DreamCloud: 40% off all mattresses
- Family pajamas: Christmas PJs from $12.99
- Gaming: console bundles from $289.99
- Lenovo: 76% off laptops, desktops & printers
- Lowe’s: up to $800 off major appliances
- Nectar: mattress deals starting at $359
- Nordstrom: 40% off Nike, Levi’s & UGGs
- Patagonia: pullovers starting at $64.99
- Samsung: $2,000 of TVs, phones and appliances
- Shopbop: 25% off sitewide with code Holiday
- Target: 40% off Christmas decor, TVs & toys
- Toys: Disney, Barbie & Lego from $14.99
- Walmart: cheap TVs, air fryers, PS5 & toys
More Christmas sales in the UK
- Amazon: up to 65% off tech and gifts
- Adidas: up to 60% off outlet clothing, shoes, apparel
- AO: up to 40% off vacuums, appliances, and tech
- Argos: up to 70% off toys, Christmas decor, and tech
- Boots: half-price gift sets, gift cards, and fragrances
- B&Q: cheap Christmas trees, lights, decor, wreaths
- Carphone Warehouse: 120GB data for £12 per month
- Currys: up to 40% off TVs, air fryers, laptops and more
- Cotswolds Outdoor: up to 50% off Patagonia, Rab, North Face
- Debenhams: up to 70% off home, fashion, gift sets
- Disney: up to 60% off Christmas jumpers, toys, decor
- Ebuyer: up to 40% off laptops, desktops, and components
- John Lewis: £300 off TVs, Apple, plus Christmas decor
- Jessops: up to £1,000 off Sony, Canon, Nikon, and Fujifilm
- O2: up to £600 off iPhone, Samsung and Google
- Samsung: up to £600 off TVs, phones and appliances
- Shark: up to £100 off best-selling vacuums
- Very: discounts on tech, appliances, furniture and beauty
- Vodafone: six months half-price SIMs from £11.50