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The Best Earbuds With Ear Hooks Prove Sport Earbuds Aren’t Just For Workouts
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The true wireless earbud market is crowded, but finding wireless sport earbuds that sound good takes a little more effort. It may seem like a niche category, but earbuds with ear hooks aren’t just for workouts.
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To find the best earbuds with ear hooks, our music-obsessed editors tested a range of options from top brands like Beats and Bose, as well as budget-friendly picks from brands like Anker and JBL. To find the best options, we considered factors like fit, the design of the charging case, and of course, sound quality.
Earbuds with ear hooks can also be great earbuds for small ears, creating a secure fit without exerting too much pressure inside the ear canal. Often called sports earbuds, the best earbuds with ear hooks are often targeted toward athletes and gym rats, but they’re a suitable option for anyone who struggles to find a securely fitting pair of earbuds.
What To Consider When Buying Earbuds With Ear Hooks
Over-Ear vs. In-Ear Hooks: Earbuds with ear hooks can wrap around or over the top of your ears, while other picks feature on-ear tips, sometimes called “wings,” that fasten to the inner part of your ear for a secure fit. Over-ear hooks are more secure, but the cases are often bigger, and the earbuds may interfere with glasses.
Comfort: Those who have trouble finding well-fitting earbuds might find earbuds with ear hooks more comfortable, as they prevent the buds from slipping out. Because they fit securely, earbuds with ear hooks are also popular for workouts. One factor to look out for with ear hooks is interference with eyewear or bike helmets, which can make earbuds with wings a better option.
Water Resistance: Since they’re often designed for workouts, earbuds with ear hooks should have some level of water resistance. So if you’re a runner shopping for earbuds, look for the Ingress Protection (IP) rating that will tell you if they’re sweat- or water-resistant.
Case Design and Battery Life: All of our picks come with a charging case, and while the earbuds are the most important factor, the charging case is important too. Some cases are too large for a pocket, making them better suited to a gym backpack, and they vary by how much extra juice they provide.
How We Chose The Best Earbuds With Ear Hooks
Our top picks consist of earbuds we’ve tested hands-on, where we evaluated subjective factors like sound quality and comfort and scrutinized performance metrics like battery life, case size, and active noise-canceling.
Read on for some of the best options we’ve tested.
BEST OVERALL
Beats Fit Pro Earbuds
$199.95
Quick Summary: Beats Fit Pro delivers active noise canceling, battery life that’s better than AirPods, and comfortable in-ear wings that are secure. Despite the earbuds’ sleek profile, the case is still oversized.
Active Noise Canceling: Yes
Water Resistant Rating: IPX4
Stated Battery Life: 7 hours continuous, 30 with the case
The Beats Fit Pro earbuds are a few years old, but they continue to be an excellent option for workouts and everyday wear. Features like active noise-canceling and the charging case mean they outperform the latest offering from Beats, the Solo Buds. They utilize Apple’s H1 chip and have features like spatial audio and head-tracking, and with seven hours of continuous playback and up to 30 hours with the case, they also outpace AirPods when it comes to battery life.
Instead of over-ear ear hooks, these feature in-ear wings, which were comfortable in our testing. In our review, e-commerce editor Sage Anderson wrote, “It’s meant to fit into the natural curvature of your inner ear, and while I dreaded the usual soreness after a few hours, they were still surprisingly comfortable after a full seven hours of wear.” They also praised the familiar, punchy bass profile that Beats is known for, adding, “Truly, this is the closest you can get to the subwoofer-like, near-bloated bass levels of old Beats Bluetooth speakers.”
The main drawback is the large case and the lack of an updated version, but their workout-focused design, comfortable in-ear tips, and ANC features make them the best overall option.
BEST VALUE
Anker Soundcore Sport X20
$69.99 $79.99 13% off
Quick Summary: Soundcore’s comfortable earbuds have great ANC, a comfortable fit, and a compact case. Even if the sound won’t blow you away, these buds are tough to beat for the price.
Active Noise Canceling: Yes
Water Resistant Rating: IP68
Stated Battery Life: 12 hours continuous, 48 with the case
Anker’s Soundcore Sport X20 ticks a lot of boxes for a small price. The app allows for customized features like adjustable ANC that performs admirably well at cutting sound. You can also customize EQ from the app and adjust what the controls do. A minor gripe is the earbuds’ controls are poorly placed; each bud has one physical button next to the hook, making it somewhat hard to reach. Still, those who find touch controls overly sensitive or finicky will be happy to see Anker’s use of a physical button.
As for wearing them, the earbuds have flexible hooks that feel softer and more malleable than the stiff ones from JBL and Beats. They were comfortable to wear for extended periods and stayed in place while in motion. Four different sizes of ear tips are included, in addition to the medium size that comes attached. Soundcore lists the listening time as 12 hours with the earbuds, or 48 hours in the case. The impressive battery life shouldn’t be too surprising for a brand best known for making portable chargers.
The sound quality isn’t as impressive as offerings from Bose, Beats, or JBL, but there are plenty of features that make this a top pick nonetheless. They boast better ANC than any earbuds at this price have the right to, and the earbuds are comfortable to wear thanks to the soft, flexible ear hooks. Plus, compared to the large JBL and Beats cases, these earbuds can tuck relatively easily into a shirt pocket.
MOST INNOVATIVE
Bose Open Earbuds
$299.00
Quick Summary: The Open Earbuds keep you aware of your surroundings, without compromising on the sound quality Bose is known for. Their steep price and unusual fit means they won’t be for everyone.
Active Noise Canceling: No
Water Resistant Rating: IPX4
Stated Battery Life: 7 hours continuous, 19.5 with the case
Bose is best known for its top-of-the-line active noise canceling, but their Open Earbuds, released in February, don’t have ANC. They don’t even have passive noise canceling. Bose is capitalizing on the growing market for open-ear earbuds made popular by brands like Shokz, but they’ve completely reinvented the design.
Instead of over-the-ear hooks, these earbuds have a flexible band that clips behind the ear, and the earbuds don’t sit in the ear canal. The earbuds are impressively compact and lightweight design. Together, the earbuds weigh 12 grams. The Powerbeats Pro, for comparison, are 22 grams. In the case, the buds weigh 57 grams, compared to the hefty 131-gram Powerbeats case.
Figuring out how to wear them takes a little trial and error, and the best position for the clip will vary depending on the size of your ear and what you find most comfortable. They also don’t feel secure in the ear, but they are; the buds showed no signs of falling out on a sweaty bike ride.
The open-ear design and innovative ear clip design make these a good option for outdoor workouts, like cycling and running. Behind-the-ear hooks can compete for real estate if you’re also wearing sunglasses, a problem these clips solve. By leaving the ear canals open, cyclists and runners can enjoy their favorite music without compromising awareness, though you can expect loud sounds to drown out the music.
And unlike other open-ear earbuds, these aren’t just great for workouts. The sound quality is surprisingly immersive for a pair of open earbuds. You can wear to the office if you want to listen to music but still be aware of conversations around you, and they’re great if you find in-ear buds to be uncomfortable.
These earbuds are impressive and futuristic, but they’re not without faults. For starters, at $300, these are an expensive pair of earbuds. At retail, Bose Open earbuds are the same price as Bose’s QuietComfort Ultra Earbuds, despite not having ANC or features like auto-pausing when you take them out. A wireless charging case costs extra, a tough pill to swallow for such an expensive pair of buds.
The controls come down to a single button, which does everything from control playback to adjusting the volume. That means that unless you want to memorize a Morse code-esque sequence of presses, you’ll probably stick to your phone for everything but playing and pausing.
For $300, these earbuds may be tough to justify for some. But between the excellent sound, an innovative, futuristic design, and the comfort and convenience of the open-ear design, these earbuds are an impressive foray into new territory for Bose.
BEST CONTROLS
Beats Powerbeats Pro
$199.95 $249.95 20% off
Quick Summary: The Powerbeats Pro sounds great and sits comfortably and securely and the controls are easy to use, but the oversized case is a drawback.
Active Noise Canceling: No
Water Resistant Rating: IPX4
Stated Battery Life: 9 hours continuous, 24 with the case
Beats’ Powerbeats Pro earbuds were first released in 2018, and if Reddit threads and Apple forums are any indication, the people are ready for the Powerbeats Pro 2. There’s no word yet on whether a new version is coming, but the Powerbeats Pro remains one of the best options for sports earbuds, thanks to their secure fit, solid sound, and reliable comfort.
The buds themselves are excellent. The long ear hooks ensure a secure fit, even if they are a little tricky to put on. They’re also very comfortable, making them a great option if you wear them at your desk or work out with them. These earbuds also have some of the best controls of the models we tested. A large, easy-to-reach rocker button makes it easy to adjust the volume, and the Beats logo serves as the multifunction button, allowing you to pause and play music.
These earbuds also have in-ear detection, reliably playing and pausing when you put them on and off. They have a workout-friendly bass-forward sound that doesn’t sound distorted, meaning these don’t have to be your workout-only earbuds. However, If you don’t like the sound profile, you’re out of luck; the Beats app doesn’t have a native EQ. They also lack ANC.
Beats is owned by Apple, but we tested these using an Android phone and found them to be more than capable, with a reliable Android app and easy Bluetooth connection. The largest drawback for Android users is that the case still uses a lightning cable. It’s included, but it’s tedious considering most devices have migrated to USB-C. There’s no wireless charging, either, so there’s no workaround.
Speaking of the case, it’s enormous. This probably won’t be a big deal if you’re taking them to the gym in a backpack or duffel, but there’s no pocket on Earth large enough to comfortably accommodate these. With the case, you get up to 24 hours of playback, which isn’t bad, but one could hope for more with a case this large. Depending on the features you value most, these drawbacks can add up for a pair of earbuds that retail for $249.
Overall, if you prioritize comfortable, secure earbuds with solid sound quality and great controls, these are an excellent option, even if the case design leaves something to be desired.
BUDGET BUY
JLab Go Air Sport
$29.98
Quick Summary: If you need a pair of beater earbuds, the Go Air Sport costs just $30 and is often on sale for less. However, the built-in charging cable in the case is an odd choice.
Active Noise Canceling: No
Water Resistant Rating: IP55
Stated Battery Life: 8 hours continuous, 24 with the case
JLab’s Go Air Sport are a budget-friendly pair of true wireless earbuds that are ideal for sweaty gym sessions. They have secure over-ear hooks and an IP55 dust and water-resistant rating. They lack features like ANC, but the solid 32-hour total battery life with the case and better-than-average audio quality makes it hard to complain, particularly given their sub-$30 price.
Of the sound quality, our reviewer wrote, “Like most workout buds today, JLab has engineered a beefed-up bass sound for their headphones, and the Go Air Sport don’t miss the mark here.” They added, “For their price point, the Go Air Sport from JLab give you your money’s worth, especially to carry you through your longest and toughest workouts.”
The case has a built-in USB charger, though our reviewer noted using the now-standard USB-C would have been preferable. For a pair of true wireless earbuds that can be found for as little as $20, it’s hard to top JLab’s Go Air Sport.
ALSO GREAT
JBL Endurance Peak 3
$79.95 $99.95 20% off
Quick Summary: The Endurance Peak 3 ear hooks are comfortable and secure, and the audio quality lives up to JBL’s reputation. However, the case is bulky and the touch controls are overly sensitive.
Active Noise Canceling: No
Water Resistant Rating: IP68
Stated Battery Life: 10 hours continuous, 50 with the case
JBL is an icon in the home audio space and has pushed into the personal audio market with well-priced headphones and portable speakers. The Endurance Peak 3 is a great middle-of-the-road pick in sound, price, and performance. First, the bad: these buds lack features like ANC and in-ear detection, and the touch controls tend to be overly sensitive.
That said, they perform well in the sound department, and while the case is large, it’s less bulky than the gargantuan Beats case. The intuitive app has a surprising number of controls, such as an equalizer and the ability to personalize the touch controls. Even without ANC, these earbuds have a feature called voice aware that keeps you tuned in to your surroundings.
Another nice feature is the ability to use just one earbud while the other is in the case. The hooks are somewhat stiff but undoubtedly secure — these buds aren’t going anywhere. Plus, IP68 dust and water protection make these capable of withstanding your sweatiest, off-the-beaten-pathiest workouts. As for battery life, the earbuds deliver up to 50 hours with the case or 10 hours of listening time.
How these earbuds stack up is a matter of perspective; they may not excel at any one thing, but they do enough things well to make them something of a Goldilocks option. If you’re looking for a capable, not-too-expensive pair of earbuds for daily runs and workouts and can live with a large case, no ANC, and awkward controls, these earbuds are a top contender.
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