Wireless headphones for sport

[traineeinvestor]

Looking for recommendations for wireless headphones. They'll be used when running and hiking so they will get covered in sweat and rain. Needs to be iPhone compatable.

I've been using Powerbeats and have got pretty fed up with their unreliability - specifically long delays in connecting and volume going to zero at irregular intervals after about 6 months of use. (And, yes, I have tried just about every suggested solution I can find on the Internet, to no avail.)

Any and all suggestions gratefully appreciated.

 

[Midpack]

I'm sure the odds are very low, but I'm sticking with wired...

Wireless Headphones Catch Fire During Long-Haul Flight | News & Opinion | PCMag.com

 

[Big_Hitter]

^ good call

 

[harley]

I'm sure the odds are very low, but I'm sticking with wired...

Sadly, the OP is using an Apple phone, and they got rid of their headphone jack port. I think you can buy headphones that plug into the charging port, but I don't know anything about them. Apple is part of a conspiracy to get us all to burn our faces off.

 

[Midpack]

Sadly, the OP is using an Apple phone, and they got rid of their headphone jack port. I think you can buy headphones that plug into the charging port, but I don't know anything about them. Apple is part of a conspiracy to get us all to burn our faces off.

Though they got rid of the old jack, the iPhone 7 comes with an adapter so you can plug any standard corded headphones in the Lightning port. Earbuds were also included...

 

[H2ODude]

Both DW and I have Bose in ear wired noise canceling for long plane flights. I went with the in ear because I also use at gym when on stationary bike to not have to listen to ladies talking about latest Facebook recipes or grandchildren. If not for gym and the sweat would have gone w over ear. The in ear work fine but do have to push them back in every 5-10 minutes, not a big deal. Really block the ambient buzz well.

 

[explanade]

The big over the ear ones like the Bose have big batteries and thus, more battery life.

The ones suspected in the fire are cheap, no-name Chinese brands I believe. Lot of things could have happened. Maybe they were manufactured poorly or the batteries somehow got pierced. One common thing with airplane fires is a phone or an iPad slipping into the cracks of those lie flat seats and the mechanism bending the mobile device, compromising the battery structural integrity.


There are also wireless in-ear buds which are much smaller so battery life is typically 4-5 hours. You can find a lot of them for $20-30 on Amazon.

I got a set there and haven't looked back, have almost stopped using wired headphones.

But it does compromise sound quality. One problem is transmission over bluetooth probably degrades the sound.

For me, I'm listening to podcasts every day so that's not a big deal.

 

[braumeister]

I got these last summer and have been very happy with them.

JBL Reflect Mini Bluetooth In-Ear Sport Headphones

 

[2017ish]

...
There are also wireless in-ear buds which are much smaller so battery life is typically 4-5 hours. You can find a lot of them for $20-30 on Amazon.

I got a set there and haven't looked back, have almost stopped using wired headphones.

...

I currently use a cheap ($15-17) earbud type that also has a plastic strip going in front of my ears to better hold it in place. Works well, but they are not well-made and it costs a couple of bucks to ship them in for exchange/refund when they quit working.

On my 4th (and last) set in less than six months. Probably going to work my way up to the 20-30 dollar range and see if that fixes things.

 

[frayne]

I've been using some beats solo for about two years with no problems whatsoever. They hold a charge a long time as well.

 

[Midpack]

The ones suspected in the fire are cheap, no-name Chinese brands I believe. Lot of things could have happened. Maybe they were manufactured poorly or the batteries somehow got pierced.

Do you have a link for that? I looked and couldn't find details, and it would be very useful to know.

 

[explanade]

No sorry I should have mentioned it was people commenting on the story.

So speculation.

I remember reading though that airline staff are suppose to be trained on lithium battery fires. They're suppose to have special bags to snuff out the flames.

In fact Amazon sells bags which are suppose to be for battery packs or devices with batteries.

 

[jabbahop]

I use these for cycling and hiking.

https://aftershokz.com/products/trekz-titanium?variant=7698984833

I don't like things in/over my ears that don't let me hear - these use some bone conduction which works pretty well. I listen mostly to podcasts so audio quality isn't my top priority.

 

[imoldernu]

I wouldn't dare use dual earpieces while biking.
Since I only listen to the NPR radio station, I use an old Motorola Tracfone w/FM radio and a single wired earbud.

 

[2017ish]

I wouldn't dare use dual earpieces while biking.
Since I only listen to the NPR radio station, I use an old Motorola Tracfone w/FM radio and a single wired earbud.

I use both ears when running city streets/sidewalks. But to combat the risk I keep volume low, jump to sidewalks if traffic gets heavy, and run toward traffic. Still a risk, but man I hate listening to my own panting!

 

[donheff]

I hate earbuds - very uncomfortable. I liked a pair of Cardo BT over the ear phones I used for many years until the covers fell apart. They would occasionally fail to connect to the iPhone right when I needed them but my 7 YO car does the same thing. Is Bluetooth better on new devices?

 

[explanade]

I can't imagine wearing over the ears for exercise, unless you don't mind the perspiration that accumulates on the ear cups.

Plus, the earbuds, you can drives with them and the cops won't bother you but if you're wearing cans, I don't see how they can ignore that.

I would be more open to the Apple Airpods but I don't like white earphones and they're not in-ear. (I often only plug one side at a time with the in-ear headphones when driving or other times, for safety reasons). Battery life isn't great but supposedly you can use one of them at a time while charging the other one in the charging case.

So I may go for the BEATS X, which are in-ear and have the W1 chip.

 

[harley]

As much as I love music, I've never been able to listen to it (or watch TV) while exercising. I find it too distracting. I think I listen too intently. And I can't imagine listening to music while hiking. I want to hear the birds and the wind in the trees. So no need for headphones for me. When I listen to music, that's what I'm doing. When I exercise, that's what I'm doing. I really never was much good at multi-tasking.

 

[tulak]

Beats X are great, but they are not sweat proof. It baffles me that they can make headphones that aren't sweat proof.

 

[zinger1457]

When running I always had problems with the standard earbuds sliding out. If that is what you will use it for I would definitely look for ones that provide some type of extra ear support to keep them in place. I use wired earbuds where the wire is designed to over the top of the ear and have no issues with the earbuds sliding out.

 

[HFWR]

I bought this item from Amazon a couple of years ago. Sound quality is pretty good, rubbery inserts are comfortable and get a good seal (important for bass frequencies, and for reducing ambient noise), and the battery lasts several hours. Have only used them for walking.

 

[euro]

I use these for cycling and hiking.

https://aftershokz.com/products/trekz-titanium?variant=7698984833

I don't like things in/over my ears that don't let me hear - these use some bone conduction which works pretty well. I listen mostly to podcasts so audio quality isn't my top priority.

Thanks for this -looks very good and I might give it a try. They do seem very expensive, so I hope they are made to last. Have you had them for a significant amount of time? Do they perform well in terms of Bluetooth connectivity?

 

[Ready]

I have been using the Plantronics Backbeat Fit bluetooth headphones for a couple of years now and have been very happy with them. They are water resistant and have never once fallen out of my ears while exercising. Sounds quality is decent and battery life is about 7 hours. And they are very lightweight and comfortable.

I've seen them on sale at Costco for around $60.00.

 

[mpeirce]

Beats X are great, but they are not sweat proof. It baffles me that they can make headphones that aren't sweat proof.

Not sure exactly what sweet proof means.

I picked up the Beats X and use them every time I go to the Y. No problem with them staying in my ear. I do sweat (of course) and haven't encountered any problems with them.

 

[tulak]

Not sure exactly what sweet proof means.



I picked up the Beats X and use them every time I go to the Y. No problem with them staying in my ear. I do sweat (of course) and haven't encountered any problems with them.

I wasn't so lucky with my pair. Half way through my cardio work out the audio started crackling. I took them off at that point, since I didn't want to ruin them.

If you look online, they mention they aren't sweat proof. I bought them knowing that I might not be able to use them at the gym. Other than that issue, they work great.