Are you looking for the best over ear headphones for working out? Then you are in the right place.
In this comparison guide, we will compare 7 of the best over ear headphones for the gym that you should consider getting.
Now headphones, In my opinion, is one of the must thing you should use during your workouts as it helps you motivate and gives you more courage to during your workouts.
Not only that, but it also pumps up your spirit to do more workout even when your body is done. It makes your workout creative.
Without good music pumping into your ears, your workout becomes boring, and most of the people stop continuing even before their workout is complete. And I know it gets frustrating, and I’ve been there too.
Most of the time, the music that the gym staff plays on speakers is not my type. Furthermore, it discourages my spirit, and ultimately I would leave the gym before even 50% of my workout is done.
That’s when I decided to get a wireless headphone for my workouts. However, there are a few things that you must know before buying a headphone for your workout. I will cover this topic at the end of this article.
| Image | Product | Ratings | On Amazon |
|---|---|---|---|
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JABRA ELITE 85H | 4.2/5 | Check Price |
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Bose SoundLink 2 | 4.5/5 | Check Price |
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SENNHEISER PXC 550-II | 4.2/5 | Check Price |
 |
SKULLCANDY CRUSHER | 4.5/5 | Check Price |
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PLANTRONICS BACKBEAT FIT 6100 | 4.3/5 | Check Price |
 |
COWIN E7 PRO | 4.4/5 | Check Price |
 |
TREBLAB Z2 | 4.4/5 | Check Price |
Jabra Elite 85h – Wireless Noise-cancelling Headphone
Specifications
- Headphone type: Over-ear
- Technology: Wireless/Bluetooth
- Drivers: 40 mm
- Cable length: 120 cm
- Weight: 296 g
- Battery life: 41 hours with ANC off and 36 hours with ANC on upon full charge
- Built-in Mic: Yes
- Water Resistant: Yes
Sound Quality
The sound with these headphones is neat and clean, with a decent amount of Bass. The audio that comes from Jabra Elite 85h gives you the real feel of the music you are listening to—making it the best choice for your gym.
Since Jabra Elite 85h is a Noise-cancelling headphone, therefore the noise from around you will not distract or irritate you during your workouts. And the music you are listening to will not leak out of the earcups. In my opinion, that’s a significant Pro in these headphones.
Talking about the Bass, It is simply excellent. In simple words, it’s Bass can easily compete with “Beats by Dr. Dre,” even though they are not bass-boosted headphones.
Jabra Elite 85h comes with a sound equalizer software that you install on your phone (both IOS and Android). Through this software, you can play with the sound factors to optimize the sound that suits you the best.
The audio is always neat with these headphones, either in low volumes or high volumes. Jabra Elite 85h also has the stereo capability so that you can get the full feel of the music.
Comfort
As far as for comfort, The Jabra Elite 85h features a soft cushioning at both its earcups. And at the bottom of the headband. And for the headphones, they sit correctly on your head and gives you a good fit and feel of the headphones.
Jabra Elite 85h gives almost minimum to none ear fatigue or any discomfort or stress on you since they are super lightweight.
This headphone stays perfectly on your head even if you are running, walking, or working out. And they fit almost every head size, making them your best gym partner.
Build
Jabra Elite 85h has a decent and neat build. It comes in 4 different colors, Titanium Black, Copper Black, Gold Beige, and Navy. However, Titanium Black is my personal favorite.
Jabra Elite 85h is very flexible and can be stretched almost straight. The material used on these headphones is very durable. The headband is adjustable; however, it doesn’t give any clicking sound while adjusting because their headband is adjusted through friction.
The earcups are rotatable, and also they can be pulled inside the headband. So whether you are putting them in a bag or just keeping them on your neck, it will be easy. These features make Jabra Elite 85h portable headphones.
The best thing so far with Jabra Elite 85h is that they are water-resistant, which means if you are wearing them during your workout, your sweat will not damage them, which makes them your best headphones for working out.
Microphone
Jabra Elite 85h comes with a built-in Mic, which is surprisingly good. You can answer your phone call or tell Google/Siri to change songs.
Other Features
Jabra Elite 85h supports Alexa, so you can ask it to change songs, and you won’t have to get to your phone every time you want to change it.
This headphone has 36 hours long battery life on a full charge, and it also supports fast charging: 15 minutes of charge can last for 5 hours.
Jabra Elite 85h feature a Smart AI audio technology that analyzes your environment around you and changes your personalized audio preference accordingly to give you the best sound quality.
It uses a USB cable for charging. Furthermore, you can also use AUX cable for physical connection.
Here is the link to this Youtube video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Psw6jlggYn0
Bose SoundLink 2 – Over-ear Wireless Headphone
Specifications
- Headphone type: Over-ear
- Drivers: 40 mm
- Weight: 195 g
- Full Charge: 15 hours playback time on 2 hours of Charge
- Connectivity: Bluetooth/ 2.5 mm to 2.5 mm AUX cable.
- Built-in Mic: Yes
- Water Resistant: Yes
Sound Quality
Bose SoundLink 2 gives overall neat, natural, and balanced sound with a very decent amount of bass present that offers the real feel of the music you’re listening to. However, The sound quality with these headphones is not hyped up. The sound quality is flat in general, not too much on Bass and not too much on highs.
But the sound quality is surprisingly impressive and compelling and works well with most of the genres. The vocals in music can be heard very neat and clear. The audio produced by Bose SoundLink 2 is without any sort of distortion.
Bose SoundLink 2 blocks most of the outside noise from coming in the earcup, even though they are not noise-canceling headphones. And it creates the right sound stage. The sound can leak a little bit from the earcups if the sound volume is high.
Concluding all up, If you prefer headphones with more of a natural, neat, flat, and balanced sound over bass-boosted headphones, then these are for you.
Comfort
Bose SoundLink 2 uses plush foam material cushion on both earcups and at the bottom of the headband. The headphone clip correctly on your head, nor too tight, neither too loose.
Even when you are working out, they stay on your head. Bose SoundLink 2 can be worn for many hours without any ear fatigue or stress on the head. Also, this headphone is super light with a weight of almost 195 grams.
The headband of this headphone can be adjusted according to your head size. And can be worn even with glasses. SoundLink 2 fits correctly on almost every head size.
Build
Bose SoundLink 2 has aesthetic and decent black looks with a smooth matte finish. It is also available in white color. There is also a company branding at the outside of both earcups.
This headphone is made up of plastic material. However, the material is very durable. And the headband of this headphone is also very flexible and can be stretched almost straight, which means they are not going to break anytime soon.
The earcups with this headphone can be rotated sideways, which makes them portable headphones. So either you put them around your neck or carry them in a bag, there won’t be any problem.
Microphone
Bose SoundLink 2 has a built-in microphone that can be used for attending phone calls. However, there have been issues reported that they catch background noise in a busy environment.
Other Features
SoundLink 2 is water-resistant headphones making them a good option for working out headphones.
Bose SoundLink 2 uses the latest Bluetooth technology. And it comes with a lithium-ion rechargeable battery. It can last up to 15 hours on a full charge.
It also supports fast charging; 15 minutes of charge can last for 2 hours playtime.
SoundLink 2 uses a micro USB cable to charge. And an AUX cable can be used for physical connectivity. Also, it can be connected to 2 devices at once.
Here is the link to this Youtube video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9xjxjYybY0w
Sennheiser PXC 550-II – Wireless Noise-canceling [New]
Specification
- Headphone type: Over-ear
- Driver: 32 mm
- Frequency: 17 Hz to 23,000 Hz
- Connectivity: Bluetooth/ Physical connection
- Battery life: 30 hours of playback time
- Built-in Mic: Yes
- Water-resistant: Yes
Sound Quality
Just like Bose SoundLink 2, the Sennheiser PXC 550-II also has a neutral, clear, natural, balanced type of sound. However, the main difference in this one is that it comes with an application that you can install on your mobile device (both IOS/Android). Through that app, you can change the EQ of the sound to find the best one that suits you.
The sound volume in these headphones is not that loud. So if you prefer listening to music at a loud volume, then these are not for you.
As you might have read from the title, Sennheiser PXC 550-II are noise-canceling headphones; however, you can switch that ON/OFF as you like through a button located at the bottom of the right earcup.
For the sound stage, these headphones do a tremendous job. The sound stage is as if you are listening to music in a room.
OVERALL THE SOUND IS VERY GOOD
Comfort
Sennheiser PXC 550-II has a soft material cushion on its earcups that makes them very comfortable to the ears. The headband also gets soft material padding.
The headphones give no ear fatigue. And the headphones itself is lightweight, so there will be no stress on your head. Also, these headphones stay on your head even on quick and harsh movements making them perfect headphones for the gym.
The Sennheiser PXC 550-II can be used for many hours with any feeling of discomfort. And they can fit almost every head size, even with glasses on. Also, the headband can be adjusted according to your needs.
Build
The Sennheiser PXC 550-II has a decent build with a matte black finish that looks incredibly good. The headphone can be folded, and earcups can be retracted, making them an excellent portable headphone option for working out.
In general, the Sennheiser PXC 550-II is very durable and can last long with getting damaged.
Sennheiser came up with a cool feature in this headphone, that is you can change songs or increase/decrease volume just by swiping on the outside ring of both earcups.
Microphone
Sennheiser PXC 550-II comes with a built-in microphone. And the capture quality of this Mic is good. You can use it to answer your phone calls or activate SIRI/Google Assistant. The background noise will almost minimum, even in crowded areas.
Other Features
Sennheiser PXC 550-II can be used to activate Google Assistant, Siri, and Alexa.
The full charge with these headphones can last 30 hours of playback. Also, these headphones have a cool Smart AI technology that pauses the song when you take off the headphones and resume them from right there when you put them back on.
A 2.5 mm to 3.5 mm AUX cable can be used for physical connection if you run out of battery. Also, Sennheiser PXC 550-II uses micro USB for charging.
The Sennheiser PXC 550-II is water-resistant, which makes them your great gym partner.
Here is the link to this Youtube video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wQ-EPlZyrDY
Skullcandy Crusher – Best Workout Headphones
Specifications
- Headphone Type: Closed-back, Over-ear
- Frequency: 5 to 20,000 Hz
- Impedance: 32 ohms
- Connectivity: Bluetooth/Physical with Aux
- Weight: 290 g
- Battery Life: 40 hours on a full charge, 3 hours on 10 minutes charge
- Water Resistant: Yes
Sound Quality
Skullcandy Crusher gives awe-inspiring Bass similar to the Bass of a separate woofer. It is also because of its right sound stage. Also, the best thing is that you can make the bass amount lower or higher from the slider at the side of the right earcup.
The Lows, Mids, and Highs are very bright, neat, and transparent. You can feel the detail in the sound when listening to music with this headphone. Vocals and Music separation are very good with these headphones. You can understand the lyrics in the music very easily and comfortably.
The Skullcandy Crusher is a closed-back design, so it will block out all the sound from entering or leaving the earcups, giving you good isolation and privacy while listening.
However, a little bit of audio can leak through its earcups if the sound is of too high volume. Overall, The sound quality of the Skullcandy Crusher is excellent.
Comfort
Skullcandy Crusher features cushioning of soft material at both earcups and the bottom of the headband, which helps in reducing the stress on ears and head.
Skullcandy Crusher can be used for an extended time without getting uncomfortable. However, it can give a feel like they are pressing your ears inwards when they are new. But you’ll get used to it.
The headphone is very lightweight. In general, they are comfortable.
Build
Skullcandy Crusher has a nice neat, and clean finish. The headphone is made up of plastic material that is flexible and durable. The headphone itself can be stretched straight, giving a clue that they are durable.
The headband is adjustable, and the headphone can fit almost every head size, even with glasses on. The earcups can also rotate a little bit to give the correct fit to the user.
There are three buttons present at the bottom of the left earcup. These buttons can be used for different functions by pressing them with different variations. At the bottom of the right earcup, there are two inputs, one is a 3.5 mm input plug (for physical connection), and the other is a USB input for charging the headphone.
Microphone
Like the headphone above, Skullcandy Crusher also features a built-in microphone. And the capture quality of that microphone is good enough to attend your phone calls or use Siri/Google Assistant through it. However, it cannot be easy to use its Mic in a crowded area.
Other Features
Skullcandy Crusher has a battery life of up to 40 hours playtime on a full charge. It also supports fast charging; 10 minutes of charging can last for almost 3 hours of playtime.
You can also use AUX cable for physical connection with these headphones if your battery runs out.
Skullcandy Crusher comes in 4 different colors; Black, White, Deep Red, and Olive.
Here is the link to this Youtube video: https://youtu.be/7zPKmt3KvKY
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Plantronics BackBeat FIT 6100 – Wireless Headphones for Sports
Specifications
- Headphone type: Over-ear
- Drivers: 40 mm
- Connectivity: Bluetooth + Physical connection (through Micro USB to 3.5 mm)
- Battery Life: 24 hours of playback time on a full charge
- Weight: 240 grams
- Water Resistant: Yes
- Built-in Mic: Yes
Sound Quality
Plantronics BackBeat FIT 6100 comes with a 40 mm driver equipped in its earcups. And with its noise isolation, it makes a great sound stage, perfect for gyms.
There is also a decent amount of Bass present there. However, you can understand the lyrics of the song quite quickly too. The Mids with these headphones is very balanced and decent as compared to their price.
The volume can be increased very high, and there will be no distortion in the sound. Although they are noise isolating headphones, the sound from the outside can enter the earcups.
Comfort
I am starting with the padding at the bottom of the headband. The solid and rigid material is used to cushion the bottom of the headband. However, they are good at reducing any stress from the head. The headphone itself is very lightweight. Therefore the pressure on the head will be minimum.
Now let’s move on to the earcups. The cushioning on the earcups is of very soft material that boosts up the comfort that these headphones give. Even when the headband is set to supertight, the force on the ears will be reduced to a minimum. Therefore, making them an excellent choice of headphones for working out.
The earcups completely cover your ear, and you can even wear them with glasses during your workout, and feel no discomfort.
Build
BackBeat FIT 6100 is a decent looking over-ear headphone. It has a stiff fabric padding on its headband. And the metal arm (As seen in the image) is connecting the earcups with the headband.
The headphone is also very adjustable and can be used for almost every head size. The headphones are also good at Durability. They can last long enough to satisfy its price.
There is also a unique feature with these headphones. You can adjust the tightness of the headband manually according to your need. What this means is that when you are working out and you need the headphone to stay on your head. Then you can increase, tightness of the headband. It will increase the clamping force of both earcups and grip.
There is also a control area at the bottom of the earcups. Some buttons can be used for changing songs and increase volume. And plug a for Micro USB for charging the headphone, and for physical connection with Micro USB to 3.5 mm.
The right earcup is equipped with a touchpad, through which you can change songs and volume by swiping or touching.
Microphone
The BackBeat FIT 6100 has a built-in Microphone. However, they are not that good. You can use them for your calls but not in a crowded area.
Other Features
BackBeat FIT 6100 has a playback time of almost 24 hours in a single full charge. Moreover, It also supports fast charging like many other headphones. 15 minutes of charge can last for 1 hour complete.
It uses Micro USB for charging.
They are Sweatproof and Water-resistant headphones, making them an option to choose from for your gym.
Here is the link to This Youtube video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AAzmH0uz33M
Cowin E7 Pro – Best Wireless Headphone for the Gym
Specifications
- Drivers: 45 mm large-aperture
- Bluetooth: v 4.0
- Headphone Type: Over-ear
- Battery Life: 30 hours
- Weight: 25 grams
- HiFi: YES
- Built-in Mic: Yes
- Connection: Bluetooth +Aux 3.5 mm cable
Sound Quality
Cowin E7 Pro is a Noise-canceling headphone. However, the best thing is that you can turn noise-canceling ON/OFF anytime quickly.
This headphone uses 45 mm drivers to pump the sound in your ear. The sound stage that it creates gives precise music and clear vocals, making this headphone an ideal choice for listening to music.
- Noise-canceling OFF: The Bass will be profound, and the vocals, Highs, and Mids will be bright and clear when Noise-Canceling is OFF.
- Noise-canceling ON: The Bass, Highs, and Mids will be a little less apparent when the noise canceling is ON.
You can change the Noise cancellation feature On and Off according to your preference and music.
Comfort
The headband of Cowin E7 Pro has a cushioning of soft material at its bottom; also, the headphone is lightweight. Therefore, there is no sense of pressure on top of your head. The earcups of Cowin E7 Pro are also equipped with upgraded soft material cushions, making them very comfortable on the ears.
Cowin E7 Pro will stay on your head even with the quick movements, and you can also wear them with glasses too. Making the Cowin E7 Pro an ideal headphone for the gym.
Build
Cowin E7 Pro’s earcups have a nice touch of shiny and glossy metal material on the outsides. Cowin E7 Pro comes in seven different colors, but black colored one is the most appealing and most selling among them.
The headband is retractable and can be adjusted to fit your head of any size. Earcups with Cowin E7 Pro are also retractable, making them good with portability.
Cowin E7 Pro has some flexibility in its headband and is durable to last long enough to satisfy its price.
Microphone
Cowin E7 Pro has a built-in mic. However, the quality of audio that this Mic captures is not very appealing, You can use them to attend phone calls, but it can also get problematic in crowded areas.
Other Features
Cowin E7 Pro has a built-in battery with a capacity of 800 mAh, which can give you approx. 30 hours of continuous playback time. They take 4 hours to charge completely, And it is charged using a USB cable, which is included in the box.
You can also use Cowin E7 Pro with a physical connection using an AUX cable (Included in the box).
Also, this headphone is Water-resistant.
Here is the link to this Youtube Video: https://youtu.be/4w-OZV-aUxY
TREBLAB Z2 – Over-ear Wireless Working Out Headphones
Specifications
- Headphone Type: Over-ear
- Drivers: 40 mm Neodymium
- Connectivity: Bluetooth 5.0 + Auxilary Cable
- Built-in Mic: Yes
- Water-resistant: Yes
- Battery Life: 35 Hours on a full charge
- Weight: 255 g
Sound Quality
The sound quality with TREBLAB Z2, in general, is quite impressive for its price range. The sound quality is bright, clear, and appealing. There is also some good amount of Bass present with the audio to give you an extra good experience with these headphones.
TREBLAB Z2 comes with active noise-cancellation features, which you can easily turn ON/OFF from the toggle button at the bottom of the right earcup. And for the quality of the noise-cancel feature, It is quite impressive. Most of the headphones at this price claiming to give active noise-canceling features aren’t that good, But that’s not the case with TREBLAB Z2.
Comfort
TREBLAB Z2 is a lightweight headphone that comes with a really soft cushioning at its earcups. You can wear these for your long gym session without any discomfort. There is no sense of pressure on the ears and the head.
For Gym peoples, this headphone will stay on your head, even with your hard workout. And not only that, this headphone can fit almost every head size with any feeling of discomfort.
Build
TREBLAB Z2 has a plastic body with a matte black finish. The headphone is quite decent. Moreover, TREBLAB Z2 is a very durable headphone; it can be your long-lasting gym companion.
The headband with this headphone is adjustable, and it can fit most head sizes. The earcups are also rotatable, you can wear them around your neck (When you’re not using them), and they will look good.
Microphone
TREBLAB Z2 comes with a built-in microphone. The quality of the audio that this Mic captures is good (Not the best, but good). You can use this Mic for attending your phone calls. However, it can become challenging to use in a crowded area.
Other Features
TREBLAB supports Alexa, Google Assistant, and Siri so that you can quickly get your task done without having to use your hands during your workouts.
This headphone gives tremendous battery life with 35 hours of playback time. And it takes 3 hours for the headphone to charge completely, and it uses Micro USB for charging (cable included in the box).
These headphones can also be used as a wired headphone with an auxiliary cable.
Here is the link to this Youtube video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZqbrB5QHzlE
Things to Check Before Buying a Headphone for Working Out
There are a few things that you should check in a headphone before buying one for your gym. Not every headphone can work out best for you in the gym: therefore, you have to choose a headphone carefully. Things that you should check are listed below.
Comfort and Durability
Comfort and Durability in a headphone is a must not only for this specific case but also for any other possible applications of headphones. If your headphone is not comfortable, then it can hurt your working out experience, and you’ll end up abandoning your headphones. The same is the case with Durability. If your headphones can’t last long (at least long enough to satisfy its price), there is no point in getting one. Also, the headphone must be good at staying on your head so that when you are doing your workout,so that the headphones won’t fall.
Be sure to check these factors before buying a headphone.
Sound Quality
The sound quality in a headphone for the gym can depend upon your interest. But it should be good enough to satisfy your need and its price. For the gym, I’ll recommend headphones with a little low amount of Bass. Because if you use Bass Boosted headphones during your workouts, then you’ll end up with a headache (personal experience).
Microphone
A microphone in a headphone for the gym is kind of optional. It depends on you. However, A microphone can make your work half during your workout, primarily if the headphone supports Alexa, Siri, or Google Assistant.
Wireless and Battery Life
According to my personal preference, you should use a wireless headphone for your gym. That’s because it does not limit your movements as the wired headphones do.
And after that, you should check how much longer can these headphones last in a full charge.
Water-Resistant
The headphone must have a water-resistant feature to qualify for your workout. Because we get very sweaty during our workouts, and if the headphone is not water-resistant, then the sweat can damage the headphone. You don’t want to waste your money like that.
Price
The headphone must be able to satisfy all the above features that are mentioned according to its price. You should know what you are spending your money on.
FAQs
Why should I get headphones, especially for the gym?
That’s because listening to music during a workout can motivate you to do more hard work. And sometimes the music that is played by the gym staff is not your type, then headphone can come in handy. You can listen to your music and privacy.
What things should I check before buying a headphone for the gym?
The headphone that you are getting for your gym must be comfortable, durable. It must be able to give good sound quality. And also the headphone should be water-resistant, so you don’t damage them with your sweat. Furthermore, The headphone must be good at staying on your head, so it won’t fall during your workouts.
Conclusion
In Conclusion, I would say that a headphone (if chosen correctly) can help you greatly in your workouts. Moreover, it helps you get more motivation to work out if you are listening to your music.
All the headphones above are listed after proper research. There are few things that we hunted for in a headphone for this list, that are comfort, durability, sound quality, water-resistant feature, and budget-friendliness. Most of these headphones have good noise-canceling feature and good built-in microphone (good for attending phone calls). And furthermore, all of these headphones are of Over-ear form factor.
If you have any questions, feedback, or if you find any error in this article. Please leave a comment below or contact us from here.
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