When my small-town family visited Toronto for the first time, what impressed them most wasn’t the number of people or the height of the buildings: It was the headphones. Almost everyone on the street was wearing them: Pedestrians were rushing through intersections, all waving their hands. airpods– side heads or talking into the air. One person took them off forcefully when asked for directions and gave a frowning, screaming look: Aren’t headphones the universal sign? “Didn’t You Talk To Me?“
We’ve been in headphone culture since the dawn of the bulky and always cool Dre’s Beats. Lately our headphones have shrunk in size and become more than just music-blasting powerhouses; they are our close friends; little marvels of technology that most of us don’t enjoy wearing for hours.
But still, choosing from dozens of options and choosing the right earbuds can be a difficult task. Here, I’ve reviewed seven of the most popular pairs of headphones for a day at work and a sweaty workout to help you decide which one is best for you.
Love them or hate them, the main criticism around Apple is that the updated versions of their products differ little from their predecessors (see: iPhone 6 through 14). But the AirPods Pro 2nd Generation are a surprising exception and are miles ahead of their non-Pro counterparts. Like many other people, I spent most of the last year wearing this outfit. standard AirPods (Not professionals), a model with a long frame that many people compare to cigarette butts instead of ears. Pros not only look sharper, they also perform much better. Phone pairing is flawless, battery life is long, and noise canceling technology is better than any other device on this list. I was wearing these on the flight and could barely hear the constant hum of the plane engine, let alone the babies crying.
I only recommend AirPods for Apple users. Others may still use AirPods because they connect to Bluetooth, but they’ll miss useful settings like voice-activated commands to Siri and seamless battery life control. If you don’t have an iPhone, you’re better off looking elsewhere.
Amazon
Apple AirPods Pro (2nd Generation) with MagSafe Case (USB‑C).
$280 on Amazon
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Why it’s great: Customizable noise cancellation, powerful bass and clear sound
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Area of improvement: Some Amazon customers had trouble connecting to the accompanying app
Android users, these are your AirPods Pro equivalents. Bose QuietComfort Headphones II it has nearly equal noise-canceling technology, carries similar cultural cache (at least in music-loving circles), and even costs the same. When you buy headphones at this price point, you expect a few benefits beyond flawless sound and ear comfort, and Bose headphones deliver. They come with customizable noise cancellation levels, which is incredibly useful. This allows me to go into full silence mode when I wear them to work, and then wear them in semi-noise mode when I’m walking or running around town and need some spatial awareness. This setting, together with its stylish appearance and durability, makes the QuietComfort headphones an all-day headphone: you can wear them at work and leave them for your end-of-day workout. Like AirPods do with the iPhone, these devices pair nicely with the Bose Music app, allowing users to easily change the noise canceling setting, audio preferences, battery life, and software updates.
Amazon
These Bose headphones have thousands of five-star reviews.
$319 at Amazon
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Why it’s great: Sweat and dust resistant, high-quality sound, personalized feedback
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Area of improvement: If you already have a smart watch, you may not be able to benefit from the added features.
Jabra Active Elite 7 Perfect for fitness enthusiasts who can’t get enough exercise benchmarks. Many devices now (watches, phones, rings, and bands) give you specific information about your workout, but the Elite 7 is the first headset I’ve seen that does this. They have built-in motion sensors that track activity and provide real-time recommendations and personalized feedback, all accessible through the Jabra Sound+ app.
Here’s the thing: I suspect a lot of people are like me and have a watch to handle all of this. Still, it’s a fun environment and adds to the all-around technicality of the Active 7. They’re highly resistant to sweat and dust, have a handy Find My Jabra feature to keep you from losing them, and adjust bass and treble via the app to best suit your ears. It’s worth buying even if you don’t care about fitness information.
Amazon
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Why it’s great: Comfortable during exercise, frees the ear canal
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Area of improvement: More cumbersome than its counterparts
Shokz headphones It’s unlike anything else on this list. The most important difference is that it does not block your ear canal. Instead, the tiny speakers rest on the cheekbones just in front of the ears and transmit sound via bone conduction. The idea is to enjoy the music without losing awareness of your surroundings. It sounds weird, but it works.
As I mentioned, I love doing city runs and I enjoy Open Run Pro because they also help me strike that elusive balance between alertness and quietness. They play loud enough to keep me in tune with my songs, but they never overshadow the sound of the cyclist or gas guzzler speeding up to my shoulder. An advantage for athletes is that Shokz is sweat-resistant and, despite its size, sits comfortably on the head without bouncing. With all that said, if you’re someone who wants to immerse yourself in music and completely forget about the world around you for a while, Shokz may not be for you.
Amazon
These headphones, which are loved by users, have approximately 17,000 reviews.
$170 on Amazon
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Why it’s great: Affordable, comfortable and excellent battery life
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Area of improvement: Some customers say the headphones are “not good” for calls
When shopping for headphones, not everyone wants to pay a lot for lots of settings; Some people just want a reliable speaker. If you’re not overly excited about having Siri in your ear, sound waves racing across your cheekbones, or exercise information coming through your headphones, and you’d rather have something that will play you reliable music for hours, I recommend this: JBL Tune 130NC. For $130, it’s a good buy: Tracks may not be as clear as on, say, the Bose QuietComfort, but the difference is small enough that it won’t leave you stopping mid-workout and wanting more bass. There’s also some noise cancellation, and the charging case extends listening time by up to 24 hours. I also like their durability: all my past JBL products have successfully stood the test of time and performed well for several years.
Amazon
I tried it for the first time Beats Fit ProI did my best not to compare them to their mighty big brother, the Beats By Dre headphones, for fear of disappointment. And sure, the tiny chambers can’t deliver the same deep sound as a device weighing 50 times its weight, but these headphones still live up to their namesake and pack a killer punch. I even found myself lowering the volume on bass-heavy songs.
Apart from having excellent speakers, these devices also come with a few ingenious advantages. The first is Transparency Mode: A noise-cancelling feature that lets external sounds in when they’re particularly loud or harsh to keep you informed only when you need them. I tested this on a busy street: The headphones drowned out the constant hum of the city while still allowing the occasional shrill car horn to be heard. The second is Fast-Fuel, which gives Fit Pros 90 minutes of juice with just a five-minute charge.
Best Canadian Buy
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Why it’s great: Unmatched sound quality, easy pairing with Apple device
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Area of improvement: Some reviewers found that the headphones got out of sync too easily
Think Powerbeats Pro As a cross between AirPods and Beats Fit Pro. They basically have all the settings and features of the Fit Pro, but the built-in Apple H1 chips let you access fun features like Siri and iCloud syncing, and take calls with ease while exercising. While the noise-canceling technology isn’t as strong as what I’ve seen on AirPods, the quality of the music here is better and more suitable for bass lovers. I also rank the Powerbeats Pro as the most comfortable product on this list; They are comfortable without straining my ear hole and fit snugly during hard runs or rigorous plyometric exercises. If you enjoy the Beats Fit Pro but want something that will keep you connected to your phone a little more, it’s worth paying the extra $30 for the Powerbeats.
Amazon
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