Would runners recommend AirPods? We asked them

I hate to be a hater, but I don't like AirPods. While I've never owned a pair (I know, I know), I've never heard a glowing review of them, only begrudging admissions from my friends who bought them because they felt left behind in the AirPod trend. Plus, whenever I speak to my best friend on the phone, we have regular 20-second intervals while they glitch and garble her words with all the background noise.

I also prefer overhead sets with amazing noise-cancelling abilities, especially when I'm running. I need precision focus to push myself through the run, and the sound of my own struggling lungs is a real distraction.

However, I see runners using AirPods all the time, and my curiosity has been piqued: are these tiny headphones actually good to run in?

I asked some runners for their thoughts.

NOTE: Prices are accurate at time of publishing.

Apple AirPods Pro (2nd Generation) with Charging Case

On sale for $149

Running with Apple AirPods

To start, I had a look at the Apple AirPods to see which of their properties might suit runners. These are the pros:

• Universal fit: AirPods are designed to fit every ear shape
• Active noise cancellation: you can block out surrounding sounds with the AirPods
• Adaptive audio: this feature adapts sound, noise control and volume based on your preferences and environment
• Seamless connectivity: as part of the Apple family, these pair seamlessly with iPhones, iPads and Apple Watches

Despite this, I've seen runners complain about the small design often falling out, especially after building up a sweat. Despite this, we found two runners who back AirPods as the best headphones for their runs.

"I love to use my AirPods for shorter runs, but they are so unreliable for any runs longer than 7km because I find they die pretty quickly. I need to get myself some new ones but that's life admin I haven't gotten around to yet! I have two pairs of AirPods and I usually bring both with me on my longer runs so I can swap them out when they die – very impractical, to be honest." – Gabrielle.

"I love using my AirPods for runs, they are fine and don't fall out! But same as Gabrielle, I can't use them for a long run, mine will die at 14km! If I'm doing a long run, I will use my corded Apple headphones purely because that's my backup pair of earphones. However, there is nothing worse than having to listen to the sound of your own breathing while running, and oh shorter runs I've had no issues with my AirPods. " – Sindy.

The downsides to wearing Apple AirPods while running seem to be their size and how slippery they get when you're working up a sweat.

Runner April has switched out her AirPods for a JBL pair.

JBL Reflect Contour 2 Bluetooth In-Ear Sport Headphones

$59.99 on Dick Smith$64.90 on Catch

"The JBL headphones, particularly the Contour 2 wireless ones, are perfect for running as they feel a lot more sweat-resistant and have great Bluetooth bandwidth. Because they have a cord connecting them, they're safer as I can take the headphones out and hang them around my neck while stopping mid-run without fiddling with tiny earpieces. I find they are a lot less sweaty and easier to use while running than AirPods." – April.

We also asked two other non-AirPod-loving runners what they used:

Beats Flex Wireless Earphones

Just $99 here

"My Beats Flex headphones are perfect for running, they always stay in my ear, are good quality for the price, and don't block out too much noise, so I'm not afraid of getting hit by a car while on a run." – Jemima.

Sony WF-C700N Wireless Bluetooth Noise Cancelling Earbuds

$147 here

"These Sony ones are pretty good! They take a while to get used to, but I prefer these to headphones – the band across my head annoys me and ends up smelling bad with sweat." – Callum.

All that to say, there are plenty of quality options for runners that aren't the popular white earbuds you see everywhere, according to runners.

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