So you want to get fit along with some music but you don’t know what’s best for you? Then look no further because we’re about to run down some of the best sports earphones out there for those on a budget.
The main thing we will be focusing on in this list are Bluetooth earphones, which means you will be significantly less restricted with these earphones than your ancient wired predecessors. We will be looking at the earphones that will suit many of your needs, wether you are a Gym freak, avid runner or love a Bike ride, we are going to introduce you to some of the best earphones with decent sound, cool features and an even better price tag.
If you are looking for some inspiration for a cool new playlist to work out to then check out this Rebellious Noise article here.
All prices are correct as of publishing this article and are directly from Amazon UK.
Jam Transit In-Ear
These cool little earphones have a number of unique features, not only does it come in a cool water bottle (how’s that for packaging!?) but the two ear pieces also connect magnetically for easier storage. The most common fear that most people tend to have about trying new earphones is the fear that they won’t fit comfortably and whilst these ear buds do strangely stick out quite a bit, they do also fit at an angle which generally means that they will fit deeper into your ear anyway. If that doesn’t work for you then they also come with two other removable options. Firstly you can try their fins that are designed to fit into your ear cartilage for a more secure grip in your ear or you could go with the more traditional secure method and use the hooks that also come with the earphones to wrap around the top of your ears from the outside. The great thing about both of these features is that they can come off easily. So if you’re fine with using the earphones on their own without any attachment whilst just walking or working at your desk then you can do that and then just take the extra precautions when doing more physical activities.
The audio quality is pretty decent for a pair of earphones in this price range. Jam were one of the pioneers of affordable Bluetooth speakers when the world first started its love with the wireless technology back in the mid to late 2000s with their Jam Classic and Jam Plus speakers under their former name HMDX. The company perfected the blend affordable yet good quality ratio with their speaker range and in recent years have moved on to earphones and headphones and it looks like they’ve continued that pattern after re-branding the company all together with the name of the Speaker series that brought them so much attention in the tech companies early days.
Another cool feature the Jam Transit earphones have is the reflective cord, which makes it that little bit safer for night joggers. Safety seems to be a well thought out goal for the creators of these earphones as they have also safe-surround feature that eliminates volume on one side so that you can hear your surroundings.
- Bluetooth: Yes
- Battery Life: Up to 10 hours
- Mic: Yes
- Volume Control: Yes
- Sweat Resistant: Yes (IPX4)
- Price: £39.99
Skullcandy Smokin’ Buds Wireless
One of my favourites on this list are these bad boys, whilst they may not have Sweat Resistant features or the longest Battery life in our list they do have one of the best naturally fitting ear buds out of all of them. I have previously owned the wired version of the Smokin’ Buds 2 and my absolute favourite thing about them was their “Off-Axis” technology based ear buds which create a brilliant fit for such a cheap pair of earphones and therefore creates a fairly decent amount of Noise Isolation for a very reasonable budget. Fast forward a few years and Skullcandy have improved on their Smokin’ Buds design yet again with a Bluetooth version.
The Smokin’ Buds Wireless are exactly what they should be, the company have kept what worked on the previous wired version and have created a unique style of earphone with their removable flex collar. One of the biggest concerns raised by people when they move into the Bluetooth earphones market is wether or not the connecting cable between he two earphones is a distraction or not and I was one of those people but have been pleasantly surprised by just how little I have noticed these cables behind my neck. The band being thicker on these earphones is something that looked like an eyesore to me at first but when it’s on your neck it actually isn’t that much of a big deal and it’s still very comfortable. One good thing about connecting wires and in this case a band between earbuds is that the earphones hang around your neck a little easier when you take your earbuds out of your ears, which means you’re less likely to lose them. Always a good thing right?
The audio quality is very good for a pair of earphones in this price range, both the wired and wireless versions have impressed me with their sound and the secure fit really does create a much better Noise Isolation effect than most other earphones in this price range.
- Bluetooth: Yes
- Battery Life: 6 Hours
- Mic: Yes
- Volume Control: Yes
- Sweat Resistant: No
- Price: £33.24
Monster iSport Bluetooth Wireless SuperSlim In-Ear
One thing you can usually expect from Monster is a good strong sound and that is no difference in this pair of Bluetooth earphones. This model is the only one on this list that boasts a “SuperSlim” fit and it really delivers that. At this price point these earphones are a great addition to your workout equipment as they give a clear and crisp sound tot he music that you need to help push you that step further, meaning less distractions because of muffled audio tones and more achieved goals.
The housing is pretty slim and the buds go at an angle to fit deeper into your ear canal whilst being secured by the fins connected to them. This type of design is ideal for anybody who is wearing head gear for their sport, wether it be a helmet when riding a bicycle or simply jogging in the cold winter months with your favourite Croc Life beanie to keep those ears warm, feel the music and look fresh at the same time 😉 The Monster iSport SuperSlim earphones let you listen to music without that uncomfortable pressure from head gear.
A great feature on this model is the fact they have Sweat Resistant ear clips, meaning you can work as hard as you want and not have to worry about your earphones becoming lose because of it. These earphones are designed to not limit you when you are pushing towards your goals and can withstand some pretty drenching activities. The earphones also come with a variety of earbud sizes and a nice little pouch so that they don’t get thrown about in your Gym bag as much.
- Bluetooth: Yes
- Battery Life: 5 Hours
- Mic: Yes
- Volume Control: Yes
- Sweat Resistant: Yes
- Price: £49.00
Sony MDR-XB50BS Extra Bass Sports Splashproof In-Ear
One of the biggest and most respected names in technology makes our list next and with products like this you can see how they got there. Sony have long been a brand that constantly releases great products in not only in a variety of industries within the tech world from Gaming to TVs, but also in a vast rage of prices, which generally means if you’re going to keep on a strict budget then a brand like Sony are probably worth taking the punt at most price ranges with this mid ranged Bluetooth design being no exception.
The sound from the MDR-XB50BS earphones are very impressive, especially for those who enjoy Bass heavy music and I know that in this day and age, that’s what most people are looking for. In recent years the headphone market has definitely noticed this trend and acted to fulfil that demand and Sony have been one of the brands that has gone in this direction with both their earphones and headphones featuring “Extra Bass” often.
The design is slightly bulkier than others on this list but it does have a variety of different sizes and tips to help get that perfect fit and the bulky look doesn’t mean a bulky feel, as these are pretty lightweight and comfortable. One thing I do really like about the housing though is the fact that the remote controls are on the earpiece rather than on the wire, which is something I can see the industry moving towards more and more as companies move away from using the weaker point on the earphones with risk of breaks in the circuit, the cable. The Noise Isolation on this model is also pretty decent even at only moderate volume levels and means that all you big city runners are less likely to hear noise pollution when working out. The battery life on these is pretty impressive too, boasting an 8.5 hour lifespan before the need for re-charging!
- Bluetooth: Yes
- Battery Life: 8.5 Hours
- Mic: Yes
- Volume Control: Yes
- Sweat Resistant: Yes (IPX4)
- Price: £45.00