Sports headphones usually have some water resistance, but have you ever wondered what waterproof headphones are best for running? How can you determine which workout buds are better than the other buds in terms of preventing water and sweat from getting inside your headphones? And most importantly, is that also important?
Today, the best running headphones are designed to withstand the sweatiest workouts and can also be rinsed under the tap after training to remove sweat and other types of mud. Unlike standard wireless earphones, your workout bud should be able to continue to work no matter how intense your workout is and how sweaty you are.
However, before we talk about the best waterproof headphones for running, we first need to talk about IP ratings.
What is the IP rating?
In most cases, running headphones will tell you that the IP rating is IPX5 or IP56, what does this mean?
“IP” stands for “Intrusion Protection” and is Peli Products, “a way to show how effective an item is in blocking foreign objects.” (Opens in a new tab) explanation. Of course, in our case, these items are workout headphones.
The protection class consists of two digits. The first means protection against solid foreign objects such as everything from hand size to small things like dust. The second digit shows the liquid and how much it prevents it from getting inside the outer shell.
Basically, the higher the post-IP number, the more resistant the product is to solids and liquids. The highest rating an item can have is IP68. This means that it is dustproof and can be continuously submerged in water.
If the product has a protection rating of IPX5, it is rated for liquids and protected from water jets, but not for solids. The IPX5 rating does not mean that the shoots are powerless against solids. They just haven’t been evaluated.
Full disclosure, it doesn’t necessarily make sense to evaluate most small products for solids. The IP3X rating means that the bud is protected from intrusion by tools, wires, etc. with a diameter of 2.5 mm or more. This is true in most cases, with or without rating.
Jaybird Vista 2 headphones are the most rugged in IP68 rated construction
(Image credit: Matt Kollat / T3)
What are the best waterproof headphones for running?
Technically speaking, the best waterproof headphones for running are Jaybird Vista 2 buds because they are IP68 rated. In fact, future buds will be more resistant to solids and liquids than Vista 2s, unless you change the intrusion protection class system.
However, just because some headphones aren’t IP68 rated doesn’t mean they’re suitable for sweaty training. For example, the Jabra Elite 7 Active is rated at IP57, so unless you need swimming headphones, it’s okay.
Bone conduction headphones often have excellent protection because they do not have speakers. Instead, it vibrates the cheekbones to make a sound. The Shokz OpenRun rating is IP67, so you can tap it off after training without any problems.
For comparison, Beats Fit Pro is IPX4 compliant, and even these headphones are said to be sweat and water resistant.
In summary, at least IPX4 rated headphones are sufficient unless you want to keep your running headphones in the water for extended periods of time.