Best cheap workout headphones deals: sweat proof in-ear buds, true wireless and more

We went ahead and collected the best workout headphones deals for you. We also call them 'running headphones‘ but they are indeed good for your gym sessions, workouts, sports, CrossFit, cycling and fell trekking, as well as jogging. The sort of thing that you might want to do a lot more of in the New Year, as those resolutions kick in. And then kick back out again 4 weeks later.

Whatever your activities of choice, these buds and sports headphones will soundtrack your path to fitness. That's because they resist sweat, have Bluetooth wireless convenience and a fit that can stand up to the movement inherent in running, gym workouts and other physical jerks. We've listed all the lowest prices on the best running headphones below so you can be sure you're getting a good deal on your model of choice.

• New, affordable Aftershokz OpenMove running headphones let you hear what's around you thanks to bone-conducting tech

How to choose the best running headphones for you

A decent pair of sports headphones are a very worthy investment. Research has shown that the right type and tempo of tune can keep you in the zone for longer, and we've all run up park steps to a suitably bombastic soundtrack like we're Rocky. Even if we've then keeled over at the top.

There are four things to look for, really, them being 1) waterproofing (and sweatproofing, for that matter) 2) fit (secure but comfortable) 3) sound quality (ample bass, good mid-range and popping treble) and 4) level of noise cancellation. You either want to exclude noise for focus, or let it in, for safety when running outdoors for instance.  

The best best running headphones deals now

Beats Powerbeats Pro

If you can put up with the battery case that's considerably larger than most rivals, you can't beat these Beats. They share a name and, superficially, an appearance with previous Powerbeats buds but these true wireless powerhouses absolutely crush their predecessors when it comes to quality of sound and security of fit.

For sheer sound quality and the way they are all but impossible to accidentally dislodge from your ears, Powerbeats Pro are the gold standard of wireless buds for gym and running. Buy some, would be my advice. 

• Read our full, 5-star Beats Powerbeats Pro review.

Jabra Elite Active 65t

If you're after a great true wireless headphones for running, but can't stretch to Powerbeats Pro, Jabra Elite Active 65t is your new workout bud. It's also great for gym workouts, cross training, cycling, spinning, rope thrashing and anything else where you get sweaty.

The Elite Active 65t has a special coating so it 'sticks' in the ear a little better and they're sufficiently bassy too, great with pounding, workout-friendly music, and have a reasonable amount of musicality too. There is also an accelerometer in these, for counting reps and working in conjunction with Jabra's own fitness app.

Optoma NuForce BE Sport4

The Be Sport4 headphones takes the T3-Award-winning Be Sport3, which previously topped this chart since about 1987, and improves on it in several ways whilst maintaining the sub-£100 price tag.

The BE Sport4 is easily good enough to use as day-to-day headphones, thanks to fantastic clarity, support for both AAC and Apt-X (giving improved audio quality on Apple and Android devices respectively), well-deployed bass and 10-hour battery life (up from 8 on the previous model). They also offer a very secure yet comfortable fit.

Soundcore Spirit Sports by Anker

The Anker Soundcore Spirit Sports are slightly less impressive in the musical department than the Beats or Optoma models, but easily as good when it comes to running and workout essentials such as sweat-proofing, secure but comfy fit and solid battery life.

The killer features here, besides the value for money, are the excellent fit and the fact that they're not just sweat-proof but actually submergible in sea water. In case you need a pair of headphones for swimming in open waters, the Anker Soundcore Spirit Sports is the right choice for you.

RHA TrueConnect

The RHA TrueConnect look quite like Apple AirPods, and aren't a million miles away in terms of comfort either. These headphones sound at least as good as the Bose SoundSport Free, are just as workout-friendly, but look less peculiar, and are not as susceptible to wind noise.

There's a lack of overt bass and mid-range and treble sparkle more than on the Jabras. One way these AirPods-a-likes are not like actual AIrPods is that pairing can occasionally be a bit clonky – if you return them to the case and try again, it tends to work second time.

Fit is obviously important with true wireless, and the RHAs are excellent in this respect because they come with about 15 billion choices of ear tip. In the gym, they're perfect, although on the road you may find yourself at times nervously prodding them back into your ear holes as you pound potholed roads.

Anker Soundsport Liberty Neo

Until recently, true wireless buds were either expensive, or subpar quality. Now Anker's Soundcore spin-off brand has got involved, that's no longer true.

The Liberty Neo offer excellently reliable Bluetooth connectivity, a great fit and just enough battery life to make them work for workouts. Audio is solid rather than spectacular and obviously overall they can't compete with Powerbeats or the other more expensive true wireless buds, but for this price point, they are very good, if not remarkable.