6 Best Earbuds For Cyclists [Buyer’s Guide] – 2021
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Buyer’s Guide: Best Earbuds For Cyclists – 2021
Cycling is a great form of exercise, and an environmentally friendly way to get around. It’s even better with a soundtrack. We’ve collected some of the best earbuds for cyclists for you to consider.
With the right accompaniment, cycling can be adventurous and healthy. Many people consider music to help them stay the course when cycling. The best earbuds for cyclists will improve your experience and help you stay entertained while getting healthier.
There are so many options to consider, but if you’re short on time, we recommend the Powerbeats Pro for the best overall experience on your next adventure, the Jabra Elite Active 75t if you tend to customize your sound, and the JBL Under Armour Flash for its excellent connectivity.
Contents
Our Picks for Best Earbuds for Cyclists
| Best Earbuds for Cyclists | Why We Recommend It |
| Beats by Dr Dre Powerbeats Pro | Best Overall |
| Jabra Elite Active 75t | Best for Customization |
| Jaybird Vista 2 | Best for Durability |
| Bose SoundSport Free | Best for Audio Quality |
| Beats Studio Buds | Best for Noise Cancellation |
| JBL Under Armour FLASH | Best for Connectivity |
Beats by Dre Powerbeats Pro – Best Overall
We think the Powerbeats Pro from Apple are the best earbuds for cyclists available on the market today. They offer some of the best audio quality available in the earbud form factor with resonant bass, accurate mids, and bright highs.
- Great overall sound quality, clarity, and range for music
- Ear hooks are adjustable for lightweight comfort and stability
- Impact resistance means uninterrupted sound while running, biking, or hiking
- IPX4 sweat and water resistance for vigorous workouts
- 9 hours of playback on a single charge
- Compatible with iOS and Android
- Limited mids and bottom-range bass can make some vocals sound sharp and clangy
- Case is required to pair headphones
These headphones rarely cut out and when they do, they pick back up almost instantly. They offer impact resistance, are water proof, and sweat proof – and while they lack noise cancellation, this is actually an advantage for many cyclists.
They never take you out of the awareness of your surroundings, they just make it a more pleasant experience.
With 9 hours of playback on a single charge, these can easily last an entire session, and with the charging case you’ll be good to go for more than 20 hours, easy.
The ear hooks and swappable ear tips mean the Powerbeats Pro sit secure on your ears and offer all day comforts with very little need for adjustment, which is perfect when you’re geared up and focused on the goal at hand.
Jabra Elite Active 75t – Best for Customization
The Jabra Elite Active 75t is a great option for cyclists that like to customize their listening experience.
The companion app offers a rich tuning experience that allows you to adjust your EQ settings so that you can get the right mix of bass and treble to suit your preference. This more than makes up for the not so great out of the box settings.
- Great active noise cancellation and call reception for sports earbuds
- IP57 water, sweat, and dust proof rating
- Minimal audio drop outs or interruptions
- Great sound customization, boomy bass, EQ options, and audio profiles allow you to customize sound to your preference
- 5.5 hours of battery life with ANC on
- Relies on suction and grip coating for secure fit, which may be uncomfortable after 6+ hours of continuous use
- Bass is overpowering and highs can be grating out of the box depending on what music you listen to
- Latency while watching movies
It also features persistent audio profiles. This allows you to tune settings optimized for certain genres of music or podcasts that you can easily switch between depending on what you’re in the mood to listen to during your route.
Like other earbuds in this price range, the Jabra Elite Active 75t also has microphones that make taking calls while riding relatively smooth; that being said, these are earbuds for cycling so the call quality isn’t going to be as good as earbuds designed especially for calls. They definitely do get the job done though.
The main thing to watch out for is that these earbuds don’t have fins, but rely on suction to stay in your ears. Depending on the size and shape of your ears, they may become uncomfortable after 6+ hours of continuous use.
Jaybird Vista 2 – Best for Durability
With an IP68 rating, the Jaybird Vista 2 earbuds are water, sweat, and dust proof. Though not recommended, we’ve found they can withstand drops and tumbles without any noticeable impact to functioning or sound quality.
If you tend to go through many pairs of earbuds due to extreme sweat damage or if your earbuds tend to slip from your hands, these are a great option.
- Waterproof, sweat proof, and dust proof with an IP68 rating
- Active noise cancellation and customizable EQ for a crystal clear listening experience
- Comfortable and secure fit with 3 sizes of gel ear tips
- 8 hours of audio on a full charge
- Connectivity is great - minimal to no dropped signals and quick recovery
- Physical interface and control mapping is somewhat limited
- Voice pickup quality on the microphones can sometimes be spotty
- While durable, the form factor is a bit bulky
Like some of the others we’ve highlighted here, the Jaybird Vista 2 offers a companion app to adjust your EQ settings, microphones for taking calls, active noise cancellation, and several earbud tip options for comfortable all day wear.
While they check all of the boxes featurewise, the Vista 2 is a jack of all trades here, with others on this list edging it out in specific categories like sound quality and noise cancellation.
We also found the connectivity to be great with the Jaybird Vista 2 – though they may drop from time to time, they also pick back up right away. With 8 hours of battery life, they should also last you all day without having to charge again. Overall, the Jaybird Vista 2 is a solid choice for cyclists.
Bose SoundSport Free – Best for Audio Quality
What sets the Bose SoundSport Free apart from the other earbuds on this list is its exceptional audio quality. Like other Bose headphones, the audio profile of these earbuds tends to be on the warmer side with emphasis on crisp mids and punchy bass.
- Secure and comfortable fit with 3 options for in-ear tips
- Superb quality sound, with crisp clear mids and punchy bass
- IPX4 water and sweat resistance is great for most physical activities
- Consistent connectivity with minimal interference during workouts
- Not noise cancelling, and might be susceptible to wind interference
- Latency with adjusting volume and watching video
If you’re looking for a strong booming base, the Jabra Elite Active 75t is a better option, but to get a really true to life sonic experience, the Bose SoundSport Free earbuds do a great job out of the box. In some music genres, we’ve found that they even slightly edge out the Powerbeats Pro.
For earbuds, they do an amazing job of letting in ambient noise without allowing the sounds to get too much in the way of the listening experience. One thing to keep in mind is that these earbuds do not offer active noise cancellation.
Beats Studio Buds – Best for Noise Cancellation
While a couple of other options we’ve recommended offer noise cancellation as a secondary feature, none hold a candle to the Beats Studio Buds. With active noise cancellation and transparency modes, you can easily switch between letting in ambient sound and blocking out the sounds around you.
- Sound is loud, clear, and vibrant
- IPX4 rated water and sweat resistance
- Active noise cancelling and transparency modes to adapt listening to your environment
- Great Bluetooth 5.0 connectivity and crystal clear call reception
- 8 hours of listening on a single charge and 24 hours with the charging case
- Easy pairing with any device
- Intuitive and easy to use hardware controls
- While the form factor is small, the earbuds jut out a bit, which some users may not find aesthetic
- If you're doing high impact physical activities, these may not stay in your ears as well as alternatives
With transparency mode on, its like you’re not even wearing earbuds. Given that these are earbuds, the active noise cancellation won’t block out all sound – which is good as a cyclist to maintain awareness of your surroundings – but it does a great job at minimizing wind swirling sounds and taking the edge off of sharp sounds.
One thing to watch out for is that these earbuds are very small and they tend to jut out a bit. We’ve found that it didn’t matter for us, but if you’re cycling in rugged terrain with lots of bumpy surfaces, they may not stay in your ears as well as the Powerbeats Pro.
JBL Under Armour FLASH, Sport In-Ear Headphones – Best for Connectivity
We found that the JBL Under Armour FLASH, Sport In-Ear Headphones was the standout in terms of connectivity. All Bluetooth earbuds are susceptible to some amount of interference that can lead to occasional cutting out.
However, we found that with the JBL Under Armour FLASH, Sport In-Ear Headphones this happened way less than the others on this list to a surprising degree. So if you find interrupting your flow to fix disconnects unbearable, the JBL Under Armour FLASH, Sport In-Ear Headphones may be for you.
- Sweat and water resistant IPX7 rating means these headphones can withstand the toughest workouts
- Sports fins keep these headphones secure in your ears
- Sound quality is consistent even when exercising in rugged terrain
- 20 hours of playback with the charging case
- 5 hours of playback without the charging case
- Lack of hardware volume control
The JBL Under Armour FLASH, Sport In-Ear Headphones earbuds are also comparable to others at its price point in terms of durability and sound quality. It features an IPX7 water and sweatproof rating, one of the highest on this list.
We noticed that it also had exceptionally consistent sound quality. If you favor mountain biking and bumpy trails, these may be better than some of the alternatives we’ve listed above.
The main drawback with this one is that the battery only lasts about 5 hours without the charging case, so if you do any kind of long distance cycling, you may want to consider some of the other options with longer playback
What should the best earbuds for cyclists offer?
The best earbuds for cyclist are trendy, sturdy and engineered for the ideal performance. These are the top features you should consider when looking for an ideal pair of earbuds for your cycling needs.
Related Content: 10 Best Wireless Headphones for Athletics
Comfort
A great set of earbuds should be comfortable. For cyclists, comfort is the biggest factor to consider. With a set of comfortable earbuds, cyclists can engage in their activities without any breaks in the flow of music.
This ensures you can work out for longer to greater benefit. Your earbuds should be a comfortable in ear fit for maximum output. They should also remain comfortable over long hours of use.
Clarity
Distorted sound can break the flow of rhythm when cycling. The best earbuds for cyclists will ensure high quality sound output, allowing you to combine crisp audio with a satisfying workout.
In order to achieve this, your earbuds should minimize interference from external sources and feature advanced sound output technology.
Ease of use
A great set of earbuds for cyclists should be easy to use to reduce the likelihood of distraction. With the right earbuds for cycling, you will be able to manage your playlist without having to control your devices.
This will ensure continuity, which can be crucial to getting a fulfilling cycling experience. An ideal model should connect easily, as well as feature great controls for full benefit.
Multiple functions
An ideal set of earbuds for cycling should offer multiple functions for value added service.
They should be able to take calls, and may connect with multiple devices to ensure you do not miss out on any urgent needs.
The best earbuds for cyclists may also carry added features for an improved experience, such as sweat proofing for an ideal and durable performance.
Final word
The Powerbeats Pro stands out for its superior qualities and great design. This in-ear model delivers consistent and high quality audio, allowing you to cycle without any interruption. The Powerbeats Pro is a comfortable set of earbuds, which facilitates continued use.
These earbuds have great connectivity, ensuring that your rhythm doesn’t break as a result of dropped connections. They are also water resistant, making them ideal for use for cycling. With the right care, these earbuds could offer value added service for a long time.