Beats has been a household name in headphones for years, known for punchy bass and bold styling. The Powerbeats Pro 2 (9/10, WIRED Recommends) use ergonomic over-ear hooks to stay absolutely secure in your ears when you’re running, lifting, or just walking the dog. They’re usually a little expensive at $250, but Amazon has them marked down to just $200 in a variety of colors.
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Photograph: Ryan Waniata
While ear hooks might sound a little odd coming from the world of more traditional wireless earbuds, there’s no need to worry. These are among the most comfortable earbuds we’ve tested, with our reviewer Ryan Waniata noting that he “wore the buds for several hours a day over a full week with barely a pinch.”
They don’t skimp on features either, with noise canceling that rivals some of our other favorite wireless earbuds. The transparency mode works excellently too, which is key for headphones that you’ll likely wear with other folks around, or while running through your neighborhood.
If you’re really adventurous and active, the earbuds last up to eight hours with noise canceling, and closer to 10 without. The case can charge them around 3.5 times before it needs to be plugged in, so you could take them camping as long as they don’t get too wet, since they only have IPX4 water resistance.
One other feature that runners especially may find useful is a built-in heart rate monitor. It’s compatible with a variety of fitness and wellness apps on both Android and iOS, occasionally checking using a barrage of sensors to measure your BPM. Apple has also included this feature on the recently announced AirPods Pro 3.
Of course, they also have that classic audio profile that Beats fans know and love, with heavy bass and punchy midrange. It’s a bit more toned down here than previous examples, and has nice detail, although sometimes a little forward in the high end. There’s no manual equalizer here though, so if you don’t like the way other Beats headphones sound, you’re sort of stuck with it. If you’re looking for something big and bold, and you need them to stay put in your ears no matter where you go, these are an excellent choice.
