As we slowly plod through January, prospects of positive times ahead help to keep those blues at bay. 2022 will (hopefully) have no lockdowns, more opportunity to get out, travel and if you’re into your fitness, get back to the gym again. Even if you’re not into making resolutions, you’ve likely thought about your aspirations, goals and challenges you want to complete this year. Whether you are a runner aiming to do your first 5k, training for a marathon, looking to improve body strength, cycle or just want to have a more active lifestyle, listening to music is a well-known motivator to keep you pushing through and help achieve those goals. And to listen to music, you need a pair of earphones suitable to work out in.
But what qualities should you look for in the earphone? Read on to find out our top 3 to look for when shopping to help ensure you have the best suited piece of kit, for you achieve your fitness goals this year.
1. Fit – Love the shape of you, love the shape of your ears too
Getting a good fit is essential for working out. There is nothing worse than constantly having to adjust your earphone and worry about it falling out whilst you are exercising. A good fit is also the most difficult box to tick.
Our ears are more unique than our fingerprints, so a one-size fits all approach means that not everyone (or the majority) is going to be satisfied. Earphones are often supplied with a small, medium or large tip and you use the one which gives the closest fit for you. However, although it may stay in, for the BEST fit, you need a custom fit.
Custom fit is made to fit your ear shape exactly, which not only gives the best security in your ear, also means that your earphone is comfortable too. No pushing as far as you can to try to get the earphone to stay in is required! Snugs are designed to fit both your ear and the earphone driver too. When looking for an earphone, check that Snugs can make a custom tip for it, so you know you’ve got the fit box checked.
2. Sweat Resistance – check the IPX rating
When you exercise, you’re going to sweat. You therefore need to have earphones which offer water resistance, or face having to keep buying new pairs when they break. Earphones have an IPX rating which determines how resistant they are to environmental elements. So, if you’re going to be sweating it out, you ideally need earphones with a rating of IPX4 and above. Although they offer resistance, bear in mind this does not make them waterproof – make sure you wipe down your earphone drivers with a soft, dry lint-free cloth after use to prolong their life.
3. Battery Life
During exercise, having wires hanging around can be annoying and you find yourself accidentally ripping the earphone from your ear. Which makes True Wireless earphones the go to sporty choice. As there are no wires, the battery is built into the unit so you need to consider the length of the battery life when making your purchase. If for instance you are long distance running training, the longer the battery life the better.
There are also still lots of popular Bluetooth Wireless earphones out there to purchase, with the earbuds connected around the back of the neck by a wire. Again you need to make sure the battery life is best for you, but some prefer this choice in terms of connectivity.
Top choices on the market
Reading reviews, the top workout earphone is the Jabra Elite Active 75t. It has a good battery life, durability, sound and special features. At Snugs, we particularly like it as the earphone itself is not too big – this means the earphone can sit inside most sizes of ears, and work well with a custom tip.
Other popular choices include:
- Apple AirPods Pro
- Beats Powerbeats Pro
- Bose Sport Earbuds
- Bose Soundsport Free
- Jabra Elite Active 75t
- Samsung Galaxy Buds Pro
- Sony SP800N
And the best bit is we can make a custom tip for all of these. So, whichever you choose, ensure you have the best piece of kit possible by adding a Snug earphone tip and enjoy listening to your tunes!
You can order a SnugsGo custom tip for your earphone here
You can order a SnugsPro custom tip for your earphone here
