'I tried aesthetic headphones to workout and these are my best recommendations'

785     0
Mirror Choice have concluded these three wireless headphones for best aesthetic looks - P9, Sony and Beats (left to right)
Mirror Choice have concluded these three wireless headphones for best aesthetic looks - P9, Sony and Beats (left to right)

An effective workout goes hand in hand with good vibes and great music and people rely on a good pair of headphones to keep them staying active.

Whether you are a gym rat or cardio bunny, you want one that fits your lifestyle and boost your fitness plan without slowing down your workout routine.

I've been testing countless wireless headphones in search for a pair that delivers pleasing sound quality and gives an aesthetic look.

As a rule of thumb, active noise cancellation (ANC) is quite important when using the headphones for a workout. Many modern models might have equipped ANC as a standard feature, but some premium ones can interchange between ANC and ambient sound seamlessly.

When exercising – whether it's a run on the treadmill or weight-lifting – you want the headphones to sit comfortably on your head, so comfort is also on my checklist. If I were to invest in a premium pair, I'd look for the sweatproof design to make sure it stands the test of basic wear and tear.

Mrs Hinch shows off mammoth Home Bargains haul with 79p Easter buys qhiqqhiqueiddeinvMrs Hinch shows off mammoth Home Bargains haul with 79p Easter buys
'I tried aesthetic headphones to workout and these are my best recommendations'The Beats Studio Pro headphones are easy to slide in your gym bag and it comes with a compact pouch (Tiffany Lo)

Best fashionable over-ear headphone for neutral sound – Beats Studio Pro

The Apple-owned Beats Studio Pro headphones are lightweight and easy to carry thanks to its foldable design and a soft travel pouch, which is great when packing my gym bag. When it comes to running on the treadmill, they stay put on my head without slipping back and no hair gets caught in between hinges either.

They are definitely a more premium pick among other headphones but they do a decent job on active noise cancelling. I'm not a bass fan when it comes to enjoying music, so Beats Studio Pro's neutral sound profile performs perfectly during workouts and with its 'transparency mode', they block out rumbling noise yet pick up faint conversations nearby.

'I tried aesthetic headphones to workout and these are my best recommendations'The Beats Studio Pro cans have a clickable panel for easy volume and track control (Tiffany Lo)

With up to 40 hours of listening time, which is more than enough for a week's worth of working out, I don't have to worry about battery life. It's also just as easy to use with my Samsung Z Flip 3 as it is with an iPhone.

However the headband felt a bit like "plastic" when I adjusted the clicks on both sides.

The overall quality of the earpiece feels premium with their sturdy metal slider and leather padding, however, the likelihood of sweat breaking the ear cups might happen after constant use.

Beats Studio Pro, £349.99 – Buy now from Beats by Dre, Apple, Currys

'I tried aesthetic headphones to workout and these are my best recommendations'Sony's WH-1000XM5 headphones are comfortable to wear and provides great sound quality (Tiffany Lo)

Best wireless headphone for sound quality – Sony WH-1000XM5

You might have seen these a lot at the gym, or even on the street or in coffee shops. The premium Sony XM5 headphone is probably one of the most in-demand music gear for people who ask for comfort and best sounding.

Unlike other headphones, these Sony ones come with two buttons – one for power and another for noise cancellation. The volume and tracks control are on the surface of the right ear cup, which took me some time to get used to using the swiping gestures.

Expert shares 'nonsense' shopping error many will fall for this Valentine's DayExpert shares 'nonsense' shopping error many will fall for this Valentine's Day

I was also impressed by the "quick attention" feature. It's handy when I wanted to hear my surroundings in a hurry or during a run. I simply placed my hand on the right ear cup to activate the ambient sound, the music turned down within seconds and when I removed my hand, the volume went back up.

'I tried aesthetic headphones to workout and these are my best recommendations'The control panel on the flap is slightly confusing when I tried to turn up or down the volume (Tiffany Lo)

Once connected with the Sony app, I could play around with the equalizers in the pre-sets or customise according to my preference.

The ergonimic design on the headphone is so smooth that it doesn't take too much effort to adjust the headband and the big earmuffs are bonus features when exercising. But it also comes with a longer and bigger case, which makes it harder when I'm taking it with me on all travels.

Sony WH1000-XM5, £315 – Buy now from Currys, Argos

'I tried aesthetic headphones to workout and these are my best recommendations'The P9 headphones are great for its aesthetic look and almost easily mistaken as Apple's Air Pod Max

Best budget wireless headphones for aesthetic looks P9 Wireless Headphones

These P9 headphones are particularly popular among TikTokers and they are often mistaken as the £499 Apple Air Pod Max. It's been dubbed as the "best Air Pod Max dupe" because of the strikingly familiar design and it only costs £9.60 on Amazon.

As expected, the overall impression of the gadget feels like "cheap plastic". It does the basic job of playing music but it fails to provide any noise cancelling function.

The earmuffs are not comfortable and the buttons on the side of the ear flaps are difficult to press. But if you are not too fussed about music quality and are just looking for something that keeps you motivated, you could consider the P9.

P9 Wireless headphones, £9.60 – Buy now from Amazon

'I tried aesthetic headphones to workout and these are my best recommendations'The build quality is quite poor but given it's £9.60 and does play music, the headphones are great for rough use and Instagram

The above three are the best wireless overhead headphones that I've tried and if you are looking for in-ear buds for noise cancelling you can try Beats Fit Pro.

The comfortable pair comes with special wing tips to fit into the upper ear. The special controls on the cover gives easy access to control volume without the need to reach for your phone. They are normally priced at £219 on Apple Store but Amazon has reduced the price to £199.

Tiffany Lo

Print page

Comments:

comments powered by Disqus