Working out to the sound of music in your ears can be a fulfilling and fun experience. Whether it is enjoying a run, riding a bike, or even lifting weights in the gym, working out to music has a way of making exercise more enjoyable. Besides, it creates the impression of time moving fast. In the end, you will get more out of your workout without feeling too much strain.
The good news is that there are several high-quality headphones specially designed for working out. It’s not like you can just go to your local electronics store and pick whatever brand you see. Nonetheless, there are a few factors you may want to consider before buying workout headphones.
In this post, we are going to focus on these factors, helping you pick the right headphones for your budget.
Fit
If you are going to spend hours working out, the last thing you want is to keep adjusting your headphones back to position. It can be a painful experience. Sports headphones must fit perfectly. It doesn’t matter whether you are running, cycling on tough terrain, or enduring an intense weight lifting session.
The headphones must remain in place regardless of the type of workout. This will not be possible if they don’t fit. A good rule would be to focus on headphones that have adjustable headbands. They can easily be customized to the size and shape of your head so that they fit perfectly.
Comfort
Comfort is also a crucial consideration. Breathable headphones with excellent padding all-round are highly recommended. You may also want to consider sweat-proof headphones as well. Most people will naturally be sweating a lot during a workout. You don’t want all that fluid making its way into the headphones.
Sweat may damage sensitive components of your headphones or affect overall sound quality. But sweatproof headphones will deal with this, ensuring you get amazing service regardless of how sweaty you get during a workout session.
Wireless Over Wired
There are two broad categories of headphones to choose from these days – wireless and wired. A lot of people out there still prefer using wired headphones. They are also relatively cheaper. However, if you are buying workout headphones, then it makes a lot of sense to go for wireless designs.
Even if it means spending a little extra on the products, wireless headphones offer a lot of convenience during intense workouts. They give you freedom of movement and are relatively safer to use compared to wired ones.
Besides, wired headphones also need to be attached to your smartphone or any other device you are using to play the music. This simply means that you must always carry that device in your person every time you are working out. It’s just too much stress.
Sound Quality
We all know that the primary purpose of any headphones is to listen to music and cancel ambient noises. These two features are very important during a workout. While the soothing sound of music can make your workout more enjoyable, noise cancelation can also help improve focus during your workout. All these factors will go a long way in helping you get the best out of every workout session.
However, if the sound quality of your headphones is not up to standard, then you are more likely to have a terrible experience. Anyone who has used a set of headphones with poor sound knows how annoying distorted music can be. It will just be an unwanted distraction during your workout.
Sound quality varies across different headphone brands. You can test out a few brands or read the reviews of other users to see which brands offer the best sound before buying.
Weight
The weight of your headphones will go a long way in determining the comfort too. Although traditionally you want your headphones to be as lightweight as possible, if you can get something even lighter for your workout then go for it.
Lightweight headphones, especially those that fit perfectly well, will be so comfortable to wear. They give you excellent room to maneuver and move around during your workout as well. No matter how vigorous your workout is, you can be sure they will stay in place.
Noise Cancellation
It may also be a good idea to pick workout headphones that come with a noise cancellation feature. Getting rid of ambient noise in a gym is always a plus in keeping your workouts focused. Besides, for people who run in a park or even in the streets of a busy city, you don’t want all that ambient noise distracting you. Noise cancellation headphones will help you deal with this. Even though eventually you may have to pay a little extra for them, this feature is definitely worth the extra buck.
Price
Notice how we included price as the final consideration in our list. This is actually by design. Different headphones are priced differently depending on the features they have to offer. However, price should not be your priority when buying headphones. You want to, first of all, peruse through all available products in the market and find exactly what you need.
After that, you can start to consider the price. In other words, do not just buy the cheapest workout headphones you can find. Sometimes it’s worth paying extra for additional features that may significantly improve the workings of the headphones.
Despite this, it doesn’t mean you have to break the bank to get a set of reliable headphones either. A good rule would be to shortlist three brands that perfectly meet your standards and pick the most affordable one in that list.
Working out to the sound of your favorite songs is always an exciting and fun thing to do. However, this experience is entirely determined by the kind of headphones you are using. Ultimately, you want to pick headphones that fit perfectly on your head and ears. Comfortable, lightweight, sweat-resistant, wireless, and affordable headphones are also highly recommended. With the amazing variety of products out there, it should be easy to get exactly what you are looking for.