Back in 2010, Beats made ear-hook style buds popular for working out with its original Powerbeats. Those first Powerbeats were wired buds, but today most earbuds with ear hooks are true-wireless models, including Beats’ own Powerbeats Pro 2, which feature active noise canceling. That said, the trend is toward ear-hook style buds that have open designs that let sound in so you can hear the outside world for safety reasons when running and biking — or just walking around town. Several of those open models are on this list, as well as noise-isolating models like the Powerbeats Pro 2. I’ve tested all the models here and fully reviewed some. Note that several open earbuds with ear-hook designs are being released later this year. You can preview some of those models, including several from JBL, here.
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What are the best sport earbuds with ear hooks?
Currently, the best sports earbuds with ear hooks are the Shokz OpenFit Pro (for open design) and Beats Powerbeats Pro 2 (for noise-isolating design with active noise canceling). They currently sit at the top of this list, but note that several new earbuds with ear hooks will be released in 2026, so we’ll see if they retain their positions.
Read more: Best workout headphones
Best sports earbuds with ear hooks of 2026
Pros
- Comfortable fit and good build quality
- Strong sound for open earbuds, with large 11×20mm dual-diaphragm drivers
- Good battery life (up to 12 hours)
- Noise reduction technology takes the edge off ambient sound
- Good voice-calling performance
- Wireless charging
Cons
- Fairly pricey
- Noise reduction feature doesn’t muffle sound as well as AirPods 4 with Noise Cancellation
Why I like them
Shokz wanted to equip its new flagship OpenFit Pro open earbuds with active noise cancellation, but that’s not easy with open earbuds. Instead, it ended up dialing back expectations and calling the tech inside these new ear-hook-style buds OpenEar Noise Reduction. It’s a good thing it did because, during time testing the OpenFit Pro, they didn’t reduce ambient sound nearly as well as the Apple AirPods 4 with Active Noise Cancellation. But they sound impressive for open earbuds, are comfortable to wear and have the premium build quality you’d expect from a set of earbuds that cost $250. Read review.
Reasons to buy
The OpenFit Pro are well-designed and among the best-sounding open earbuds.
Reasons to skip/keep looking
The are more affordable open buds with ear-hook designs that may not sound quite as good but do cost $50-$100 less.
Pros
- Improved design and sound quality with smaller case
- Equipped with more powerful H2 chip
- Good noise canceling
- Excellent voice-calling performance
- Heart-rate sensors
- Strong battery life
- Wireless charging
Cons
- Some users may not get a tight seal
- A few features missing from AirPods Pro 2
- More basic Find My feature (no Precision Finding)
Why I like them
The original Powerbeats Pro were released in May 2019, so Beats has had a lot of time to plot how to improve the second generation of its popular ear-hook style true-wireless sport earbuds. And improve they have — by quite a bit. Not only do they feature a new, more refined design with better ergonomics, but new drivers, a more powerful Apple H2 chip, a new built-in heart-rate sensor and, yes, active noise canceling for the first time in a pair of Powerbeats. And that noise canceling is quite good, as is the sound quality and voice-calling performance — so long as you get a tight seal from one of the five different included eartips. Read my Beats Powerbeats Pro 2 review.
These new Powerbeats Pro 2 fit my ears better thanks to Beats improving the overall ergonomic shape of the earbud and completely redesigning the ear hook — it’s 50% smaller and incorporates nickel-titanium alloy, so it’s both flexible and durable. The buds themselves are 20% lighter.
Reasons to buy
Fitness enthusiasts prefer earbuds with ear hooks to prevent their buds from falling out of their ears during intense workouts. Typically, such earbuds don’t offer the greatest performance, but the Powerbeats Pro 2 share many of the same qualities and features as the AirPods Pro 2, featuring very good sound quality, along with strong noise cancellation and voice-calling performance. In short, they’re versatile, also performing well as everyday earbuds. It’s also worth noting that while the Powerbeats Pro 2 have some Apple-exclusive features, Beats does have an app for Android users that makes these more Android-friendly than AirPods.
Reasons to skip/keep looking
While Beats has improved the Powerbeats Pro 2’s design and ergonomics, they still may not be a comfortable fit for everybody’s ears, and some people may not get a truly tight seal from any of Beats’ eartips. (I had an issue and had to use another set of eartips from my collection.) If you don’t get a tight seal, you’ll likely be unimpressed with the sound quality and noise canceling and may want to return them to the store where you bought them. (Try to find some alternative eartips before you do that.)
Pros
- Slightly improved design and comfort
- Impressive sound for open earbuds
- Improved battery life
- New physical control button
Why I like them
Shokz has released the newer OpenFit 2 Plus, which adds wireless charging and a Dolby Atmos sound mode for $20 more. The buds are otherwise the same, so you can decide whether it’s worth the extra dough (I’m not sure it is). Both are comfortable to wear, sound excellent for open earbuds, at least in quieter environments and offer good voice-calling performance. I also like that each bud has a programmable physical control button to control playback. Read my Shokz OpenFit 2 review.
Reasons to buy
While the Shokz OpenFit 2 are a little pricey, they’re among the best open earbuds with ear hooks and feature a comfortable, durable design, strong sound quality (for open earbuds), good voice-calling performance and improved controls. Because of these traits, I have them near the top of my list of best headphones and earbuds for runners. They also work well for bikers and anyone who doesn’t like having eartips jammed in their ears.
Reasons to skip/keep looking
You can find cheaper open earbuds with ear hooks that may not sound quite as good, but they’re pretty close and are a better overall value.
Pros
- Quite affordable
- Fit my ears securely and relatively comfortably
- Decent battery life (up to 8 hours on a single charge)
- Case is fairly slim
- Customizable light
Cons
- They sound decent enough for open buds but they lack a little bass and clarity
- Design is somewhat generic
- Not great in noisy environments
Why I like them
Anker’s Soundcore V20i aren’t going to win any awards for their design or sound quality (there’s a bit of distortion at higher volumes and they only output so much bass), but they look and sound decent enough for open buds and fit my ears pretty comfortably. While their performance can’t match what you get from more premium earbuds with ear hooks (that includes voice-calling performance), the key here is that they only cost around $30.
Reasons to buy them
If you’re just looking for a pair of open sports buds that work acceptably well for not much money, the Soundcore V20i fit the bill. The step-up V30i are also just fine for about $10 more (there’s also a V40i that’s under $50), but I have no problem recommending the V20i so long as you don’t have the highest expectations in the world.
Reasons to skip/keep looking
As far as ear-hook style earbuds go, the V20i are pretty basic. If you’re looking for more slickly designed and better performing open earbuds, you’ll need to pay more.
Pros
- Lightweight and comfortable, secure fit
- Attractively designed
- Good sound
- Easy-to-use pinch controls
- Decent battery life
Cons
- Some competitors sound slightly better
The Nothing Ear (Open) buds may not sound quite as good as Shokz’ OpenFit 2 buds, but they do offer very respectable sound, and I found them lightweight and comfortable to wear. (The overall fit and where the buds end up sitting on your ears will impact sound quality, particularly when it comes to bass performance.) Overall, the buds are well-designed and feature Nothing’s signature translucent plastic on the exterior. They’re IP54 certified, which means they’re splash-proof and dust-resistant.
Aside from their design, I liked their pinch controls and slim, elongated case. Voice-calling performance was also good, though it can be a little harder to hear callers in noisy environments because these are open earbuds. Battery life is rated at 8 hours at moderate volume levels with an additional 22 hours in the charging case. While there’s a bass boost mode as part of the equalizer settings in Nothing’s companion app for iOS and Android (there’s also a “low-lag gaming mode), the buds can deliver only so much bass. But I was happy wearing them nevertheless.
Pros
- Comfortable, secure fit
- Improved sound with more bass
- Good battery life
- Well-priced
Cons
- A little heavier than Shokz models
Anker’s Soundcore AeroFit 2 open earbuds have been completely redesigned and look quite different from the original AeroFit buds, which also listed for $100. The second-gen AeroFit are not only more comfortable but look sleeker, sound significantly better and offer all-around improvements. The buds aren’t as light as the Shokz OpenFit 2 buds and don’t sound quite as good, but they cost quite a bit less and offer good all-around performance with augmented bass response. Available in multiple colors, they’re a good option for those looking for ear-hook style open earbuds with a fairly premium design and good sound quality without the high price tag of top-end models.
Pros
- Lightweight, comfortable and secure fit with flexible ear hooks
- Sound good for this style of earbud with ample bass
- Built-in LED lights for nighttime workouts
- Slim charging case is only a little over an inch thick and has a LED battery life indicator
Cons
- Acefast logo is a little too prominent and a tad garish
- Battery life could be a slightly better
The Acefast Acefit Pro are similar to a lot of the new ear hook-style open earbuds, but they have a few distinguishing design traits that help set them up. For starters, they have built-in LEDs with 8 lighting effects that help make you visible at night (a real bike light puts out significantly more light, however). Also, their charging case is slim and features a battery-life indicator on the translucent lid that shows how much juice is left in the case. Overall, I found the buds comfortable to wear, and they sound good for open earbuds, delivering ample bass with decent clarity and good volume. From a sound standpoint, they measure up well to Anker’s Soundcore AeroFit 2 and a lot of midrange open ear sports buds. I also thought their touch controls worked well, while voice-calling performance was slightly above average, though not top-tier.
The buds are rated for 6 hours of battery life on a single charge at moderate volume levels. They have an IP54 rating, which means they are dust-resistant and splash-proof. Available in multiple color options, the white color is currently the cheapest.
Pros
- Upgraded design from X10
- Secure, comfortable fit
- Slightly better sound and noise canceling
- Improved battery life
- Fully waterproof and dust-proof
Cons
- Lack a bit of clarity
- Sound is degraded if you don’t get a tight seal
The Soundcore Sport X20 has some nice upgrades over Anker’s original Soundcore X10 earbuds. They include an improved design, adaptive noise canceling, superior battery life, slightly better sound and multipoint Bluetooth pairing. Like the previous model, these have an interesting design with rotating swiveling ear hooks. They don’t swivel as much as the X10’s ear hooks, which is a good thing (they stayed on my ears very securely). I also liked that the charging case has a smaller footprint than a lot of buds with ear hooks.
Fully waterproof and dust-proof with an IP68 rating, the X20 has slightly larger drivers than the X10 (11mm instead of 10mm). As long as you get a tight seal from the included eartips (you get five sizes), they’re able to deliver good sound with punchy bass and good detail. They lack a bit of clarity, particularly at higher volumes (there was a touch of distortion), and the noise canceling isn’t as good as Sony or Bose’s noise canceling. But the buds are affordable and a good value overall. As for battery life, it’s rated at up to 12 hours with noise canceling off and 7 hours with it on. Voice-calling performance is also decent, although not exceptionally good.
Pros
- Comfortable fit
- Good sound
- Loaded with features
- Touchscreen in charging case
- Built-in voice controls
- Dolby spatial audio with head tracking
Cons
- Somewhat pricey
- Case is a little large
Cleer’s Arc 2 earbuds were among the best-sounding open wireless earbuds with an ear-hook design. Among this style of open buds, the new Arc 3 are still near the top for sound but other companies like Shokz and Bose have caught up and arguably sound slightly better. But the Cleer Arc 3 buds have something that other buds of this ilk don’t have: a touchscreen LCD built into their charging case. It allows you to control playback and access the buds’ features, including EQ settings and even use the case as a remote to snap a photo on your smartphone.
In fact, the Arc 3 are probably the most feature-rich open earbuds out there right now — and they’re fully waterproof with an IPX7 rating. They have built-in voice controls to raise and lower volume and skip tracks forward and back, as well as Dolby Atmos spatial audio with head-tracking. Additionally, you can nod your head twice to take a call or shake your head back and forth to reject it (this feature is referred to as “gesture” controls). And finally, they have UV light that sterilizes the buds when they’re in the case and a step counter.
While the sound can be a tad uneven from track to track and the buds’ bass lacks a little punch compared to what you get with a good set of noise-isolating buds in this price range, they fit my ears comfortably and securely. They also offered solid voice-calling performance. They’re a little expensive, but the price seems to be creeping down a bit.
Budget
Before anything else, you’ll want to figure out how much you’re willing to spend on new wireless sports buds with ear hooks. The quality of value-priced earbuds and headphones continues to improve, so you can find good, affordable sports buds for less than $75. The premium models, which offer better build quality and performance, tend to cost more than $100 and sometimes more than $150.
Noise-isolating or open design
Sports buds with ear hooks are available in a couple of styles. Some come with silicone tips that are designed to create a tight seal in your ear and keep sound out (they have a noise-isolating design). Others have an open design with the buds resting on top of your ears, firing sound into them. The noise-isolating style typically gives you better sound with stronger bass while the open design has the advantage of allowing sound in for safety reasons.
Fit and comfort
It’s key that sports earbuds fit your ears not only comfortably but securely. They should offer a comfortable fit that allows you to wear the earbuds for long periods without any irritation. Since all the buds on this list have ear hooks, they should stay on your ears well. Some will fit your ears more comfortably than others.
Durability
You want sports buds that hold up well over time, so look for models that we note have sturdy build quality and a good water-resistance rating.
Return policy
It’s critical to buy your sports at a retailer that has a good return policy, in case you have buyer’s remorse. Some people who are having trouble deciding between two models sometimes buy both, try them out for a few days and then return one.
We test true-wireless earbuds based on five key criteria, comparing similarly styled and priced models. These criteria are design, sound quality, features, voice-calling performance and value.
- Design: We assess not only how comfortable the earbuds fit (ergonomics) but their build quality and how well the controls are implemented. We also look at water- and dust-resistance ratings.
- Sound quality: We evaluate sound quality by listening to a set playlist of music tracks and comparing the earbuds to top competing products in their price range. Sonic traits such as bass definition, clarity, dynamic range and how natural the headphones sound are key factors in our assessment.
- Features: Some great-sounding earbuds aren’t loaded with features, but we do take into account what extra features are on board. These include everything from noise-canceling and transparency modes (ambient sound mode) to special sound modes to ear-detection sensors that automatically pause your music when you take the headphones off your ears.
- Voice-calling: When we test voice-calling performance, we make calls in the noisy streets of New York and evaluate how well the earbuds reduce background noise and how clearly callers can hear your voice.
- Overall value: We determine value after evaluating the strength of the earbuds against all these criteria and what the buds are able to deliver compared to other models in their price class.
Anker Soundcore Aerofit Pro: The Anker Soundcore AeroFit Pro have come down in price since they were released in late 2023 and now cost around $100 instead of $180. They remain among the better open-ear “air conduction” earbuds, with a premium look and feel, comfortable fit and fairly strong audio quality for these types of earbuds, with ample bass and volume, plus decent clarity. The AeroFit 2 Pro will be released in May of 2026.
1More Fit SE S30: 1More makes the newer S50 and S51 ear-hook models (around $80), which feature more premium designs and slightly better sound, but the the Fit SE S30 is decent enough for under $30 for those on a tight budget.
Skullcandy Push Active: With so many new wireless earbuds and headphones being released on what seems likely a weekly basis, it’s not easy for companies to differentiate their products in the marketplace. Back in 2021, Skullcandy hoped its new voice-driven platform, Skull-iQ Smart Feature Technology, would do just that. Similar to the Apple AirPods’ “Hey Siri” feature, Skullcandy’s version allows you to say “Hey, Skullcandy” to issue hands-free voice commands without touching a button. The buds are still available, but there’s the newer Push Active ANC ($80).
JBL Endurance Peak 3: JBL is released a new Endurance Peak model in the spring of 2026. These 3rd-gen ear-hook style sport earbuds were released in 2023 and should be available at a decent discount. Available in black or white, the Endurance Peak 3 buds offer better battery life (up to 10 hours with four extra charges in their case), improved voice-calling performance and an IP68 rating that makes them fully water- and dust-proof. They also have an Ambient Aware transparency mode and Talk Thru mode that can automatically lower your music’s volume level and open up the buds to the outside world. That means you can have a conversation with someone without removing the buds from your ears.
Beyerdynamic Amiron 200: Beyerdynamic is known for its sound quality, so it’s not surprising the Amiron 200, its first open earbuds with ear hooks, deliver top-notch sound with nice depth and richness. They have very good clarity and bass performance for this type of open earbuds and match the Bose Ultra Open Earbuds and Shokz OpenFit 2 for sound quality, and they may sound slightly better than those models depending on the fit you get. Unfortunately, how they fit your ears is the one big caveat about these buds. While they fit my ears comfortably and securely, they bent the top of my ears back a little so I looked a little funny wearing them. That said, they fit my wife’s smaller ears perfectly.
Baseus Eli Sport 1: The Eli Sport 1 can be had for around $80 (currently $49 on a discount). While they may not sound quite as good as some of the premium open earbuds out there — there can be a touch of distortion at higher volumes with bass-heavy tracks — they sound quite decent for their modest price and I found them comfortable to wear. They look more premium than their price would indicate. They have 16.2mm drivers, are IPX4 splash-proof and are rated for up to 7.5 hours of battery life at moderate volume levels.
Are earbuds with ear hooks better than earbuds with wingtips for sports?
Not necessarily. Buds with integrated ear hooks or wingtips (or sports fins) are designed to help keep your earbuds in your ears. It’s really a design preference. Some people like the look and feel of earbuds with ear hooks, while others prefer earbuds with sports fins. If you’re looking for an open buds design, you’re more likely to find open earbuds with ear hooks than sport fins.
What are the downsides to earbuds with ear hooks?
Because they’re bigger than your typical earbuds, earbuds with ear hooks usually come with a fairly large charging case that may not fit so well in a pants pocket (especially tight jeans). We’re seeing better designs for not only the buds themselves (and the ear hooks), but the cases are getting more compact.
How is the battery life for earbuds with ear hooks?
Generally, excellent and usually significantly better than what you get with standard earbuds. That’s because earbuds with ear hooks are large and can house bigger batteries. Typical battery life ratings for buds with ear hooks are in the 10- to 15-hour range, while traditional true-wireless earbuds are usually rated for anywhere from 5 to 8 hours of playback time at moderate volume levels.
