Workout earbuds are a specific tool, and they're judged differently from everyday buds. A secure fit that survives burpees, controls you can hit with sweaty hands, and sweat resistance matter far more than the last few percent of audiophile detail. This is the one category where Beats genuinely leads — but leading isn't winning everything, and it's worth being honest about the split.

Where Beats leads

Fit. Nothing from Apple, Sony, or Samsung locks into your ears like the Powerbeats Pro 2's over-ear hooks, which simply do not move through sprint work or heavy lifting. The Beats Fit Pro get most of the way there with a clever wingtip and no bulky hook. If your buds keep falling out mid-set, this is the fix. (Full disclosure: the Beats Fit Pro are a personal favorite of SIGNAL’s author, so weigh our enthusiasm here accordingly.)

Controls and durability. Both use physical buttons, which stay reliable when your fingers are slick with sweat — touch panels on rival buds misfire in exactly those moments. Both carry IPX4 sweat resistance, and the Powerbeats Pro 2 add an optical heart-rate sensor and up to 45 hours of total battery for athletes who train daily.

🛒 Beats Powerbeats Pro 2 on Amazon🟦 Best Buy

Where it doesn't

Noise cancellation. The Bose QuietComfort Ultra Earbuds (2nd Gen) and Apple AirPods Pro 3 cancel noise on a level Beats doesn't reach. On a loud gym floor that matters less; on a treadmill next to an AC unit, it matters more.

Sound and versatility. The Sony WF-1000XM6 and Sennheiser Momentum True Wireless 4 are clearly better for music. And here's the honest twist: now that the AirPods Pro 3 carry an IP57 rating, they're genuinely workout-capable and class-leading at ANC and calls — which makes them a strong ‘one pair for the gym and everything else’ choice for iPhone owners.

The picks

For pure gym lockdown: the Beats Powerbeats Pro 2 — the hooks, heart-rate sensor, and battery are unmatched for hard training. The Beats Fit Pro are the smaller, cheaper alternative if you don’t want ear hooks.

For one pair that does the gym and everything else: the AirPods Pro 3 (on iPhone), now that IP57 makes them sweat-ready without giving up best-in-class ANC.

On Android: the Galaxy Buds 3 Pro and Pixel Buds Pro 2 handle moderate workouts fine, but neither locks in like the Beats. For serious training, Beats still wins.
🛒 Beats Fit Pro on Amazon🟦 Best Buy