Why I Still Run with Cheap Wired Headphones

Sweat kills

Obviously, wireless earbuds are a dime a dozen these days. And many of them are specifically designed for activities like running. They have ear wings and ear hooks that better grip your ears. And they’re IP-rated, so they’re tough enough to handle a bit of sweat and grime.

As a tech writer and avid runner, I have tested many of them while running, but none are perfect. They either don’t fit securely enough — and when running, you need your earbuds to fit just right — or they just start acting finicky. We’ve all experienced abruptly stop charging, right?

For me, I’ve always found that the stem shape of Apple’s AirPods or AirPods Pro fits best in my ears; when I’ve run with traditional-shaped earbuds, they’ve always felt precarious (or have actually fallen out of my ears). However, if you sweat as much as tend to do, I wouldn’t recommend running with any AirPods. You’ll kill ’em.

I’ve learned this the hard way. Over the past few years, I’ve killed two AirPods Pros and one AirPods 3 — Apple’s only two AirPod models with an IPX4 rating, meaning they’re splash-resistant. But that’s evidently not enough to fend off my sweat.

Believe me, there’s nothing more demoralizing than finding the seemingly perfect pair of wireless earbuds for running, only for them to suddenly not charge or start crapping out on you mid-run after a few good weeks.

Sure, if you run with cheap wired buds, they’ll eventually die too. But since they’re a fraction of the price, replacing them won’t set you back too far. Plus, it’s expected.