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The true wireless earbud market is crowded, but finding wireless sport earbuds that sound good takes a little
more effort. It may seem like a niche category, but earbuds with ear hooks aren’t just for workouts.
To find the best earbuds with ear hooks, our music-obsessed editors tested a range of options from top brands like Beats and Bose, as well as budget-friendly options from brands like Anker and Nothing. To find the best options, we considered factors like fit, the design of the charging case, and, of course, sound quality.
Earbuds with ear hooks can also be great earbuds for small ears, creating a secure fit without exerting too much pressure inside the ear canal. Often called sports earbuds, the best earbuds with ear hooks are often targeted toward athletes and gym obsessives, but they’re a suitable option for anyone who struggles to find a securely fitting pair of earbuds.
Best Earbuds With Ear Hooks
Beats Powerbeats Fit
Anker Soundcore Sport X20
Beats Powerbeats Pro 2
Shokz OpenFit 2
Nothing Ear (Open) Open-Ear Earbuds
Soundcore AeroFit 2
Bose Ultra Open Earbuds
What To Consider When Buying Earbuds With Ear Hooks
Over-Ear vs. In-Ear Hooks: Earbuds with ear hooks can wrap around or over the top of your ears, while other picks feature on-ear tips, sometimes called “wings,” that fasten to the inner part of your ear for a secure fit. Over-ear hooks are more secure, but the cases are often bigger, and the earbuds may interfere with glasses.
Comfort: Those who have trouble finding well-fitting earbuds might find earbuds with ear hooks more comfortable, as they prevent the buds from slipping out. Because they fit securely, earbuds with ear hooks are also popular for workouts. One factor to look out for with ear hooks is interference with eyewear or bike helmets, which can make earbuds with wings a better option.
Water Resistance: Since they’re often designed for workouts, earbuds with ear hooks should have some level of water resistance. So if you’re a runner shopping for earbuds, look for the Ingress Protection (IP) rating that will tell you if they’re dust, sweat, and water-resistant.
How We Chose The Best Earbuds With Ear Hooks
Our top picks consist of earbuds we’ve tested hands-on, where we evaluated subjective factors like sound quality and comfort and scrutinized performance metrics like battery life and active noise-canceling. And since earbuds with ear hooks are often used for workouts, I tested these in a number of settings, including outdoor bike rides, to see how well they kept up.
Read on for some of the best options we’ve tested.
BEST OVERALL
Beats Powerbeats Fit
Quick Summary: The Powerbeats Fit are a small, but welcome upgrade over the original Beats Fit Pro, thanks to the comfortable fit and a more portable carrying case.
Style: In-ear
Water Resistant Rating: IPX4
Stated Battery Life: 7 hours continuous, 30 with the case
The Powerbeats Fit were a modest upgrade to the original Beats Fit Pro, first released in 2021. The updated version, released in September 2025, features a slimmed-down case and redesigned wing tips for a more secure fit. While Beats kept the upgrades pretty minimal, these are still some of the best workout-focused earbuds you can buy.
The earbuds feature physical controls, which can be more reliable than touch controls during workouts. There are four tip sizes to find a more secure fit, and the wingtips are more flexible than before, making them easier to wear for extended periods. They’re comfortable, yet secure, and the slimmed-down carrying case is more pocket-friendly.
Active noise canceling is solid, but not show-stopping. Still, it’s effective enough to cut down on loud distractions at the gym or on the go, while transparency mode lets you take in your surroundings. The earbuds also pack up to 7 hours of battery life in the earbuds, or up to 30 hours with the carrying case.
Like all Beats earbuds, these play well with both iOS and Android devices, offering similar features across both platforms. As for the sound quality, it’s solid, although not remarkable — I might choose a different pair for more critical listening sessions, but these are more than up to the task for hitting the gym or everyday wear.
BEST VALUE
Anker Soundcore Sport X20
Quick Summary: Soundcore’s comfortable earbuds have great ANC, a comfortable fit, and a compact case. Even if the sound won’t blow you away, these buds are tough to beat for the price.
Style: In-ear
Water Resistant Rating: IP68
Stated Battery Life: 12 hours continuous, 48 with the case
Anker’s Soundcore Sport X20 ticks a lot of boxes for a small price. The app allows for customized features like adjustable ANC that performs admirably well at cutting sound. You can also customize EQ from the app and adjust what the controls do. A minor gripe is that the earbuds’ controls are poorly placed; each bud has one physical button next to the hook, making it somewhat hard to reach. Still, those who find touch controls overly sensitive or finicky will be happy to see Anker’s use of a physical button.
As for wearing them, the earbuds have flexible hooks that feel softer and more malleable, making them easier to wear for longer periods. They were comfortable to wear for extended periods and stayed in place while in motion. Four different sizes of ear tips are included, in addition to the medium size that comes attached. Soundcore lists the listening time as 12 hours with the earbuds, or 48 hours in the case. The impressive battery life shouldn’t be too surprising for a brand best known for making portable chargers.
The sound quality isn’t show-stopping, but there are plenty of features that make this a top pick nonetheless. They boast better ANC than some earbuds for twice this price, and the earbuds are comfortable to wear thanks to the soft, flexible ear hooks. Plus, compared to large cases from brands like Beats, these earbuds can tuck relatively easily into a shirt pocket.
BEST FOR IPHONE
Beats Powerbeats Pro 2
Quick Summary: The Powerbeats Pro 2 feature ANC and innovative features like a heart rate monitor, and while the case is still big, it’s substantially smaller than the original Powerbeats.
Style: In-ear
Water Resistant Rating: IPX4
Stated Battery Life: 8 hours continuous, 36 hours total with the case
The features that made the original Powerbeats such a hit are still here on the latest version of the earbuds; they’re a sporty alternative to AirPods, making them a great option for iPhone users who like seamless compatibility with iOS. They work well with Android, with a straightforward app that does most of what you might need, although there’s no customizable EQ. And while Beats slimmed down the case substantially, it’s still pretty bulky by the standard of other, similarly priced earbuds.
Two of my favorite things about the original Powerbeats shine here, too. They’re comfortable, making them suited for long workouts, and unlike most other earbuds, these have tactile buttons rather than touch sensors. Playing with delicate touch controls can be tricky on a run or bike ride, but the Powerbeats Pro 2 earbuds have a large playback button on the logo, plus a handy volume rocker on both earbuds. There’s also in-ear detection, which reliably pauses and resumes playback when you take a bud out.
Compared to brands like Apple or Sony, the ANC and audio quality aren’t a showstopper, but they’re decent enough for workouts. The most unique feature is the heart rate monitor; these aren’t the first earbuds with this feature, but it’s still a nice-to-have for a pair of gym-focused earbuds. Even though Apple’s latest AirPods Pro 3 borrowed this tech, these would still be my pick for workouts thanks to the more secure design.
BEST FOR RUNNING
Shokz OpenFit 2
Quick Summary: With a comfortable fit and intuitive tactile controls, Shokz’s OpenFit 2 earbuds are a great option for staying aware during workouts.
Style: Open-ear
Water Resistant Rating: IP55
Stated Battery Life: 11 hours continuous, 48 hours with the case
If you’re looking for an open-ear style, Shokz’s OpenFit 2 is a great option. They feature a comfortable fit thanks to the soft, silicone-covered hooks, and the overlapping fit in the case makes the case smaller and more portable than other ear-hook style earbuds.
The earbuds feature both touch and tactile controls, which can be customized in the easy-to-use Shokz app. By default, a single press handles playback, while double- and triple-tapping skip forward and back, respectively. The earbuds are open, so they don’t obstruct your ears, making them suited to outdoor workouts or other settings where awareness is needed.
As for sound quality, it’s solid, although there are inevitable trade-offs with any pair of open-ear earbuds, particularly on the lower and upper frequencies. But the vocals sound clear, and I found the positioning of the drivers meant I could hear the music clearly while being aware of my surroundings, without having to crank up the volume.
For making phone calls, they wouldn’t be my top recommendation, but they do a decent job of picking up my voice, even on a crowded street. There are newer models from Shokz, but I’d argue that this version ticks the most boxes for the price.
Nothing Ear (Open) Open-Ear Earbuds
Quick Summary: Comfortable and exceptionally lightweight, the Nothing Ear (Open) is a stylish take on open-ear earbuds, with surprisingly deep bass and clarity, plus features like customizable EQ.
Style: Open-ear
Water Resistant Rating: IP54
Stated Battery Life: 8 hours continuous, 30 hours total with the case
Nothing has become a cult-favorite tech brand for its boldly modern designs, and the Ear (Open) headphones are an excellent pair of open-ear earbuds for workouts and casual wear. The audio tradeoff with open earbuds is inevitable, but these are some of the best-sounding open earbuds I’ve tried, with clear vocals and surprisingly deep bass. They’re also exceptionally comfortable and lightweight.
With up to 30 hours of playback time with the case, they have solid battery life that won’t leave you chained to a charger, and the IP54 dust and water-resistance rating makes them great for workouts. Each earbud has a single, customizable pinch control. The button is small and hard to find at first, but I tend to appreciate physical controls for workout-focused earbuds to prevent accidental swipes, and once you locate the button, it’s easy to use on the go.
The hooks are soft and comfortable, although I found that they somewhat interfered with sunglasses (for the best headphones for glasses-wearers, check out our roundup). The clamshell case has a stylish, transparent lid that fits in well with Nothing’s minimalist-but-not-anonymous design ethos. The case is big, but it’s also very thin (about the thickness of Apple’s AirPods 4). That means that, despite its length, it slips into a pocket pretty easily.
MOST COMFORTABLE
Soundcore AeroFit 2
Quick Summary: With an adjustable design to fit different ear sizes, the AeroFit 2 earbuds combine comfort and quality for all-day listening, and the open-ear design keeps you aware of your surroundings.
Style: Open-ear
Water Resistant Rating: IP55
Stated Battery Life: 10 hours continuous, 42 hours total with the case
Anker’s open-ear AeroFit 2 solves an all-too common problem with open-ear earbuds, which is the often suboptimal driver position. The hooks rotate to four different positions to more easily get the clearest audio with minimal pressure on the outer ear.
They have customizable touch controls for playback and calls, although the touch controls are susceptible to accidental touches. Anker is primarily known as a manufacturer of portable chargers and power stations, and the battery life is unsurprisingly great, with up to 10 hours on a single charge and up to 42 hours with the charging case.
The straightforward app lets you adjust the EQ, set up multipoint pairing, and customize the controls. Like most earbuds with ear hooks, the case is fairly large, but it’s slimmer than the Powerbeats Pro 2 case, and it supports wireless charging. The sound quality is solid, with decent bass for a pair of open-ear earbuds, although it’s not as impressive as some other options.
Anker’s Soundcore earbuds also deliver some of the best value for the price. At $99, these are more affordable than similar open-ear earbuds from brands like Shokz and Nothing.
BEST AUDIO
Bose Ultra Open Earbuds
Quick Summary: The Ultra Open Earbuds keep you aware of your surroundings, without compromising on the sound quality Bose is known for. Their steep price and unusual fit means they won’t be for everyone.
Style: Open-ear
Water Resistant Rating: IPX4
Stated Battery Life: 7 hours continuous, 19.5 with the case
Instead of over-the-ear hooks, these earbuds have a flexible band that clips behind the ear, and the earbuds don’t sit in the ear canal. The earbuds are impressively compact and lightweight design.
Figuring out how to wear them takes a little trial and error, and the best position for the clip will vary depending on the size of your ear and what you find most comfortable. They also don’t feel secure in the ear, but they are; the buds showed no signs of falling out, even on a sweaty bike ride.
The open-ear design and innovative ear clip design make these a good option for outdoor workouts, like cycling and running. Behind-the-ear hooks can compete for real estate if you’re also wearing sunglasses, a problem these clips solve. By leaving the ear canals open, cyclists and runners can enjoy their favorite music without compromising awareness, though you can expect loud sounds to drown out the music.
And unlike other open-ear earbuds, these aren’t just great for workouts. The sound quality is surprisingly immersive for a pair of open earbuds. You can wear them to the office if you want to listen to music but still be aware of conversations around you, and they’re great if you find in-ear buds to be uncomfortable.
These earbuds are impressive and futuristic, but they’re not without faults. For starters, at $300, these are an expensive pair of earbuds, and the controls come down to a single button on each bud that does everything from controlling playback to adjusting the volume.
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