Best bluetooth headphones?

twinsouvenirs

Mother of Dragons :)
Joined
Jun 22, 2013
Does anyone have a favorite Bluetooth headphone pair for training? I am looking to spend less than $40. Doing the WDW 10k in Jan and figure I should at least start with the couch to 5k program :)
 
The husband bought me Bluetooth headphones for Valentine's Day. They don't have a brand on them and I threw the box away, but I know he got them off Groupon Goods.

My honest opinion - I don't really like them for running outdoors. I wear a hat and sunglasses, and then these things that wrap over my ears and it's just not a good fit. I almost prefer my in-ear basic iPhone headphones to the Bluetooth ones when I'm running outside. They're totally fine for the gym, though, especially if I'm cycling through running and weight work pretty quickly.

Also, it probably won't matter for a 10K, but if you're using your phone to stream music, plus the Bluetooth, plus any type of run-keeping program, it WILL drain your battery a lot quicker than you would think.

But definitely check Groupon Goods!
 
I REALLY want a pair of Bluetooth headphones...I'm starting to get really sick of dealing with a wire.

Recently I was next to a guy on a plane that had the Beats by Dre Powerbeats2 headphones - I've been looking at them for 6 months (literally...almost bought them on Black Friday). I asked the guy about them and he said that they hold charge pretty well and that he likes them for running.

The problem? They are $200. :faint: Hence why I have looked and looked at them for months but haven't been able to bring myself to buy them just yet.

I know someone that has an older pair of Platronics Backbeats and likes them. They are close to your budget (~$60) and seem to get decent reviews. One thing I have learned, from looking at reviews, is that there is no one pair of Bluetooth headphones that get stellar reviews across the board. Perhaps it's a technology that isn't 100% perfected just yet?
 
I use the LG Tone Bluetooth headphones for my running. They have been great, especially with Comply foam earbud tips to increase the comfort. Music sounds great on them and I find audiobooks to be very useful for distance running. They tend to run pretty close to your budget, as well.
 


this is a great topic I had a pair of Yurbuds that I loved and worked really well unfortunately they wouldn't pair with my new phone so im back to wires for now until I can find a good pair for a decent price (under 100 for sure but closer to 50 preferably)

@Keels I will for sure have to check out Groupon Goods thanks for the suggestion
@Ariel484 Beats are great from what I understand but I just cant bring myself to pay that much for them Ill have to check out those Plantronics ones though
@camaker are those the ones with the plastic part that goes around the back of your neck? I think that would bother me during runs
 
I have a pair of Jaybird Bluebuds X and for me, they are seriously one of the best running investments I have made. :) I was constantly annoyed with my headphone cord getting tangled up on stuff and flapping all over the place. I love being able to just stick my phone in my SPIbelt under my shirt.
 
@Neoflynn - The LG are the ones that have the piece that goes around your neck. It's kind of a good news/bad news situation with it. The bad news is that you have the "collar" piece around your neck. The good news is that it houses all the electronics, controls and battery, allowing the earbuds to seat in your ears without anything weighing on them or pulling them down. I'm sure there would be an adjustment period to get used to them, but to be honest I don't even notice it any more.

I have heard good things about the Jaybird Bluebuds Xl, too, but folks' experience with them seems to be highly dependent on how well they fit your ear. Also, they're WAY more expensive than the LG and a lot of other options.
 


I also have a pair of Jaybird Bluebud X's. I like them. I really like not having to worry about the cord. They really block out a lot of outside noise even with the volume turned way down. I think this is a plus if you are working out at the gym. However, if I am running outside alone or in a group and I want to hear someone speaking, I will have to leave one bud out.

One other issue I've had with these (although this probably would have happened with any pair), the first half I ran with these, I hadn't had them very long. I had forgotten to charge them the before the run, so they didn't quite have a full charge. It was also pretty cool outside, and my battery died about halfway through! :( Thankfully I had my wired headphones in my hydration pack, in case something went wrong with the Bluetooth pair. I have since run many miles with them, and another half, and have not had to worry about the battery.

I have also heard good reviews about the Jaybird Sprints from a few people in my local running group.

Both of these options are a little above $40. I think the X's were around $100 and the Sprints are a bit cheaper.
 
Yeah the Bluebuds X are pretty pricey... I kept a price alert for them on Amazon and picked up a pair when they had a big price drop. Iwas waffling over them for a long time, but I decided that I'd rather splurge and get something really small like those. :)
 
However, if I am running outside alone or in a group and I want to hear someone speaking, I will have to leave one bud out.
Yeah, that's what I did for Tink because I wanted to hear my alerts for my run/walk intervals, but I also wanted to hear the outside stuff. I tucked one of them under my sports bra strap. :)
 
I might try these. Great reviews and they cost $100 on Amazon: http://www.amazon.com/Plantronics-BackBeat-Fit-Bluetooth-Headphones/dp/B00KJLMBQQ
Wanted to give an update on these...I did buy them and they are not for me. I've worn them for 4-5 runs and they hurt my ears, even after multiple adjustments. They also disconnected 3-4 times during my 11-miler...each time they disconnected it seemed to be because I had a notification or something come in on my phone. I'm not sure if that is standard for Bluetooth earphones, but whenever I use my phone with our Bluetooth speaker at home it doesn't disconnect...

Anyway, I did finally bite the bullet and order the Beats By Dre Powerbeats2 I've been looking at for about a year now. Groupon is running a deal for the next couple of days only, and with their price + tax it's about a 20% discount off of the normal retail price. I hope I like them! https://www.groupon.com/deals/gg-beats-powerbeats2-wireless-in-ear-headphones
 
It's not a standard problem for all BT headphones. My Jaybird Bluebuds X never disconnect, even when I get notifications.

I hope the new ones work out for you! I don't think I could ever handle going back to corded headphones while running... I love having the BT ones so much. :)
 
It's not a standard problem for all BT headphones. My Jaybird Bluebuds X never disconnect, even when I get notifications.

I hope the new ones work out for you! I don't think I could ever handle going back to corded headphones while running... I love having the BT ones so much. :)
Thank you for telling me that. Makes me more confident that they are not for me! I hope the new ones are better too - and I agree with not having the cord being so nice!!
 
Jam. Bought them at bed bath and beyond with a 20% off coupon. Look up the reviews on these. I use them 5x a week since August last year and no issues. They lasted my entire marathon too.
 

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