1 week Ago
To help us provide you with free impartial advice, we may earn a commission if you buy through links on our site. Learn more If you can't enjoy your favourite tunes or podcasts when you're out having a run, is there even any point? You can wear a watch or a band to help you keep in touch with the statistics of speed, distance, heart-rate and what-have-you – but without a worthwhile pair of headphones to keep you company, the motivation to achieve those speeds and those distances will be harder to come by. You may as well go out for your run in a pair of flip-flops.
Of course, you're hardly short of choice where headphones that have apparently been optimised for runners (and keep-fit enthusiasts of all other kinds) are concerned. There are plenty of companies that reckon they have the perfect solution – but how can you be sure you're making the most informed choice and getting the best results? Well, you could do a lot worse than start here. We'll give you some practical tips, and help you avoid the more common pitfalls runners can stumble into when making this most crucial of decisions.
1. It's over for over-ears We've all seen them – runners out and about, doing their thing while wearing over-ear headphones. Let there be no doubt about it: this is a mistake, and for a few reasons.
Most immediately, though, there's the issue of fit – because an in-ear headphone is designed to fit in your ear, while an over-ear headphone will slosh about on your head in reaction to your body's movement. They might feel secure when you try them on, but once around the block will be enough to confirm that over-ear headphones are best suited to stationary listening, or, at a push, for use while walking. 2.
The wrong fit It's not enough to realise you need a pair of in-ear headphones, mind you – the way they fit is absolutely crucial. Nothing is more off-putting than a pair of in-ear headphones that aren't comfortable or cease to fit properly after a few hours. It's worth.
.. Simon Lucas.
