Budget
Before anything else, you’ll want to figure out how much you’re willing to spend on new wireless sports buds. The quality of value-priced earbuds and headphones continues to improve, so you can find good affordable sports buds for less than $75. The premium models, which offer better build quality and performance, tend to cost more than $100 and sometimes more than $150.
Noise-isolating or open design
Sports buds are available in a few styles. Some come with silicone tips that are designed to create a tight seal in your ear and keep sound out (they have a noise-isolating design). Others have an open design with the buds resting on top of your ears, firing sound into them. The noise-isolating style typically gives you better sound with stronger bass while the open design has the advantage of allowing sound in for safety reasons.
Ear hooks or not
Some sports buds feature designs with integrated ear hooks or sports fins. Both help keep the buds more securely on or in your ears. They are not essential to getting a secure fit (there are buds with no ear hooks or fins that fit some people securely), but they do help. That said, not everybody finds these types of designs comfortable.
Fit, aka comfort
It’s key that sports earbuds fit your ears not only comfortably but securely. They should offer a comfortable fit that allows you to wear the earbuds for long periods of time without any irritation.
Durability
You want sport buds that hold up well over time, so look for models that we note have sturdy build quality and a good water-resistance rating.
Return policy
It’s critical to buy your sports at a retailer that has a good return policy, in case you have buyer’s remorse. Some people who are having trouble deciding between two models sometimes buy both, try them out for a few days, and then return one.
