Sports headphones, earbuds to get you movin' and groovin'

After trying out plenty of wireless sports headphones and earbuds over the years, it's clear that the best workout headphones or earbuds should be wireless so there's no cable to restrict your movement in any way.

They should also give you a secure and comfortable fit, whether they're over-ear headphones with a plush earcup or in-ear earbuds. Needless to say, losing an earbud during a run or bike ride is a serious bummer. Decent sound quality is also essential, as are durability, reliable performance (with minimal dropouts), battery life and noise cancellation (as well as hear-through or transparency modes). And lastly, they need to be sweat-resistant, if not fully waterproof, for obvious reasons.

WHAT Bose Sport Earbuds

THE COST $179

AVAILABLE FROM bose.com

Both Bose's QuietComfort Earbuds and Sport Earbuds make good workout headphones, thanks to their StayHear Max tips and secure fit, but the Sport Earbuds are more compact, lighter and affordable.

They have the same IPX4 splash-resistant rating as the QuietComfort Earbuds, are equipped with Bluetooth 5.1 and share a similar design aesthetic, with three color options available. Unlike their step-up sibling, they have no active noise-canceling, five hours of battery life instead of six and lack wireless charging. They're also noticeably smaller and lighter than the QuietComfort Earbuds.

WHAT Apple AirPods Pro

THE COST $249

AVAILABLE FROM apple.com

While they're not advertised as sports earbuds, the AirPods Pro are excellent true-wireless headphones for running. That's largely due to their winning lightweight design and fit, improved bass performance, effective noise cancellation and excellent call quality. The noise-isolating design features a silicone tip that sits snugly in your ear. If you need a more secure fit, you can buy a pair of Comply foam ear tips ($25).

For runners, it's worth noting that there's a transparency mode that allows sound to leak in. You'll still have to lower the volume of your music to hear the sound of traffic noise. The AirPods Pro are also officially rated sweat-resistant.

WHAT Google Pixel Buds A-Series

THE COST $99

AVAILABLE FROM store.google.com

Google's Pixel Buds A-Series are unusual in that they're new but not exactly an upgrade. They look and sound similar to last year's Pixel Buds 2, which debuted at $179 but are now selling for less. However, instead of getting new features — like active noise canceling — they've actually lost a few. Why? The "A" stands for affordability.

That new lower price is the real story here, making these a bona fide true-wireless value, particularly for Android users. And the integrated stabilizer arcs (aka sport fins) help keep the buds securely in your ears during sporting activities.