Gadgets6.12.2022

Best wireless earbuds for exercise available in South Africa

There are several factors to consider when deciding on a set of wireless earbuds for exercise, including comfort, sweat, and audio quality, and fitness enthusiasts in South Africa have several options from which to choose.

MyBroadband compared five of the best wireless earbuds for working out, and all of the models listed feature a battery life of at least six hours — excluding the extra charge provided by their cases.

We settled on the second-generation Apple AirPods Pro, Beats Fit Pro, Jabra Elite 7 Pro, Shokz OpenRun, and Sony WF-1000XM4 wireless earbuds.

For ranking purposes, we looked at global Amazon reviews and used their star ratings out of five to find some of the best options available in South Africa.

The table below summarises the Amazon review rating, battery life, and price for each of the five earbud models considered for the comparison.

Best wireless earbuds for exercise
Headphones Listening time Amazon rating (out of 5) Price
Jabra Elite 7 Pro Up to 8 hours 3.9 R3,299
Beats Fit Pro Up to 6 hours 4.5 R3,999
Sony WF-1000XM4 Up to 8 hours 4.3 R4,495
Shokz OpenRun / AfterShokz Aeropex Up to 8 hours 4.6 R4,599
Apple AirPods 2 Pro Up to 6 hours 4.8 R5,599

The highest Amazon review score belongs to the second-most expensive earbuds listed — Apple’s second-generation AirPods Pro.

They feature a battery life of up to six hours on a single charge, and cost R5,599.

The lowest-ranked earbuds — the Jabra Elite 7 Pros — are also the cheapest, with a price tag of R3,299. The earbuds last up to eight hours on a single charge.

They scored 3.9 out of five stars, while the other four options listed range from 4.3 to 4.8 out of five.

It should be noted that the Shokz OpenRun earbuds were rebranded from AfterShokz Aeropex and aren’t exactly wireless earbuds but rather Bluetooth bone-conduction sports headphones.

Five of the best-rated wireless earbuds for exercise are listed and briefly described below. They are ranked in terms of their Amazon review ratings.


Jabra Elite 7 Pro (3.9/5) — R3,299

Jabra’s Elite 7 Pro earbuds feature a battery life of up to eight hours on a single charge, with the case holding enough charge to provide up to 30 hours more listening time.

The earbuds offer adjustable active noise cancellation (ANC), IP57 dust and water resistance, and support AAC and SBC codecs.

The earbuds have an overall rating of 3.9 out of five across 1,217 Amazon reviews — 54% of which gave a five-star rating.

It should be noted that most of the lower ratings for the earbuds are related to microphone quality, which while still a downfall, isn’t of the utmost importance for exercise purposes.


Beats Fit Pro (4.5/5) — R3,999

The Beats by Dre Beats Fit Pro earbuds provide a listening time of up to six hours on a single charge, with the case providing enough juice to keep them powered for up to 30 hours.

The earbuds pack Apple’s H1 chip — the same featured in the Apple AirPods Pro 2 — which Apple says provides improved pairing speed, lower latency, and better power efficiency.

Beats Fit Pro earbuds are available in a choice of four colours, namely black, white, grey, and purple, and are sweat and water-resistant.

The earbuds have an overall rating of 4.5 out of five across 814,684 Amazon reviews — 75% of which gave a five-star rating.


Sony WF-1000XM4 (4.3/5) — R4,495

Sony’s WF-1000XM4 wireless earbuds hold enough charge for up to eight hours of listening time, with the earbuds’ case providing an additional 16 hours’ worth of power.

They have an IPX4 water resistance rating, meaning they are protected from water and sweat droplets and pack Sony’s Integrated Processor V1.

Sony says the new processor provides class-leading active noise cancellation capabilities while using less power than its previous chips.

The earbuds have an overall rating of 4.3 out of five across 15,250 Amazon reviews — 68% of which gave a five-star rating.


Shokz OpenRun / AfterShokz Aeropex (4.6/5) — R4,599

Shokz’s OpenRun sports earphones use bone-conduction technology to provide open-ear comfort, clear sound, and high-volume playback.

The headset features a battery life of up to eight hours. However, it should be noted that the listening time is not extendable as Shokz’s OpenRun earphones do not have a charging case.

It is also important to note that there may be some confusion over the name, as the Shokz OpenRun headset is merely a rebranded version of Aftershokz’s Aeropex bone-conduction earphones.

The earphones have an overall rating of 4.6 out of five across 7,426 Amazon reviews — 80% of which gave a five-star rating.


Apple AirPods Pro 2 (4.8/5) — R5,599

Apple’s second-generation AirPods Pro earbuds have a battery life of up to six hours on a single charge, and the charging case holds enough juice to keep them powered for an additional 30 hours.

They pack Apple’s latest chip — the H1 — and feature Active Noise Cancellation and a transparency mode that lets outside noise in so the wearer is aware of their surroundings.

Apple says the earbuds and the charging case are resistant to sweat and water thanks to their IPX4 resistance rating.

The earbuds have an overall rating of 4.8 out of five across 546,585 Amazon reviews — 87% of which gave a five-star rating.


Now read: Best fitness bands you can use on Discovery Health

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