Best Gym Headphones – Over the Ear Wireless Edition

In this article, I’ll give you my tips of the best over the ear wireless headphones for the gym.


Best Gym Headphones TL:DR

If you’re in a hurry, here’s the list:


Why Over the Ear Wireless Headphones are Great for the Gym

Going to the gym is great, but when the gym’s music is blasting tunes you don’t like it can put a real damper on your workout, right? I wear headphones so I can listen to the music I want to listen to not what the gym employees want. And I choose wireless phones because I can’t be messing with wires when I’m trying to work with weights.

Why I choose Over the Ear Headphones over Ear Buds

In ideal world, ear buds would be the choice because they are smaller than over the ear phones. Unfortunately, even the best noise-cancelling ear buds just don’t seem to block out the background noise as effectively as over the ear headphones. That’s why over the ear wireless phones are my preferred choice for working out at the gym. Are over-the-ear phones bulkier than ear buds? Sure, but over the ear headphones also do the best job of getting rid of outside noise and distractions – that means you can listen to the music you love and translate that into an awesome workout – and isn’t that what’s important when you go to the gym?


Best Over the Ear Headphones for Gym – Best Sound Quality Overall

If your budget allows, there is no real competition for the best over the ear headphones for the gym in terms of overall SOUND QUALITY and active NOISE CANCELLATION – the Bose QuietComfort 35 II.

Why is the Bose QuietComfort 35 II the Best Over the Ear Headphones for the Gym?

  • Industry leading ACTIVE Noise Cancelling blocks outside music and noise better than anything else on the market. Less Distractions = More Focus on your Workout.
  • Adjust your level of noise cancelling between three settings using the Action button or the Bose Connect app.
  • Volume-optimized EQ gives you balanced audio performance at any volume and makes Bose QC 35 the best over SOUND QUALITY on the market for all types of music in general (EXCEPT for heavy bass music where the Beats is superior – see below).
  • Super Comfortable Ear Cups
  • Easy Bluetooth pairing.
  • 20 hours of battery life.

Bose QuietComfort 35 II vs Bose QuietComfort 35 (original)

The Bose QuietComfort 35 II and the Bose QuietComfort 35 (original) are nearly identical but for an “Action” button.

Here’s the official word from Bose “QuietComfort 35 headphones II offer the same unmatched combination of acclaimed noise reduction technology, wireless freedom, audio performance, dual-microphone system and 20-hour battery life as QuietComfort 35 headphones. However, QuietComfort 35 wireless headphones II also have a new Action button on the left earcup. In countries where the Google Assistant is available, that button gives you instant access to the Google Assistant, your own personal Google. In countries where the Google Assistant is not available, it lets you quickly toggle through three different ANR settings for optimal performance wherever you go.”

Personally we don’t think you’ll get much use of the Action button at the gym and if you can find the Bose QuietComfort 35 original edition than go with that – the problem is they’re hard to find and Bose is really only promoting the QC 35 II now as well as their new 700 model (below).

Bose QuietComfort 35 II vs the new Bose Noise Cancelling Headphones 700

You could go with the Bose Noise Cancelling Headphones 700 if you really want to, but in our opinion the Bose Noise Cancelling Headphones 700 has been updated to serve meet the Quarantine Life Work from Home market and is not necessarily any better at the audio or noise-cancelling tasks than the Bose QC 35 II. If that’s true then why pay more for the newer model?


Best Over the Ear Headphones for Gym – Best Boomin’ Bass

Here’s another one in the premium price category and it’s aimed at those who value heavy bass in their music – as well as style. For this category the best over the ear headphones for the gym are the renowned Beats Studio 3.

Why are the Beats Studio 3 the Best Over the Ear Bass Headphones for the Gym?

  • Like the Bose QuietComfort 35 II, the Beats have ACTIVE Noise Cancellation to block out distractions.
  • Real-time Audio calibration preserves a Premium listening experience – the full, rich sound on the Beats for rap, hip hop, and other heavy bass music is unmatched.
  • Fantastic STYLE with 7 different color options and Beats branding.
  • Comfortable ear cups to fit over any ear.
  • Up to 22 hours of battery life enables full-featured all-day wireless playback
  • Great Improvement – With the new Fast Fuel system a 10-minute charge gives 3 hours of play when battery is low. (This solves a big problem with earlier Beats phones).

Beats Studio 3 vs Bose QuietComfort 35 II

Let’s keep this very simple – if you listen to music that is heavy bass then get the Beats Studio 3.

Listen, we know style is important and lots of people go to the gym to show off – we’re not judging – so if you wanna look good by wearing the most recognizable pair of headphones on the market AND you wanna choose from lots of colors, then get the Beats Studio 3.

If you don’t care about people looking at you so much and/or you don’t listen to heavy bass music and you just want the best noise-cancelling and pure sound quality, then get the Bose QuietComfort 35 II.


Best Over the Ear Headphones for Gym for Most People – Durability and Price

Let’s face it, most people probably can’t afford to spend the money on the Bose QuietComfort 35 II or the Beats Studio 3 – especially if you still need money to pay for that gym membership, right?

If that’s your situation, don’t worry, we’ve got a fantastic pair of over the ear wireless headphones that durable, have an insane battery life, and you can get them at a much lower price than the premium options: the OneOdio Bluetooth Over Ear Studio Wireless Headphones.

Why are the OneOdio Studio Wireless headphones the best for most people?

  • PRICE – you can buy 5 to 6 of these for the price of 1 Bose or Beats!
  • INSANE BATTERY LIFE – up to 80 hours of wireless play!
  • Never Lose Sound – with Dual Mode & Never Power Off features, when the wireless battery runs out you can switch to wired mode until you can recharge again.
  • Deep Rich Sound – Large 50 mm speaker unit drivers combined with neodymium magnets provides stereo sound, powerful bass, clear vocal, and crisp high tones.
  • Comfortable Ear Cups – ergonomic designed memory ensure long lasting comfort. 
  • Although they don’t feature the same “Active” Noise Cancelling technology of the Bose or Beats, you may not notice the difference because the OneOdio Studio Wireless ear cups fit so well they are really good at blocking out distractions and playing your music.

OneOdio Studio 3 vs Bose QuietComfort 35 II vs Beats Studio 3

Over the years I’ve had lots of headphones – including the Bose, Beats, OneOdio, Cowans, Audio-Technicas, and more.

I love my Bose for sound quality but I don’t like taking them to the gym because they are so expensive and I don’t wanna get the ear cups all sweaty and have the phones break down on my faster – I prefer to keep my Bose for travel and home use.

The Beats I gave to my pre-teen son since he cares more about style and listens to more of the music style that the Beats are best for.

For me, I prefer the OneOdio Studio Wireless as the Best Over the Ear Wireless Headphones for the gym and here’s why…

The OneOdio Studio Wireless are the ones I personally use for the gym because they are durable, sound great, block out distractions, are comfortable, and I pretty much never have to charge them. I use them every day and I can’t tell you the last time I charged them – it’s really crazy! And you just can’t beat the price!

The OneOdio are my 2021 Editor’s Choice Award for Best Over the Ear Wireless Headphones for the Gym.


What’s Your Choice – Bose, Beats, or OneOdio?

Bose QuietComfort 35 II
Beats Studio 3
OneOdio Studio Wireless

Leave a Comment

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.