Listening to music while cycling can enhance the rhythm of your journey, but regular headphones often face several issues: wind noise affecting sound quality, headphones loosening or falling off, discomfort during prolonged wear, and in-ear headphones potentially blocking out environmental sounds, which can compromise cycling safety. Therefore, choosing the right headphones is crucial for enjoying music while ensuring safety during cycling! After multiple tests, I have compiled a list of the 5 best headphones for cycling. They not only excel in sound quality but also feature secure fit, wind noise resistance, and environmental awareness, providing a better auditory experience whether for urban commuting or long-distance cycling. If you’re still unsure about which headphones to wear while cycling, take a look at these recommendations! Before the recommendations, let me share some purchasing tips to help you avoid pitfalls.
1. Brand Selection – Prioritize Professional Sports Headphone Brands
Sports headphones emphasize stability, waterproofing, and comfort. When purchasing, it’s best to choose brands that have strong capabilities in audio technology and sports headphone development.
Recommended Brands: Currently popular sports headphone brands in the market include Bose, Nank, JBL, and Sony.
Among them, Nank’s bone conduction headphones offer a secure fit, clear sound quality, and excellent waterproof performance, making them particularly suitable for running, cycling, and other sports scenarios, and are widely used by many sports enthusiasts. Bose and Sony excel in sound tuning, while JBL headphones are favored by many users for their dynamic sound effects and durability. When purchasing, try to choose brands that focus on sports headphone development and have mature technology for better assurance.
2. Durability – More Important than Anti-Fading Performance
Sports Bluetooth headphones are not disposable items; long-term stability is crucial. Especially during intense exercise or daily use, headphones need to withstand sweat, rain, high temperatures, and vibrations, so they must have good waterproof and sweatproof capabilities, wear-resistant and drop-resistant designs, stable battery life, and smooth Bluetooth connectivity to ensure long-term use without damage and maintain a good experience.
3. Wind Noise Resistance: Essential for Cycling/Outdoor Running
In high-speed activities like running and cycling, wind noise is often a major “invisible killer” affecting sound quality. Especially with open headphones, due to the open ear canal, while they allow for environmental sound awareness, in windy conditions, the wind noise can be amplified, drowning out music and making speech unclear, significantly degrading the overall experience.
It is recommended to prioritize headphones with wind noise optimization designs; physical wind resistance handling is the best, followed by software-optimized wind noise suppression algorithms. However, many algorithms are just gimmicks; only physical wind noise reduction is true wind noise reduction!
4. The Higher the Bluetooth Version, the Better: Higher Versions Mean More Stable Connections
A higher Bluetooth version means a more stable connection, lower power consumption, and stronger anti-interference capabilities, effectively reducing audio dropouts and delays during exercise. Currently, Bluetooth technology has been upgraded to version 5.4, and it is recommended to purchase headphones with Bluetooth 5.2 or higher to ensure a smoother experience. On the other hand, the Bluetooth version can also indirectly reflect whether the headphones are new; if a product is still at Bluetooth 4.x or early 5.0 versions, it may just be a case of “old wine in new bottles,” where the manufacturer has repackaged an old chip for resale, so be cautious when purchasing.
Now, let’s look at the recommended cycling headphones
1. Nank Non-In-Ear Bone Conduction Headphones – Pro5
Battery Life: 10 hours
Bluetooth: 5.4
Reference Price: 1498
The industry’s first true wind noise-resistant sports headphones, and Nank is also one of the earliest brands to develop bone conduction headphones, leading in bone conduction technology. The Pro5 is Nank’s flagship product, also referred to by users as the “King of Sound Quality and Comfort” technology.
Nank, as a representative brand of bone conduction sports headphones, the Pro5 leverages the 4th generation sound technology patent and OT noise reduction 5.0, leading the industry in both sound quality and noise reduction. The bone conduction technology is a generation ahead of traditional bone conduction headphones, providing a clearer and more immersive sound experience.
In terms of wear, the Pro5 features a pioneering 35° adjustable dual-form design, which not only optimizes the structure to reduce wind noise but also employs upgraded EAA2.0 hovering comfort technology to ensure stable and comfortable wear, making it particularly friendly for glasses wearers, with a compatibility rate of up to 99.9%, allowing for long-term wear without burden.
Waterproof performance reaches the industry-leading IP69 level, utilizing submarine-grade Nano-S coating technology, combining nano-coating with ultrasonic welding, passing over 80 high-intensity tests, exceeding ordinary standards by 480%, ensuring stable use even in extreme environments, achieving true all-scenario protection.
Additionally, the Pro5 supports NFC quick pairing and dual-device functionality, allowing for easy switching between multiple devices, enhancing usability. Equipped with FC ultra-fast charging technology, a 10-minute charge allows for 2 hours of playback, and the optimized Bluetooth 5.4 chip ensures an ultra-long battery life of 10 hours, supporting APP smart control, providing personalized sound effect adjustments, and meeting different user needs.
2. MoJue HaptiFit Terra Open-Style Smart Sports Headphones
Battery Life: Approximately 8 hours per charge
Bluetooth Version: 5.1
Reference Price: 2199
MoJue HaptiFit Terra is an open-style headphone that integrates bone conduction audio, haptic feedback, and smart sports monitoring, designed specifically for professional athletes. The headphones support real-time heart rate monitoring and exercise data tracking, with a heart rate alert function to ensure exercise safety.
In terms of sound quality, the headphones use BC07 wide-frequency bone conduction drivers, complemented by an independent sound chamber design and AI acoustic algorithms, delivering clear and rich vocals and layered bass performance among bone conduction headphones. In terms of sports performance, Terra supports real-time heart rate monitoring and interval voice broadcasting, with a heart rate alert function, and users can view exercise data through the APP. The wearing structure is stable and snug, with an IP68 waterproof and dustproof rating, supporting use in swimming scenarios, and the 8-hour battery life is sufficient for an entire training session.
3. Cleer ARC 3 Sports Version Pro
Battery Life: Approximately 10 hours per charge, with a total battery life of up to 50 hours with the charging case.
Bluetooth Version: 5.4
Reference Price: 1799
Cleer ARC 3 Sports Version Pro is a flagship open-style headphone that integrates heart rate and blood oxygen monitoring, AI sports analysis, and master-level sound quality, designed specifically for professional athletes. The headphones feature a non-in-ear hook design, combining a 16.2mm large dynamic driver with Cleer’s exclusive DBE 3.0 dynamic bass enhancement technology, providing clear and transparent sound quality and layered bass performance. Additionally, the headphones support Dolby Atmos sound effects and Hi-Res Wireless certification, delivering an immersive auditory experience.
In terms of sports functionality, Cleer ARC 3 Sports Version Pro is equipped with AI sports physiological algorithms developed in collaboration with GoMore, supporting personalized heart rate zones, key aerobic indicators, energy consumption, and training analysis. Through the Cleer+ APP, users can monitor their exercise status in real-time, including distance, pace, fat consumption, and receive scientific training advice. Additionally, the headphones are equipped with running posture algorithms that can capture cadence, ground contact time, and ground contact balance data, helping users correct poor running form, improve running efficiency, and reduce the risk of sports injuries.
In terms of wearing experience, the headphones feature a flexible memory titanium alloy ear hook structure, weighing only 12g per ear, combined with a rotatable adjustable design and soft materials, ensuring a secure fit around the ear without pressure, suitable for running, fitness, and other dynamic scenarios. In terms of protection performance, they have an IPX7 waterproof rating, capable of withstanding sweat and short-term immersion in water, adapting to high-intensity sports environments. In terms of battery life, the headphones offer approximately 8 hours of use per charge, with a total battery life of up to 50 hours with the charging case, supporting fast charging, allowing for about 2 hours of use with a 10-minute charge, meeting all-day sports and commuting needs.
4. Edifier HZ Zero Clip
Battery Life: Approximately 7 hours per charge, with a total battery life of up to 35 hours with the charging case.
Bluetooth Version: 5.4
Reference Price: 359
Edifier HZ Zero Clip features a unique clip-on design, combined with 0.6mm nickel-titanium memory wire material, achieving a secure fit that is not easily dislodged even during intense activities like running and fitness. The headphone surface is made of skin-friendly TPU material, paired with a pearlescent finish, ensuring comfort and style for long-term use.
In terms of sound quality, the Zero Clip is equipped with a 12mm titanium-coated composite diaphragm driver, combined with BassTurbo bass enhancement technology, providing transparent highs, rich mids, and impactful lows, enhancing the musical atmosphere during exercise. Additionally, the headphones feature four EQ sound effect modes, including classic, clear vocals, treble enhancement, and bass enhancement, allowing users to switch according to personal preferences.
The headphones utilize DPW directional sound wave transmission technology, effectively reducing common leakage issues in open-style headphones, enhancing privacy and sound quality. For calls, the Zero Clip is equipped with AI smart call noise reduction technology, accurately picking up human voices while effectively reducing environmental noise, ensuring clear calls even in outdoor or noisy environments.
In terms of protection performance, the Zero Clip has an IP56 dust and water resistance rating, capable of withstanding sweat and rain, suitable for various sports scenarios. In terms of battery life, the headphones can last up to 7 hours per use, with a total battery life of up to 35 hours with the charging case, supporting fast charging to meet all-day sports and daily use needs.
5. Nank Non-In-Ear Bone Conduction Headphones – CC4
Battery Life: 8 hours per charge
Bluetooth Version: 5.3
Reference Price: 299
Nank CC4 is a bone conduction headphone designed for users seeking high cost-performance, continuing Nank’s technological accumulation in the bone conduction field, providing a stable and comfortable listening experience at an affordable price. If you need a lightweight, non-in-ear headphone with clear sound quality and excellent waterproof performance, Nank CC4 is a great choice.
In terms of sound quality, although the CC4 is positioned as a cost-effective model, it still features Nank’s exclusive bone conduction acoustic technology, ensuring clear and stable sound transmission. The headphones perform excellently in vocals and mid-high frequencies, with a transparent and natural sound, suitable for sports, commuting, and other scenarios. Compared to high-end bone conduction headphones, the bass performance is slightly weaker, but the overall sound experience remains balanced, providing a good listening experience in sports scenarios.
Weighing only 27g, the headphones feature an ergonomic design that fits snugly around the ear, ensuring stability and comfort without slipping off. The waterproof performance reaches IPX6, effectively resisting sweat and rain, making them suitable for both daily workouts and outdoor activities.
The biggest highlight of Nank CC4 is its ultra-high cost-performance ratio. As a professional bone conduction headphone brand, Nank consistently adheres to technological innovation, ensuring that even this entry-level product maintains the quality assurance of a major brand, providing a trustworthy choice for budget-conscious users.