Best running headphones and earphones for exercise, from affordable to premium

Looking to soundtrack your path to fitness? These are the best running earphones to plug in and help you stay motivated whether you're hunkered down in a gym or out hitting the road, the track or quite literally running to the hills, like Iron Maiden. They're also suitable for cycling, pumping iron, hiking adn anything else you can do whilst listening to music and sweating profusely.

So, lace up your running shoes, strap a smartphone to your arm and prepare for musical motivation.

Bose Soundsport II • £115

Bose isn't the first brand you'd think of when it comes to sporty audio, but it's actually the official provider of wireless headsets to coaches in the NFL, so there's actually quite the athletic pedigree to these (non-wireless) earphones.

The brand has covered these earbuds, which come in three sizes, with a hydrophobic cloth that keeps sweat out while not restricting the sound quality and flow. They come with an in-line mic and an extension cable for versatility, plus a carry case, because Bose. Does anyone actually ever use headphone carry cases? There's also a choice of five colours.

Sound quality is excellent and longevity looks promising so far, but do note that there's a model for iPhone and a model for Galaxy, and no model for any other phone, though that only affects the call receive and music buttons - they still work as audio products whatever your mobile of choice.you can see here Bose.

Monster iSport Wireless Superslim • £130

The lightest Bluetooth headphones you could get when launched (and as far as we're aware nothing has overtaken it since), these are washable, wireless and wonderful.

The Monster iSport Wireless Superslim has the same impossible-to-dislodge earhooks as the same brand's Adidas Sport Response and despite the light, 50g weight, audio is surprisingly good. There's a lot of bass, and enough mid and treble to carry you along, although it's not going to please lovers of soprano singing and the glockenspiel. For dance, rock, and what you might call 'motivational' sounds in general, the quality is absolutely fine.

Surely something has to give to get down to such a low weight and profile, and it's the battery life - you'll be lucky to get five hours. However, if you remember to charge up regularly, for most people who are at least semi-serious about fitness, that's about enough for a week's worth of running and gym-going.

The fact that you can literally rinse them under a tap to clean is another nice touch, and they seem very robust. Arguably the cable joining the buds together is a little longer than it needs to be, but that's better than being too short. We did find that Bluetooth dropped now and then, but that seems unavoidable with a wireless connection in an exercise context, and it wasn't frequent enough to become annoying.

Sure, this is a premium product, but come on, you're a premium guy. You deserve it! Monster

Yurbuds Inspire Limited Edition • £40

Looking for some running buds that won't budge? These are for you. Twistlock tech keeps everything in place, sitting so snug in your ears that Yurbuds feels able to claim they will "never" fall out.

Multiple caps are included, with sets for more noise isolation or (a bit) more comfort, as you prefer, and the cord is constructed from Kevlar.

The sound isn't the best, lacking as it does bass and vibrancy, but they get the job done, are highly secure and feel as if they'll last a long time, although we think Yurbuds might be tempting fate by offering a lifetime guarantee - nothing's that indestructible. Anyway, at £40, they're no big deal to replace if lost or broken.Yurbuds

Sennheiser OCX 686G Sports • £50

Not to be confused with the 686G, which hooks over your ears and has slightly better sound quality, but for 30 quid more, this is another in-ear headphone that's for exercise (so anti-microbial coatings on the earbuds, resistance to sweat and fairly intrusive, hard-to-dislodge fit) yet doesn't compromise on sound quality.

High output drivers deliver super sounding noise, while a clever mix of cable routing and ear canal coupling reduces the background noise, letting you focus on your tunes and gym session. Ear clips keeps the buds secured even when you're running at speed and a reinforced cable adds an extra hit of durability.Sennheiser

Add an inline mic and volume/skip controls and you have a winning combo.

Monster Adidas Sport Response • £40/£60

At the opposite end of the spectrum to the Trainer by Gibson we have these excellent, few-frills in-ear headphones. The green ones (£60) have an in-line mic and buttons so you can make and receive calls and control volume and skip tracks. The blue ones (£40) do not.

The great thing about these, for those who aren't averse to shoving things down their ear canals, is that once in place they are pretty much impossible to dislodge, thanks to the hooks that sit within the curves of your outer ear. Despite this, they're not uncomfortable at all, and are able to withstand sweat, "look at me, I'm tired" head waggling and the usual tugging and shifting that you always get with wired earphones.

Sound quality, clearly, is not going to be audiophile grade, but full credit to Monster: these sound good for what they cost, with plenty of bottom end, though admittedly the upper mid to treble range is quite muddy. They do enough to carry a tune, especially if it's something forceful and rhythmic. We've happily worn these as day-to-day earphones, when not working out.

Continuing our habit of destroying headphones, we did once manage to kill a pair of these stone dead by putting it in a water-filled, post-shower ear. That was a bit disappointing, but at 40 quid, it's not like they're a stretch to replace, and the fact that we actually did get a new pair of these rather than switching brands is quite telling.Monster