After Years of Wireless Headphones, I Returned to Wired Ones for My Workouts. Here’s What I Found

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My Jabra Elite 8 Active headphones were ideal—until I misplaced one. Similar to many individuals, I grew accustomed to the liberty provided by these wireless devices. best workout earbuds Included, without additional loose wires hanging beneath my shirt keeping me connected to my phone. During runs, I frequently try out the best bone conduction headphones to participate alongside, since you can create music for your runs and remain conscious of your environment.

During this instance, I was utilizing the Jabra Elite 8 Active Generation 2 As I was testing some bone-conduction headphones, I decided to try the Elite 8 Active Gen 2 models. These headphones are typically highly reliable; they represent the pinnacle of fitness audio gear—top-tier quality, meticulously engineered, and extremely comfy. Midway during my jog, I paused at a nearby gym café for a drink, removed my earphones, and accidentally dropped one from my hand onto the ground.

Before I had a chance to locate where it landed, a bunch of children freshly out of swimming class came rolling into the foyer, and after that moment, I never spotted that earbud again. After spending 20 minutes scouring the ground and crevices for the missing piece, I provided my contact information to the receptionist and sadly started the six-mile journey back home with only one earbud.

I utilized these earbuds both for work and entertainment, which essentially left me without a device suitable for conferences as well as exercise sessions. Angered at my own oversight, I promptly placed an order for several inexpensive sets of wired headphones; including some Sony over-ear models designated specifically for use with my computer, along with a budget pair for general activities. Panasonic RP-TCM225DEK USB-C wired earphones I could rely on these backup workout headphones until I got my hands on some more high-quality pairs.

Even though I was mourning the absence of my old earbuds, I felt a thrill about returning to using wired headphones again. Having previously owned a Sony Walkman followed by an iPod Nano before transitioning completely to smartphones and Spotify, this shift brought me a delightful sense of nostalgia. It had been ages since I last consistently used wired headphones.

The Panasonic headphones I purchased matched typical expectations for budget-priced wired headphones from a well-known electronics brand: they included three different-sized eartips, featured a volume control and mic on the right cable, and offered surprisingly good audio quality considering their price point of £11.99 (approximately $15.50 / AU$25), without any Bluetooth transmission compromising the sound clarity.

The plastic casing protrudes from the ear somewhat, making it necessary to consider how you lie on your side. Occasionally, I also experienced a slight hiss of white noise whenever I stopped the music playback.

I've been using them continuously over the last three weeks during various exercises, as well as during meditation and bedtime routines. Below are three aspects I thoroughly enjoyed, alongside two that I found quite disappointing.

What I loved

1. No charging anxiety

This might sound simple, but reducing the number of things I needed to recharge significantly improved my preparation for workouts, particularly long-distance running. The anxiety of hearing "low battery" from my Bluetooth earbuds' voice during a 10-mile run became a thing of the past.

I store my wired earbuds with the rest of my running gear, knowing they're always prepared for use. It takes one more item off my worry list.

2. More sustainability

In a somewhat related vein, I tallied up all the gadgets I possess that come equipped with rechargeable lithium-ion batteries, which truly startled me—my phone, smartwatch, intelligent ring, Nintendo Switch, laptop, tablet, and Kindle. With the exception of my laptop, each device has an integrated battery design; once this power source fails over time, they either get discarded or sent for recycling.

Rechargeable true wireless earbuds significantly contribute to electronic waste because they utilize three batteries: one in each earbud and another in the charging case. In contrast, wired headphones generally have fewer components initially, which makes them potentially a more environmentally friendly choice, provided they are properly maintained.

3. Affordability

My corded headphones were priced at £11.99 (approximately $15.50 or AU$25) via Amazon. Although inexpensive truly wireless options do exist with quite acceptable audio performance (like the JLab Go Air Sport It’s difficult to dispute such value. Since they have fewer components, wired headphones can often be acquired at a low cost while still maintaining a level of dependability.

What I didn't love

4. The wire

Ugh. Just once, pulling the headphones from my ears reminded me why everyone made the switch to wireless technology initially. Since they have a wired connection, these earbuds offer protection against mild moisture like light rain and sweat but aren’t fully waterproof. However, there’s some consolation: when I dropped my phone, the connected cord prevented it from suffering damage upon impact with the hard ground.

Less universality

Although many laptops and home entertainment systems continue to feature headphone jacks, these connectors have largely disappeared from smartphones and tablets. Consequently, I purchased the Panasonic RP-TCM225DEK headphones equipped with a USB-C connector. However, this meant that when trying to use them at night, they often vied for space with my phone’s charging port.

USB-C is rapidly becoming the norm as even Apple has adopted it, yet the headphone jack remains associated with superior audio quality.

You might also like...

  • The top wired earbuds for 2025, ranging from budget-friendly USB-C options to high-end IEMs designed for audio enthusiasts.
  • The Beats Powerbeats Pro 2 have officially arrived.
  • The top-notch running accessory you aren’t utilizing yet, but absolutely ought to (as per the specialists).

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