I review smartwatches for a living — but here’s why I’m more excited about the AirPods Pro 3 than the Apple Watch 11

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The AirPods Pro just became even better workout headphones

AirPods Pro 3
(Image credit: Future)

I review smartwatches for a living, but it wasn’t the Apple Watch Ultra 3 or the Apple Watch 11 that blew me away last night — it was the AirPods Pro 3. Sure, the Apple Watches are getting some decent updates — a new sleep score and hypertension alert, plus better battery life (at last). The Apple Watch 11 is also thinner and lighter than ever, and the Apple Watch Ultra 3 has the biggest screen of any Apple Watch, as well as satellite messaging. But even with all that in mind, I’m blown away by AirPods Pro 3.

You’ll probably have seen the news already, but while I’m unlikely to ever use Live Translation (you try having a conversation with anyone when you’ve got a toddler on your hip), the upgrades make these a strong contender for the best workout headphones around. Here’s what I’m most excited about:

IP57 durability

I use my AirPods Pro 2 as my go-to running headphones, and while they’ve dealt with a lot of sweat over the years, they were recently caught in one downpour too many, and seem to have lost their touch controls.

By contrast, the AirPods Pro 3 are the first Apple AirPods to have IP57 durability, which means they are resistant to dust, sweat, and a rain shower. Of course, we’re yet to test that, but if you use your AirPods outside, this is a huge improvement.

A more secure fit

Another thing I’ve noticed while running is that the sweatier I get, the harder it is to keep my AirPods in my ears. Perhaps I have particularly sweaty ears (nice), but I’m excited to see the design tweaks Apple has made to the AirPods Pro 3. The AirPods might look similar, but they are smaller and lighter. Plus, there are now five different bud sizes to fit every ear shape.

Apple says it has also rotated the ear tips inward for a more secure fit. I’m looking forward to putting these to the test on the run.

AirPods Pro 3

(Image credit: Future)

Heart rate monitoring

Apple isn’t the first to do this, but it'll hopefully be the best at it — adding a tiny heart rate monitor to the AirPods Pro 3. This means you can track workouts and use features like Workout Buddy, even if you don’t have one of the best Apple Watches (or if your Apple Watch is dead).

You can start about 50 different workouts from your iPhone, and your AirPods Pro 3 become the heart rate source. It’s an impressive development and good news if you prefer to run with a different watch, but still worry about closing those pesky rings.

Better noise cancellation

Last, but not least, if you’re working out in a busy gym, you’ll be pleased to hear the AirPods Pro 3 have better noise cancellation than previous versions — Apple says they remove twice as much unwanted noise as the AirPods Pro 2, and four times more noise than the original AirPods.

It's done this through adding a thin layer of foam-infused microspheres to block even more noise. I wouldn’t recommend using this when running on the streets, but this will come in handy in the gym or on my commute.

The AirPods Pro 3 will cost $249 and will be available from September 19. You can read what happened when Tom’s Guide’s Kate Kozuch went hands-on with the Apple AirPods Pro 3 at Apple Park here.

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Jane McGuire
Jane McGuire
Fitness editor

Jane McGuire is Tom's Guide's Fitness editor, which means she looks after everything fitness related - from running gear to yoga mats. An avid runner, Jane has tested and reviewed fitness products for the past five years, so knows what to look for when finding a good running watch or a pair of shorts with pockets big enough for your smartphone. When she's not pounding the pavements, you'll find Jane striding round the Surrey Hills, taking far too many photos of her puppy. 

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