I have a specific distaste for earbuds going back years. I prefer big over-the-ear “leave me alone” headphones. But those aren’t really practical for working out.
The rebranded and redesigned Beats Powerbeats Fit are meant for getting your sweat on. With rebuilt wingtips and longer battery life, these earbuds could become some of the best workout headphones available.
During a Beats event, I got about an hour to test out the Powerbeats Fit, plus a workout later that day, and here are my first impressions. Honestly? They might change my mind about earbuds.
Holding power
In our Beats Fit Pro review, we found that the wingtips made for a comfortable fit and the tips kept a tight seal. A Beats representative told me that the new wingtips are sturdier and meant to fit more comfortably in the cymba of your ear.
I was able to compare the new Fit with the old Fit Pros. The wingtips do feel less squishy and seem to have a stronger hold.
During the event, my big test was mostly spent wandering around. There was a treadmill available for some running, but only for a few minutes. I didn’t notice the buds moving even with some vigorous jostling and brief sprints on the treadmill.
My later workout was a round of disc golf. Throwing a frisbee in disc golf is a full-body maneuver, even if you're supposed to hold your head still. Despite clambering up and down hills and repeatedly tossing discs, the buds didn’t move much at all.
Quality music, poor conversation
I’ve had maybe three hours all in with the Beats Powerbeats Fit, but I was able to put them through some paces.
First, I tested the bass with Tiesto’s and Sevenn’s “Boom” which can go from a bass-heavy overload to a Dolby Atmos experience depending on your speakers. The Fit buds proved to be punchy and had that signature Beats bass.
However, I prefer podcasts for workouts because they give me something to focus on rather than the picking up and putting down of heavy things or running forever. During my round of disc golf, I played two different podcasts.
I found the episodes I listened to very flat-sounding. Something I haven’t found with my Beyerdynamic Custom One Pros that I wear as my daily headphones.
I use Pocket Casts, among the best Android apps, as my pod player, and unfortunately, it doesn’t have EQ settings like Spotify or Qobuz, our best music streaming service for audiophiles. So I couldn't make adjustments to see if I could make things sound better.
We have a full review coming soon, and we might find better listening modes and different sounds. For right now, music sounds pretty good and podcasts don’t. Take that for what you will in your decision process.
Worth a look
The Beats Powerbeats Fit are available now for $199 from Apple.com. It’s a much friendlier price than the Powerbeats Pro 2 that start at $249, but the Fit do lack the H2 chip and heart rate sensor. If the bud style doesn’t appeal to you, the Shoks OpenRun Pro 2 might be more your fit.
I want to keep playing with the Fit earbuds and see if they hold up to more rigorous training, but I believe they're up to the task.
Keep your tabs on Tom's Guide as we'll go ears-on with the new buds in full review in the coming weeks.
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