Samsung’s Galaxy Watch Active is great for quick notification management and fitness tracking, and it works great for music as well, thanks to Bluetooth and local media storage. Whether you want to listen to your favorite tunes on your weekly jog or take in a new audiobook, wireless headphones are a great addition to your Galaxy Watch Active.
Overall best
Samsung Galaxy Buds
Staff pick
The Galaxy Buds are Samsung’s truly wireless earbuds that pair great with the Watch Active. They’re incredibly portable and the wireless charging carrying case packs an additional seven hours of battery life inside. The Galaxy Buds are water-resistant, tunable within the software, and come in a variety of colors.
$129 at Amazon
Wireless earbuds
Jaybird X4
Jaybird has been making quality headphones for quite some time, and the X4s are no exception. You can get a full eight hours of battery life on a single charge, and top it back up in just two hours. They’re also sweat- and rain-proof, making these earbuds great for any active lifestyle.
$109 at Amazon
Truly wireless
Skullcandy Indy True Wireless
You don’t have to spend hundreds of dollars to get a pair of truly wireless earbuds anymore. Skullcandy’s new Indy Truly Wireless earbuds last for up to four hours on a charge without any cables, and the charging case nets you an additional twelve hours. Of course, these headphones are splash- and rain- resistant as well.
$79 at B&H
Premium earbuds
Bose SoundSport Wireless
If you’re hoping to get the signature Bose sound in a much smaller and workout-friendly package, look no further than the SoundSports. Like the Jaybirds, the Soundsports are sweat- and weather-resistant, and the gel tips are wholly designed with comfort and stability in mind, with optional wings that keep them in your ears.
$129 at Amazon
Affordable earbuds
OnePlus Bullets Wireless
OnePlus may not be the first name you think about when it comes to headphones, but the Bullets Wireless are surprisingly great — especially considering they’re below $100. They’re water-resistant and the earbuds attach together magnetically to automatically pause your music.
$69 at OnePlus
Tight budget
Anker SoundBuds Curve
Anker’s Bluetooth earbuds are a shockingly great value, with wings that wrap completely around your ears to hold them in place. The SoundBuds Curve also feature removable inner earwings and tips, and offer up to 12.5 hours of music playback per charge with in-line controls for adjusting volume and pausing your track.
$27 at Amazon
Affordable over-ears
Jabra Move Wireless
The Jabra Moves are a great option for people looking to dip their toes into the wireless world without spending a ton of money. They don’t offer noise cancelation but still provide impressively good sound quality for the money, along with 8-hour battery life to get you through just about any workday.
$90 at Amazon
Stylish over-the-ears
V-MODA Crossfade Wireless
V-MODA makes some of the best-looking over-the-ear headphones around, and they sound just as good, with the option for wired or wireless listening. The Crossfades offer 12 hours of battery life and include a molded carrying case. You’ll need to use Micro USB to recharge them, but they’re well worth the money.
From $138 at Amazon
Best ANC cans
Sony WH1000XM3
Sony’s third-generation 1000XM3 noise-canceling headphones are some of our favorite headphones ever for frequent travelers or anyone who works out of a public spot like a coffee shop. They feature convenient gesture-based controls, and you can selectively filter audio back into your ears.
$348 at Amazon
When you should use earbuds
One of the main reasons to use the Watch Active with headphones is for convenience; while there’s no cellular model available, the Watch Active still works well over Wi-Fi and can even store music locally, making it great for listening to music. Earbuds are just as portable as your watch, with most pairs able to be tucked into a pocket or carried in a small case.
Samsung’s truly wireless Galaxy Buds are a great pairing with the Galaxy Watch Active, with long battery life (especially when paired with the charging case) and tunable sound profiles. Skullcandy’s Indy Truly Wireless earbuds are a great alternative, if you’re strapped for cash. If you don’t mind a cord dangling behind your neck, the Jaybird X4s are also worth considering.
When you should use over-the-ear headphones
While they’re bulkier than their earbud counterparts, it’s generally accepted that larger, over-the-ear headphones like the Sony 1000XM3 or V-MODA Crossfade Wireless offer significantly better audio quality and better sealing around your ear. If you’re willing to look past the large size and high cost, these headphones are among the best ways to experience wireless audio.
Those Sony headphones also offer active noise canceling, completely shutting out sounds from your surrounding environment, along with the ability to selectively filter sounds back into the headphones, allowing you to hold conversations while listening to music. If you’re not willing to spend $350 on headphones, though, the Jabra Moves are another excellent option for a fraction of the price.
