Best headphones for cycling 2024: Stay entertained while riding

Best headphones for cycling group of wireless headphones
(Image credit: Josh Ross)

The best headphones for cycling are one of the few pieces of gear that see use both on the bike and off. 

That means there are a lot of demands on the designs and sometimes those demands are competing. You want to find the best option for long, solitary, outdoor rides but they also have to work when it's time to jump on one of the best smart trainers. You might want outstanding noise cancellation for some situations and exceptional situational awareness for others. Sometimes you need good sound quality and sometimes you just need something you can hear. No matter what, you need something comfortable.

Written and reviewed by
Portrait of writer Josh Ross
Written and reviewed by
Josh Ross

Riding your bike with music is one of those things that I find makes a bike ride that bit better, much of my riding involves covering big miles which gives me loads of time to listen to tunes. Finding a set that not only offers great sound quality, secure fit and all the other features that you might need for riding outdoors and indoors is a bit more complicated. I have tried many options from all the big brands so I can confidently recommend the best options for your cycling needs.

Recent updates

October 08th, 2024 This guide was updated with Buy if/Don't buy if advice for each product, adjustments to the format, and checked products were still available and up-to-date.

You can trust Cyclingnews Our experts spend countless hours testing cycling tech and will always share honest, unbiased advice to help you choose. Find out more about how we test.

Josh Ross

Josh hails from the Pacific Northwest of the United States but would prefer riding through the desert than the rain. He will happily talk for hours about the minutiae of cycling tech but also has an understanding that most people just want things to work. He is a road cyclist at heart and doesn't care much if those roads are paved, dirt, or digital. Although he rarely races, if you ask him to ride from sunrise to sunset the answer will be yes. Height: 5'9" Weight: 140 lb. Rides: Salsa Warbird, Cannondale CAAD9, Enve Melee, Look 795 Blade RS, Priority Continuum Onyx