Awesome Gift Ideas for Fitness Lovers

When it comes to working out, running, training or any type of active exercise, there’s one constant: music. It’s the magic ingredient that inspires people to get going and keeps them motivated to stay moving.

That’s why headphones and earbuds are essential fitness gear today. Music makes the time fly faster, it sets the pace and the tone, it gives that extra edge, and it’s a huge help when you want to focus and laser in on your goals. When you want to give a gift to someone who works out to music every day, comfortable fit and battery life matter as much as great sound.

But not all headphones and earbuds are equally suited for workouts. Being dependable for athletes is the whole design inspiration for several Beats products: Beats 360 over-ear headphones, Powerbeats Pro 2 earbuds, and Powerbeats Fit earbuds.

If you’re shopping for audio gifts for an athlete, here’s how to decide what’s best for them: first choose between over-ear headphones or earbuds, and then select the fit that suits how they move.

1. Beats 360: The Over-Ear Headphone Designed for Athletes

First, Beats 360, what we consider to be our best over-ear headphones for the gym. This fresh over-ear design from Beats has so many features an athlete would love in an over-ear headphone, starting with truly stellar sound from its bespoke acoustic platform. But fantastic acoustics across the audio spectrum is just the start.

Beats 360’s Customizable Headphones with Interchangeable Cushions¹

Beats 360 is the very first headphone from Beats to feature interchangeable cushions. What does this mean for athletes? It means they can always have a fresh set of cushions ready to swap in or out for the gym, after a run, or anytime they want to make their Beats 360 instantly fresh again.

Beats 360 comes with color-matched Performance Knit cushions. The knit is a diamond-knit pattern, with each strand of the knit comprised of 36 strong micro-threads for extra durability and comfort. The knit itself is breathable for a soft, airy feel — just the type of material that feels right for when you’re active. The enhanced durability combined with the option to swap out cushions make Beats 360 built to last.

Extra Beats 360 Cushion Kits also means this system allows for a world of customizable possibilities. Perhaps one color cushion set can be designated for gym days or runs. But either way, it’s entirely up to the person and they get to make it their own, accessorizing to fit their look or their other gear. There are currently six colors of Performance Knit Cushion Kits to choose from — Black, Cloud, Pink, Sky, Navy, and Volt. In addition, UltraPlush Cushion Kits are also available. The UltraPlush material has a smooth, seamless finish that’s soft to the touch, and is available in Black and Cloud colors.

Sweat and Water Resistant Over-Ear Headphones (IPX4)²

Beats 360 is also the first Beats over-ear design to feature sweat and water resistance. That’s because with Beats 360, we wanted to make headphones that could finally hold up to everywhere we see them used — starting with the gym. The fact is, we’ve noticed that many people love to lift weights and run in headphones, especially Beats. Beats 360 is designed to withstand workouts, thanks to its IPX4 rating against liquid ingress.

Active Noise Cancellation & Transparency Mode

In a noisy gym when you want to focus on your set and cut out the noise of clanging weights, noise-cancelling headphones are key. Because fit and environmental noise can change from one listening session to the next, Beats 360 features Active Noise Cancellation (ANC), which blocks out external sounds so that you can focus on your music and your workout. The ANC in Beats 360 works by analyzing both the surrounding environment and the individual fit of the headphone to create an optimized noise-cancellation response every time you listen.

Many people ask about wearing noise-cancelling headphones while walking or running outside. When exercising outdoors, athletes may prefer a different sound setting. Switching to Transparency mode is ideal when running outdoors or any time you want to stay aware of your environment while your music plays. Transparency mode uses the same microphones as the ANC processing system, but instead of blocking out noise, it allows some of that outside noise to pass through, giving athletes better awareness of what’s happening around them without stopping the music. The result is an elegant high-awareness experience mixed with your favorite tunes, designed to keep you more aware of your surroundings without having to remove the headphones.

So if you’re looking for an over-ear design for someone who’s into fitness, Beats 360 absolutely has it all.

2. The Powerbeats Family: Beats Earbuds Built for Athletes

Some athletes might prefer a more compact option for their sound, and that’s where the Powerbeats family comes in. While over-ear headphones provide plush comfort and an enhanced acoustic seal for a more immersive listening experience, workout earbuds like Powerbeats Pro 2 and Powerbeats Fit offer lightweight stability that disappears during intense cardio or other activity.

Our Powerbeats Pro 2 and Powerbeats Fit are water-resistant earbuds intentionally designed for athletes. Both Powerbeats Pro 2 and Powerbeats Fit are earbuds designed to comfortably stay in place during workouts or intense training. The main difference is how they stay in place: Powerbeats Pro 2 has an earhook that locks onto the ear, while Powerbeats Fit has a wingtip that gently tucks under the ridge of your upper ear. Outside that main earhook vs. wingtip difference, they share a ton of great high-performance features that athletes love. They’re both sweat and water resistant, with an IPX4 rating.^3,4 They both deliver premium audio as well as both Active Noise Cancellation and Transparency mode.^5,6 And they’re both super comfortable with secure, stable fits.

Want a pair of wireless earbuds that stay in place so you don’t have to worry about them falling out? The Powerbeats family is a great place to start. Powerbeats Pro 2 has undergone over 1,500 hours of testing with nearly a thousand athletes, featuring an earhook with a secure fit for all ear shapes. And based on extensive athlete testing and the result of years of research and development, the Powerbeats Fit wingtip is designed to optimize both stability and comfort while holding just as strong as an earhook.

Heart Rate Monitoring for Workouts⁷

Powerbeats Pro 2 also comes equipped with Heart Rate Monitoring for workouts — the only Beats product to have this feature. Because athletes today demand real-time data about their performance, the sensors in Powerbeats Pro 2 are designed to give real-time heart rate feedback during workouts with compatible fitness apps. The precision-crafted LED optical sensors pulse light over 100 times per second to measure blood flow, relaying real-time data. For optimal comfort, we designed the sensors to be flush with the earbud’s surface, without any compromise to acoustic quality. So you won’t feel the sensors in your ears.

Make Their Day

Everybody loves music. And athletes use music to fuel their workouts, their runs, and other training.

If you’re shopping for any athletes in your life, they would get tons of enjoyment and use from Beats 360 over-ear headphones, Powerbeats Pro 2 earbuds with earhooks, or Powerbeats Fit with wingtips. They each have great sound, ANC, Transparency mode, sweat & water resistance, and considerably long battery life and quick 5-minute Fast Fuel charging across the lineup when battery runs low. They all fit differently, but each is optimized for athletic performance, spanning everything from extended comfort, flexibility, lightness and a secure fit that can hold throughout intense physical activity.

¹ Beats 360 sold with color-matched ear and headband cushions; additional cushion kits sold separately.

² Beats 360 is sweat and water resistant for non-water sports and exercise. Beats 360 was tested under controlled laboratory conditions, and has a rating of IPX4 under IEC standard 60529. Sweat and water resistance are not permanent conditions and resistance might decrease as a result of normal wear. Do not attempt to charge wet Beats 360 headphones; refer to Apple Support for cleaning and drying instructions.

³ Powerbeats Pro 2 are sweat and water resistant for non-water sports and exercise. Powerbeats Pro 2 were tested under controlled laboratory conditions, and have a rating of IPX4 under IEC standard 60529. Sweat and water resistance are not permanent conditions and resistance might decrease as a result of normal wear. Do not attempt to charge wet Powerbeats Pro 2; refer to Apple Support for cleaning and drying instructions. The charging case is not sweat or water resistant.

⁴ Powerbeats Fit earbuds are sweat and water resistant for non-water sports and exercise. Powerbeats Fit earbuds were tested under controlled laboratory conditions, and have a rating of IPX4 under IEC standard 60529. Sweat and water resistance are not permanent conditions and resistance might decrease as a result of normal wear. Do not attempt to charge wet Powerbeats Fit earbuds; refer to Apple Support for cleaning and drying instructions.

⁵ Device performance and noise control features like Active Noise Cancellation and Transparency can be affected by debris or earwax buildup. Clean the device regularly to maintain performance and full feature functionality. Refer to Apple Support for Powerbeats Pro 2 cleaning instructions.

⁶ Device performance and noise control features like Active Noise Cancellation and Transparency can be affected by debris or earwax buildup. Clean the device regularly to maintain performance and full feature functionality. Refer to Apple Support for Powerbeats Fit cleaning instructions.

⁷ Built-in heart rate monitor is intended for heart rate feedback during workouts and is available on compatible third-party apps. Refer to beatsbydre.com/heart-rate-monitoring for compatible applications and instructions. Heart rate sessions will automatically start and end on iPhone but must be started by the user on Android. Heart rate monitor can be disabled in Settings on an iPhone or via the Beats app on Android.