Running with Apple AirPod Pro

Apple released the AirPod Pro’s back in in October 2019. They very quickly became my favourite pair of headphones to use when exercising.

What makes them great?

Size and Fit

They weigh 5.4g each and measure 30.9 mm at their longest. Sometimes the only way I know I have them in is because they are pumping music directly into my ears.

When the first AirPods came out, they were incredibly noticeable to use. The smaller footprint of these makes them less conspicuous.

I’ve had no issues with these wanting to fall out my ears. I’ve run, cycled yoga and HIIT training and not a peep.

They are water-resistant. As a very sweaty man, I have put these through extensive testing, and they are still working.

Memory Foam

One way to upgrade your AirPod experience is with a set of memory foam ear tips.

I am using the ones by COMPLY, and they’ve made the AirPods comfortable for all-day use. I think it improves the noise cancelling too.

Transparency and Noise Cancelling Mode

The AirPod Pro’s use active noise cancelling. They use microphones to pick up low-frequency noise, and that gets neutralised before it hits the ear. It is honestly breathtaking.

What that also means is the AirPod Pro’s have a Transparency mode. I always use this mode when running.

What Transparency mode does is allow any environmental sounds to be heard naturally. The same microphones used to block sound out and are now used to let sound in!

With this mode activated, I can listen to my music, but I am not missing the sound of cars or other pavement users. I feel so much safer using them and running.

That said, having the Noise Cancelling Mode for travelling, working or using pre-race and block out additional noise is just superb. The versatility is where the AirPod Pro’s shine. They are as comfortable as a pair of running headphones as they are to use at your desk during the day.

You can use the AirPod Pro in ‘normal’ mode, which doesn’t use any noise-cancelling features.

Apple Ecosystem

With everything apple-related, these headphones sparkle in the apple ecosystem. To pair them, you just put them next to an iPhone, open the case up, and the pairing process begins. You pair them on one device, and they are then paired on all your iCloud synced devices. That is pretty amazing! Sadly, they don’t play as nicely outside of the apple environment.

What’s superb is that I can use the headphones on my iPad when on a Zoom Call, and then they’ll connect into my watch as I get out for a run.

They work beautifully if you are invested in apple's way of life. There will be lots of other options out there, and if you are using a different system, I think other headphones would be the way to go.

Battery Life

It’s good enough for 4 hours of use - that is, in transparency or noise cancellation mode. After that, you’ll need to charge them up. The carry case is also their charging case. With apple’s fast charge feature, 5 minutes of charge will give you another 1 hour of use. That’s not bad at all.

With the case having Wireless Charging Features, you just need to pop the case on top of a charging mat, and it’ll juice it up.

I can’t imagine using them for more than 4 hours, but I can see that being a deal-breaker for some.

Overall

I do love my AirPod Pro. If you are looking for a quality set of headphones and an Apple user, I will struggle to suggest anything else.

They have an RRP of £249.00, but you can find them for as little as £165 from a quick google search. That’s a great deal.