Wireless earbuds are one of the hottest trending product categories, and for good reason. Thanks to amazing leaps forward in battery life, signal strength, and sound quality, now is the time to cut the cord.
That said, Canada’s wireless earbuds market is cluttered with cheap Apple knockoffs and dodgy internet sellers. Even recognised brands are rushing to put out subpar product that is not worth your hard earned dollars. This is where we come in…
If you are thinking of purchasing new wireless earbuds, our list (updated monthly) will help you make the best choice with a focus on sound and call quality, features, and overall value for your money.
Mifo O5 Plus Gen 2: Editor’s pick for best wireless sports earbuds – $119.99 at Mifo.ca
Where to buy the Mifo O5 Plus Gen 2 earbuds in Canada
The best wireless earphones for sports including running and all around gym/active lifestyle use come from a brand that is fairly new to Canada. But don’t let that scare you off, as these earbuds are easily some of the best we have ever tested. Canadians should review the limited flag edition as Mifo have noted they will only produce 1,000 individually numbered units.
BEST VALUE
OTHER OPTIONS
- $129.99 at Amazon.ca – 2-4 day delivery
- $129.99 at Bestbuy.ca – 2-4 day delivery
- Editor’s Note: The Gen 2 is not available on Amazon or other channels at the time of publishing. The original O5 Plus is available for similar pricing plus tax on Amazon.ca here, but does not include USB-C connection, power bank, and upgraded sound quality.
So what makes Mifo O5 Plus Gen 2 true wireless earbuds the best for physical activity?
The best earbuds for runners and gym-goers, period. The Mifo O5 PLUS build on the original Mifo O5 and come with a bevy of new features that improve the experience immensely, beginning with their form factor. Weighing in at just a few grams each, the O5 earbuds feel supremely comfortable, and include 7 silicon ear tip shapes and sizes for that perfect fit. Further, once in it’s nearly impossible to get them to fall out. Readers may remember propensity to fall out was a major problem that prevented us from recommending the Apple AirPods Pro in our last wireless review.
Absurd battery life with power bank feature. The O5 Plus Gen 2 earbuds themselves will play continuously for 7+ hours, a feat we tested over several days. Not only that, but the included USB-C charging case offers an additional 100 hours of play time. No, that is not a typo. We were able to use the earbuds without charging the case for an entire week before it gave out. Not only that, but the case allows you to plug a smartphone in to charge your devices on the go. In our test, we were able to charge an iPhone 11 Pro Max from 0 to 100%. That’s stunning, and makes us wonder why earbuds from other brands costing 3-4 times more have just a third of the battery life.
Excellent sound with passive noise canceling and transparency mode. The Mifo O5 Plus Gen 2 packs some of the best bass in any true wireless earbuds we have tested. That’s particularly helpful if you prefer energetic tracks when pushing yourself to the limit. That said, the tight seal ensures sound does not leak, meaning others around you will not overhear your music. To top it off, Mifo have included transparency mode, which allows you to hear noise around you without removing the earbuds. This is particularly helpful when running on the road or popping in and out of the store when you may need to hear oncoming traffic or interact with other people.
EDITOR’S NOTE: Mifo has just released the new O7 with dual balanced armature drivers, Qualcomm chipset, and touch controls. It carries with it substantial added cost, but may offer a superior experience for $199.99.
Canada-based customer support. We have been continuously disappointed with true wireless earbuds in the past, even from tech giants like Samsung. Part of that disappointment comes with poor or absent customer service. We tested Mifo on several occasions with questions and every time received proper replies within an hour. That demonstrates commitment to the Canadian market and contributes greatly to our award of Editor’s Pick.
Jabra Elite Active 65t: Solid but pricey sports earbuds – $169.99 at Amazon.ca
Where to buy the Jabra Elite 65t earbuds in the US
If you aren’t price sensitive, Jabra may be the brand for you. These true wireless earbuds come with fewer accessories than the Mifo O5, but offer a more generalist approach to the format.
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OTHER OPTIONS
Why Jabra makes the list of best earbuds for sports
Good overall quality for true wireless earbuds. Since true wireless earbuds were invented, we have lamented at poor signal quality, dropped calls, and pairing fiascos. Jabra has included top quality chipsets and firmware, and we were pleased with the overall experience.
Excellent marks for sound quality. While bass isn’t as rich as the Mifo O5, the overall high and low tones of the Elite 65t are quite good. We’ll leave it to you to determine if they sound $170 good.
Limited sports-specific features. While Jabra does an excellent job with calls, we aren’t typically on the phone while working out. So we were not surprised when Jabra released the Elite Sport, a newer model designed just for active lifestyles. Unfortunately, it does not live up to the 65t. See below for more on the Elite Sport.
Bose Soundsport Free: Sports earphones that live up to the Bose name – $249.00 at Amazon.ca
Where to buy the Bose Soundsport Free earbuds in the US
Bose has delved into the true wireless category by focusing on sports. And while the Soundsport Free is an excellent first product, it suffers from an aging Bluetooth chipset and mediocre battery life, costing Bose a higher position in our list.
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Why Bose gets our approval for the gym
Great sound that comes at a cost. While Bose has engineered a product that is indeed worthy of the name, it does come at a cost. Reduced battery life and Bluetooth 4.1 instead of 5.0 hurt the product and age it to the first generation of true wireless product.
Fun, fitness-oriented colours. Of note are the options to pick from a bright, bold, and just plain fun colour scheme. While not strictly to do with features, the Soundsport makes going to the gym just a bit more interesting.
Built for sports, but may not work for you. While the Soundsport is made for active movement, we found it a bit bulky. If you have smaller ears, you may experience some discomfort or a feeling that the earbuds may fall out. That’s not particularly comfortable when you are trying to focus on your workout.
Runners-up: Best Wireless Sports Earbuds
There are many, many wireless earbuds in the sports market. And while we attempt to test as many as possible for our readers, some units simply don’t make the cut. Here’s a quick peek at sports earbuds that didn’t make the list.
Apple Powerbeats Pro – $320.00 at Amazon.ca
Yes, it’s the marriage of Beats and Apple. Yes, it’s meant to be used when working out. But for the money, you can do better. The Powerbeats Pro are sleeker with better battery life than their predecessor Powerbeats model. But our biggest complaint about the Pro comes from their bulky profile. They tend to get in the way, and you can definitely feel them weighing on your ears after 20-30 minutes of use. That makes them distracting, and unsuitable for longer runs or workout sessions. Did we mention the giant clamshell charging case? Yeesh.
Apple AirPods Pro – $359.99 at Amazon.ca
We couldn’t do a roundup without Apple’s latest contribution to the true wireless format. The iconic AirPods now feature a revamped design, active noise canceling, and better integration with iOS. Which raises a major gripe we have with AirPods: The features are only 50% there when using Android. That combined with a stem design that easily catches and falls while moving, and we can’t fully recommend the AirPods Pro for movers and shakers.
Jaybird Vista – $239.99 at Amazon.ca
The Jaybird Vista are the next iteration of the dismal Jaybird Run XT earbuds, and are designed for runners. It’s a shame that these purpose-built true wireless earbuds don’t live up to the moniker. Jaybird has the right idea, but falls short in sound quality and Bluetooth signal strength, making them competitive with other earbuds in the price category, but still too expensive to warrant top marks.
Samsung Galaxy Buds – $199.99 at Amazon.ca
The Galaxy smartphone is one of the most popular on the planet, and the pressure to create award-winning accessories is high. But from active movers’ perspectives, the Galaxy Buds don’t quite justify their price tag. Samsung tackled the challenge of an all around true wireless earbud, but failed to address runners and gym goers head on. We look forward to Samsung producing a model made specifically for sports.