We think the Jabra Elite 8 Active Gen 2 are the best running headphones on the market. In fact, it’s the best set of in-ear buds you can buy for pretty much any type of exercise.
A big part of their appeal is the fantastic fit. Thanks to Jabra’s ShakeGrip technology, they stayed in place whether our writer was running 100m sprint intervals or a slow and steady 10km. This is even more impressive given the absence of stiff silicone wings, which we’ve found can cause a dull ache in the ear when worn for long periods.
Instead, the Jabra Elite 8 Active Gen 2 was so comfortable it would have been easy to forget you were wearing any earbuds at all, had it not been for the rich Dolby Audio-powered sound.
Dubbed “the world’s toughest earbuds”, they’re durable too. The brand says it has been “tested to meet US military standards’, with an IP68 rating meaning sand and dust is no issue, and they can survive submersion in water up to 1.5m.
Improved active noise cancellation (ANC) and hear-through settings, alongside the world’s first LE Audio smart case (which lets you plug into devices like smart treadmills for lag-free listening) round out these headphones’ impressive portfolio.
Price and release date
The Jabra Elite 8 Active Gen 2 was released in June 2024, with an MSRP of $229.99 / £229.99 / AUD $379. They were announced less than a year after the release of the Jabra Elite 8 Active, which was made available for $199.99 / £199.99 / AUD $329 in September 2023.
There are a few improvements to support this mark-up, including enhanced spatial sound, stronger ANC and the “world’s first LE Audio smart case”.
Set-up and design
Before testing these earbuds, our writer used the Jabra Elite 7 Active for all of their workout listening needs, and they loved them. But Jabra’s next generation feels more premium in every way.
The cheap-feeling plastic case is replaced by a sleeker, silicone-coated one with an IP54 rating to withstand dust and splashes of water. The buds have the same lightly textured silicone coating, which helps the earbuds sit securely in the air.
The buds are even more durable than their case too, with an IP68 rating meaning they’re protected from sand and dust, as well as submersion in water up to 1.5m. So, they’ll take beach workouts and rainy day runs in their stride.
As for the set-up, it couldn’t be simpler. Simply hold the subtle buttons built into either earbud and your phone will pair with it – we went from unboxing to listening in under a minute.
The only other thing to mention is the LE Audio smart case. This has a built-in chip which allows you to plug the case into a device via its charging cable (compatible with USB-C and a 3.5mm jack) then stream music straight to your earbuds from there.
This promises less lag than traditional Bluetooth listening, although sporting applications are limited (unless you plug it into the screen of one of the best treadmills, exercise bikes or rowing machines).
Controls
Jabra keeps the controls simple here, which we like. Rather than being touch-sensitive or having smart, voice-enabled controls, there is a subtle button built into the outside of either earbud. Click the left one to toggle between ANC and HearThrough, or to answer a phone call, and click the right one to pause or play your music.
You can also double tap the right earbud to skip a song, triple tap it to go back to the previous track, and hold it to turn up the volume (or hold the left bud to turn the music down).
The positioning of the buttons means they’re easy to press mid-run, but don’t get pressed accidentally – something we’ve found with touch-controlled rivals.
You can also play with settings like the HearThrough strength, music equalizer and music presets on the Jabra Sound+ app, if you’re an audiophile wanting to fine-tune your listening experience.
Fit
The Jabra Elite 8 Active are impressive across the board, but fit is where they really excel.
Unlike most in-ear sports headphones, there are no silicone wings which sit against your ear to keep the buds in place. Instead, they have an ergonomic fit which sits flush within the ear, and we found this works incredibly well.
Whatever speed we were running, the earbuds were comfortable and unmoving. Even during other dynamic, high-impact activities like burpees and box jumps, they didn’t budge.
Sound quality
Sports headphones tend to sacrifice some sound quality in favor of a secure fit and durable design – there’s no point having impeccable audio if your earbuds are going to break as soon as you start sweating,
But we found the Jabra Elite 8 Active earbuds still deliver a really enjoyable listening experience which surpasses the vast majority of other exercise earbuds.
This is largely down to the Gen 2’s enhanced spatial sound (similar to the concept of surround sound, providing an immersive or 3D listening experience) which is powered by Dolby Atmos.
We found our music sounded rich and natural, with everything from Seven Wonder by Fleetwood Mac to modern pop songs. Podcasts were clear and crisp too, if you prefer this or an audiobook on your long runs.
Jabra has also improved the ANC and HearThrough. The Jabra Elite 7 Active’s ANC was a bit hit and miss, allowing background sound to bleed in. And, while the updated settings still won’t offer the empty room-esque experience of some earbuds, we did find it was more effective than its forerunner. The HearThrough, too, did a better job of allowing traffic noise in particular to reach our ears. However, if you want true transparency, the best bone conduction headphones should still be your first port of call.
Verdict
The Jabra Elite 8 Active Gen 2 are the best set of sports true wireless in-ear running headphones we’ve tested.
The fit is flawlessly comfortable and the earbuds refuse to move during sprints, intervals, long runs and all other gym-based activities we wore them for. The button controls are simple and effective, pairing never took more than a couple of seconds, and the improved sound quality delivered a truly enjoyable listening experience across all genres, as well as podcasts and audiobooks.
Finally, the Jabra Elite 8 Active Gen 2’s retain the robustness that made their predecessors “the world’s toughest earbuds”, with an IP68 rating meaning we never had to worry about dust, sand, grit, rain or splashes.
That’s why, whatever workout we’re doing, these are the earbuds you’ll find us wearing.
Alternatives
Shokz is the best-known name in the bone conduction headphone game and the Shokz Open Run is some of the best they’ve made. These headphones allow you to listen to music on the go without blocking your ears, instead, placing speakers on the bones at the top of your jaw and sending sound to your ears via vibrations. This is useful if you run in busy areas and want to be aware of your surroundings, or you’re a regular racer wanting to listen to music while still enjoying the input of the race day crowds.
We realize that $200+ is a lot to spend on a set of headphones. That’s why we wanted to include the Mifo O5 Plus Gen 2 Earbuds as an alternative — you can pick up a pair for less than $100. The sound quality is solid, they’re comfortable to wear, and we were big fans of the metallic design. They offer brilliant battery life too, offering more than 100 hours of listening when you take top-ups from the charging case into account.