Review · Earhook earbuds ANC
Beats Powerbeats Pro 2
MKBHD and Tom's Guide both make the Powerbeats Pro 2 the best workout earbuds: the earhooks keep them secure, there's a built-in heart-rate sensor, and the battery is big. They work on iPhone and on Android through the Beats app. The catch is a large case that's more gym bag than jeans pocket.
Our take
The short version
If regular earbuds fall out of your ears on runs, earhooks fix that, and the Powerbeats Pro 2 (Feb 2025) are the earhook earbuds to get. MKBHD and Tom's Guide both highlight the secure fit, the heart-rate sensor, and the big battery, and both treat these as the best workout earbuds you can buy.
Beats pairs Apple's H2 chip with ANC, heart-rate monitoring, and a Qi wireless charging case. Battery is rated at 10 hours per charge (8 with ANC) and 45 hours total (36 with ANC). With the Beats app for Android, they're a reasonable pick on either platform, which is why we don't tie them to one phone.
Two caveats. The case is large, so it belongs in a gym bag more than a pocket. And the rating is IPX4, below the IP57 on AirPods Pro 3, which also have heart-rate sensing; the Powerbeats win on fit security, not on the durability rating. List is $249.99, and they were around $179.95 on Amazon in early October 2026, roughly the same as AirPods Pro 3 (~$179).
Pros and cons
What we like
- Earhooks keep them locked in during workouts
- Built-in heart-rate monitoring
- 10 h per charge (8 h with ANC); 45 h total
- H2 chip, plus a Beats app for Android
- Qi wireless charging case
Trade-offs
- The case is large
- IPX4, below the IP57 on AirPods Pro 3
- Earhooks are more than you need for desk and commute use
Who it's for
Buy it if…
- Runners and gym-goers whose earbuds keep falling out
- Athletes who want heart-rate data from their earbuds
- Households split between iPhone and Android
Skip it if…
- iPhone owners who don't need earhooks: AirPods Pro 3 cost about the same and are IP57
- Budget buyers: the Soundcore Liberty 5 is IP55 and costs less
- Galaxy owners: the Buds4 Pro get Samsung-only features
Spec sheet
Powerbeats Pro 2 specs
| Battery | 10 h (8 h with ANC); 45 h total (36 h with ANC) |
|---|---|
| Noise cancelling | Yes (H2 chip) |
| Weight | 8.7 g per bud |
| Drivers | Not specified |
| Codecs | Not specified |
| Bluetooth | Not specified |
| Multipoint | Not specified |
| Water resistance | IPX4 |
| Wired / USB-C audio | No (true wireless) |
| Microphones | Not specified |
| App / EQ | Beats app for Android |
| Also notable | Earhooks; heart-rate monitoring; Qi wireless charging case |
From the manufacturer sources listed below. “Not specified” means those sources don't state it.
Watch
Powerbeats Pro 2 on video
Video by Marques Brownlee on YouTube. Their views are their own.
Cross-shop
Alternatives to consider
Apple AirPods Pro 3
- Earbuds ANC
- ~$179
- Sep 2025
- iPhone
The default earbuds for iPhone owners, with ANC SoundGuys ranks among the best of any earbud.
Pros
- Pro: SoundGuys' best earbuds for iPhone
- Pro: ANC that SoundGuys measured among the best of any earbud
- Pro: Heart-rate sensing plus Hearing Test, Hearing Aid, and Hearing Protection
Trade-offs
- Trade-off: No user EQ
- Trade-off: Built around the iPhone; MacRumors steers Android owners to the Sony
- Travel
- 5 out of 5
- Value
- 5 out of 5
- Calls
- 4 out of 5
Editorial fit scores, 1–5, from published reviews and specs — not lab measurements.
Check priceAffiliate link to Amazon. Price approx., seen Oct 2026.
Read the review: Apple AirPods Pro 3Soundcore Liberty 5
- Earbuds ANC (budget)
- ~$79.99
- 2025
- Any phone
Feature-packed budget earbuds with strong ANC for the money; plan to tame the bass with EQ.
Pros
- Pro: Strong ANC for the money, per reviewers
- Pro: LDAC, multipoint, and Bluetooth 5.4
- Pro: IP55 and a light 4.6 g per bud
Trade-offs
- Trade-off: Bass-heavy tuning needs EQ
- Trade-off: Fiddly stem controls
- Value
- 5 out of 5
- Travel
- 4 out of 5
- Workouts
- 4 out of 5
Editorial fit scores, 1–5, from published reviews and specs — not lab measurements.
Check priceAffiliate link to Amazon. Price approx., seen Oct 2026.
Read the review: Soundcore Liberty 5Samsung Galaxy Buds4 Pro
- Earbuds ANC
- ~$244.50
- Mar 2026
- Samsung Galaxy
The earbuds Galaxy owners should buy, and the ones everyone else should skip.
Pros
- Pro: Top choice for Galaxy owners, per reviewers and SoundGuys
- Pro: 24-bit/96 kHz Samsung Seamless Codec on Galaxy devices
- Pro: IP57 and a light 5.1 g per bud
Trade-offs
- Trade-off: ANC is weaker than Sony and Bose on voices
- Trade-off: Average battery: 6 h with ANC
- Travel
- 4 out of 5
- Calls
- 4 out of 5
- Workouts
- 4 out of 5
Editorial fit scores, 1–5, from published reviews and specs — not lab measurements.
Check priceAffiliate link to Amazon. Price approx., seen Oct 2026.
Read the review: Samsung Galaxy Buds4 Pro
Related guides and comparisons
Sources
Manufacturer specs
- Beats Powerbeats Pro 2 product page (opens in a new tab) — Battery, IP rating, weight, H2 chip, heart-rate monitoring, case, and Android app
Review consensus
- MKBHD — Powerbeats Pro 2 review: secure fit, heart-rate sensor, battery, large case
- Tom's Guide — Powerbeats Pro 2 review: secure fit, heart-rate sensor, battery, large case
Published reviews and manufacturer specs, researched October 5, 2026. We didn't test these headphones ourselves; judgments credited to an outlet are that outlet's.
Disclosure: Our picks are independent and editorial — a synthesis of published reviews and manufacturer specs, not our own lab measurements. Prices are approximate Amazon prices seen October 5, 2026, not live quotes. As an Amazon Associate we earn from qualifying purchases made through links on this page, at no extra cost to you.