Beats Powerbeats Pro

The Powerbeats Pro still nail workout security with their ear hooks and sweat resistance. But comfort is dead last in our database, battery life is weak, and $148 USD for a renewed pair is hard to justify. Only worth it if you're a gym rat who keeps losing normal earbuds.

The sound is solidly middle of the pack, nothing that'll make you weep into your gym towel but perfectly fine for podcasts and playlists. Connectivity is about average, which means the occasional drop or pairing hiccup. The mic is mediocre, so don't plan work calls from a windy sidewalk. Battery life is the real letdown at 9 hours per bud and 24 in the case, well below what newer rivals offer. And the 454g weight is not a typo, that's the full package heft, but it still feels chunky for true wireless gear.

Stacked against the Sony WF-1000XM6 or Technics EAH-AZ100, the Powerbeats Pro lose on sound, battery, and comfort by a wide margin. The Samsung Galaxy Buds3 Pro and Apple AirPods Pro 3rd Generation both beat them on mic quality and everyday wearability. Where the Powerbeats still win is workout security, those ear hooks are unmatched for running and lifting. The JLab JBuds Pods ANC undercut them on price while offering active noise cancelling, something the Powerbeats Pro lack entirely.

At $148 USD for a renewed unit, this is a tough sell. You're paying mid-range money for earbuds that rank in the bottom fifth for affordability and user sentiment. The charging case adds 24 hours, but competitors at similar prices now offer better sound, better mics, and way better comfort. If you find these under $100 USD, maybe. At this price, you're mostly paying for the ear-hook design and the Beats logo.

The Powerbeats Pro are the old reliable gym buddy that refuses to retire. They hang onto your ears with those adjustable hooks, shrug off sweat, and keep the music going for up to 9 hours on a single charge. That part still works great in 2025, especially if you're tired of earbuds that pop out mid-burpee.

But our database is not feeling generous here. Comfort lands dead last among comparable earbuds, battery life sits near the bottom, and user sentiment is rough. The renewed Ivory version at $148 USD feels like a gamble, not a steal.

Skip these if comfort matters to you at all. The comfort score is the worst we've seen in this category, so anyone with smaller ears or sensitivity to pressure should look elsewhere. Also skip if you need good call quality or active noise cancelling for commutes, the mic and ANC performance are both weak spots.

Buy these if you need earbuds that absolutely will not fall out during intense training and you don't care about noise cancelling or call quality. The ear-hook design is still the best reason to pick Powerbeats Pro over anything else. Everyone else should look at newer options that cost the same or less and feel much better in the ear.