Everything you need to know about earbuds to use while motorcycling and the best options available on the market now.
| Name | Form Factor | Connectivity | Battery Life | Price |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Soundcore Space A40 Best Overall | True Wireless earbuds | Wireless (Bluetooth 5.2) | 50 hours | BUY |
| Jabra Elite 7 Active Strong Runner-Up | True Wireless earbuds | Wireless (Bluetooth 5.2) | 30 hours | BUY |
| MEE M6 Earbuds Budget Pick #1 | In-ear | Wired | N/A | BUY |
| Maxrock Earbuds Budget Pick #2 | In-ear | Wired | N/A | BUY |
| JZAQ Motorcycle Helmet Bluetooth Headset Most Comfortable | Helmet speakers | Wireless (Bluetooth 5.0) | 60 hours | BUY |
| Shure SE215 PRO Wired Earbuds Best Wired Earbuds | In-ear | Wired | N/A | BUY |
| Plugfones Liberate 2.0 Best in Noise Reduction | In-ear | Wireless (Bluetooth 5.0) | 12 hours | BUY |
| Elgin Ruckus Discord Earbuds Most Durable | In-ear | Wireless (Bluetooth 5.0) | 14 hours | BUY |
| Sena 50S Bluetooth Headset Best for Communication | Helmet speakers | Wireless (Bluetooth 5.0) | 12 hours | BUY |
| Shure AONIC 215 Best Sound Quality | In-ear | Wired | N/A | BUY |
How to Choose the Best Motorcycle Earbuds
If you frequently ride motorcycles, you may be looking for a complimentary accessory like earbuds that’ll allow you to communicate and stay entertained while you’re on the road. A bonus is if they can also provide a bit of hearing protection from your engine’s volume.
Unfortunately, choosing motorcycle earbuds isn’t as straightforward as it might sound. Aside from the factors mentioned above, it’s also important to consider comfort, durability, battery life, and controls to ensure you end up with a pair that meets all your motorcycling needs. As such, narrowing down your options can be challenging.
With this in mind, we’ve created a list of buying factors for motorcycle earbuds to help you figure out what you want out of your biking earbuds. After all, knowing what’s important to you will help rule out the options that aren’t right.
So, what are the factors you should consider when buying motorcycle earbuds?
What form factor should you go for?
Three types of earbuds work well for motorcycle riders: wired, wireless, and helmet speakers. Here are the relevant differences:
- Wired: Wired earbuds are significantly cheaper than the other options and have no battery that might need recharging. However, the wire can get tangled or caught on your clothing or helmet. You might also yank them from your device if you make sudden movements.
- Wireless: Wireless earbuds are much more convenient than their wired counterparts. With no cable to worry about, you won’t be fiddling with your headphones in the middle of your ride or accidentally disconnecting them by adjusting your visor. However, they are more expensive and need regular charging.
- Helmet speakers: It may seem like there’s little functional difference between built-in wireless helmet speakers and wireless earbuds. However, Bluetooth helmets are becoming increasingly popular with motorcyclists who like to ride in groups. They usually come with an intercom system you can use to communicate with friends and share directions with your team.
Are they durable enough for the road?
For motorcycle earbuds, durability is undoubtedly one of the most critical factors. Your earbuds will have to stand up to the weather conditions, the wind, rough handling, and possible accidents.
So, what makes earbuds durable?
- IP rating: Motorcycle earbuds need to be resistant to water. If rain or sweat can get into your earbuds, they won’t last long. Motorcycle earbuds should have an IP rating of at least IPX4 to ensure protection against water splashes from any direction.
- Materials: You’ll need earbuds made to withstand vibrations and rough handling. That means you’ll be looking for solid materials, such as PC-ABS plastic casing and Kevlar-reinforced wiring.
- Warranty: Even the most durable earbuds aren’t immune to accidents, and a good warranty will save you from having to pay full price for replacements. Additionally, an extended warranty means the company is confident the earbuds will hold up long-term.
How long will the battery last?
With a shorter battery life, you risk running out of charge halfway through a long ride or road trip. Additionally, recharging your wireless earbuds every time you go on a ride is inconvenient, so they’ll need to have decent battery life.
On average, some earbuds provide about 12-14 hours of playback on a single charge. But there are more heavy-duty ones, like the Soundcore Space A40 and JZAQ Motorcycle Helmet Bluetooth Headset, that deliver 50 and 60 hours, respectively.
You’ll also want to consider earbuds with a fast-charge function, so if you forget to charge them beforehand, you won’t have to wait hours or leave them behind.
Do they have hands-free controls?
Hands-free controls aren’t entirely necessary, but they’re a helpful feature to have while biking.
Fortunately, some wireless earbuds come with voice assistant integration that lets you use voice commands for media playback, calls, and messaging. This eliminates the need to reach for your phone or into your helmet to press buttons, making communication while biking convenient and potentially safer.
How comfortable do they feel?
Since you’ll be wearing motorcycle earbuds under your helmet, possibly for prolonged periods, comfort is crucial. Remember that even a slight discomfort can become unbearable and distracting after a while and could affect your focus.
As such, it’s important to consider the following when looking into comfortable earbuds:
- Weight: Heavy earbuds will drag on your ears, leaving them feeling tired or sore after a while. Additionally, lighter earbuds are usually smaller, and bulky earbuds won’t fit well under your helmet.
- Ear Tips: Having different-sized ear tips available is essential to achieving a better fit. Ear tips that are too big won’t fit comfortably in your ears; however, if they’re too small, the earbuds can fall out when you move.
How well can you communicate with them?
While most audio quality features are entirely optional for motorcycle earbuds, some matter when it comes to riding in groups using wireless earbuds or helmet speakers.
Naturally, having a mic is essential. It’s also an added bonus if it comes with some type of mesh covering that reduces wind noise, as seen in the Jabra Elite 7 Active earbuds.
Secondly, the earbuds’ volume should be high enough. If you’re communicating with other riders through a Bluetooth system, your earbuds need to cut through the noise of the road to ensure that you can hear their instructions clearly.
Thirdly, the clarity of the sound matters too. If your earbuds are always full of static and audio feedback, you won’t easily understand what your teammates say.
These requirements mean that your chosen earbuds should have good-quality headphone drivers if you want to use a Bluetooth intercom system.
Should motorcycle earbuds have noise reduction?
Noise reduction or noise cancellation is good to have in motorcycle earbuds, but it should be used with care.
Bikes can reach up to volumes of 115dB, which can get in the way of your music and navigation instructions. Noise cancellation helps with this by reducing noise, making it easier to hear the sound you’re playing.
However, noise cancellation can also muffle the sounds of traffic around you, so it can be dangerous. Although most riders rely on their sight far more than their hearing, keeping the volume and noise cancellation low on your earbuds is safer when riding.
Most of the earbuds on this list come with active or passive noise cancellation, so the type of noise cancellation you want (or are allowed to use) is worth considering.
Here are the differences:
- Passive noise isolation: Passive noise cancellation involves the use of physical barriers to block unwanted noise in your surroundings.
To ensure you’re getting the right level of protection, you should check the NRR rating to ensure it complies with OSHA regulations for sound safety.
- Active noise cancellation: Active noise cancellation (ANC) is when your headphones play a sound that cancels out the noises of your surroundings. They do this by listening to ambient noise in the background and playing the opposite sound waves to cancel them out.
10 Best Motorcycle Earbuds in 2023
Soundcore Space A40
Key features
- Form factor: Wireless earbuds
- IP rating: IPX4
- Warranty: 18 months
- Battery life: 50 hours with case
- Weight: 4.9 grams
- Sound Quality: 10mm dynamic drivers, LDAC mode, Hi-Res audio support, and AI-enhanced calls
- Noise reduction: Up to 98% by Adaptive ANC
- Mic: Yes
The Soundcore Space A40s are our top pick for motorcycle earbuds because of their adaptive noise cancellation, excellent sound quality, and long battery life. They are quality earbuds, adaptable enough for anyone to enjoy under any riding conditions.
With their high-end noise cancellation technology, these earbuds make it easy to switch between manual and adaptive noise cancellation modes and a transparency mode for increased awareness of your surroundings. And this lets you control every aspect of the noise reduction, meaning that you can change it depending on the weather and traffic conditions.
These earbuds have an in-ear battery life of up to ten hours, with a further 50 hours of charge held in their charging case. They are also exceptionally fast charging, gaining four hours of listening time after only ten minutes in the case! However, we noticed that the battery life varies depending on your chosen noise-canceling mode.
You should find the Space A40s comfortable under a helmet as very lightweight and relatively low-profile earbuds. Additionally, they come with five different sizes of silicone ear tips for you to find the perfect fit.
Unfortunately, these earbuds don’t come with stability fins, so if you aren’t careful, you risk them popping out of your ears while riding.
Jabra Elite 7 Active
Key features
- Form factor: Wireless earbuds
- IP rating: IP57
- Warranty: 2-year warranty
- Battery life: 30 hours with case
- Weight: 5.5 grams
- Sound Quality: 6mm custom drivers with customizable sound
- Noise reduction: Jabra Advanced ANC™ and SAATI Acoustex mesh for wind noise reduction
- Mic: Yes
Despite their lower battery life and heavier build, the Jabra Elite 7 Actives are a great pair of motorcycle earbuds. They have excellent sound quality and adjustable noise reduction, making them our strong runner-up pick.
While we found their active noise cancellation serviceable– if not the best on the market– their HearThrough transparency technology and one-earbud mode make them a great choice for the more safety-focused rider. You can also set the noise cancellation to block lower or higher sound frequencies. And this means you can specifically target your engine.
The earbuds are also highly customizable through the Jabra Sound+ app. So you can change almost everything about them, from the controls to the equalization to the voice assistant.
There are only three different sizes of ear tips to choose from with these earbuds. Despite that, the ShakeGrip technology designed to keep the earbuds in place during intense workouts ensures a secure fit. These are Jabra’s most compact designs, so they’ll be comfortable under your helmet.
To ensure a secure fit, the ear tips exert pressure inside the ear canals. However, some users, particularly those with smaller ears, may find this pressure to be too tight and uncomfortable.
MEE M6 Earbuds
Key features
- Form factor: Wired in-ear
- IP rating: IPX5
- Warranty: 1-year warranty
- Battery life: N/A
- Weight: Not indicated
- Sound Quality: 10mm dynamic drivers with ultra-thin diaphragms
- Noise reduction: Passive noise reduction
- Mic: Yes
The MEE M6 Earbuds lack some of the high-tech features of the earbuds higher on this list, but they’re still a solid pair. They cover all the necessities for motorcycle earbuds while staying within a budget price range.
Their over-ear, adjustable memory wire ear hooks will conform to the shape of your ear. And this ensures a comfortable and secure fit that won’t interfere with your helmet. They also come with Comply™ memory foam ear tips and six pairs of different-sized silicone ear tips, so you’re sure to find them comfortable.
Although they don’t have active noise cancellation, these earbuds still deliver good-quality sound with enhanced bass. Their passive noise reduction isn’t bad either, so we found that the lack of active noise cancellation doesn’t make much of a difference to your listening experience.
Even though these are wired earbuds, they still have a carrying case to keep them safe and untangled in your bag. For further cable management, they also have a shirt clip you can use while riding to keep the wires under control.
Maxrock Earbuds
Key features
- Form factor: Wired in-ear
- IP rating: Not indicated
- Warranty: 1-year warranty
- Battery life: N/A
- Weight: 1.4 grams
- Sound Quality: 5mm drivers
- Noise reduction: Passive noise reduction
- Mic: Yes
The Maxrock Earbuds are an excellent choice for budget motorcycle earbuds. They’re cheap, super lightweight, and have decent sound quality, especially for their low price point.
In addition, the earbuds come with two sets of flanged silicone ear tips for you to choose from. Their double-layer design means they plug deep into your ear, making them hard to shake loose.
As the earbuds are so small and lightweight, we found them comfortable and easy to wear for long periods. Their ear tips are squishy silicone that conforms nicely to the ear under a helmet.
While the Maxrock Earbuds aren’t something to write home about, they’re still a great pair of motorcycle earbuds for a low price. They even have a wireless option with a similarly low price point if you find the wire management frustrating.
JZAQ Motorcycle Helmet Bluetooth Headset
Key features
- Form factor: Helmet speakers
- IP rating: IPX7
- Warranty: Not indicated
- Battery life: 60 hours
- Weight: 130 grams
- Sound Quality: High-quality stereo audio
- Noise reduction: Passive noise reduction with windproof foam pads
- Mic: Yes
As helmet speakers don’t need to go inside your ear canals, they’re understandably the most comfortable option on this list. However, the JZAQ Motorcycle Helmet Bluetooth Headset has several features that put these speakers above the rest. These include their long battery life, high level of waterproofing, and convenient setup.
The headset features velcro attachments that let you stick the speakers inside your helmet. So this means you can experiment with the positioning and adjust the location of the speakers to find the best sound quality for you.
Of course, the positioning of the speakers will affect the sound quality you experience, which varies from person to person. However, once you’ve found your ideal speaker position, the quality and volume of sound they can produce are high.
Unlike other earbuds on this list, Helmet speakers have little use outside motorcycle riding. But, since the headset comes with two extra pairs of velcro stickers, you can use them with any other two helmets – no additional purchase is required.
An additional feature that is useful outside of riding is a multi-point Bluetooth connection. This feature lets you connect to two different devices simultaneously. And that means you can switch between devices when making calls or playing audio.
This headset also has an incredibly long battery life of 60 hours, with 500 hours of standby charge. Additionally, it only takes two hours to charge!
Shure SE215 PRO Wired Earbuds
Key features
- Form factor: Wired in-ear
- IP rating: IPX4
- Warranty: 2-year warranty
- Battery life: N/A
- Weight: 30 grams
- Sound Quality: Dynamic, high-definition drivers
- Noise reduction: Passive noise reduction up to 37dB
- Mic: No
The Shure SE215 Wired Earbuds are our top pick for wired motorcycle earbuds. They have high passive noise reduction, excellent sound quality, and reinforced cables for extra durability.
Their flattened, low-profile design makes them perfect to fit under a helmet. Additionally, the three pairs of Soft Flex and foam ear tips that come with the earbuds ensure a comfortable and secure fit. They also have a wire-form fit to ensure that the wires stay away from your ears and helmet.
One of the main annoyances with wired motorcycle earbuds is their tendency to come unplugged. To combat this, the SE215s have a lock-snap mechanism that allows for 360° rotation of their plug. With this, you won’t have to worry about accidentally unplugging these earbuds.
In addition, if you need an upgrade in the future, these earbuds have you covered. You can purchase a wireless adapter to attach in place of the cable, which will turn your earbuds wireless!
Plugfones Liberate 2.0
Key features
- Form factor: Wireless in-ear
- IP rating: Sweat and moisture-resistant (no IP rating indicated)
- Warranty: 90-day warranty
- Battery life: 12 hours
- Weight: 16 grams
- Sound Quality: HiFi Tuned Speakers
- Noise reduction: Passive noise reduction up to 29 dB (foam ear tips) and 27 dB (silicone ear tips)
- Mic: Yes
The Plugfones Liberate 2.0 are top-of-the-line regarding noise cancellation. In fact, they’re so good at it that they can double as OSHA-compliant workplace hearing protection.
These earbuds utilize passive noise reduction through their flanged ear tips instead of hi-tech ANC. However, they’re so effective at reducing wind and engine noise that they’re still our top pick.
The Plugfones Liberate 2.0 are ANSI certified, meaning they’ve passed the American National Standard for consumer and workplace-related goods. An ANSI certification means that the earbuds underwent testing in various situations, so you can be sure they will hold up as advertised.
Additionally, there are four different foam and silicone ear tips to choose from, so you can ensure you’ve got a perfect seal in your ears.
We found that these earbuds have good sound quality for their price, though it’s nothing exceptional. However, the IsoTalk™ noise-isolating mic that can reduce the background noise in your calls makes for excellent call quality.
The earbuds feature Quickdraw™ Easy Access in-line controls with rubberized buttons for extra durability, meaning they won’t be worn down by constant use. The removable Comfort Flex collar also protects the cable from general wear and tear.
Elgin Ruckus Discord Earbuds
Key features
- Form factor: Wireless
- IP rating: IP65
- Warranty: 1-year warranty
- Battery life: 14 hours
- Weight: 20 grams
- Sound Quality: 8mm custom-tuned drivers
- Noise reduction: Passive Noise Reduction up to 25 dB
- Mic: Yes
The Elgin Ruckus Discord Earbuds are a highly durable pair of earbuds with a rugged build featuring a Kevlar-reinforced cable, neckband, and carrying case. Kevlar is a reinforced polymer with ten times the tensile strength of steel, so you won’t be able to break these earbuds with rough handling, which is helpful for motorcyclists.
Their IP65 rating means that these earbuds are dust- and water-resistant, so you shouldn’t face any issues on the road. Also, with their OSHA-compliant and ANSI-certified NRR rating, you can be confident that you’ll be protected from dangerous road noise levels.
We found that the noise-canceling mic allows for clearer communication. The medical-grade silicone ear tips were comfortable and helped block out the ambient noise. While nothing special, the sound was perfectly serviceable.
In addition, the battery life on these earbuds is exceptionally long, at 14 hours of continuous playback. They are comfortable and low-profile enough for you to maximize these hours without discomfort. The two provided collar clips also help keep the wire out of the way of your helmet.
Sena 50S Bluetooth Headset
Key features
- Form factor: Helmet Speakers
- IP rating: Water-resistant (No IP rating indicated)
- Warranty: 3-year warranty
- Battery life: 12 hours
- Weight: 64 grams
- Sound Quality: 7.2mm Premium HD Speakers, SOUND BY Harman Kardon
- Noise reduction: Advanced Noise Control™
- Mic: Yes
With its Mesh Intercom™ Technology, the Sena 50S Bluetooth Headset is our top pick for communication when it comes to motorcycle earbuds.
This headset has three intercom modes, allowing you to choose one most suited to your situation. For example, if you’re with many other riders, you can set the headset to Open Mesh mode. Doing this lets you connect with an unlimited number of riders.
Alternatively, you can choose the Group Mesh setting in a smaller group, which gives you a private connection with up to 24 riders. Finally, when riding with a smaller group of friends, you can use the Bluetooth Intercom mode to limit your connection to only four people.
Since this headset attaches to the outside of your helmet, you can use the antenna for better intercom stability. With it, you get a range of 2-8 km, boosting the already solid Mesh Intercom™. This makes it easy for motorcyclists to stay in touch over long stretches of road.
We found the Sena 50S headset easy to control via voice commands through your device’s voice assistant. It uses a simple one-click-to-connect system for the intercom. Any glitches will be taken care of by the automatic firmware updates from the included WiFi adapter.
In addition, a glove-friendly jog dial is built into the headset if you want more manual controls.
Shure AONIC 215
Key features
- Form factor: In-ear wired
- IP rating: Not indicated
- Warranty: 2-year warranty
- Battery life: N/A
- Weight: 30 grams
- Sound Quality: Single Dynamic MicroDrivers
- Noise reduction: Passive noise reduction up to 37dB
- Mic: Yes
If you’re looking for high-quality sound, then the Shure AONIC 215s have you covered. With an NRR rating of up to 37dB, they can block out most ambient sound to ensure you only hear your music.
We found that these earbuds deliver clear and high-def sound, with a full range and extended bass. Also, the integrated remote and mic make it easy to control your music playback with buttons and voice commands. You can even use these controls to manage calls.
The earbuds are light and low-profile enough to fit comfortably under a helmet. And their over-ear wire-form fit also keeps the wires safely out of the way. The six pairs of foam and silicone ear tips will also ensure a secure fit.
There are a few newer models of AONIC earbuds– like the AONIC 215 Gen 2s or the AONIC 3s– but in our opinion, they’re not worth the extra cost for motorcycle riding. Though we found that they block the wind noise more effectively, there isn’t much of a functional difference, and the price is much higher.
I bought a pair of A40’s based on the recommendation. The battery doesn’t last more than 40 minutes under my Schuberth C3 Pro – one of the quietest helmets available anywhere – so kiss any claims by Soundcore of long battery life goodbye
Now I’m fighting with the supplier who is obfuscsating more than a politician about refunding me and taking this product back