I hadn’t been to the gym in six months when I dragged myself through the doors a few months ago—which meant I hadn’t opened my gym bag in just as long. I assumed my gym headphones would be dead as a doornail, but when I flipped open the Soundcore Sport X10’s case, all three battery indicators lit up. When I put them in my ears, the robotic voice announced: Battery full! There I was, back in business and ready to be less sad on the treadmill. Though I’ve had my original pair of X10 headphones for four years, Soundcore recently updated the model with better bass and sound quality. The combination of comfort, secure fit, waterproof build, and $80 price tag makes these headphones an easy-to-recommend option that stacks up to pricier pairs. Below, my full review.

Incredible battery retention

If my six-month hiatus is any indicator, the battery life on these is on par (or better) with any other headphones I’ve tested. Soundcore’s parent company, Anker, also makes my favorite external battery pack, and while I don’t know if their team cross-innovates between verticals, excellent battery and reliable charging seem to be a theme. Soundcore says these headphones have eight hours of battery life on a single charge, and I never managed to let them die while wearing them. I also often go several weeks without remembering to pull the case out of my gym bag to charge, but it holds over 3.5 full charges, and I’ve never had it deplete. The case charges via USB-C and hits 100% in just two hours with whatever aftermarket cord I pull out of my junk drawer.

Courtesy of Maggie Slepian

Courtesy of Maggie Slepian

High-quality sound with solid noise cancelation

I’m not a total audiophile, but I do care about sound quality. I appreciate clear layers of music and audible bass, plus I need to hear the narrator of my audiobook to get super pumped up during my runs. The Sport X10’s 10-millimeter drivers have a balanced sound that doesn’t exaggerate certain frequencies, and I can make clear calls in the Sport X10 thanks to the six mics (which is on par with pricier earbuds). Plus, the Soundcore app has a “wind noise reduction” setting for better clarity. While I’m not a big fan of having apps for every product, it’s there if you want it, and it’s nice that you don’t need the app to use the headphones. They don’t have the most powerful ANC out of all the earbuds I’ve tested—Skull Candy’s $130 Method 360 ANC takes that prize—but it’s still enough to block out both ambient and sharp gym noise to a reasonable level.

Waterproof and sweat-proof, for real

The Soundcore X10 earbuds have an IPX7 rating, meaning they can be submerged in water. They also have Soundcore’s added SweatGuard—an additional sealed barrier to keep sweat from infiltrating the inner workings—for added protection. For contrast, the $249 Beats Powerbeats Pro 2 are IPX4-rated, which is still water-resistant but not at the same level. I have never felt the need to submerge these headphones in a bucket of water, but I’ve gotten caught in the rain and had particularly sweaty stair climber sessions and never felt worried or noticed any issues.