As a basketball player, it’s perfectly fine to seek the original brands whose reputation is leading this industry. NBA players wear basketball headphones and earbuds all the time during training time.
To ease the stress of the game, most players tend to listen to music because it’s relaxing and acts as a detox. The other parties left to find it very distracting and get annoyed after a long time of use. That depends on how you perceive it. I guess you’re the first party since right now, you are scrolling down to check out the list.
Believe me, basketball and music are the best siblings you can have, and a great motivation for unmotivated sports lovers.
Let’s cut to the chase and take a look at my favorite headphones for basketball.
| Image | Product | Features | Price |
|---|---|---|---|
Best Overall  | 8.6 | Check Latest Price | |
Best ANC  | 8.5 | Check Latest Price | |
Best Ergonomic  | 9.1 | Check Latest Price | |
Best Sweat & Water-Resistant  | 8.8 | Check Latest Price | |
Best Wireless Range  | 8.6 | Check Latest Price |
Top 6 Best Headphones & Earbuds for Basketball that Have our Vote
1. adidas Sport RPT-001- Best Battery Life
Not just a basketball, but if any type of sport is in question, Adidas Sport RPT-001 is the savior. One of the coolest and most sport-focused designs you could ever see until now. It looks nothing like other wireless headphones with its removable knitted ear cushions. Available in night gray, light gray, and coral that can be washed without a doubt for hygiene.
The ergonomic design can be swiveled at 360 degrees, so you won’t experience any discomfort that can affect the game. Throw the wireless headphones away, and give zero care because the softness of the fabric won’t let it break easily.
Also, for fast and better control, you can create shortcuts for easy use, and with a 5-way switch button, skip the song, control the volume, and pick or reject calls.
Adidas Sport RPT-001 wireless headphones are rated IPX4 water-resistant and sweat-resistant, which is something “crucial” to have. The rating could have been higher, but it still is in the midrange.
The sound quality is more bass-oriented. The highs and lows are sparkling but not with full volume. The audio spectrum is satisfyingly good with no sense of hiss or distortion.
The battery life in Adidas Sport RPT-001 lasts roughly 40 hours of playtime with superfast USB-C charging. Definitely one of my favorite on ear headphones you can get, and i can confidently call these the best headphones for basketball.
Main Features:
- Ear placement: Over Ear
- Connectivity technology: Wireless
- ANC: Sound Isolation
- Foldable: Yes 360 degrees
- Battery: 40 hours
- Sweat & Water Resistant: IPX4
Why Should You Buy It?
If you look for stylish sport-support wireless headphones that are super comfortable for your head, consider buying adidas Sport RPT-001. The cushions are washable and it’s so easy to command the settings. It offers excellent 40 hours of battery life. These are my favorite on ear headphones of all time.
2. Beats Studio 3- Best Overall
Describe your style in colors as such you have plenty of options like shadow gray, blue, matte black, red, and white.
Beats Studio 3 is mostly used by the world’s most successful NBA players like LeBron James, James Harden, Anthony Davis, Nikola Jokic, Trae Young, Jimmy Butler, and Karl-Anthony Towns according to GQ magazine.
Excellent durability, wear them all day long without falling. Beats Studio 3 wireless headphones are not sweat and water-resistant featured, but that can’t stop you from wearing them during training hours. If professionals wore it, sure thing they have something special.
The sound quality is very well-balanced and delivers punchy bass as you would expect from Apple Chip W1. It supports the spatial audio where the sound effects are manipulated and gives that nice natural sound production.
Turn the pure ANC on and block all the unnecessary voices around, so you can only focus on victory.
The battery life in the Beats Studio 3 is 22 hours of listening time. However, according to the manufacturer, battery life can go roughly 40 hours without Noise Cancelling or transparency. Definitely a great pair of over ear headphones.
Main Features:
- Ear placement: On-Ear
- Connectivity technology: Wireless, Wired
- Active Noise Cancellation: Yes
- Foldable: Yes
- Battery: 22 hours
- Sweat & Water Resistant: No
Why Should You Buy It?
The most famous NBA player’s choice is Beats for obvious reasons. You get 22 hours of listening time with the ANC feature and double this number if you want to use it only for music. Full comfort is provided, and it supports the Spatial Audio effect. You also get great sound quality.
3. JBL Live 650 BT NC- Best ANC
JBL Live 650 BT NC over ear headphones have a minimalist simple design with either black or white color options. The mesh coating earpads are large and thick to deliver comfort after long hours of use, but the durability is questionable. The PowerIQ and foldable plug keep the charger compact and allow it to charge two iPads at full speed.
JBL Live 650 BT NC has good treble precision, the vocals are balanced and bright as well as detailed. The heavy bass production will make you love even more electronic dance music, rock, and hip-hop. Overall, they have an excellent sound quality.
Sadly, the JBL Live 650BTNC isn’t water or sweat-resistant but is still preferable to Stephen Curry’s, Giannis Antetokounmpo’s, and Jayson Tatum’s due to the headphone’s amazing Noise Cancellation Technology.
Noise-Cancelling technology in JBL Live 650 BT NC manages to block the entire sounds in the room that can cause any inconvenience during training or break times.
The battery life on the other hand lasts up to 20 hours of performance. Quick charging mode gives extra 2 hours of playtime just in 15 minutes of charging. Overall, i think that these over ear headphones are a great buy for basketball players.
Main Features:
- Ear placement: Over Ear
- Connectivity technology: Wireless, Bluetooth
- ANC: Yes
- Foldable: Yes
- Battery: 20 hours
- Sweat & Water Resistant: No
Why Should You Buy It?
Extraordinary (ANC) noise cancellation feature that can block out the entirely disturbing background noises, and let’s you enjoy the great sound quality. The 20 hours of battery life and Dual-port 24W USB travel wall charger inclusion, you can charge 2 iPads at full speed.
4. Apple AirPods Pro- Best Ergonomic
These are probably one of the few true wireless earbuds that have everything you might need.
The next best on the list is none other than AirPods Pro. Apple’s latest released earbuds again come with the same old design and only white color. These in-ear earbuds provide the comfort you are looking for and offer three sizes of silicone tips to keep down the pressure.
Apple AirPods Pro basketball headphones have a really effective Noise-Cancelling feature followed by transparency mode. This will make good use of microphones because you can choose which earbud mic you prefer to designate for calls or auto settings. Let EQ automatically adapt music to your ears. You can block all ambient noise with its noise isolation feature.
Basketball rats will love it because the chances of falling are 0. Plus, this time sweat and water-resistence is more effective.
Apple AirPods Pro basketball headphones deliver clear and neutral tones in a great balance, and if you want more details activate the ANC to feel the rhythm and beats in detail. The midranges are the places where the AirPods shine through.
The battery life according to Apple lasts 5 hours with ANC and 3.5 hours of talk time. The charging case contains 24 hours of battery and supports fast charging.
When it comes to in ear headphones, these probably have the best sound quality, and this makes them a great pick for basketball players.
Main Features:
- Ear placement: In Ear
- Connectivity technology: Wireless
- Active Noise Cancellation (ANC): Yes
- Battery: 24 hours
- Sweat & Water Resistant: Yes
Why Should You Buy It?
If comfort stands above all for you, the AirPods Pro is your item. I’m sure you don’t doubt the build quality and durability of the earbuds. The battery life of 5 hours is decent for a training time and ANC is way better in comparison with previous generations. The sound quality shows its best performance in the midrange and shows heavy bass signs. AirPods Pro also can withstand sweat and water splashes that can be caused throughout practice time. Probably the best headphones for basketball.
5. JLab Epic Air Sport- Best Sweat & Water-Resistant
JLab Epic Air Sport basketball headphones with the ear-hook design shape fits perfectly any ear size to secure earbuds from falling. The comfort is not limited to that because the manufacturer offers 6 sets of eartips including gel tips from small to large sizes, the extra-long tips for a tighter seal, and the cloud foam to expand the fit in the ear.
Play basketball even on the rainy, snowy, or boiling hot days because JLab Epic Air Sport is rated IP66 resistance against sweat, water, and dirt.
These basketball headphones have a Wear Detect Sensor which means it’s designed with a sensor. When you take one of them off, the music will stop automatically, and it will play back in a second after you put it back.
JLab Epic Air Sport’s Dual Connect helps you use the earbuds independently without losing connection. With C3 Calling feature make clear phone calls and eliminate the surrounded noises during the conversations.
Another useful feature is having the “Movie Mode” where the lower latency drops the sound lag and the voices match perfectly on the screen with no delay.
JLab Epic Air Sport calls attention to the smart ANC (Active Noise Cancelling) with 3 customizable modes. One is ANC on or off and Be Aware mode which helps the environmental noises to pass through earbuds.
JLab Epic Air Sport claims a total of 70 hours of playtime. The amount of battery with ANC on is 15 hours and you get 55 hours totally in the charging case. I would recommend these to all basketball players out there.
Main Features:
- Ear placement: In Ear
- Connectivity technology: Wireless
- Active Noise Cancellation (ANC): Yes
- Battery: 5-Hour (55-Hour Case)
- Sweat & Water Resistant: IP66 Sweat, water and dust resistant
Why Should You Buy It?
IP66 sweat, water, and dust resistance make it possible to use in harsh weather conditions. It offers 3 noise control modes: ANC on or off and be aware mode. The excellent battery life will last 70 hours in total with the charging case. Definitely a great pick for basketball players.
6. Bose Sport Open Earbuds- Best Wireless Range
Bose Sport Open wireless headphones are shaped like a hook in the ear but don’t go inside the ear canal. As a difference from other earbuds, Bose Sport version doesn’t come with the charging case, rather it supplies you with a carrying exterior.
It is mainly designed to keep the athletes in mind, it withstands sweat and has weather-resistant features. Rated as IPX4 resistance, shows that Bose Sport earbuds could be higher in rate, but still provides the protectiveness you need during the practice hours.
Bose Sport Open Earbuds include the advanced mic system to make and receive phone calls as well as your virtual assistant Siri and Google are right next to you for hands-free use.
Bose Sport Open Earbuds contain 16mm drivers with more improved bass production, but the vocals and treble are more emphasized than the usual Bose earbuds.
Sadly, it doesn’t feature Active noise-canceling, so you have to stand the unnecessary background noises. The latest version Bluetooth 5.1 gives 30 feet wireless range as well, so you can leave the phone behind and enjoy the happy music hours.
Bose Sport Open Earbuds’ battery life lasts up to 8 hours in total and takes only 2 hours to charge itself. The magnetic charge that comes with it, doesn’t charge the earbuds, they are only protecting and making the earbuds easy to port. They will be your new team mate while playing basketball.
Main Features:
- Ear placement: Open-ear
- Connectivity technology: Wireless
- Active Noise Cancellation (ANC): No
- Battery: 8 hours
- Sweat & Water Resistant: Yes
Why Should You Buy It?
If you want a more secure fit and weatherproof feature, Bose Sport earbuds are your go-to thing. The great sound quality is accompanied by an advanced microphone to provide better sound clarity. Siri and Google Assistant are available for hands-free use.
Is it ok to Listen to Music While Playing Basketball?
It’s totally ok to listen to music during playtime. It is best if you play alone as in a teammate format, it may reduce overall performance. It is most likely to not be able to hear what the other person is trying to say. Besides, it can be distracting.
The features that make the best Headphones & Earbuds for Basketball playtime are:
- Durability
- water and sweat-resistant
- Long-lasting battery life
- ANC (optional)
- Built-in microphone for answering phone calls (optional)
Final Thoughts
As a buying guide, choosing earbuds or headphones during basketball practice hours can be really tricky. It really depends on what perspective you look at and what makes you feel more comfortable while wearing them.
If you look for resistance, JLab Epic Air Sport can be the best pick. If you want more versatile use, pick Apple AirPods Pro. In case you seek durability Adidas Sport RPT-001 is a hard nut to crack.
The most chosen headphone among the NBA players is Beats Studio 3 according to GQ magazine.
Happy hunting.
Further Reading
Here are some alternative headphones if you are more like an audiophile person, check out these Earbuds For Metal Music, and Low Impedance Headphones.
To prevent long-term ear damage, you can check out these Headphones For Ear Health. For heavy bass production, click Bass Headphones.
For hella smart fellas out there, we offer Headphones For Programmers, make sure to take a look at it.
Equipment Tester & Reviewer
I’m an unbiased audio equipment tester & reviewer, dedicated to keeping you up-to-date on the latest and greatest in audio gear.
