I've spent the year testing headphones - my favourite Beats pair are under £100 for Cyber Monday

If you exercise regularly, commute to work, or enjoy listening to music and podcasts around the house, then you'll know the importance of comfortable, noise-cancelling headphones. Having had a pair of AirPods for the last seven years, I certainly do.

Recently, however, I made a change after my latest pair had seen better days, and I switched to the Beats Powerbeats Fit, in this stunning pink colourway, for a break from the classic white and black.

I've been wearing these for the past month while running outside, in the gym, commuting to work on the London Underground, and taking care of chores around the house. Here's why I'd recommend them as a pair of the best exercise headphones, and especially so if you can score a deal in the ongoing Black Friday sales...

Save £100

Beats Fit Pro: was £199 now £99 at Argos

The Powerbeats Fit are the newest update to the Beats Fit collection. The previous model, the Beats Fit Pro (in this deal), have similar sound quality and noise cancellation, and are under £100 in the Cyber Weekend sale right now.

The main difference between the two is the wingtips, which are more flexible and comfortable for longer wear in the upgraded version. They are a little more durable, too. In my opinion, that's not worth the £100 price difference, so I'd opt for this older model this week. Normally, they are the same price.

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Save £20

Apple AirPods 4 Wireless Earbuds: was £119 now £99 at Amazon

For those determined to stick to what they know, you can buy the classic AirPods 4 for the same price in the Cyber Monday sale. However, they do not have the noise-cancelling mode that the Beats Powerbeats Fit or the AirPods Pro do.

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Beats Powerbeats Fit review

Specifications

• Size: 1.08 x 2.46 x 2.18 inches (earbud)
• Weight: 5.78g per bud
• Battery life: Up to 30 hours with the charging case
• Playback: 7 hours per earbud when fully charged
• Connectivity: Bluetooth
• Durability rating: IPX4
• Colour options: Black, grey, pink, orange

I wore the Beats Powerbeats Fit for a month

Setting up

Setting up the Beats Powerbeats Fit was easy. They're ready to go in the box with a few hours of charge already loaded up. The only thing you need to do is fit the right size eartips for you. There are several in the pack to choose from. To do this, you'll need to pick a comfortable set, go into the headphones in your Bluetooth menu. Tap on the 'Ear Fit Test' and follow the instructions.

While a little more faff than some other headphones, I really appreciated this feature once I got it right. It meant that the tips fit perfectly in my ears, making them comfortable to wear for a few hours at a time.

From the same menu, you can choose from three listening modes: Off, Transparency (which actively lets in sound around you so you can hear your surroundings), and Noise Cancellation, which all offer something different.

Workouts

In the past month, I've done over 20 workouts with the Beats Powerbeats Fit, alongside my favourite fitness tracker: five runs, 10 strength training sessions, two Pilates classes, and one dedicated walk. With the unique design of the wingtips, which sit snugly in the bottom of your ear, they stay in place through pretty much anything. This should be expected for workout headphones, but it's not always a given.

While these headphones thrive when I'm strolling on my walking pad and strength workouts, they really come into their own in high-intensity sessions, like running outdoors and treadmill workouts. The IPX4 durability rating means they can handle pretty much anything - aside from a dip in the pool. I've worn them in the pouring rain and while sweating it out on cardio machines.

I tend to use the Transparency or Off modes when I'm outside, as I find the Noise Cancellation a little too protective for the outdoors. The noise cancelling is ideal for shutting out others' grunts and gym playlists inside that used to permeate through my headphones before I switched to Airpods and Beats headphones a few years ago. They stay in place and clean up easily with a wipe after use, too.

Commuting

If you want to test the noise cancellation of any headphones, go for a ride on the Northern Line of the London Underground. With its screeching rails, it's a true challenge. These headphones didn't quite meet that challenge, unfortunately.

While the noise cancellation is ideal for the gym and tuning out background noise, and they dealt with quieter underground lines well, they struggled to block out the piercing, louder sounds. For this, I'd recommend a pair like the Sony WH-1000XM5 (now 34% off) or the WH-1000XM4 (22% off), which are fully noise-cancelling, in part due to their over-ear design.

Around the house and working

The selection of eartips makes these headphones so comfortable to wear for long periods. I'm talking five hours or more. While I normally opt for an open-ear design, like the Shokz OpenFit 2, the Beats Powerbeats Fit are a versatile option that's just as good. In Transparency Mode, I can hear the doorbell at home, or if I've put them in to get my head down at work, I can still hear a colleague when they speak to me.

Much like other pairs, you can answer the phone and disconnect a call with a tap on the side of these earbuds, and take your volume up and down. You can also adjust this setting in the preferences.

The bright pink colourway does mean they are a little less discreet than a black or grey option, especially with my dark hair, but I love the pop of bright pink.

With an impressive seven hours of battery life when fully-charged, these often get me through a few days of wear between my commutes and workouts. When they do need a charge, it's a simple USB-C.

What are the downsides of the Beats Powerbeats Fit?

The main downside of the Beats Powerbeats Fit is the lack of complete noise cancellation, but to penalise them seriously for this would be harsh. I'd challenge any pair of in-ear headphones to block out every decibel of sound, and I'd argue that being able to hear the world around you is often safer than not.

I'd also say that they are a little fiddly to get back into the case. When I first started using them, I'd easily spend up to a minute trying to get them back into the case, having forgotten how they fit. Others might not have the same issue, and I gradually got used to the fit. I didn't have this problem with the Beats Powerbeats Pro, though, as they are a slightly different design.

Are the Beats Powerbeats Fit headphones worth buying?

Yes, absolutely. If you primarily use your headphones for working out and travelling, I'd say these should certainly be among your top options, if not take the top spot. While they have a couple of disadvantages, overall, they are an excellent pair that I'd recommend to anyone looking for in-ear headphones.

If budget is a consideration for you, then I'd say the Beats Fit Pro are a good alternative with an almost identical design and noise cancellation quality. With £100 off right now in the Black Friday sale, they are cheaper than any noise-cancelling AirPods.

Looking for more great savings this Cyber Monday? The Garmin sale is still live, with plenty of deals on the Vivoactive, Forerunner, and Venu ranges. Fitbit deals continue with discounts on the Versa, Sense, and Google Pixel watches. You can also update your activewear for less in the Sweaty Betty and Lululemon sales today.

Airpods Pro vs Beats Powerbeats Fit

Having only recently given up my AirPods Pro, I can compare the two side by side.

• Noise cancellation: There's no denying that the AirPods Pro win in this debate, having cut out the screeching of the London Underground on my weekly tube journeys, where the Beats Powerbeats Fit could not.
• Design: I prefer the design of the Powerbeats. The construction of the earbud and wingtips allows for a more adjustable fit, without sticking out from my ear, something I found my AirPods did.
• Durability: Both these headphones have the same IPX rating of 4, meaning they can handle rain, snow, and heat, making them both suitable for sweaty workouts and unexpected weather conditions.
• Battery: The AirPods Pro offer 8 hours of playback with Active Noise Cancellation (ANC), while the Powerbeats offer 6 hours with noise cancellation. It's not a huge amount given the price difference, but still worth considering.