When you’re running, you’re constantly in motion and you need your earbud to stay in place while you move.
The best running Earbuds for small ears have a secure fit and come in wireless and wired styles, so you can pick the design that works best for you. Importantly, they’re also sweat-proof or water-resistant for durability.
Best Wireless Earbuds for Small Ears Running
1. Sony LinkBuds S
Sony’s LinkBuds S earbuds are an interesting design concept that almost immediately became our go-to for small ears.
The original, uniquely small LinkBuds, the namesake earbuds, used a uniquely designed ring driver with a central hole that slots completely beneath the antihelix, but allows outside sound to constantly be heard, for better or worse.
This makes them great for running, cycling, and other activities in constantly changing and equally fast-paced environments.
But it’s not so great when you need separation and isolation. The LinkBuds S aims to emulate this approach with an ultra-lightweight design that replaces the physical hole with an onboard microphone, allowing for better versatility by either letting in or suppressing outside sound.
The buds come with four sets of eartips, including an ultra-small size, and weigh less than 5g, making them virtually invisible in your ears.
The result is a pair of earbuds that are incredibly comfortable to wear for hours on end, especially for those who need a smaller fit.
Like other Sony earbuds, the LinkBuds S offers advanced features like automatic ambient sound control that switches between noise-cancelling and transparency modes depending on your environment, and a Speak to Chat feature that lets you pause audio playback when you’re on a call.
Other features include an EQ for adjusting the sound, multipoint pairing for connecting two devices at the same time (via an update), and Android-only features like the ability to automatically play audio from services like Spotify.
The lightweight sound profile is praised for its clarity and detail across genres.
The noise-cancelling isn’t as effective as the flagship Sony buds like the WF-1000XM4 and WF-1000XM5, but it’s strong enough to suppress low rumble and other environmental annoyances.
Call quality and transparency mode are both best-in-class, and voices and other effects sound clear and natural. Plus, the LinkBuds S are now often on sale for well under $200, which is a lot less than their original price.
With their supreme comfort, full feature set, and excellent audio performance, the LinkBuds S is a great all-purpose earbud that’s suitable for all sizes of ears.
2. PowerBeats Pro Wireless Earbuds
If you want a secure, comfortable fit in your ears while you run, these PowerBeats Pro wireless earbuds are the way to go.
They feature adjustable ear hooks and a variety of eartip size options to keep them in place, and they’re IPX4 water-resistant to withstand splashes from any direction.
They’re sweat-proof and keep the sound flowing, one reviewer said. They won’t fall out even when you’re exercising vigorously, and they’re loud enough to keep you aware of your surroundings while you run.
They’re great for long runs, too, with up to nine hours of listening time on a single charge and over 24 hours with the charging case.
You can wear both earbuds at the same time, or just one since each earpiece has volume and track controls.
They’re compatible with iOS and Android devices, and you can even pair one set of Beats with another to share the same music or podcasts with your running buddy.
And when you buy Beats, you get six months of free Apple Music.
3. 1MORE ComfoBuds Mini
You don’t have to spend hundreds of dollars on comfortable, noise-canceling earbuds.
The 1MORE ComfoBuds Mini feature four sizes of eartips and a sleek, lightweight design (weighing just 3.7g each), allowing you to wear them for hours without discomfort.
I wore them for an entire workday to test them out.
The sound quality is pretty good for a mid-range earbud. The brand uses SoundID technology to provide a more personalized sound.
The bass is clear and distortion-free on EDM tracks like Alok’s new single Side Effect, even at max volume.
The earbuds also feature touch controls, which can be adjusted via the 1MORE Music app. I kept mine on the default play/pause setting.
The three noise-canceling modes can also be changed via touch controls.
I liked the soft setting for muffled surrounding voices and conversations, but the strong mode did produce a hissing sound when no music was playing, which may or may not be annoying depending on how sensitive your ears are.
Other than that, I thoroughly enjoyed the few weeks I spent with the Comfobuds Mini. Battery life was as expected, lasting about 5 hours on a single charge. The wireless charging case can hold an additional 20 hours.
4. SHOKZ OpenRun Bone Conduction Headphones
If you want to be aware of your surroundings while running in heavy traffic and listening, these wireless Bone Conduction Headphones are a great choice.
They wrap around your head and transmit audio through your cheekbones, so you don’t have to put anything in your ears.
That means you can hear your surroundings, but you might have a hard time listening to music in noisy places.
The frames are lightweight and IP67 rated, meaning they’re fully dustproof and can be submerged in water up to 1m deep.
The battery lasts up to eight hours on a single charge and a charging cable is included. A carrying bag and sports headband are also included. There’s also a mini size for those with smaller heads.
5. Skullcandy Jib Wireless
The Skullcandy Jib Wireless is another pair of wireless earbuds with a neckband. They’re getting harder to find, but you can still find them if you search a few suppliers.
Their incredibly low price sets them apart from the Beats Flex Wireless, making them worth a look if you’re on a budget.
The Skullcandy has a lower build quality and one less eartip option, but they’re still very small and have a slim profile that barely makes contact with your outer ear.
They’re also quite comfortable and stable, making them great for moderately moving activities like running or doing yard work outside.
They offer a very bass-heavy sound that’s enjoyable if you’re working out to hip-hop or EDM. Like most budget earbuds, there are no sound customization options, so you’re stuck with the default mix.
The passive noise isolation is also just average. They won’t isolate you from the deep rumble of a bus engine or traffic, but they’re a little better at blocking out background noise.
The battery lasts about 6 hours on a single charge, so it won’t last you a long workday, but it should be enough to get you through a few workouts without having to recharge.
6. TOZO T10 Bluetooth 5.3 Wireless Earbuds
With three eartip size options (small, medium, and large), these wireless earbuds are sure to give you a secure fit.
Plus, the 8mm speaker drivers mean you get more powerful sound waves in the lows, mids, and highs. According to the brand, they can be submerged in water up to 1m deep for up to 30 minutes.
You can enjoy up to 10 hours of sound on a single charge, and the charging case can provide up to 45 hours of use. It takes 90 minutes to fully charge the case with the included USB-C cable.
The earbuds have controls for volume, play, pause, track selection, and answering calls, and they pair to your phone as soon as you take them out of the case.
Some reviewers have reported occasional disconnections, but at this price point, that might not be a big deal.
Overall, if you’re looking for a really great pair of wireless earbuds that are comfortable and really good quality, look no further!
I have pretty small ears, so most earbuds hurt, but these are fantastic. The case is small and compact. The battery life on one earbud lasts over 8 hours before you have to put it back in the case.
7. Otium Bluetooth Headphones
All the headphones on this list come with a choice of eartip sizes, but only the Otium Wireless Headphones offer a very small option.
This means they’re a secure fit for smaller ears, and they come with ear hooks and an adjustable neckband for added stability.
The 11mm dynamic drivers deliver powerful stereo sound, and the CVC noise-cancelling technology makes phone calls sound clearer.
There are controls on the earpieces for answering calls, skipping tracks, or playing or pausing.
The battery lasts up to 15 hours on a single charge, and a micro USB charging cable is included. They can also be submerged in water up to 3 feet deep for up to 30 minutes, and you can get both for under $25.
Conclusion
Choosing the right Earbuds for your ears comes down to personal preference, and there are a few different options to choose from.
Wireless earbuds sit directly in your ears, and all of the earbuds on this list come with a variety of eartip sizes to ensure a comfortable fit while you run.
However, sweat can cause the earbuds to fall out or slip out of your ears, so using a hook or neckband that attaches to the earbuds can help keep them in place.
If you don’t want to put earbuds in your ears, you can use bone conduction earbuds, which have an open-ear design and send sound waves through your cheekbones.
These Earbuds leave your ears open to ambient sound, which is great if you’re running outdoors and want to hear your surroundings, but not so great if you want to focus on your music or podcast. Or you can try cushioned earbuds.
These can block out noise and be comfortable, but make sure they fit snugly and won’t slip or fall out while you run.
Also read: Top 10 Plus Best USB-C Headphones in 2025