Type: In-ear
Noise-canceling: Yes
Battery life: 6 hours (24h with charging case)
Weight: 5.6g per bud
Apple and Beats’ latest fitness-focused crossover, the Beats Fit Pro, are essentially AirPods Pro in all but name.
They offer great audio playback, and solid microphone performance, while the built-in Apple H1 chip means each bud maintains a solid connection to your phone, iPad, or Mac while being power-efficient. In fact, the buds offer six hours of playback on a single charge, but you can push it to seven by turning off the noise canceling.
The Active Noise Cancelling on offer is so good that you might not want to, though; the Beats Fit Pro can make any workout just about you and the music, but also offer Transparency mode to filter environmental sound into your ears alongside your music – ideal for ordering a coffee post-workout.
They stick in your ears thanks to the small curved tips, and while we found that plenty comfortable for a couple of hours, if you wear them all day, particularly when sweating, you may start to find yourself wanting to take them out – something to consider for marathon runners.
For
- Small design stays in your ear
- Noise cancellation is great
Against
- Can feel uncomfortable for long periods
- Pricier than the Powerbeats Pro
Type: In-ear
Noise-canceling: No
Battery life: 9 hours (24 with charging case)
Weights: 20.3g per bud
The Powerbeats Pro are a great pair of workout earbuds that still offer much of what the Beats Fit Pro do – but at a lower cost now that they’re older.
The Powerbeats Pro still offer the Apple H1 chip for great connectivity with Apple devices, plus it still auto-pauses and resumes once you remove the earbuds or put them back. They’re comfortable, too, with the hook that goes behind the ear much more easy to wear than the Beats Fit Pro’s internal tip.
The elephant in the room is the lack of any noise canceling, and while there are more buttons to control playback on the buds themselves (volume up and down is a key one not offered on the Fit Pros), the case is also much larger and less pocketable.
Still, we’d still pick them over the base AirPods for a run or a sweaty gym session.
For
- Comfortable for longer workouts
- Great battery life
- In-ear controls
Against
- Can feel uncomfortable for long periods
- Case is bulky and uses a lightning charger
- No noise canceling
Once seen as Apple’s more garish, bass-heavy counterparts after the company purchased the product line, Beats are every bit as impressive as the company’s AirPods lineup these days.
If you’ve been disappointed by Apple’s AirPods, AirPods Pro, or even AirPods Max while working out, then it may just be time to check out the Beats Fit Pro or the Powerbeats Pro. Each is built for your running, cycling, weight-lifting, CrossFit, and any other workout needs, but they inherit much of what makes Apple’s own lineup special; instant-pairing and switching, a charging case, and “true” wireless connectivity.
Still, which one is best, and worth your money? While the Beats Fit Pro are newer, the Powerbeats could be more comfortable, but only the former offers noise cancellation. Here’s our rundown of the Beats Fit Pro vs Powerbeats Pro, but for more be sure to check out our Beats vs Bose comparison.
Beats Fit Pro vs Powerbeats Pro: Design
As with many modern earbuds, there are two components to the Powerbeats Pro and Beats Fit Pro; the buds themselves, and the case to hold them.
Starting with the buds, each comes with a series of silicon ear tips for differing ear sizes, but that’s where the similarities end. The Beats Fit Pro have a small plastic (thin) on the side, with sensors on the other, while the Powerbeats Pro have a larger chassis that stretches into a hook that goes behind the user’s ears.
Neither is necessarily better than the other, but in testing, we did find the Powerbeats to be more comfortable when used as everyday earbuds over longer periods. Over time, that “fin” can become much more noticeable on the Fit Pro, although since all ears are different, your mileage may vary.
When it comes to the case, we have to hand it to the Fit Pro option. It’s drastically smaller, but also shorter in terms of overall height, too. The Powerbeats Case will fit in your pocket, but you’ll certainly notice it, whereas the Beats Fit Pro case is miniscule by comparison.
The case interior and exterior on the Powerbeats Pro are the same color, too, and we prefer the two-tone of the Beats Fit Pro case.
Winner: Tie
Beats Fit Pro vs Powerbeats Pro: Performance
If you’re working out and are looking for bass, then both the Powerbeats and the Beats Fit Pro will cater to the need for deep audio with plenty of oomph.
The Powerbeats, however, definitely harken back to the older, more bassy Beats headphones of yesteryear, while the Fit Pro give the highs plenty of attention, too. They’re much more balanced, akin to AirPods Pro rather than their predecessors from Beats.
There are another couple of factors that make the Beats Fit Pro an easy win in this category, too. One is the ANC we’ve mentioned multiple times in this article, which offers excellent cancelation of exterior noise while also offering transparency mode for moments when you need to hear what’s going on around you.
The Beats Fit Pro also support Apple’s Spatial Audio, which offers surround sound that matches head-tracking where supported. It’s not necessarily a huge boon for a workout, but if you want to kick back and watch a movie at the end of the day, it can offer a more cinematic experience.
Winner: Beats Fit Pro
Beats Fit Pro vs Powerbeats Pro: Battery life
When matched side by side, with the cases factored in, both the Beats Fit Pro and Powerbeats Pro offer a total of 24-hours of battery life.
The Beats Fit Pro will offer seven hours of playback before needing to be put in the charge, but that drops to six with the ANC on. On the other hand, the Powerbeats Pro offer 9 hours, presumably thanks to a larger battery given the increased space on offer.
Better yet, the Powerbeats Pro can offer an hour and a half of use after just five minutes of charging, meaning even with the battery depleted they’re still worth taking with you. The Beats Fit Pro, while still offering fast-charging, will add an hour when charged for five minutes.
Winner: Powerbeats Pro
Beats Fit Pro vs Powerbeats Pro: Connectivity
Both options here are running on Bluetooth, and while they work brilliantly with Apple tech from iPhones to Macs, they’re also just as capable on Android, Windows, or anything else that offers Bluetooth.
Naturally, to reap the benefits of instant device switching, quick pairing, and anything else afforded by the H1 chip, you’ll need to be using an Apple device.
Still, we’re giving the Beats Fit Pro the nod here thanks to the more forward-thinking charging port. It’s a USB-C port rather than Apple’s proprietary Lightning connection which is due to be phased out in the coming months.
Winner: Beats Fit Pro
Beats Fit Pro vs Powerbeats Pro: Value
The Powerbeats Pro are cheaper than the Beats Fit Pro, but whether they’re worth $149 to you will likely come down to how highly you prioritize the presence of Active Noise Cancelation.
If it’s not a biggie for you, the Powerbeats Pro are well worth a look – and we’ve seen them drop to around the $100 mark with some steep discounts.
On the other hand, the $199 Beats Fit Pro certainly aren’t cheap, but the inclusion of ANC and the smaller form factor, plus the potential of Spatial Audio, mean they’re a great alternative to the AirPods Pro that’s actually cheaper than Apple’s option.
Winner: Tie
Beats Fit Pro vs Powerbeats Pro: Which should you buy?
Looking for a no-nonsense pair of workout earbuds that’ll stay in your ears and offer solid audio? The Powerbeats Pro are a great option and offer better battery life than the Beats Fit Pro as well as better in-ear controls.
If you want even more tech packed into an unfathomably small space, though, then the Beats Fit Pro are the way to go. They’re more compact, offer noise canceling, and even charge via USB-C. They’re not as comfortable over long periods, but they’re our pick.
Winner: Beats Fit Pro
