I Replaced My Apple Watch With These Heart-rate-monitoring Earbuds From Beats (and They Did Some Things Better)

ZDNET's cardinal takeaways

• The Powerbeats Pro 2 unit for $250 successful vibrant Black, Quick Sand, Hyper Purple, and Electric Orange colorways.
• The earbuds tin switch your smartwatch aliases fittingness tracker, offering workout and activity information via companion apps.
• The sound isn't very robust, delivering anemic bass and hollow mids.

I've tested dozens of earbuds complete nan past year, and moreover caller releases tin consciousness monotonous aft a while. Most brands make merchandise upgrades successful mini strides, keeping nan shape and functionality nan aforesaid but incrementally refreshing nan sound, sound cancellation, aliases artillery life. 

Also: iOS 26 conscionable solved 1 of my biggest symptom points pinch Apple Music

Until now. Beats' caller Powerbeats Pro 2 are a crippled changer for nan audio industry. The successor to nan wide loved Powerbeats Pro are workout earbuds pinch 1 competitory and unsocial characteristic that simply makes sense: nan earbuds tin grounds your bosom complaint arsenic you exercise. I tested nan Powerbeats Pro 2 retired for a small complete a week; I lifted weights, ran, worked, and commuted pinch them successful my ears. So, how'd they do? Keep reference to find out. 

The Powerbeats Pro 2 has respective upgrades, including a smaller case, wireless charging, adaptive EQ, spatial audio, and noise-canceling and transparency modes. Apple's Beats ownership is afloat displayed done nan Powerbeats Pro 2, which uses nan aforesaid spot arsenic Apple's AirPods Pro 2. 

Also: Your adjacent Apple Watch aliases AirPods could person life-changing features acknowledgment to this caller initiative

The H2 spot lends nan Powerbeats Pro 2 much effective sound cancellation, enhanced audio processing, unchangeable Bluetooth connections, spatial audio, and much businesslike powerfulness consumption. 

Studies person shown that nan receptor is simply a awesome spot for monitoring bosom rate. Beats isn't nan first to unveil an earbud pinch an in-ear bosom complaint sensor, but Apple's expertise to merge nan characteristic into its different individual devices makes it overmuch simpler to use.

The earbuds were designed pinch workout and stableness successful mind, pinch an receptor helping that wraps astir nan ringing to stabilize nan bud for movement. This creation prime makes them awesome for listening while doing chores, market shopping, aliases moving successful nan office, though I felt tightness and irritation aft respective hours of wear. Tired ears are nary lucifer for nan 45-hour battery, though. 

The Powerbeats Pro 2 grounds your bosom complaint erstwhile you usage compatible workout apps. These apps see Open, Peloton, Runna, Slopes, Ladder, Nike Run Club, and Yao Yao. I'm hoping, for my sake, much partnerships are connected nan measurement (Beats, if you're reference this, please get thing going pinch Strava). 

Also: The champion headphones for moving out: Expert tested and reviewed

Perhaps you're utilizing an Apple Watch and nan Powerbeats Pro 2 simultaneously to exercise. The Apple Watch prioritizes bosom complaint monitoring complete nan Powerbeats Pro 2, truthful these earbuds are awesome for group who don't ain aliases usage an Apple Watch for exercise. 

Exercising pinch nan Powerbeats Pro 2 is easy. The earbuds were large capable while I ran nan engaged streets of Brooklyn and stayed comfortably stuck successful my ears arsenic I moved. I utilized nan bosom complaint monitoring characteristic done nan Nike Run Club app, which displayed my bosom complaint arsenic it recorded my run. 

Looking for nan adjacent champion product? Get master reviews and editor favorites with ZDNET Recommends.

Nina Raemont/ZDNET

I lifted weights pinch nan earbuds successful while utilizing Ladder, and nan earbuds displayed my bosom complaint connected nan apical of nan surface arsenic my trainer moved maine done each weight training exercise. 

The earbuds aren't optimized for casual listening, arsenic Beats prioritized nan bosom rate, exercise, and artillery life features complete sound value aliases sound cancellation. The Powerbeats Pro 2 person a anemic sound profile, delivering hollow bass and dull highs.

Also: The champion earbuds: Expert tested and reviewed

The spatial audio characteristic amplifies nan immersion but falls short of all-encompassing sound. I gave my workfellow a trial thrust of nan earbuds, and he said nan sound felt for illustration it was being played retired of an iPhone speaker. The sound cancellation is besides weaker, arsenic I didn't perceive a important quality betwixt ANC and transparency mode. 

Nevertheless, nan microphone is fantabulous for calls, and my mom said she knowledgeable nary issues proceeding maine intelligibly while we were catching up connected nan telephone 1 night. The Powerbeats Pro 2 sits comfortably successful your ears during video calls pinch nary fuss aliases accommodation needed. 

ZDNET's buying advice

The Powerbeats Pro 2 impressed maine pinch its bosom complaint monitoring feature, exercise-friendly build, and monolithic artillery life. These are nan champion workout earbuds you tin bargain correct now -- particularly if you are an iOS user, acknowledgment to nan convenient Apple ecosystem integration, aliases personification who wants to ditch their Apple Watch during workouts. Like Beats' different caller releases, Android users tin entree each nan flagship features done nan Beats app. 

However, if you want versatile earbuds you tin return from nan agency to nan gym, nan Powerbeats Pro 2 whitethorn autumn short pinch their lackluster sound value and noise-canceling capabilities. If you want much versatile earbuds, see nan Shokz OpenFit 2 aliases nan Nothing Ear (a).