These Inexpensive Earbuds Made Me Actually Like Going to the Gym

My one New Year’s resolution for 2023 was to finally start working out consistently before the end of the year. My only problem? Gymtimidation (basically just anxiety about going to the gym). Well, that, and I lacked earbuds that could handle a real workout.

Listening to my favorite songs while I work out motivates me. But my normal headphones were wired, which I worried would limit my mobility—plus, they were on the fritz. I needed a wireless pair so I could move freely, but they had to be inexpensive so I wouldn’t sweat the cost if I didn’t end up sticking with my new gym routine. So I went to Wirecutter’s workout headphones guide, scrolled straight to the budget-pick writeup, added the JLab Go Air Sport to my cart, and checked out.

Though I knew I could trust our audio team’s recommendation, I was still surprised by just how much I’ve grown to love these budget earbuds. They’re no longer just the earbuds I bought as a quick, cheap fix to my problem—they’re also a pair I’m quite happy to rely on for daily use.

Budget pick

JLab Go Air Sport

Best budget wireless earbuds for working out

These affordable earbuds hook over your ears, so they stay in place, and they sound surprisingly decent for the price. They lack features like noise cancellation and a hear-through mode.

Buying Options

$30 from Amazon

$30 from Best Buy

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The Best OLED TV

OLED TVs are the best-looking TVs you can buy, delivering extremely high image contrast, rich colors, smooth motion, and much better viewing angles than LCD TVs offer. They carry a higher price, but they’re a worthwhile upgrade for anyone who is truly passionate about movies or gaming.

We recommend the Samsung S90C Series because it provides awesome picture quality at a relatively competitive price.

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The Best Mechanical Keyboards

Every clack of a well-made keyboard can bring joy. If you spend most of your day typing, coding, or gaming, a mechanical keyboard can be a comfortable, customizable upgrade over the shallow, drab keyboard that came with your computer.

After spending months testing the most promising mechanical keyboards, we recommend the Keychron V3, Keychron V5, and Keychron V6 because they offer the best typing experience and the most extra features for their surprisingly reasonable prices.

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The Best Gaming Mouse

If you play a lot of PC games, a more comfortable mouse with fast response times, a precise sensor, more customizable buttons, and pretty lights can be a worthwhile upgrade over a regular ol’ mouse. We tested 58 gaming mice this year—in addition to the so, so many we’ve tested in past years—to find the best wired and wireless gaming mice for most hand sizes and most grip styles.

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Humidifiers Are Notoriously High-Maintenance. Not This One.

Humidifiers suck.

What they do is wonderful. But the machines themselves are almost always terrible in some distinct way. Evaporative humidifiers are loud and regularly require replacement wicks. Ultrasonic models are quieter, and usually more low-maintenance, but they also tend to over-humidify the room. And all of them require constant cleaning, lest they become a health hazard.

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The Best 40- to 49-Inch TVs

Just because you aren’t buying a big-screen TV doesn’t mean you shouldn’t get great picture quality. If a model measuring 40 to 49 inches is the proverbial “just right” for your space, we recommend looking first at LG’s C3 Series. The 42- and 48-inch C3 OLED TVs are every bit as good as their larger counterparts, delivering wonderful picture quality for movies, TV shows, and games.

But if you’d like to spend less or get a more decor-conscious, lifestyle-oriented TV, we have other recommendations in this size range, too.

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The Best Yoga Mats

A yoga mat should be comfortable and supportive, provide sufficient grip to keep you from slipping, and be no-fuss enough to clean and carry.

Our hatha and hot-yoga instructors Downward-Dogged, Ashtanga vinyasa-flowed, and Savasanaed on 38 top-rated yoga mats (and one mat alternative), and the one that came out on top is Lululemon’s The Mat 5mm. Its dual-textured sides, firm-yet-cushiony rubber construction, and ample size will have you covered, no matter what style of yoga you practice.

You don’t need to invest so much to get started with yoga: Our budget pick (for more than seven years running) costs well under half what our other picks do and has held up surprisingly well in long-term testing. We have recommendations for all-rubber and non-rubber, latex-free mats, too. Our travel mat pick folds to fit neatly in a suitcase.

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