As a casual runner, I'm in a bit of a conundrum: I don't want to spend exorbitant amounts of cash on a pair of specialist headphones, but neither do I want to run with only the sound of my wheezing breath to distract me. A good playlist isn't just helpful for pulling my attention away from from how much pain I'm in / how long I have still to go / why everyone else seems to be gliding effortlessly past me — it can also help me keep my pace up by delivering a beat for me to jog along to.

Where I live in the UK, the weather is warming up and the days are getting longer, so I'm on a mission to find some running headphones that deliver decent quality without clearing out my bank account. Below, you'll find my shortlisted options.

All of these headphones come in under $80 in the US, and under £60 in the UK, but there are plenty of options that sit around half that price, and can be considered truly budget-friendly. There are plenty of earbud options, but you'll also find a pair of affordable bone conduction headphones in the mix — these are great if you want to be a bit more aware of your surroundings as you run.

Runaway winners

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