Powerbeats Pro 2 review: the workout buds to beat

After an epic wait, the Powerbeats Pro 2 are finally here. No, seriously. The original Powerbeats Pro released nearly six years ago, roughly an ice age as far as gadgets go. Turns out, it was worth it thanks to new active noise canceling, a transparency mode, and heart rate monitoring. None of these features are new to the category, but they are fresh to the Powerbeats. The only things unchanged with the Pro 2 are its IPX4 rating and the $249.99 price tag — which, given the state of things, is frankly a miracle.

They’re more compact. The comically large case is 33 percent smaller. The buds are 20 percent lighter, and the ear hooks are 50 percent tinier. There’s a new H2 chip, upgraded microphones and amplifier, and improved sound. Battery life is longer, with 10 hours on the buds and 3.5 extra charges from the case for a total of 45 hours. Fast charging is supported, with a five-minute top-up netting 90 minutes of playback.

As a Beats Fit Pro lover, I was skeptical of the Powerbeats Pro 2’s ear hook. I wear glasses, and ear hooks tend to crowd and weigh down my ears. Apple says the hooks have been redesigned to be more ergonomic, but I just tested the Shokz OpenFit 2, and those still fell off my ears despite claiming an improved, thinner hook.

My colleague Chris Welch and I found the Pro 2’s hook to be more comfortable with glasses. It takes a hot second to learn how to put them in, but once you’ve got the hang of it, it’s a secure and comfy fit. I went on a few runs with glasses and nothing jostled, felt insecure, or fell out of place. I’m philosophically opposed to burpees but did a few to test these buds — they stayed put. This is the comfiest pair I’ve tried, but I felt some pinching after about four hours.

The fit is important, since these have heart rate monitoring and good contact with the sensor is crucial. Beats includes five tips, and its digital fit test was easy and accurate. I’m a little miffed to find out I needed the large-size tips.

The Pro 2 won’t beat earbuds that make a point of delivering the highest possible sound quality. Welch agreed, saying these are “still several rungs below the AirPods Pro 2.” But these are workout buds, and workout buds have one job: deliver that bass.

On a struggle run, I blasted Doechii’s “Nissan Altima” and “Catfish.” The methodic beats on “Catfish” thumped, while it nicely translated the frenetic energy in “Nissan Altima’s” instrumental mix, tricking me into believing I enjoy freezing cold runs. If you’re trying to channel Kendrick Lamar’s hater energy while lifting weights, I’m happy to report the bass in “Not Like Us” and “squabble up” had me hitting PRs.

The ANC did a good job of drowning out a busy highway during a walk and dampening my cat Pablo’s piercing yowls for kibble. The transparency mode is decent, though a little strong for outdoor road running. I could hear cars but still prefer something like the Shokz OpenRun Pro 2 for the best situational awareness. I’ll probably stick to the Shokz for long road runs, but I’m definitely switching to these for the track, treadmill runs, and strength sessions.

The Pro 2 are good enough for daily life, too. The Adaptive EQ mode, which kicks in when you don’t have ANC or transparency, is more than good enough for your daily tunes, podcasts, and audiobooks. I had an hourlong gab sesh with my bestie during a walk, and according to her, the buds did a great job of tuning out wind noise. My colleagues agreed I sounded “fine” on work calls.

The buds offer 10 hours of battery life, and they didn’t die on me in a week of testing. I haven’t had to top up the case yet, either. But even if I did, it’s a huge win that I can just plop the case on my 3-in-1 Belkin nightstand charger. The lack of wireless charging was my biggest pet peeve with the Beats Fit Pro. While the case is smaller, it’s still quite the chonker. It’s twice as thick as the AirPods Pro 2 case and about 1.5 times bigger than the Beats Fit Pro case.

Heart rate monitoring on workout buds isn’t a new concept. The first pair I ever tried were the Jabra Elite Sport in 2017, and Sennheiser added it to its Momentum Sport buds last year. There are a few things I like about how Beats has approached the feature — and a couple I don’t.

Beats has an optical heart rate sensor and accelerometer in each bud. It leverages the same tech as the Apple Watch, and the algorithm takes data from each earbud for increased accuracy. That’s neat considering most heart rate-capable earbuds only have a sensor in one bud. Beats has partnered with seven apps: Nike Run Club, Runna, Ladder, Slopes, Open, Peloton, and YaoYao. If you have iOS and use those apps, you don’t have to do a single thing to enable heart rate monitoring. It just shows up in the app. Afterward, you can view the historical data within the Apple Health app. It’s a bit hard to find and unwieldy to view, as you can see in this screenshot.

It worked with a few Ladder workouts, except when I also wanted to use my Apple Watch. In that instance, I didn’t get to choose which device provided the heart rate data. In a briefing, Apple and Beats told me it’ll always default to the watch. Conversely, when I tested the Sennheiser buds, or whenever I use a chest strap, I can set the watch to take heart rate data from those instead. The lack of choice is a bit irksome given the ear is purportedly a more accurate place to derive heart rate data from than the wrist.

You’re limited to the partner apps available at launch, and a lot are missing. Apple spokesperson Erin Manago confirmed even Apple’s Fitness Plus isn’t compatible yet, though she said they’re working on building out compatible apps. Android users have more options. You should be able to use any app that can pair with a Bluetooth heart rate monitor.

It’s a first step toward heart rate monitoring (and maybe future health features), but I bet only a handful of athletes will find it a compelling alternative to a chest strap.

The Powerbeats Pro 2 make a strong case against yearly upgrades. I’m not saying Beats should wait another six years before another refresh, but thanks to that wait, there’s a clear difference from the original Powerbeats. The addition of ANC is a good enough reason to cop a pair.

Ear hooks won’t appeal to everyone, and athletes are a particular bunch. But the breadth of updates, thumping bass, and improved comfort make these the pair of workout buds to beat.