JBL Endurance Race Endurance Race 2

With a build quality that ranks in the top 1% of all earbuds we've tested, the Endurance Race 2 is essentially a fitness tank. You get 12 hours of playtime from the buds themselves, ANC that lands in the top 12%, and a user sentiment score in the 97th percentile. Sound quality is the one compromise—it's middle-of-the-pack—but for workouts, these are as good as it gets.

The JBL Endurance Race 2 lands in an elite spot in our database for build quality—a 99th percentile score that puts it in best-in-class territory. That's backed by an IP68 rating, meaning these buds can handle full submersion and a thorough rinse after a sweaty workout. Owners absolutely love them, with a user sentiment score in the 97th percentile, and you can see why: 12 hours of battery in the earbuds alone, an ergonomic Twistlock wing that refuses to budge, and solid ANC that makes the gym a quieter place. This is a fitness-first design that nails the fundamentals.

ANC comes in at the 88th percentile, which is well above average and more than enough to mute treadmill hum or clanking weights. The four-mic array ranks in the top 10% of our database for call quality, so your running buddy won't complain about muffled voices on the other end. Sound, though, is a different story—the 6.8mm drivers push JBL's Pure Bass signature, but the tuning leans energetic rather than detailed. At the 47th percentile, it's middle of the pack; you'll get clear vocals and a punchy beat for a HIIT session, but you won't mistake these for critical-listening IEMs. The Smart Ambient mode works well, letting in just enough traffic noise when you're pounding the pavement, and Bluetooth 5.3 with multipoint kept connections rock-solid across two devices in our tests.

Pricing floats between $42 and $110 across vendors, and at the lower end this is a steal. Even at the higher end, you're getting elite durability, marathon battery life, and ANC that handles the gym—features that often cost twice as much from Bose or Sony. For fitness-focused buyers, the price-to-performance ratio is outstanding.

Stacked against the Samsung Galaxy Buds3 Pro or Sennheiser Momentum TW4, the Endurance Race 2 loses out on sound refinement—both of those deliver richer, more detailed audio. But neither can match JBL's IP68 rating or 99th percentile build ruggedness, and the Buds3 Pro can't touch that 12-hour earbud battery life. The EarFun Air Pro 4+ is a closer budget rival with strong ANC, yet its fit isn't anywhere near as secure for intense training. If you're a runner or gym rat, JBL's combo of durability and wing-locked comfort simply isn't matched by the competition, even if the music quality takes a back seat.

Audiophiles and bass lovers should steer clear. Sound quality lands at a mediocre 47th percentile—the tuning focuses on clarity and presence to keep you pumped during a workout, but it lacks the depth and detail you'd get from the Sennheiser Momentum TW4 or Samsung Galaxy Buds3 Pro. If you find yourself critiquing instrument separation mid-lunge, these aren't your buds.

If your earbuds need to survive mile repeats in the rain, a fumbled drop onto pavement, and a daily rinse, the JBL Endurance Race 2 is the data-backed pick. Owners give it sky-high marks, and our own metrics confirm the build and battery are in a different league. Just know that you're trading audiophile-grade sound for that toughness—and for most athletes, that's a trade worth making.