Workout earbuds face a simple problem that most audio companies ignore: ears sweat, movement shakes, and the perfect earbud on paper falls out by the third interval. The original Powerbeats Pro solved the falling out part with a hook that wraps around the ear, and they became a gym favorite for that reason alone. The Beats Powerbeats Pro 2 keep the signature hook, then add the features the original lacked: active noise cancelling, transparency mode, and a heart rate sensor built into the earbud itself. I ran, lifted, and commuted with them for three weeks, and this review is the honest record of how they perform when it matters.
Before the details, the standard note. This article contains affiliate links, and if you buy through one of them the site earns a small commission at no extra cost to you. That commission does not change what I test or what I recommend, and the earbuds reviewed here were tested through real workouts and daily use.
This review covers the fit and design, the noise cancelling, the heart rate monitoring, the sound, the battery, and whether the asking price earns its keep.
Design and Fit
The Powerbeats Pro 2 are built around the same hook philosophy as the original, and it remains the best argument for the design. The flexible earhook wraps over the top of the ear and holds the earbud in place mechanically rather than relying on friction alone. During sprints, box jumps, and a session on the heavy bag, the earbuds never shifted, let alone fell out. For anyone who has given up on in ear wireless earbuds because they pop loose mid workout, this fit is the feature that matters most.
The controls live on the face of each earbud in the familiar Beats pad. The left earbud handles volume, and the right manages playback and calls, with a press and hold cycling between noise cancelling and transparency. The controls register clearly with a gloved hand or a sweaty thumb, which is exactly what a gym user wants. Each earbud also has an optical sensor in the ear tip, which reads heart rate through the skin, a detail I will dig into below.
The charging case is the design's weakest point. It is large, roughly the size of a bar of soap, and it lacks wireless charging in the standard model. It also uses a proprietary Lightning style connection in the reviewed unit, which is a dated choice in 2026. The case does hold the earbuds securely and adds the bulk of the 45 hour total battery, but it does not slide easily into a tight pocket.
Key Features
Active noise cancelling is the headline upgrade over the original Powerbeats Pro, and it works well. Gym fans, treadmills, and street noise drop away when I enabled it, leaving the music clean and present. Transparency mode lets sound back in for conversations and traffic awareness, and it sounds natural rather than electronic. The two modes toggle with a long press on either earbud, and the transition is instant.
The heart rate monitoring is the second big addition. Optical sensors in both earbuds read the pulse through the ear tissue and stream the data to Apple Health and compatible fitness apps during workouts. It worked accurately enough in my testing to track steady state and interval efforts, and it removed the need for a chest strap on my easy runs. The sensor reads continuously, and it is a genuinely useful training feature when the companion app cooperates.
Battery life is the other strength. The earbuds deliver up to 12 hours per charge, which is excellent for noise cancelling earbuds, and the case adds enough for about 45 hours total. Fast Fuel charging gives an hour and a half of playback from a five minute charge, which has rescued my morning runs twice. The earbuds carry an IPX4 rating, so sweat and light rain are no problem, though the case should stay dry.
Real-World Performance
Sound quality on the Powerbeats Pro 2 is unmistakably Beats: a warm, punchy signature with real bass presence and a crisp top end. For workout playlists, that tuning is exactly right. A heavy bass line in a lifting session lands with weight, and the midrange keeps vocals intelligible during podcasts between sets. The sound is not neutral, and audiophiles will find more accurate earbuds elsewhere, but for motivation and energy it is hard to beat.
The noise cancelling earned its place on the commute too. On a crowded street, the earbuds cut the rumble of traffic to a murmur, and transparency mode handled a conversation at the store without needing to pull an earbud out. Call quality was strong in the same conditions, with the microphone separating my voice from street noise well enough for the person on the other end to understand me the first time.
Heart rate tracking worked well on steady runs and struggled slightly on abrupt intervals, which is a known limitation of ear based optical sensors compared with a chest strap. During a tempo run the readings matched my wrist strap within a few beats per minute. During a hard interval set, the response lagged by a few seconds before catching up. For most runners tracking general zones, it is more than sufficient; for a serious athlete, a chest strap remains the gold standard.
The honest complaints are the case size, the dated charging port, and the price. The case does not fit well in a pocket and does not charge wirelessly. The proprietary port means carrying a second cable if you already travel with USB-C. And the asking price is premium, which makes the Powerbeats Pro 2 a serious investment for a pair of gym earbuds.
Pros and Cons
Pros:
- Earhook design stays secure through any workout
- Effective active noise cancelling and transparency mode
- Built in heart rate sensor removes the chest strap for runs
- Up to 12 hours of playback and 45 hours with the case
- Punchy, energetic Beats sound signature
- IPX4 sweat and water resistance for the earbuds
- Fast Fuel charging adds hours from a five minute charge
Cons:
- Large case does not fit well in a pocket
- No wireless charging on the reviewed model
- Proprietary charging port adds a second cable
- High price for a workout earbud
- Ear heart rate sensing lags on abrupt intervals
How It Compares
The Powerbeats Pro 2 sit between two natural rivals: standard wireless earbuds without hooks and the Apple AirPods Pro for general use. The table below lines up the differences.
| Feature | Powerbeats Pro 2 | AirPods Pro | Budget Sport Earbuds |
|---|---|---|---|
| Fit security | Earhook, very secure | Friction fit | Varies |
| Noise cancelling | Yes | Yes | Rarely |
| Heart rate sensor | Built in | No | No |
| Battery total | About 45 hours | About 30 hours | Varies |
| Best for | Serious workouts | Daily all rounder | Tight budgets |
If your top priority is a secure fit through intense exercise, the Powerbeats Pro 2 win clearly, because the hook keeps them in place when no friction fit can. If you want one earbud for everything, including sleep and casual use, the AirPods Pro are lighter and their case is far more pocket friendly. Buy the Powerbeats for the gym and the commute; buy the AirPods for everything else.
Who Should Buy It
Buy the Beats Powerbeats Pro 2 if you are serious about working out with earbuds that stay put, and you want noise cancelling plus heart rate tracking without wearing a chest strap. Runners, gym goers, and cyclists who have been burned by falling earbuds will find the hook design solves a problem nothing else does.
Skip them if you need a small, pocket friendly case for daily commutes, or if your workouts are light enough that a standard earbud stays in. You can check the current price of the Beats Powerbeats Pro 2 on Amazon when you are ready.
How We Test
I tested the Powerbeats Pro 2 over three weeks with a mix of runs, strength sessions, and commutes. I verified the earhook fit across all workouts, compared noise cancelling and transparency in street and gym noise, tracked heart rate against a wrist strap on steady and interval runs, and logged battery life across full charge cycles including the charging case.
I did not test the earbuds in water beyond the IPX4 rating of sweat and light rain, and I did not measure heart rate against a clinical ECG. For a technical look at how ear based heart rate sensing compares with chest straps, DC Rainmaker has a detailed guide to in ear heart rate sensors. The Beats Powerbeats Pro 2 listing on Amazon shows the current price and available colors.
Beats Powerbeats Pro 2: Questions People Ask
How does the heart rate monitoring work on the Powerbeats Pro 2?
Optical sensors in each earbud track heart rate during exercise and feed the data to Apple and compatible fitness apps in real time, without a separate chest strap.
What is the battery life of the Powerbeats Pro 2?
The earbuds deliver up to 12 hours of playback per charge, and the charging case brings the total to about 45 hours across the full setup.
Are the Powerbeats Pro 2 sweat and water resistant?
Yes, the earbuds carry an IPX4 rating, so they shrug off sweat and light rain during workouts, though the case itself is not water resistant.
Do the Powerbeats Pro 2 work with Android phones?
Yes, they pair over Bluetooth with Android devices and support the Beats companion app, though the deepest heart rate features are tied to Apple platforms.
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