Many people would not recommend riding motorcycles while listening to music. However, if you’re careful and use other Bluetooth-enabled devices (like a smartphone connected to a motorcycle phone holder) you can enjoy some tunes, listen to a podcast, or get audio directions while you’re on the road.
Below, I’ve picked out some of the best general-purpose earbuds that you can wear underneath your motorcycle helmets. These are usually wireless earbuds and not Bluetooth-enabled helmet speakers. These earbuds for motorcycle riding are Bluetooth-enabled; hence, you don’t have to worry about wires getting in the way. Also, some of the best earbuds on this list come with an ambient mode that cuts down on the active noise cancelling and uses the in-built microphones to enhance ambient sounds. (Keeping you alert without sacrificing audio quality.)
| Best Motorcycle Earbuds With An Attractive Price TagSee On Amazon |  | JLab JBuds Air True Wireless | See On Amazon |
| Best Noise-Cancelling Earbuds with Transparency ModeSee On Amazon |  | Bose QuietComfort Earbuds | See On Amazon |
| Best Motorcycle Earbuds WIth The Easiest ControlsSee On Amazon |  | Skullcandy Sesh Evo | See On Amazon |
| Best Mid-Range Bluetooth EarbudsSee On Amazon |  | Bose Sport Earbuds | See On Amazon |
| Best Motorcycle Earbuds With Long Battery LifeSee On Amazon |  | Jabra Elite Active 65t | See On Amazon |
| Best Motorcycle Earbuds OverallSee On Amazon |  | JBL Reflect Flow | See On Amazon |
| Personal FavoriteSee On Amazon |  | Samsung Galaxy Buds Pro | See On Amazon |
If you are looking for a no-nonsense pair of earbuds that you can wear under your helmet while you’re riding around, these JLab Jbuds Air TWS earbuds are a decent alternative. They do a good job without compromising on the affordable price tag. Unfortunately, I cannot vouch for the earbud controls, even for casual listening.
Specs
What’s In The Box?
The JLab Jbuds Air TWS earbuds are a steal, especially considering that these wireless earbuds can produce decent audio a tight seal while also maintaining a secure and comfortable fit.
Compared to most true wireless earbuds, these JLab Jbuds Air Bluetooth earbuds can be a bit large for motorcycle riders. Nonetheless, I found that they are comfortable, and the angled tips do an great job of creating a stable listening experience. (Also, the included cush fins help add to the overall comfort and stability.)
All things considered, I’m willing to bet that these wireless Bluetooth earbuds won’t fall out of your ears anytime soon, even if you’re wearing a motorcycle helmet.
However, I have mixed feelings about the control scheme primarily because these wireless Bluetooth earbuds have actual physical buttons instead of touch-sensitive surfaces. For some, this can be a good thing because you won’t automatically control music or activate voice control while you’re wearing your helmet. But on the flip side, you have to push down on these firmly, causing the earbud to push deeper inside your ears. (This can be uncomfortable or even downright painful.)
On top of that, the control scheme is overly complicated, and every setting — from increasing the volume to switching between sound profiles — is carried out using these buttons. (There is no support software to change equalizers or remap the controls.)
The bass is powerful, and it’s got a good kick. Bass lovers, such as myself, will definitely appreciate it. However, because of this emphasized bass response, the low-end frequencies are not going to come out very accurately.
On the other end of the spectrum, i.e., the mids and highs, are relatively more stable. Despite the modified bass response, these Bluetooth earbuds have a surprisingly good sound quality, and these earbuds definitely have more value for money.
Also, I don’t have much to complain about the built-in microphone. It’s got average sound quality, and you can answer calls without background noise being too much of an issue. However, make sure you keep your phone (or other Bluetooth-enabled devices) close by. (There can be some signal interference issues even other the advanced 5.0 Bluetooth connectivity.)
Now when it comes to charging these earbuds, you can read our article here that discusses charging JLab earbuds and headphones if you’re interested.
You can never go wrong with a pair of Bose earbuds, these can be very expensive, but they are without a doubt: worth it. These work great not just as motorcycle Bluetooth earbuds but also as general-purpose earbuds. (Whether it’s studying, mobile gaming, or commuting.) Besides, they are the leading brand in noise cancellation technology, so be assured that you’re getting the best of the best.
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What’s In The Box?
For the best active noise-canceling performance, nothing beats Bose. Unfortunately, if you’re not willing to spend $200 on a Bluetooth speaker, you probably won’t splurge on these high-quality earbuds.
Nevertheless, despite their comfort and amazing sound quality, these earbuds are big and stick out. When I’m wearing full-face helmets, the earbuds tend to get tightly pressed against my ears; it’s not too tight nor uncomfortable, but it can be distracting. So If you’re motorcycle riding, I highly recommend getting a new dedicated helmet with enough padding. (Such as the ones designed for packing Bluetooth-enabled helmet speakers.)
For me, the touch-sensitive controls are a bit disappointing. Changing the volume feels awkward, and I’m missing what I actually want: skipping tracks. (Hopefully, these controls won’t be an issue when you’re riding.)
Since these are premium Bose earbuds, the audio quality is top-notch, and everything from the bass to the treble is perfect. Also, this is one of those rare earbuds where active noise cancellation makes a significant difference. (I found that these work great against engine noise and computer fans.)
Unfortunately, making phone calls is not one of its best features. Ironically, the microphone has trouble “canceling” background noise; hence, whoever’s on the other line will not hear you very clearly when there’s a lot of ambient noise.
Even though you won’t be using the earbud controls to change music while riding, it’s always better to have a simple control scheme. So you can change the volume or skip tracks with just a tap; no more sliding and no more buttons. Luckily, the Skullcandy Sesh Evo TWS earbuds have a simple control setup, and it’s easy to manage. (Although, make sure you pull over before fiddling with earbuds under your helmet.)
Specs
What’s In The Box?
These earbuds have an ergonomic design that fits snugly inside your ears. Yet, on the rare occasion that they happen to fall out while you’re out motorcycle riding, you can trace them back thanks to built-in Tile integration.
Tracking aside, these are great earbuds for motorcycle riding because of their low-profile design and flat-back surface. Unfortunately, you might have to experiment with the ear tips (and potential helmets) because the earbuds take time to acheive a comfortable fit. (Also, these don’t come with stability fins.)
The touch-based control scheme is pretty basic, with single taps and multiple taps to change volume, skip tracks, etc.. Even though double-tapping to adjust the volume can be hard work, I find that it’s more responsive than other earbuds. (Although, you have to be patient and “time your taps” slowly.)
Unfortunately, the audio quality is all over the place. The bass is heavy, and the treble is weak; hence, the only accurate set of frequencies belongs to the mids. Nonetheless, for a casual listening experience (even while wearing your motorcycle helmet), these little quirks wont be too distracting.
Noise isolation is pretty good. It won’t isolate external noise 100% but will definitely help you answer phone calls clearly. (Although I cannot guarantee that whoever’s on the other line will hear you as much as you hear them.)
Are you searching for something that’s durable but not too fancy? Then I highly recommend taking a look at the Bose Sport Earbuds. They have a high sound quality and decent battery life. On top of that, they fit nice and tight inside your ear canal, making sure that helmets (or any other forms of headwear, for that matter) will not interfere with your listening experience.
Specs
What’s In The Box?
With these Bose Sport True Wireless Earbuds, you don’t have to miss out on listening to motivational music, even while riding the bike to get to the gym.
Despite looking a little thicc than your usual earbuds, these are very comfortable and don’t poke out as much, thanks to their flat-back design. Also, the stability fins help keep things tight even when the inside of the helmet is brushing off against it.
Unfortunately, the touch-sensitive controls can be overly sensitive, and I’ve found out that it even triggers whenever you’re putting them on. Hence, you might need some time to get used to it. Also, the sliding volume adjustment feature can be tricky at first, especially if you don’t have a tight fit.
The audio quality is pretty good. There is high-quality bass and decent mids. The highs tend to be a little wonky, but it’s nothing too concerning, especially when working out or riding a motorcycle.
Unfortunately, these motorcycle earbuds do not have an active noise cancellation feature or a transparency mode. Instead, the earbuds have poor noise isolation, keeping the ear canal open to ambient sounds. (It’s not a bug, it’s a feature.)
One of the most significant differences between earbuds and headphones is that TWS earbuds have significantly lower battery life than headphones. Regardless, the Jabra Elite Active 65t is a noteworthy option, mainly because it comes with almost 5 hours of continuous playback time. It is more than enough for you to ride around, take a break for an hour, and back get on the road again.
Specs
What’s In The Box?
Jabra is not only known for making the best headsets for truck drivers but also earbuds for motorcycle riders. Their Jabra Elite Active 65T is a durable and easy-to-use earbud for motorcycle riding. It may be a little bulkier, but the half stem design and angled ear tips make for a more secure fit.
The control scheme is pretty straightforward. The left earbud has a rocker-type button for changing the volume and skipping tracks, while the right earbud has a single button for pausing music and answering phone calls. Fortunately, the physical buttons won’t accidentally trigger while you are wearing the helmet. (Still, I don’t recommend using the earbud controls while riding.)
These wireless earbuds do not come with active noise cancelling. Nonetheless, the earbuds do a pretty decent job creating a tight seal around your ear canal. As a result, the earbuds have quite good isolation against frequencies on the lower and upper extremes (bass and treble). The isolation of the mids can be a little weak, but overall, great job.
The microphone isn’t amazing by any means, but it gets the job done. (Even if you sound like a robot on the other end.)
The JBL Reflect Flow might be designed for working out. Nevertheless, they also work great as motorcycle earbuds thanks to their high battery life, impressive sound quality, ambient mode, and a stable and comfortable fit.
Specs
What’s In The Box?
One of the best features of these JBL Reflect Flow TWS earbuds is the IPX7 rating, making them one of the best wireless earbuds for working out or riding in the rain. (The IPX7 protection means that these are technically waterproof.)
Like many other earbuds on this list, the flat-back design makes it relatively easy to wear under motorcycle helmets. Along with that, the stability fins help keep things nice and square. (Although, you might have to experiment with the three different sizes of ear tips and stability fins.)
In my opinion, the controls are not that great. There is no volume control or ability to roll back to the previous track. On top of that, the controls are spread out on both earbuds; for example, you need the left earbud to turn on the ambient mode while you need to use the right one to answer phone calls.
Despite lacking noise cancelling technology, these earbuds create a good seal around your ear canal. Sound rarely leaks out, and the earbuds help muffle a lot of ambient noise. (Especially when the “Ambient Aware” feature is turned on.)
Also, these earbuds do an impressive job of creating immersive sound. The bass and mids are very accurate; and the highs (despite being a tad bit out of shape) do a pretty decent job.
Unfortunately, making phone calls while on the go (whether it’s a treadmill or a HOG) is not fun, especially when wind noise and other forms of commotion on in the background.
I have to admit that I became a sucker for Samsung devices after finding out I couldn’t afford Apple products. Luckily, I didn’t miss out on the AirPods Pro because Samsung came out with the Galaxy Buds Pro. These Bluetooth earbuds sound great and have a decent ambient mode, making them a great pair of earbuds for motorcycle riding.
Specs
What’s In The Box?
The Galaxy Buds Pro isn’t cheap, but if you are a long-time Samsung user (such as myself) or looking for a great sounding pair of earbuds with ANC (and IPX7 waterproof rating), these are a great choice.
Unlike most other earbuds on this list, these noise cancelling earbuds are pretty low-profile. You can comfortably wear a helmet over them without the earbuds falling out. However, the touch controls can be too sensitive and might trigger when putting on a helmet.
Regarding the controls, I like that you can use either bud to play/pause music, answer phone calls, and even skip/rollback tracks. What I don’t like is that there’s no volume control. Therefore, I keep having to use my phone or my smartwatch to adjust the volume. (You can remap the settings to include volume controls, but it’s not that great.)
These noise-cancelling earbuds do a decent job blocking out most mid-high frequency noise. Blocking out bass-heavy sounds is tricky, and you might hear the engine noise, especially if you aren’t playing any music.
The ambient mode is pretty good, but unfortunately, you have to activate it using the galaxy wearables app.
Also the final gripe I have with these noise-cancelling earbuds is on the built-in microphone. It does an okay job in quiet environments, but when there’s wind noise, traffic or chatter, the microphone can get overwhelmed.
Here are some of the most important specs you should consider before purchasing a pair of earbuds for motorcycle riding.
Battery: Having your wireless earbuds die on you while out on the open road can be annoying; hence, we recommend picking out a good pair with at least 3 hours of continuous battery. Although you might not need to consider the charging time, I recommend noting down how many charges you can get out of the included case before recharging the entire thing.
IP Rating: Sure, you don’t need a waterproof IP67 pair of earbuds, but if you want the best protection for those tiny in-ear speakers inside your motor, I recommend a decent IP rating of at least IPX4. Although if you like to shower while wearing earbuds, we have a separate list of the best IPX7-rated earbuds.
Ambient/Transparency Mode: This feature is mostly present in premium Bluetooth headphones or earbuds with good active noise cancelling features. Transparency mode does the opposite of noise cancelling in that it helps the listener be more aware of external noise by amplifying it. For pedestrians, cyclists, and bikers, this is a handy feature.
Controls: Touch-sensitive controls on your earbuds can trigger when you wear earbuds on your helmet. (Causing the music to pause or skip.) Therefore, I highly recommend testing out the touch sensitivity on your Bluetooth headphones beforehand. Earbuds with physical buttons are great at avoiding this, but they come with their own issues. (As you’ll soon find out.)
Getting used to wearing wireless earbuds underneath your motorcycle helmets can be difficult. Nonetheless, they are more affordable and flexible than dedicated motorcycle headphones; besides, they do a great job maintaining ambient noise while also allowing you to listen to your music or directions, just be sure to wear your earbuds correctly to avoid potential problems.
Hopefully, this list helped you get some ideas on some of the best motorcycle Bluetooth earbuds.