The 5 Best Ear Hook Headphones That Will Stay Put

It is super frustrating to have to readjust your headphones, or to constantly have your earbuds fall out. That's why the best ear hook headphones provide a secure, customizable fit with features like adjustable ear hooks and multiple ear tips. Plus, these picks offer great sound quality, and most of them are under $100.

As with any headphones purchase, you’ll want to consider whether things like water-resistance and in-line controls are important to you. The IP rating will give you a clue as to how well they can stand up to water and dust. If you plan to work out (and sweat) in your new headphones, you’ll want a minimum rating of IPX4, which means the headphones will be splashproof from all directions. If you see a rating of IPX followed by a number rather than IP followed by two numbers, that means your headphones are resistant to water, but not dust.

Next, decide if you want a wired or wireless pair. If you’re a fan of wireless headphones for their freedom of movement and Bluetooth connectivity, you’ll also want to consider battery life and charging options before choosing a pair. Most Bluetooth headphones have between four to six hours of listening time without the charging case, which can add additional hours. If you prefer wired headphones that never give out on you, consider what kind of connector they have to ensure that you can pair them with your favorite devices. Most have a 3 millimeter plug that can pair with most other electronic devices, but you'll need an adapter before it'll work with the Lightning connector on newer Apple phones. There are also some halfway options that have Bluetooth connectivity with a wire that connects the two earphones to one another, but not to your phone or other audio-playing device, which are great for high-impact workouts or people who tend to lose things since the two ear hooks always stay together. Finally, bone conduction headphones leave your ears open to ambient noise by sending the sound waves through your cheekbones. These are a great choice for athletes, anyone with hearing issues, or those who just want to be more aware of their surroundings.

No matter which style you choose, if you plan to use your headphones for phone calls or gaming, look for a built-in microphone that has some noise-canceling or noise-eliminating properties. With all of that in mind, here are some of the best ear hook headphones you can buy on Amazon.

1. The Overall Best Wireless Ear Hooks

• Connection Type: Bluetooth/Wireless
• Water-Resistance: IPX5
• Available Colors: 4

The VISLLA 5.0 Bluetooth headphones offer a lot of great features at a pretty reasonable price point. These wireless Bluetooth headphones have adjustable ear hooks and three pairs of ear tips in small, medium, and large for a custom fit. A full charge will give you eight hours of listening time or up to 24 with the charging case.

These are a good choice if you're planning to use them for calls or gaming, since they have CVC 8.0 noise-cancelling technology, which means they block between 10 and 20 decibels of ambient noise when talking and listening, while the integrated microphone can isolate your voice when you're talking. They also have an IPX5 rating, so they can handle sweaty workouts and rain, but will not be resistant to dust. One multi-function control button lets you adjust volume, skip songs, and more.

One shopper gushes: "We love these headphones! We have a baby in the house now so we needed to go wireless. Having the portable charging case and the wireless headset to answer calls while I am holding the baby has been very helpful. [...] The ear hook [adds] extra stability and I will never own another headset without. Easy set up, and i'm not tech savvy. Quick charging."

2. A Pair of Budget-Friendly Hybrid Wireless Headphones

• Connection Type: Bluetooth
• Water-Resistance: IPX7
• Available Colors: 9

Considering that these only cost $20, you get a ton of value from the Mpow Flame Bluetooth headphones — and they offer the best of both wired and wireless options. These headphones pair with your favorite device via Bluetooth 5.0, but have a cord that connects both earphones, so you can never end up in a situation where you lose just one. With just two hours of charge time, you get anywhere from seven to nine hours of listening, and the remaining battery life will even show up on the Bluetooth control panel of your screen when paired with your device. These also have an integrated microphone and CVC 6.0 noise-cancelling technology that won't make a huge difference while you're listening, but will provide clearer sound quality for the person on the other end of the line.

The best part of these headphones, though, might just be their IPX7 rating, which means that while they aren't resistant to dust, they can be fully submerged for up to 30 minutes at a depth of a meter. Read: You can wear them on rainy runs and through high-intensity, sweaty workouts. More than 38,000 shoppers on Amazon have given these an overall rating of 4.4 stars, so it's safe to say they have a cult following for a good reason.

One fan raves: "These are my best headphone purchase yet! I’ve been through many, more expensive pairs, and these are my favorite. For the price, you can’t go wrong. I’m a runner and sweat a lot, so waterproof and the ear hooks are a must. Battery life is better than other more expensive pairs I’ve had."

3. The Best Wired Ear Hook Headphones

• Connection Type: 3.5mm plug jack
• Water-Resistance: Not listed, though reviewers say they can handle sweaty workouts
• Available Colors: 2

If you're looking for an affordable pair of ear hook headphones with a wired connection, the Avantree sports headphones are a great choice. They have an ergonomic ear hook design with small, medium, and large ear tips to help you find a secure fit. The 3.5 millimeter plug is compatible with many electronics, though you will need to use an adapter for use with the Lightning connector on newer iPhones. The best part? You don't have to deal with charging or losing one of your ear phones. The 3.9-foot cord is long enough to offer freedom of movement without being so long that it gets easily tangled. And while no IP rating is listed, customers have used them without issue for sweaty workouts, with one reviewer noting, "I like that the first time I used them, I was walking to work and then it started to downpour. I was thinking to myself, man, these are going to be ruined. One week later from that day, still working great." In-line controls and a noise-isolating microphone round out the features on this all-around solid wired option.

One reviewer writes: "Stay in my ears while running and don't get wet from sweat...I've tried many brands and these are the best I've found.''

4. A Stylish Wireless Option With Thousands Of Fans

• Connection Type: Bluetooth/Wireless
• Water-Resistance: IPX4
• Available Colors: 8

The Powerbeats Pro Bluetooth wireless headphones have over 18,000 ratings on Amazon and an overall score of 4.5 stars, which make these some seriously popular ear hook headphones. They come in eight on-trend colors including Lava Red and Navy. The ear hooks are fully adjustable and come with soft ear tips in four sizes so you can find your perfect fit. A full charge will give you 9 hours of listening time, and you get over 24 hours with the charging case. There's also a fast charging option, so if you're low on battery, a 5-minute charge will give you 1.5 hours of listening time.

In-line controls and a built-in microphone on each earphone mean you can use and control these as a pair, or use them separately. The audio sharing feature means you can connect to a friend's device and listen to the same music or phone call. However, one drawback to these is that they don't feature noise cancellation, though you will experience some level of noise isolation when listening thanks to the earbud design.

One fan raves: "Not the cheapest completely wireless headphones out there but, in my opinion, by far the best. I regularly use wireless headphones for daily workouts 7 days a week and for casual listening when doing other things. My collections of wireless headphones is pretty extensive [...] the Powerbeats Pro are the most comfortable, best sounding, and longest lasting of all of my true wireless headphones by a mile. I don’t do tame workouts- every single headphone I’ve ever worn has fallen out during every workout that I do- until I got my Powerbeats pro."

5. The Best Bone Conduction Headphones

• Connection Type: Bluetooth
• Water-Resistance: IP55
• Available Colors: 1

If you like the idea of being able to hear the ambient noise around you — whether that's listening for cars while on a run or the sound of your kids while you're WFH — bone conduction headphones might be the answer. The AfterShokz Titanium Mini Bluetooth headphones are also a great choice for anyone with inner-ear issues that can make wearing earbud-style headphones uncomfortable. Rather than playing the sound directly into your ears, these headphones leave your ear canals open and deliver the sound through your cheekbones instead. They offer 6 hours of continuous listening on a single charge, and the IP55 rating makes them resistant to water, sweat, and dust to the extent that you could hold them under a faucet for three minutes and they'd be fine, so these are perfect for indoor or outdoor workouts and work environments.

Note that since these don't actually go in your ears, there aren't different sized earbuds to customize your fit. Instead, you'll want to choose a model based on your head size. These AfterShokz Mini offer a secure ear hook design for those with smaller heads, while he AfterShokz Titanium headphones also come in a larger size. There's a built-in microphone and in-line controls, but if you're looking for noise-cancelling properties, you'll want to go with the AfterShokz Aeropex instead. And if you're an avid swimmer, the AfterShokz Xtrainers are submersible up to 2 meters for 2 hours at a time.

One reviewer writes: "My husband bought these for me because I am a runner and I hate the ear buds. These fit perfect, I can hear everything that’s going on around me and I feel safer because of it. They are light weight so I forget that I am wearing them."