Apple’s Beats brand has a new set of fitness-focused earbuds available, the Powerbeats Fit. We picked up a set of the Powerbeats Fit to see how they compare to the prior-generation Beats Fit Pro and Apple’s AirPods Pro 3.
The Powerbeats Fit are designed for working out, playing sports, and other activities where in-ear security is important. The earbuds have silicone tips and a soft silicone wingtip that tucks up against the concha of the ear, holding them in place even during vigorous movement.
At $200, the Powerbeats Fit are $50 cheaper than the AirPods Pro 3 and the same price as the prior-generation Beats Fit Pro, but they are targeted at a different market. The AirPods Pro can be used for working out, but aren’t necessarily designed specifically for that purpose.
Apple made the wingtip of the Powerbeats Fit more flexible than the wingtip of the Beats Fit Pro, for a more secure fit in a wider range of ear sizes. There are ear tip sizes from extra small to large to fit different sized ear canals. There’s an IPX4 water resistance rating, so they’re sweat resistant.
The Powerbeats Fit include Active Noise Cancellation, Transparency mode, and an Apple-designed acoustic platform with proprietary drivers. The sound is similar to the sound you get with the AirPods Pro 3, and it feels more bass heavy than before. ANC is about on par with the AirPods Pro 2, and it does a good job blocking out low frequency sounds.
You won’t get the newer H2 chip, though, as the Powerbeats Fit are still using the H1. The H1 allows for quick pairing, automatic switching between devices, Audio Sharing, Hey Siri integration, and Find My support. There are on-device controls to swap songs, change listening modes, and adjust volume.
The USB-C charging case is smaller than the Beats Fit Pro case, so it’s easier to carry in a pocket. You’ll get around seven hours of playback per charge from the earbuds, and then another 30 hours from the case. Beats earbuds support a 5-minute Fast Fuel charge that gets you an hour of listening time.
What the Powerbeats Fit offer that the AirPods don’t is better cross-platform compatibility. The Powerbeats Fit work just as well on Android devices, with customizable features enabled through a dedicated Beats app.
The Powerbeats Fit are $200 and come in four colors, including a bright orange that matches Apple’s latest iPhone 17 Pro models. They’re available for purchase starting today.
