Best Headphones For Golf 2022
Our selection of the best headphones for golf will help you focus on your game when you practice


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Best Headphones For Golf
Practice makes perfect in golf. But have you considered honing your striking skills with a bit of background music? Hooking yourself up to a pair of headphones can really help you focus. After all, who hasn't been down at the range and had screaming kids, blaring ring tones and annoying chatter in the bay next door upset their rhythm?
This is why we’ve rounded up the best headphones for golf. All the pairs listed below are wireless in-ear headphones because we think they lend themselves best to practice thanks to their secure fit and versatility a little better than the best golf speakers. Wired headphones could leave you tangled up, while over-ear headphones are on the bulky side and can slide around while you're swinging.
All the pairs listed below also offer solid battery life and great sound quality so you can appreciate your favourite tunes and really get in the swing groove. Read on for our pick of the best headphones for golf or alternatively, check out our guides on the best golf training aids or best portable launch monitors to really make the most of your practice time.
Best Wireless Headphones For Golf
JBL Reflect Flow Pro
Specifications
Reasons to buy
Reasons to avoid
JBL knows how to make a decent pair of sports headphones and the Reflect Flow Pro are a good fit for anyone’s golf game. They’re actually the active noise-cancelling (ANC) version of the Reflect Flow found further down this list (although they also have a transparent mode to let some ambient audio through).
An IP68 rating ensures the JBLs can cope with bad weather, while the earfin tips will keep them wedged in your ears as you warm up. They feel satisfyingly lightweight and comfortable in situ and sound lively and entertaining with it. Battery life is a solid eight hours with ANC on and extends to 10 if you turn it off. The supplied case should be good for at least a couple of additional full charges.
Panasonic RZ-S500W
Specifications
Reasons to buy
Reasons to avoid
Panasonic doesn’t have a lot of pedigree in the world of headphones so the golf-friendly RZ-S500W might come as a bit of a surprise entry in the list. But take it from us, these wireless earbuds perform solidly across the board. There’s noise-cancelling tech, an Ambient mode, and battery life is 6.5hrs (plus 13hrs from the charging case). It’s easy to get to grips with the touch controls which are responsive and nice to use.
And both noise-cancelling and sound quality are excellent for the money. Music sounds clear and there’s plenty of deep, detailed bass on offer to keep you interested during long practice sessions. A great buy for golfers on a budget.
Bose QuietComfort Earbuds
Specifications
Reasons to buy
Reasons to avoid
If your budget can stretch, we’ve no hesitation recommending the Bose QuietComfort Earbuds as great headphones for golf. Thanks to the combination of lightweight design, and soft eartips they’re comfortable and easy to live with, while the noise-cancelling is next-level. You can adjust it in the companion app and also customise the touch controls for each earbud.
Battery life is okay at around six hours per charge, but it’s the exciting sound that keeps you coming back for more. The QuietComfort Earbuds fire out music with power and dynamism and their enthusiasm encourages you to just keep swinging.
JBL Reflect Flow
Specifications
Reasons to buy
Reasons to avoid
The Reflect Flow are close relations of the Reflect Flow Pro which you’ll find at the top of this list, but they’re significantly cheaper. Why? They don’t include the clever noise-cancelling tech of their siblings. If you can do without that, these basic wireless earbuds will serve you extremely well on the range.
They sit securely in your ears and deliver a bass-heavy, enthusiastic sound which will help you get into the groove. The ten-hour battery life (the case delivers an extra 20hrs) should be enough for even the keenest of golfers.
Sony WF-C500
Specifications
Reasons to buy
Reasons to avoid
Another great pair of cheap wireless golf headphones for anyone on a budget. There isn’t any noise-cancelling which is hardly a shock at this level, but these Sony’s tick all the boxes you’d expect at the price point.
Battery life is a healthy 10 hours and you get an extra 10 from the charging case, and they work with Sony’s own Headphones Connect app so you can fine-tune their built-in controls. The IPX4 rating means they’re resistant to splashes too. And they’re a sonically balanced pair of earbuds too, displaying a natural, even-handed approach to playing your favourite tunes. Definitely a pair to audition.
Sony WF-1000XM4
Specifications
Reasons to buy
Reasons to avoid
If you like the look of the Sonys above but want extra features such as noise-cancelling and a big boost in sound quality, then we’d suggest taking a look at the WF-1000XM4.
They’re not cheap but they are fantastic all-rounders and justify their heftier price tag with fantastic sound quality and an excellent suite of useful features. Speak-To-Chat, for example, allows you to have conversation without removing the earbuds so you don’t even need to remove them while you’re on the range. There are also touch controls and a powerful sound processor which takes everything the WF-C500 do well and manages to do it even better.
Bose SoundSport Wireless
Specifications
Reasons to buy
Reasons to avoid
The Bose SoundSport Wireless might have been around for a few years now, but they’re still one of the most solid and consistent performers out there and good golf headphones. Despite being wireless earbuds, there is a cable running between the two earpieces (which includes an in-line remote) so you can hang them around your neck when not in use.
The headphones are IPX4 sweat-resistant with battery life coming in at a modest six hours. In-ear hooks help secure the earpieces in place and like the other Bose headphones further up this list, they’re a comfy fit. Finally, sound quality is typically Bose, so expect punch, and powerful dynamics.
How to choose the best headphones for golf
Battery life
One of the big things to consider is battery life. You don't want your headphones running out of juice before the end of your practice session. Thankfully all the pairs in this list last at least six hours with some even topping out at ten. And that's before you've topped them up with the supplied charging case.
Noise cancelling
The isolation you get from a normal pair of in-ear headphones tends to be pretty good. But if you want to cut out any and all external distractions and concentrate on your swing, then noise-cancelling headphones are where it's at. Most pairs that offer this functionality also offer a transparency mode which will allow in some external noise if you desire.
Comfort
Everyone's ears are different. Which means finding the right pair for you can be tricky. So you might want to try out a couple fo different pairs to see which ones you gel with on the range. Don't forget to experiment with the different ear tips that the manufacturer provides to make sure you get the perfect seal. Otherwise, bass performance will suffer.
Andy is Deputy Editor of What Hi-Fi? and a consumer electronics journalist with nearly 20 years of experience writing news, reviews and features. Over the years he's also contributed to a number of other outlets, including The Sunday Times, the BBC, Stuff, and BA High Life Magazine. Premium wireless earbuds are his passion but he's also keen on in-car audio systems and can often be found cruising the Surrey countryside testing the latest set-ups. A keen mid-handicap golfer, Andy spends most weekends flirting with all the hazards down at his local course.
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