I walk 10,000 steps a day and these are my favorite headphones for walking

When I’m out on a walk, my requirements for headphones are different from when I’m sitting at home listening to music. I love my chunky Sony over-ear headphones when I want an uninterrupted, immersive experience, but they’re too big to wear outside and the noise-cancelling feature, while fantastic for home, means I'm less aware of cars and cyclists around me.

But I found a solution. Clip-on earbuds.

I use the Pop Clip from Soundpeats, which is currently 25% off with a coupon at Amazon, or, if you prefer a sleeker design and touch controls, the PearlClip Pro is also reduced by 33%.

I tested both and found the Pop Clip sat more securely in my ear, thanks to the flat back and slimmer body, and I preferred the physical buttons over the PearlClip Pro’s touch-sensitive panels.

Here’s everything I liked about the Pop Clip earbuds.

1. They stay in my ears

I find wireless earbuds (I’m looking at you, AirPods) fall out, no matter how snugly they fit in my ear canal. If I catch them with my arm or jump a bit too vigorously, they’re on the floor (or worse, down the toilet).

The clip-on feature of the Pop Clip held them securely and comfortably in my ear while walking and even when I was working out doing burpees.

2. They aren’t noise-canceling

Yes, this is a benefit! When I’m walking, particularly with my dog, I want to be aware of my surroundings.

The sound from the earbuds is directed into your ear so you can hear the audio clearly, but it doesn't drown out your surroundings.

3. They’re comfortable

I can wear them for hours without getting uncomfortable.

They don’t pinch, rub or make my ears sore because they don’t rely on your ear canal and tragus to hold them in place.

Instead, they use the natural shape of the earlobe to keep them secure.

4. There’s plenty of battery life

The headphones have eight hours of playback, which is much longer than I ever need for a walk. When I’m done, I just pop them back into their case, which holds an additional 22 hours of charge, so they’re fully charged by the time I want them again.

There’s also a quick-charge feature which gives you three hours of battery life from a 15-minute charge.

5. They handle calls well

Something that always bugs me with wireless earbuds is how fiddly they are when you try to take a call, but that’s not an issue with the Pop Clip buds.

The physical buttons are easy to use, and avoid the issue I have with touch-sensitive panels of accidentally hanging up the call when adjusting the earbud.

The call quality when I'm outside is good, too. The buds have a wind reduction feature so the person at the other end of the phone can hear me clearly.