For years, sport earbuds have split runners into two camps: bone conduction, which leaves your ears open, and in-ear models, which block out noise better but can pop out mid-sprint. With the Powerbeats Pro 2, Beats (owned by Apple) goes for a synthesis: an ultra-secure ear hook, serious active noise cancellation, and a new feature that changes the game for runners, an optical heart rate sensor built into each earbud.
© Beats, official photo used for editorial purposes
The Beats Powerbeats Pro 2 are in-ear, ear-hook earbuds with active noise cancellation and a built-in optical heart rate sensor, a first in this format. The sound is excellent and the fit doesn't budge even in a sprint, but the €299.95 price and the 10 hours of battery life per earbud (45 hours with the case) put them firmly in premium territory. They make sense if you want music and heart rate tracking in a single device, without wearing a watch or an armband.
Beats has been part of Apple since 2014, and its Powerbeats line has always targeted athletes with its signature ear hook, inherited from the original model launched more than ten years ago. Version 2 is a different animal. It moves to the Apple H2 chip (the same one as the AirPods Pro 2), adds active noise cancellation and a Transparency mode, and above all packs an optical heart rate sensor into each earbud.
That last feature puts the Powerbeats Pro 2 in a segment of the market that is almost empty: sport earbuds with a built-in heart rate monitor. Until now, a runner who wanted both music and heart rate data had to wear a GPS watch or an armband on top of a pair of headphones. Beats merges the two jobs into a single device worn in your ear.
RunMorph's advice: if heart rate tracking is your top priority and you want it alongside your music, the Powerbeats Pro 2 are in a class of their own. For pure heart rate tracking without music, a dedicated sensor like the Polar Verity Sense is still more accurate and much cheaper.
| Feature | Beats Powerbeats Pro 2 |
|---|---|
| Brand | Beats (Apple) |
| Type | Wireless in-ear with ear hook |
| Weight | 8.7 g per earbud, 69 g for the case, 77.7 g in total |
| Chip | Apple H2 |
| Heart rate sensor | Optical LED, more than 100 readings per second |
| Noise cancellation | Active (ANC) + Transparency mode |
| Battery life | 10 h per earbud, 45 h with the charging case |
| Fast charging | 5 min of charging = up to 90 min of listening |
| Water resistance | IPX4 (sweat and rain, no swimming) |
| Connectivity | Bluetooth Class 1 |
| Case | Qi wireless charging + USB-C |
| Colors | Obsidian Black, Sand, Ultraviolet, Electric Orange |
| Official price | €299.95 |
Each earbud carries LED optical sensors that pulse more than 100 times per second to measure blood flow in the ear. The ear is known as a reliable spot for optical readings because it is less prone to the motion artifacts that running creates. The data syncs in real time with compatible apps on iPhone, and the feature switches off automatically depending on the usage profile you choose.
Out on the road, the readings track expected values well overall during easy runs and tempo work, with a slight lag on very sudden changes. That behavior is close to what we see from optical sensors worn on the wrist or upper arm. Independent lab tests confirm solid accuracy in everyday use, with the same limits as any optical sensor during very explosive intervals.
On Android, heart rate tracking runs through the Beats app and has to be started manually, while on iPhone the session starts automatically as soon as your workout begins. That detail matters if you're outside the Apple ecosystem.
© Beats, official photo used for editorial purposes
From easy runs at 5:30/km to hill repeats close to 3:50/km, the nickel-titanium ear hook never moved, even through sharp changes of direction or jumps. The five ear tip sizes in the box (new on this model) let you dial in a precise fit. Beats says it refined that fit over more than 1,500 hours of testing with nearly 1,000 athletes.
On comfort, you may feel slight pressure above the ear canal after an hour and a half of continuous wear, but never enough to cut a session short. The active noise cancellation is surprisingly effective, so much so that we recommend caution in town, since it masks part of the traffic noise.
The charging case is 33% more compact than the previous generation and slips easily into a small trail shorts pocket. Fast charging (5 minutes for 90 minutes of listening) is a real lifesaver before an unplanned run.
The choice between them comes down to one question: do you prioritize sound isolation or awareness of your surroundings? Here's how they compare with the Shokz OpenFit Pro, the open earbuds benchmark RunMorph has already reviewed, and the bone conduction Suunto Wing 2 for long runs.
| Criterion | Beats Powerbeats Pro 2 | Shokz OpenFit Pro | Suunto Wing 2 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Format | In-ear with ear hook | Open earbuds (air conduction) | Bone conduction |
| Built-in heart rate sensor | Yes | No | No |
| Awareness of surroundings | Low (isolating) except in Transparency mode | High | High |
| Battery life | 10 h / 45 h with case | 12 h / 50 h with case | Up to 30 h in total |
| Water resistance | IPX4 | IP55 | IP68 |
| Price | €299.95 | €249 | €199 |
Compared with the Shokz OpenFit Pro, the Powerbeats Pro 2 deliver much better sound isolation and richer sound, at the cost of far less traffic awareness outside Transparency mode. Keep that in mind on open roads.
© Beats, official photo used for editorial purposes
Heart rate tracking starts automatically when you launch a workout on iPhone, and the earbuds work seamlessly with the Fitness app and Apple Watch. If you already live in the Apple ecosystem, they're a natural choice.
The highly effective active noise cancellation is ideal on the treadmill or the track, where ambient noise isn't a safety issue.
On open roads with traffic, switch on Transparency mode every time, or go for open earbuds like the Shokz OpenFit Pro, which leave your ears naturally free.
© Beats, official photo used for editorial purposes
© Beats, official photo used for editorial purposes
To get the most out of the Powerbeats Pro 2 heart rate tracking in your sessions (easy aerobic runs, threshold, intervals), pair them with a RunMorph training plan: heart rate zones measured right in your ear let you hold the right pace without looking at your watch, from 10 km prep to the marathon.
The Beats Powerbeats Pro 2 pull off a rare technical feat: they fit a reliable heart rate sensor into sport earbuds without sacrificing sound or fit. The €299.95 price is still high next to cheaper open earbuds, and IPX4 rules out swimming. But if you want music, calls and heart rate tracking in a single device, with no watch or armband, this is the most polished option on the market today. 8.3/10: a niche product that fills a real gap, as long as you accept the price.