As BikeRadar’s resident cork-sniffing audiophile, I’ve spent the past year testing a wide range of in-ear and bone-conduction headphones – and you can get all of my top-rated choices with a discount in the Black Friday sales.
I've put leading headphones from major brands such as Sony, Sennheiser, Google, Shokz and Suunto through rigorous testing, combining my love of music with my passion for running and cycling.
The best headphones for cycling offer balanced and detailed hi-fi performance that can stand up to the wind and rain with the ability to keep you aware of traffic noise and other approaching hazards.
The good news is that all of my favourite options are already on offer as part of this year’s Black Friday sale – with savings of up to £100.
Read on to find out which pair of cycling headphones is the best fit for you and grab yourself a bargain.
Where to find the best Black Friday 2024 cycling deals
- Best Black Friday cycling deals
- Best Black Friday Garmin deals
- Best Black Friday headphone deals
- Best Black Friday indoor training tech deals
- Best Black Friday deals on tools
- Best Black Friday deals from Sigma Sports
Black Friday cycling deals: UK quick links
- Sigma Sports
- Decathlon
- Halfords
- Tredz
- Evans Cycles
- Merlin Cycles
- Trek Bikes
- Freewheel
- Ribble Cycles
- BikeTart
- LeCol
Black Friday cycling deals: US quick links
Sony LinkBuds – £149 £70 (save 46%)
The Sony LinkBuds blew me away with the detailed, widescreen sound they kick out despite their diminutive size and weight of only 4g per bud.
Furthermore, the open-centred figure-of-eight design enables traffic noise to reach your eardrums, keeping you safe on the bike while you enjoy wigging out to your favourite tunes.
Miniature fins on fitting adaptors in four sizes meant they stayed in my fussy lug holes throughout testing.
This Black Friday, you can get the Sony LinkBuds for less than £70, which makes them a bargain as far as I’m concerned.
EarFun Free Pro 3 – £79.99 £56.99 (save 29%)
The EarFun Free Pro 3 earbuds are my favourite budget headphones for cycling and running.
They offer surprisingly detailed and immersive sound for their modest price, come with adaptors to tailor the fit and battery life is decent.
The Ambient mode is designed to keep you aware of traffic noise around you and they pack in features absent from more expensive headphones, such as a useful 'Find My Headphones' function, should they drop from your ears while out exercising.
Already sharply priced at an RRP of £79.99, they're available with a 29 per cent discount on Black Friday. I'm tempted myself…
Sennheiser Momentum Sport – £279.99 £179.99 (save 36%)
Sennheiser’s Momentum Sport earbuds are unusual in that they offer fitness tracking via biometric sensors.
They also deliver a robust, well-balanced sound comparable to any of the best cycling headphones thanks to Sennheiser’s new 10mm drivers.
At the time of review, I was sceptical due to their high price and the niche nature of the technology. However, with a massive £100 off their RRP of £279.99, the Momentum Sports are a lot more tempting and their superb sound quality may be too good to resist this Black Friday.
- Read our full Sennheiser Momentum Sport review
- Buy the Sennheiser Momentum Sport headphones for £179.99 from Amazon
Suunto Wing – £169 £125 (save 26%)
The Suunto Wing headphones are my favourite bone-conduction design, offering a sonic presentation that eclipses most rivals and a good few in-ear buds.
Few other headphones have been designed with the needs of cyclists so squarely in mind. In addition to the peace of mind the bone-conduction approach brings, there are LED lights on the frame, a dedicated Outside mode and a 10-hour battery life for the longest adventures.
A 26 per cent Black Friday discount makes these excellent headphones even more appealing.
Google Pixel Buds Pro 2 – £219 £189 (save 13%)
Google’s Pixel Buds Pro 2 buds are lighter, smaller and sound better than the predecessors from the US tech giant.
I loved the immersive, powerful sounds from these little buds, while the fit was reassuringly solid and among the most comfortable I’ve encountered.
The RRP was on the high side, but a Black Friday discount sees them sneak inside the £200 mark. If you’re an Android user on the lookout for in-ear buds, now could be the time.
Shokz OpenFit – £179 £125 (save 30%)
The Shokz OpenFits were among the first cycling headphones I tested and despite some fierce competition, I return to them time and time again. I’ve run half-marathons and commuted for weeks on end in all weather, and the OpenFits have never let me down.
Like bone-conduction headphones, the OpenFits leave your ears open to the world around you, yet the sound quality is detailed and full.
A 30 per cent Black Friday discount makes them one of the cheaper options on our list of the best cycling headphones and I have no hesitation in recommending them.
Shokz OpenRun Pro – £159.95 £109 (save 31%)
Warren Rossiter gave the Shokz OpenRun Pro headphones a four-star review when he tested them and you can take advantage of a 31 per cent price cut for Black Friday.
These bone-conduction headphones are designed to keep you alert to hazards while cycling or running and Warren was impressed by their sound quality to boot.
They have a sprung titanium band that won't interfere with your helmet or glasses and proved rain-proof in testing.
With their price nearly below the £100 mark, Black Friday could be a good time to add them to your kit list.
- Read our full Shokz OpenRun Pro headphones review
- Buy the Shokz OpenRun Pro headphones for £109 from Halfords
Jabra Elite Active 7 – £169.99 £89.99 (save 47%)
Jabra's Elite Active 7 buds have a stylish aesthetic, solid audio performance and a lengthy eight-hour battery life.
They eschew fit adaptors, which was an issue for me in testing, although the ShakeGrip silicone rubber compound is designed to keep them in place and may work for you.
There's Active Noise Cancellation for use in the office and Jabra's HearThrough feature for when you're out on the road.
I tested them at £169.99, which put them at the upper end of the cycling headphones market. However, they've since been superseded by the very similar Elite Active 8 buds and the Black Friday price is nearly 50 per cent lower than the original RRP.
- Read our full Elite Active 7 Active headphones
- Buy the Jabra Elite Active 7 headphones for £89.99 from Amazon
When is Black Friday 2024?
Black Friday falls on 29 November this year, with Cyber Monday on 2 December.
However, Black Friday sales begin much earlier, so keep an eye out for deals throughout this week.
How to get a good deal on Black Friday
A little research goes a long way. Read a few online reviews before you commit to buy. There may be a reason for that 40 per cent discount.
Have you actually thought about what you want to buy? We recommend you put together a wishlist in advance so you don’t come to regret a rash decision.
Take price drops with a pinch of salt: they can often be hugely exaggerated, since they’re listed against an RRP that might be years old. Helpfully, we track deal prices and do our best to let you know about a product’s price history so you know you’re definitely getting the best deal.
Don’t let the stress get to you. If you see a deal that’s marked as ‘nearly out of stock’, add it to your shopping basket straight away. Then take a look at the prices other retailers are advertising. You normally get at least a couple of minutes before the item leaves your basket.
Consider installing the CamelCamelCamel browser extension, especially for Amazon-related shopping. This tool will monitor the prices of products on Amazon and notify you if you're truly securing the best possible deal.
Why Black Friday?
Black Friday is the day after America’s Thanksgiving holiday. Previously, the Friday was spent recuperating from the turkey and pumpkin pie, but sensing an opportunity, retailers began to offer post-Thanksgiving sales to tempt people off their couches and into the stores.
Black Friday really took off when the internet offered people the chance to stay sat on their couches and still go shopping. It has turned into an online sales frenzy, with online retailers often offering their best – or close to best – prices over the Thanksgiving holiday period.
It’s become such an internet event that the Monday after the holiday has been anointed Cyber Monday and offers yet more opportunities to buy at a discount. Bargains are appearing ever earlier in November as retailers try to steal a march on their competitors and generate extra turnover.
