Name: Beats Powerbeats Pro 2
Brand: Beats

The ear hook solves a problem you can feel in the first minute of a run. It takes some of the securing work away from the ear tip, so a sweaty workout need not depend on wedging the tip tightly in place. Heart-rate sensing adds another job, but its value depends on the app and equipment already tracking the workout.

Comfort & Fit

Adjustable ear hooks
Five tip sizes
8.7 g per earbud

RTINGS tested an Electric Orange pair and found the hooks stayed secure during exercise. The hooks cleared glasses for its reviewer. ¹ Try the pair with your usual sunglasses or helmet straps: the shape of the temple and where the hook rests on your own ear decide whether you can wear the combination comfortably for a full run. RTINGS also found the case bulky alongside many other earbud cases. ¹

Heart Rate Monitoring

In-ear heart rate sensing
Compatible training app or equipment

The earbuds can share workout heart-rate data with supported apps and equipment. Check that your preferred app accepts the data before treating the earbuds as a replacement for another sensor. If a compatible chest strap or watch is already part of the routine, the hook fit, buttons and noise control may be more important reasons to upgrade.

Noise Cancellation

Active noise cancellation
Transparency mode

RTINGS found that active cancellation reduced low-frequency engine noise. For a ride to the trailhead, ANC can quiet the trip; once outside, Transparency makes it easier to hear the surroundings. Both modes have the same manufacturer playback rating. ¹

Battery & Charging

Up to 8 hours with ANC or Transparency
Up to 10 hours with both off
Qi or USB-C

Beats rates the pair at up to 36 hours including the case with ANC or Transparency in use, and 45 hours with both modes off. For a long training session, the eight- or ten-hour earbud figure matters more than either case total. Five minutes in the case is rated for up to 90 minutes of playback with ANC and Transparency off, handy when you discover an empty bud just before leaving.

Controls & Compatibility

Physical volume buttons
Apple device switching
IPX4 earbuds

Volume buttons are easier to find by feel when the phone is in a running belt. RTINGS also found the physical controls accessible during movement. ¹ The earbuds pair with iPhone or Android, but automatic switching across supported Apple devices is a separate benefit. Keep the case back from a wet sideline: the IPX4 splash rating applies to what you wear, not to the case.

Sound Quality

Adaptive EQ
Sealed in-ear design

RTINGS heard a full low end on its test pair, with enough midrange presence to follow a melody; some treble sounds were sharper than the reviewer preferred. ¹ That balance matters more here because there is no user EQ for turning down just one band. Try a familiar track with the tips you would wear for exercise. A change in seal can affect the bass before any processing comes into play.

Alternatives

An original Powerbeats Pro still makes sense if the hooks already fit and your watch records the workout. Choose the newer pair for listening ANC, heart-rate capture or a case that charges on a Qi pad. Beats Fit Pro uses an internal fin instead, a different place to put the stabilizer if your glasses already occupy the top of the ear.

Verdict

Buy Powerbeats Pro 2 when the hooks solve a recurring fit problem. Treat the heart-rate feature as a bonus until you have checked your app. A secure ordinary earbud may already cover the job for someone who tracks every workout with another device.

Beats Powerbeats Pro 2 review

Pros

Cons