Apple’s latest generation of AirPods are here and looking to be one of the best pairs of headphones for cycling. They’re uncannily familiar to the previous version, but there are some subtle design changes. Let’s delve in…
Clean and minimalistic packaging, very Apple
(Image credit: Future – Andy Turner)
Construction
The position of the ear bud section itself is slightly more protruding and rotated more inwards, so as to fit into the ear and more shapes better according to Apple. The ear buds themselves now come in five sizes with a new XXS size to go with the XS, S, M and L. These buds also now feature a foam inner designed for better noise cancellation as well as greater fit retention during exercise.
In terms of tech specs, the AirPods Pro 3 feature two times greater noise cancellation than the previous generation, which is partly down to the new H2 chip. Battery life is a claimed eight hours with ANC (active noise cancellation) versus six for the buds themselves and 10 hours with transparency. However, the case actually has a lower total battery life, with 24 hours of total charge compared to the previous 30. The case is charged via USB C and this can be done wirelessly.
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Additional features include precision finding through the Find My app, which locates the pods if they are misplaced. There is also a larger air port to provide better ANC and transparency, as it uses external noise to determine how it blocks out or amplifies the sound. Dust and water resistance has also been increased to IP57, up from IP56, so for sweaty turbo sessions these should be even more resilient.
The new halo feature however is the heart rate monitor inbuilt into the earbuds. This uses PPG (Photoplethysmography) tech similar to the usual green LEDs but using a less powerful light, better suited to the ears, which are thinner than the wrists where measurements are usually taken. This infrared light works at a rate of 250Hz to determine HR based on blood flow in the ear. This links via Bluetooth to specific devices to broadcast HR data. Other new features are live translation, and meets the standard for a hearing aid in the UK. Price remains at £219 / $249, with only a white option currently available.
The ride
Coming from an Apple ecosystem the process of setting up and using the AirPods Pro 3 was fairly easy. They connect directly to your phone by just being held in the vicinity of it, then once connected you can try different ear buds as part of the ‘seal’ testing to determine which size you require. This is required to ensure that the active noise cancellation and transparency work effectively.
Once connected, every time you place an ear bud in your ear they will connect with your phone and you can pick up listening from where you left off. Sound quality is fantastic, which means listening to playlists or watching a TV series while you tick down the indoor riding clock is an immersive experience. I’m not a fan of the hearing the sound of my gears or imy ndoor fan blowing in my ears, and with the ANC active the noise of these is efficiently drowned out. It also means you can listen to music at a lower volume.
Transparency mode is a very interesting feature. I ride with just the left earbud in when on the road, as that leaves my right ear free to hear traffic and road noise. However, when riding with transparency mode, it actually heightens what I can hear. It makes it harder to hear whatever I’m listening to, but acts as a sort of hearing aid. This is particularly useful for long term hearing health, as I have seen over years of riding with just the left ear bud in, that my hearing is better in my left ear than right. It has been shown that cycling can reduce hearing over time due to the wind noise. Using both of these with transparency mode does nothing to block road noise, if anything heightens it, while potentially protecting your ears.
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I also like having the single ear bud in for the sake of being able to take calls, be it a worried partner wondering why my 3 hour ride has taken 4.5 hours after an elongated impromptu café stop, or a call about why my energy bills are increasing unless I act now. It’s useful not relying on a vibrating rear pocket or a note on my bike computer which requires me to stop and fumble to grab my phone. Instead I can answer on the headphones, although generally I still pull over to speak.
Outside of the sound quality, the battery performance of the AirPods Pro 3 is a step up. I’ve had the AirPods Pro 2 run out of battery on some longer 4.5+ hour rides, while the Pro 3 have survived 6 hour rides, as long as there are no stops. The negative is that the case does have a smaller charge than previously, so total battery life is lower, and you will need to charge the case more frequently. But overall I’d say this is a worthwhile sacrifice.
A new feature of the AirPods Pro 3 is the heart rate monitor function. It’s impressed me, and I say that as skin measured HR via lights has often not been good. When comparing the AirPods Pro 3 with my Wahoo Trackr HR monitor, the two have actually tracked in line and responded to sudden changes in HR quickly and over longer durations. It’s a really useful feature and means you can track cycling workouts without a chest or wrist HR monitor, which I personally find more comfortable. But this comes with a caveat, which is that the AirPods Pro 3 do not connect via BLE to bike computers or Zwift. This is a huge limiting factor to the usefulness of the HR tracking capabilities, and meant that frankly I just didn’t use them for that. If they add Zwift connectivity, then I would use these over strap monitors for comfort, but at present that is not an option. I know Apple is trying to boost usage of Apple Fitness and Fitness+, but for now that limiting of functionality means that the HR tracking aspect of these is somewhat lost to the broader cycling community.
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There is one other issue that I have encountered, which after some trawling through online forums, appears to be a known issue. Occasionally, the left earbud will produce a loud chirping noise. I reached out to Apple for comment, but am yet to hear back. Looking online it seems this issue can sometimes be resolved by changing earbud tip size, or making sure the seal in your ear is airtight as the ANC might be the cause of the feedback. However, it tended to happen when sweat or rain was present and after around 2 hours or so of ride time. Once wet, it’s almost impossible to get that seal ‘re-sealed’, especially if you’re out on the road in rain. I ended up just putting the earbud in my pocket when this happened. Given I’ve never had this issue with the AirPods Pro 1 or 2, it’s a bit of a shame. I wonder if the earbud sticking out of the ear more makes them more prone to move slightly due to wind rushing past your ears at speed? This is purely conjecture, but might explain the difference as the profile of the 3 does protrude more than the 1 and 2.
I did use the earbud fit system on the phone, where you put the AirPods in, a noise is played, and they are able to detect if the seal between bud and ear is good. This all checked out well, so I changed the size of the earbuds to see if that had any impact. There has been less chirping since doing so, but the smaller earbuds has resulted in an occasional switch between cancelling wind noise out and letting it in, possibly due to the fit being not quite as good.
Live translation is another new feature of the AirPods Pro 3, and it’s an interesting addition. For riding abroad, it can make bridging the language barrier a bit easier, great for riders escaping to foreign climates for winter warmth. However, at present it is quite slow and it’s not possible to have a flowing conversation unless the other person is using a set of the headphones themselves. It has promise, but currently is a small addition.
Value & conclusion
At £219 / $249, the Apple AirPods Pro 3 are certainly not cheap. Impressively, the price has not changed since 2022 and the AirPods Pro 2, even with inflation, tariffs, and a host of new features and improvements. It’s also quite comparable to its rival headphones. We’ve reviewed the over-ear H20 RIPT Ultra headphones, the same that Zwift has a version of. Those are £227 / $250 and being over-ear using silicone cups are suitable for sports, but are indoor use only and heavier than in-ear options. Equally the likes of the Bose QuietComfort Ultra buds are a whopping £299 / $429.
However a popular option in cycling are bone conducting headphones. The Shokz OpenRun Pro Wireless are one of the best performers at £169 / $160, with the Haylou PurFree being just £56.99. The issue with these is they lack the noise cancellation for indoor riding, and do project sound into both ears out on the road. There is also limited protection from wind noise. Being able to use the AirPods with transparency mode to reduce wind noise and heighten traffic sounds, or use just one ear bud on the pavement side does make external noises easy to pick up.
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The Apple AirPods Pro 3 are an impressive update over the previously superb AirPods Pro 2. Certainly much of their performance relies on being an Apple iPhone user, otherwise there are better alternatives for Android and Google users. For those with an iPhone the noise cancellation is ideal for indoor training, limiting drivetrain and fan noises. While outdoors, transparency mode limits wind noise while heightening the sound of traffic, protecting your ears and also keeping you aware of surroundings.
Increased ear bud battery is another great plus, even if the case total is lower, while the translation function can help in cycling abroad situations. Heart rate tracking is also impressively good, but is limited to the Apple Workout app, with no third party capabilities for the likes of Zwift or a bike computer at present. Hopefully this is something we will see down the line though, along with a fix for the annoying chirping that sometimes occurs.
At present though, there are a few too many hiccups with the Pro 3, and if you are able to find the Pro 2 on sale, they represent better overall value at present.
