Beats is back. The Apple-owned headphone brand has been building headphones that integrate more and more tightly with Apple’s, but yet retain some features that prove Beats still operates somewhat on its own. While the new Beats Fit Pro earbuds, for example, offer Apple’s Spatial Audio, they also charge through a USB-C port, unlike AirPods, which still use Lightning.
The new headphones offer a sporty design, Apple-focused features, and a sleek charging case. They also offer plenty of features that previously weren’t available on any Beats earbuds, including noise cancellation. But are the Beats Fit Pro headphones a better pick than the AirPods Pro? And do they really offer enough for those in Apple’s ecosystem? Find out in our full Beats Fit Pro review.
Beats Fit Pro design
The Beats Fit Pro earbuds look different than any other Beats earbuds out there. They don’t have a stem, like the AirPods, nor do they have an over-the-ear hook, like the more expensive PowerBeats Pro headphones. They do, however, have a smaller hook that helps keep them in your ears. We’ll get more into how that plays into comfort later.
Each earbud has a button, which is how you’ll control audio. I vastly prefer the squeeze controls on the AirPods to button controls. Button controls often require pushing the headphones into your ears, just to play and pause audio. That can get uncomfortable. Thankfully, the button controls on the Beats Fit Pro headphones are very easy to press, and you don’t have to push hard to use them. That said, they are easy to accidentally control, when you adjust fit, for example. Generally, I don’t mind the button controls on these headphones, but they’re not perfect.
The actual controls are pretty easy to use, and unlike other Beats models, you can remap what a long-press does, between noise cancellation and Siri. You can differentiate different buds too. So, I had the right bud control Siri, and the left control noise cancellation modes.
The Beats Fit Pro headphones are available in a range of different colors. We’re reviewing the “Sage Gray” model, but they’re also available in “Beats Black,” “Beats White,” and “Stone Purple.”
The charging case is smaller than that of the PowerBeats Pro, for example, but much larger than AirPods and AirPods Pro. I found that it was still small enough to fit in my pockets, unlike the PowerBeats Pro, which is a bit of a monster. On the back of the case, you’ll get a USB-C port, for charging.
The earbuds nicely slot into the charging case with a magnetic click. Unlike the PowerBeats Pro, which require some precision to slot into the case, these are easy to charge.
Beats Fit Pro features and battery
It’s hard to forget that these are really Apple headphones. They’re packed with all the Apple-focused features that iPhone users love. They support noise cancellation and transparency mode, along with Spatial Audio, which makes for a 360-degree listening experience. It works just as well here as on AirPods. However, like on AirPods, it’s definitely more useful for watching videos than listening to music.
When you first open the Beats Fit Pro, you’ll be able to easily pair them with your iPhone, and you’ll get Automatic Switching with all of the devices signed into your iCloud account. They also support Find My, and you can remotely trigger a sound to more easily find them.
The headphones are compatible with Android phones, though just through Bluetooth, so you won’t get all the fancy Apple features. But you will still get one-touch pairing, battery levels, and so on.
The headphones come with a six-hour battery life, which is pretty good. It’s not amazing, but it’s certainly not bad. The charging case delivers an extra 18 hours of use, bringing the total to 24 hours.
It’s good that the headphones offer a decent battery life because charging them isn’t as easy as it should be. The headphones don’t support wireless charging, which is a little disappointing at this point in time. Wireless charging is super helpful on the AirPods, and I really wish it was included here.
Beats Fit Pro comfort
At first glance, you might assume that the fit wing makes these headphones uncomfortable, but on the contrary, they feel great. I was easily able to wear the headphones for hours-long stretches, without feeling like the headphones got uncomfortable at all. Every now and then you might find yourself wanting to adjust them a little, which can result in accidental button presses. But that’s pretty normal for earbuds.
The earbuds aren’t just comfortable to wear, they’re good at staying in the ears too. The flexible wing tip is said to be able to adjust to different ear shapes, and I found that I was able to use these for most activities, including running and working out. As someone who previously swore by the PowerBeats Pro for running because of their over-the-ear hook, that’s really nice to see.
Beats Fit Pro sound quality
So the headphones have a solid design and a comfortable fit. But none of that matters if the headphones don’t sound good. Thankfully, they sound great, thanks to the built-in 9.5mm driver.
For starters, the bass response on offer by the Beats Fit Pro headphones is very good. Kick drums offer plenty of oomph, and if you’re a fan of bass, you’ll love what’s on offer here. There’s definitely somewhat of a bass boost, so if you’re looking for flat frequency response, these aren’t the headphones for you. But unlike classic Beats headphones, the bass boost here is subtle, and welcome.
The mids are well-tuned too. The low-mids carry over a little from the bass, and they’re pretty warm. The high-mids are a little laid-back, making for a more consumer-friendly sound profile — but I don’t mind it much. The highs are crisp and detailed, which is great to hear.
I actually think that these headphones sound a little better than Apple’s AirPods Pro. The AirPods Pro headphones sound great, to be sure, but these just sound a little more exciting.
The noise cancellation tech on these headphones is good too. It’s basically the same as the AirPods Pro, powered by the same H1 chip. And, while the transparency mode doesn’t match the AirPods Max, but it’s still very good.
The microphone on the Beats Fit Pro headphones is fine, but not quite as great as the AirPods. That likely has to do with the overall shape of the headphones. Again, however, it’s not bad.
Conclusions
The Beats Fit Pro headphones are the best earbuds that Beats has ever built. They’re comfortable, offer a great sound quality, and are full of helpful features for Apple users. They’re not quite as good for Android users, but even Android users can appreciate a good fit, solid sound quality, and great noise cancellation.
The competition
Many people are likely making a decision between these and the AirPods Pro headphones. Ultimately, if you want earbuds that you can use for sports and working out, these are easily a better pick. For day-to-day use, they’re a good option too, and you can’t really go wrong with either. That said, wireless charging is definitely a helpful feature, and it may put the AirPods Pro earbuds ahead for some users. Others should probably save their cash and go for the Beats Fit Pro earbuds instead.
If you don’t care about the integration with the Apple ecosystem, it’s worth considering earbuds like the Sony WF-1000XM4 buds or the Jabra Elite 7 Pro.
Should I buy the Beats Fit Pro headphones?
Yes. These are the best earbuds that Beats has ever made, and they offer tons of helpful features.
