Beats has spent years watching its headphones become the default gym accessory without ever officially building a pair for the gym. The Beats 360 changes that. These are the company’s first IP-certified headphones, rated IPX4 for sweat and water splashes, and the first Beats over-ears designed around the sweaty realities of a workout. At $350, they are not cheap, and they are not meant to be your only pair of headphones. But for people who hate earbuds and want something that can survive a gym session, the 360 fills a gap that has been mostly empty.
Built for sweat, not just for show
The IPX4 rating is the headline. It is the minimum level recommended for workout headphones, and it means the 360 can handle sweat and splashes without giving up. The default ear cushions are made from a performance knit that wicks moisture during exercise. That helps, but it does not make the problem disappear. After a 40-minute run, wearables senior reviewer Victoria Song described the headphones as icky, and the knit pads do get wet and uncomfortable once a workout is done.
The saving grace is that the ear cups come off easily. Beats recommends cleaning them with a soapy solution, a damp cloth, and a dry cloth. That is a simple routine, and it keeps the headphones from turning into a permanent source of gym smell. Swappable cushions are the other half of the design story. Six knit color options are available: black, white, light blue, pink, navy, and fluorescent green. Plush engineered leather cushions, the same material used on the Studio Pro, come only in black and white. Each cushion kit includes two ear cups and a headband, and the kit normally costs $50. Through the end of October, Apple is selling it for $10, a promotion available in Canada, Australia, France, the UK, China, and Korea.
The headphones themselves come in black, white, light blue, and pink, with the familiar Beats b logo on the side. Sensors inside the 360 detect whether knit or plush cushions are attached and adjust the tuning accordingly. In testing, that adjustment did not produce a significant sound difference between the two cushion types, though noise canceling was slightly better with the plush padding.
How they hold up during a workout
Clamping force is decent, which gives the 360 a secure feel on the head. During back squats, planks, and lunges, they stayed in place. During sprints and sit-ups, they needed readjustment. That is a meaningful distinction. For controlled strength work, the 360 are stable enough to forget about. For explosive, high-intensity movement, they shift, and the reviewer’s preference in those moments is still a pair of earbuds.
The knit ear pads also cause itchiness after a few hours of non-workout use. That is a problem if you plan to wear the 360 all day. The fix is to switch to the plush engineered leather cushions for regular listening, which are softer and better suited to long sessions. The 360 are not the first choice for everyday listening, and the ear pads are a big reason why.
Sound quality: supportive bass, uneven mids
The 360 deliver bass that is supportive with good oomph, and notably not overpowering in the way older Beats models were. The high end is clear but a bit peaky. The midrange is where things get muddy. On Foo Fighters’ “The Pretender,” guitars and vocals do not separate well; the sound arrives as a wash, and cymbal shushiness overwhelms other elements. For a $350 pair of headphones, that is a real weakness. The reviewer’s preference at this price is the Sony XM5.
Noise canceling is very good. It blocks out leafblowers and gym conversations, which is exactly the kind of noise a workout headphone needs to handle. It is not as silent as the Bose Ultra Headphones Gen 2, and it does not fit as solidly as the AirPods Pro 3, but it is strong enough for most gym environments.
Features, buttons, and ecosystem integration
Beats is owned by Apple but operates across ecosystems, and the 360 reflect that. On Apple devices, you get one-touch pairing, iCloud pairing, automatic switching, audio sharing, Find My, and hands-free Siri. On Android, you get fast pairing, Google account pairing, audio switching, and Find Hub. The one catch on Android is that the voice assistant requires a press of the play/pause button.
The 360 use physical buttons instead of capacitive controls. That is a deliberate choice, and it prevents accidental activation during a workout. The headphones feel light and comfortable to wear, and the four color options give them a distinctive look.
Battery, accessories, and long-term value
The battery is replaceable, which extends the product’s life and is a welcome decision in a category that often treats batteries as disposable. The problem is that Beats provides no documentation on the battery replacement process or pricing. That makes the feature harder to rely on than it should be.
In the box, you get a soft-sided bag with a magnetic clasp and a loop rather than a hard case. At $350, the reviewer would have preferred a hard case. The soft bag is fine for a gym bag, but it does not offer the same protection.
Who should buy the Beats 360?
There are few dependable options for people who hate earbuds but want workout headphones. The 360 are designed for the sweaty gym environment, and the replaceable ear cups and battery are genuine attempts to extend the product’s life. They are good for focusing on reps while showing off your color choice. They are not the first choice for everyday listening, and at $350 they are not an impulse buy.
If you want a pair of over-ears that can handle sweat, survive a cleaning routine, and switch between Apple and Android without drama, the Beats 360 are worth considering, especially with the $10 cushion kit promotion running through the end of October. If you want the best sound for the money, the Sony XM5 remains the safer pick. The 360 are a gym tool first, and they are honest about it.
