Powerbeats Fit Review — Sporty Earbuds with Apple’s H1 Chip

Experience top-tier workout earbuds with Powerbeats Fit, featuring Apple’s H1 chip, sweat resistance, and solid sound performance.

A Fresh Take on Workout Earbuds with Powerbeats Fit

When Beats dropped the Fit Pro back in 2021, it set a high bar for sporty wireless earbuds. Now, the Powerbeats Fit have taken over the baton as the newest fully wireless earbuds from Beats by Dr. Dre, Apple’s powerhouse subsidiary. As part of the Powerbeats lineup — which includes the excellent Powerbeats Pro 2 reviewed earlier this year — the Fit model aims squarely at fitness enthusiasts looking for solid performance and comfort during workouts.

Like the Powerbeats Pro 2, these earbuds are engineered for a snug fit and reliability on the move. They ditch the traditional earhook style of the Pro but compensate with built-in ear fins (“wings”) that keep them firmly locked in your ears.

Powered by the older Apple H1 chip, the Powerbeats Fit work seamlessly with Apple devices and Android alike. They boast active noise cancellation (ANC), sweat and water resistance, and promise up to seven hours of continuous playback — all at a $200 price point.

Let’s dive into how they actually perform.

Design and Comfort: A Rounded Fit for Active Use

The Powerbeats Fit borrow much of their design DNA from the Beats Fit Pro. The earbuds sport a chunky body with premium-looking, flexible ear fins that tuck nicely into your ear concha. Unlike the flatter surfaces seen on the Fit Pro, the Fit’s design is more rounded and smooth to the touch.

At first, I struggled to get the fins seated just right — a little twist and nudge was the trick, and suddenly they clicked perfectly into place. Beats claims these fins are 20% more flexible than those on the Fit Pro, which definitely helps with that “locked-in” feeling.

The ear fins elegantly flow into a large, tactile Beats button on the outside. This button is noticeably bigger than necessary and tends to get accidentally pressed when popping the earbuds in or out. On a Mac, this often launches your default music player if nothing is playing — a mildly annoying quirk. Still, the oversized button does make it easier to control playback during sweaty workouts.

The charging case echoes the earbuds’ design but is about 17% smaller than its predecessor. Impressively, both the case and earbuds feature sweat and water resistance — a first for Beats products.

However, the case is a bit of a pain to open. With an almost invisible front lip and an ultra-smooth surface, your fingers tend to slip, turning opening it into a mini battle. I found myself fumbling and even dropping the case a few times trying to pry it open — a silly but easily fixable flaw.

Comfort-wise, the Powerbeats Fit impress. Ditching the sometimes painful earhooks of the Pro 2 is a relief, and those flexible fins hold well without feeling like they’re about to pop out mid-jog. That said, the fins press on the outer ear, and after around two hours of wear, some discomfort creeps in. The earbuds themselves are on the bulky side, taking noticeable space in the ear canal. Still, compared to my 20-minute trial with the Pro 2, which needed constant adjustment, the Fit feels like a solid step up.

All in all, they’re comfy enough for typical workout sessions, striking a good balance between secure fit and wearability.

Software and Features: Seamless with Apple, Friendly to Android

Powerbeats Fit shine in their compatibility — working well with Apple gear and Android devices alike. Android users get a dedicated app offering control over ANC modes, Beats button customization, and firmware updates, complete with a color-matched UI based on the earbud’s hue.

For Apple users, native integration unlocks perks like spatial audio with dynamic head tracking, tap-to-pair on iOS and iPadOS, audio sharing, hands-free Siri, and Find My functionality.

The Beats button is configurable, too — by default, it handles playback, ANC toggling, and calls, but you can switch the press-and-hold action to volume control if preferred. Although you must choose between ANC toggle and volume control, I found keeping the ANC toggle more useful during workouts.

However, some features are noticeably missing. There’s no heart rate monitoring like on Powerbeats Pro 2 or AirPods Pro 3 — likely due to the older H1 chip in the Fit.

The biggest downside for non-Apple users is the lack of automatic device switching. Apple’s AirPods ecosystem seamlessly shifts audio between your iPhone, Mac, and iPad, but Powerbeats Fit can’t do this outside Apple’s environment. Plus, they don’t support multipoint Bluetooth pairing, meaning switching devices manually is a hassle if you juggle Apple and Android or Windows gadgets.

While AirPods owners expect this Apple-centric experience, Beats markets the Fit for Android as well, so missing multipoint pairing feels like a missed opportunity given how common this feature is, even on budget earbuds.

Performance: A Solid Balance of Sound, Battery, and Noise Control

Sound Quality

Apple keeps their audio specs close to the chest, so all we know is that Powerbeats Fit use single dynamic drivers per earbud and Class 1 Bluetooth (with a 100m range claim). They support AAC codec but don’t have low-latency or lossless audio capabilities like the newer H2-powered Powerbeats Pro 2.

Overall, the sound is nicely balanced with a slight bass boost that energizes your workout without overwhelming mids and highs.

Two listening modes exist: with ANC off, an adaptive EQ kicks in, using internal mics to tune sound dynamically for your ear shape and seal, ensuring consistent audio quality. When ANC or transparency mode is active, the mics focus on noise management, and adaptive EQ turns off.

I preferred the ANC-off mode. It offers a richer midrange and smoother highs, while bass remains lively and punchy. The overall sound feels warm, natural, and tonally satisfying.

When ANC is on, mids lose some foundation and sound a bit hollow, while highs sharpen, creating a slight V-shape signature. It’s subtle and some might enjoy the more vibrant, bass-forward sound with ANC engaged.

“Beats took a creative approach to the ANC-off mode, unlike most brands that treat it as a battery-saving afterthought.”

Microphone

Mic quality is average — decent enough for calls but nothing to write home about. Compared to the excellent mics on H2-powered models like the Pro 2, these feel basic and less clear.

Noise Cancellation

ANC is effective for low and mid frequencies, though some upper mids and highs leak through, likely due to the shallower ear tips. It’s not quite as good as Apple’s AirPods Pro but still respectable.

Transparency mode shines here — it sounds natural and immersive, letting outside sounds in without distortion. It doesn’t isolate voices specially or filter background noise like AirPods, but it works great for outdoor workouts and daily awareness.

Latency and Connectivity

Latency is low enough for video and casual gaming, especially on Apple devices with a low-latency gaming mode. Connection during typical use was rock solid, with occasional dropouts only when moving behind thick brick walls. Around the gym or with your phone nearby, you’re good to go.

Battery Life

Powerbeats Fit advertise 7 hours with ANC off, 6 with it on. In tests, I got even more: about 8 hours 11 minutes ANC off, 6 hours 45 minutes ANC on — notably better than claimed.

A quick 5-minute charge yielded around an hour and 19 minutes of playback (ANC off), which is decent. No data on quick charge with ANC on, but my test showed about 45 minutes, which explains the omission.

The case charges only via USB cable — no wireless charging here, which feels like a glaring miss at this price point.

Final Thoughts – Who Should Grab Powerbeats Fit?

At $200, the Powerbeats Fit sit comfortably in the premium yet accessible range. Their pricier siblings, Powerbeats Pro 2 and Apple’s AirPods Pro 3, run about $250.

For fitness fans, these earbuds tick all the right boxes: stable fit, sweat and water resistance (buds and case), and decent comfort for workouts. Sound quality is solid, battery life excellent, and ANC respectable with a standout transparency mode.

Apple ecosystem users get the most from these buds, with smooth integration and handy features. Android users can still enjoy the essentials but lose out on multipoint pairing and some Apple-exclusive perks.

While Powerbeats Fit lack heart rate monitoring and wireless charging — features found in the pricier Pro 2 — most fitness buffs already have a smartwatch or tracker for that. Mic quality is average, and the lack of multipoint Bluetooth is a sore point for anyone mixing Apple and non-Apple gear.

Overall, if you want reliable, comfy, and feature-rich workout earbuds for your iPhone that are more secure than AirPods, Powerbeats Fit are a strong contender. Android users might want to explore other options that offer better compatibility or value.

FAQ

• What chip powers the Powerbeats Fit?
  The Powerbeats Fit use Apple’s older H1 chip, providing solid Apple ecosystem integration and Android compatibility.
• Do Powerbeats Fit have active noise cancellation?
  Yes, they feature ANC that effectively reduces low to mid-frequency noise.
• Are Powerbeats Fit sweat and water resistant?
  Both the earbuds and charging case are sweat and water resistant, making them ideal for workouts.
• Can Powerbeats Fit switch automatically between devices?
  Automatic switching only works within Apple’s ecosystem; Android and mixed device users must manually switch connections.
• Do Powerbeats Fit support wireless charging?
  No, the charging case supports only USB wired charging, which is a downside for the price point.

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