10 Best Running Music Player 2025 in the United States

The Garmin Forerunner 165 Music is a lightweight running smartwatch designed to be a strong companion for your fitness routines. Weighing just 1.38 ounces, it is comfortable to wear during long runs. The battery life is impressive, offering up to 11 days in smartwatch mode and up to 19 hours with GPS, ensuring it lasts through extended training sessions. With 4GB of storage capacity, you can download and listen to music directly from the watch, supporting phone-free listening through wireless headphones, which is great for focused runs.

The colorful AMOLED display and ease of navigation with both touchscreen and traditional button controls make it user-friendly, even during intense workouts. Additionally, the watch is equipped with various training metrics and recovery insights to help you optimize your fitness regime. It also includes safety features like incident detection and Assistance, which can send your live location to emergency contacts, providing peace of mind when running outdoors. However, the need for subscription services to access music playlists may be a drawback for some users.

The smartwatch also offers smart notifications, contactless payments with Garmin Pay, and multiple built-in activity profiles, making it versatile for various sports. While it performs excellently for running and general fitness, the dependency on smartphone pairing for some features and the relatively limited storage capacity might be limitations for users looking for more standalone functionality and more extensive music storage.

The AiMoonsa 64GB MP3 Player is a solid choice for runners who want to carry a large music collection without relying on a phone. Its 64GB storage is quite generous, allowing thousands of songs, and it supports expandable TF cards up to 256GB. Bluetooth 5.2 offers a stable wireless connection with improved range and lower power use, helpful for pairing with wireless earbuds while running. The built-in HD speaker is a neat bonus if you prefer not to use earphones, though for running, earphones (included) are likely better for sound quality and privacy.

Weighing just 70 grams and slim at 3.6 x 1.7 x 0.35 inches, it’s lightweight and pocket-friendly, minimizing bulk during workouts. The zinc alloy build adds some durability. The user interface is simple, featuring touch buttons with backlight, making it easy to navigate even in low light. Multifunction features like FM radio, voice recorder, and e-book support add versatility but are less relevant for running.

This MP3 player combines good storage capacity, solid sound quality, and convenient wireless connectivity into a compact, easy-to-use device, making it a practical option for runners who prioritize music on the go.

The Garmin Forerunner 55 is a lightweight and compact GPS running smartwatch, weighing just 37 grams with a 1.04-inch display, making it comfortable for long runs. It offers solid GPS accuracy with multiple satellite systems (GPS, Glonass, Galileo), which ensures precise route tracking even in challenging areas. Battery life is sufficient for a running watch, powered by a 450 mAh lithium-ion battery, lasting several days depending on usage. It has 32 MB of storage, which is quite limited for music storage, making it better suited for controlling music on your phone via Bluetooth rather than storing music files directly.

The watch supports Bluetooth connectivity, allowing easy pairing with headphones and smartphones. Garmin’s user interface is known for being straightforward and beginner-friendly, and this model includes helpful training suggestions and plans, making it suitable for runners of all levels. While Garmin products are generally reliable, the Forerunner 55 may not be as rugged as some dedicated sports watches.

If your main goal is a running music player with extensive music storage, this watch might not fully meet that need. However, if you want a lightweight, easy-to-use GPS running watch with music control, solid fitness features, and good battery life, the Forerunner 55 is a strong choice.