Best Running MP3 Player

My collection of MP3 players. From Top left to bottom right they are: Original iPod (don't try running with a hard disk player!), 1^st gen iPod Nano, 3^rd gen iPod Nano, 5^th gen iPod Nano, two 4^th gen iPod Shuffles, 3^rd gen iPod Shuffle, Zune HD, Clip Zip (with case), Clip Zip, Clip+, Motoactv.

I nearly always run with music, and I've tried many different MP3 players over the years. My favorite player is currently the SanDisk Clip Zip, with the iPod Shuffle as a worthy contender.

1 What to look for in an MP3 Player

• Size. For running, an ideal MP3 player should be small enough to clip on. While a larger MP3 player can be strapped to an arm or put in a pocket, smaller is better.
• Buttons. Physical buttons are much easier to use while running than a touchscreen, which is awkward at best. You can't operate a touch screen without looking, and touchscreens don't generally work well with gloves or sweaty hands.
• Capacity. Even a 2 Gb MP3 player can hold 14 hours of good quality music, which is more than enough for most runs. However, it's better to have a much larger capacity so that you hear a variety of music over time. Ideally you want to have all the music you like to listen to while running on the player.
• Display. While you can use an MP3 player without any display, as the iPod Shuffle shows, a display does make life easier.
• Battery Life. Most MP3 players will last well over 12 hours, which is long enough for most people. If you're doing a 24 hour race or a 100 miler, you may need a spare.
• Spoken Menus. Having your player speak the menu items is great if you're operating it by touch, and vital if it doesn't have a display.
• Waterproof. A waterproof MP3 player makes life easier, but the only options I've found are rather pricy. I generally use a small Ziploc snack bag if it's going to rain, and so far I've not had an issue.
• Sound quality. The sound quality of the MP3 player makes relatively little difference compared with the sound quality of the headphones. I have some recommended Headphones for Running that have far better sound quality than the standard ear buds. (I've tried various Bluetooth solutions, but I've not found anything I'd recommend.)
• Software support. Managing your music and getting it onto your device is obviously critical.
  • If you use iTunes, then the iPods are well supported.
  • If you want to use a non-iPod with iTunes, the free open source notpod works well.
  • I prefer Media Monkey to iTunes, which is free and works with most devices.

2 SanDisk Clip Zip

The Clip Zip is nearly perfect as a running MP3 player.

• As the name suggests, the Clip is small enough to clip to a waistband, with just enough room for the buttons and the display. The Clip Zip has a color display, an upgrade from the previous version that was monochrome.
• The buttons on the Clip Zip are not easy to locate with gloved hands, so I glue some small bumps onto a silicone case.
• The Clip Zip is available in 4Gb or 8Gb, but has a microSD expansion slot, so the 8Gb version with a 64Gb card will give you 72Gb of storage. I get the 4Gb and use a 16Gb card, which is enough to hold my running collection.
• The Clip Zip is easy to use 'as is', but installing the open source Rockbox firmware provides lots of additional features and flexibility. You can customize the display, have spoken menus, etc.
• The Clip Zip has a list price of $50 for the 4Gb unit, but you can normally find it for around $30, and microSD storage is generally less than $1/Gb.
• I've found that battery is about 14 hours of continuous playback, but shorter if you use the display much.

3 iPod Shuffle (4^th generation)

The iPod Shuffle is smaller than the Clip Zip, but has no display, has less storage and is more expensive. It does have voice menus, which is important when you don't have a display. However, if you like using iTunes and have a small music collection, then it's a good player.

4 Discontinued iPod Nano

The older iPod Nanos were a little large, but had a display and hard buttons. I've used several different models over the years. You can still get the older iPod Nanos on eBay for a reasonable price.

• Generation One Nanos are too expensive to recommend as they have become collectable.
• Generation Two had a poorer physical design than the first generation, with slippery, rounded edges that made them rather easily dropped. Available as 2, 4 or 8Gb.
• Generation Three is my favorite form factor, and I didn't find them as slippery as the other generations. Available as 4 or 8Gb and it seems to be slightly cheaper than the other generations of Nano.
• Generations Four and Five returned to the form factor of Generation Two, but with larger displays. They had greater capacity (8 or 16Gb).

5 Other Options

There are a number of other options worth mentioning, though I would not recommend them.

5.1 iPod Nano

The latest Nano is a touch screen only, which makes it a poor choice for running. It's also expensive, at $140 for the 16Gb unit.

5.2 Waterproof iPod Shuffle

This Waterproof iPod Shuffle is expensive at $135, but it's waterproof to 100 feet. This is only worth considering if you're expecting to get seriously wet.

5.3 Smart Phone

There are pros and cons to using a Smart phone as your MP3 player.

5.3.1 Smartphone Pros

• If you already have a smartphone, this is the cheapest option.
• Carrying a phone allows you to call for help.
• It is possible to use a smart phone as a Running Watch, and some of them support a Heart Rate Monitor or even a FootPod.

5.3.2 Smartphone Cons

• A smartphone is usually bulky and has to be mounted on your upper arm.
• A smartphone mounted on your arm makes you a potential target for theft, reducing your safety.
• Most touchscreens do not work well with gloves, in the rain, or with sweaty hands.
• Few smartphones are waterproof, so a specialist case will be required to protect it.

5.4 Motoactv

The Motoactv is a brilliant but rather flawed Running Watch. It has a built in MP3 player that claims to understand which songs make you work out harder. I didn't get this feature to work well for me, but I probably didn't wear it long enough. I found that you could wear the Motoactv as a watch, but then the headphone lead gets in the way, or you would wear it clipped to your waistband, but then you couldn't see the display easily. (Using Bluetooth headphones solves this problem, but I never found a Bluetooth solution I would recommend.)

The Motoactv with the watch strap.