Ignore the new AirPods Pro 3, stick with a smartwatch for fitness tracking

Apple’s newest AirPods Pro 3 arrive with sleek design upgrades and plenty of hype. What caught my attention, though, was a pair of earbuds creeping into fitness tracking territory. This isn’t the first attempt. We’ve seen brands shove heart rate sensors into shoppers’ ears before, and by all means, shoot your shot. Sure, I’d be fairly weirded out if someone took my pulse in my earlobe, but earbuds with built-in sensors sound futuristic, and frankly, convenient. Unfortunately, they’re not about to dethrone your smartwatch for dedicated workout tracking.

On paper, it seems like an easy win: music in your ears, heart rate data in your fitness app. In practice, ear-based tracking is notoriously fickle. A little sweat, a loose fit, or the simple act of dropping into downward dog can turn your readings into gibberish. Relying on an earbud to collect your data is like asking a toddler to take your photo; you’ll get something, but it will probably be blurry, crooked, or missing half your head. In this case, you’ll likely have missing stats, shaky data, and dropouts. Chest straps remain the gold standard for accuracy, and for most of us, a smartwatch is the sweet spot between convenience and reliability. After all, it’s already on your wrist and adequately strapped down.

Of course, Apple isn’t pitching heart rate tracking in a vacuum. The brand’s new buds use an infrared light–based sensor paired with a new on-device AI model to estimate calories burned and log more than 50 workout types. They also unlock Workout Buddy, an Apple Intelligence–powered coach designed to dish out personalized encouragement based on your fitness history. And if you’re a Fitness+ subscriber, the integration goes even further, surfacing real-time metrics like heart rate, calories, Move rings, and Burn Bar rankings onscreen during workouts.

For casual exercisers, that kind of seamless integration sounds great. Who doesn’t want to pop in earbuds and have their music, metrics, and motivation all in one? The caveat is that all of these perks hinge on the accuracy of the underlying heart rate data. If the numbers are off, or worse, if the earbud drops out halfway through, then the whole experience collapses.

That concern isn’t just hypothetical. Apple itself confirms that the AirPods Pro 3 use the same optical PPG sensor as the Beats Powerbeats Pro 2, Apple’s first attempt at ear-based heart rate tracking. In his exhaustive review, DC Rainmaker found the Powerbeats Pro 2 to be unreliable at best and flat-out unusable at worst. The buds struggled with frequent dropouts, quirky pairing issues, and wildly inconsistent results whenever workouts got intense. Interval runs, cycling sessions, and even certain strength moves caused readings to flop. Interestingly, another trusted reviewer, Quantified Scientist, had much better results during his testing period. This inconsistency between reviewers is concerning enough that I wouldn’t be comfortable recommending them to serious athletes who need detailed performance data.

Meanwhile, smartwatches are only getting better as fitness companions. Years of iteration and real-world feedback have pushed wrist-based sensors far beyond their clunky early days. Last year, I was genuinely stunned by the Pixel Watch 3, which turned in heart rate results during my testing that rivaled my chest strap. I haven’t strapped on the Pixel Watch 4 yet, but given the direction Google’s been heading, I’d expect it to perform just as well, if not better.

The Apple Watch has long set the bar for consumer-ready heart rate tracking, and Garmin continues to refine its Elevate sensor tech with each new generation. Across the board, watches now benefit from snug placement, advanced algorithms, and years of optimization. They’re not perfect because no optical sensor is, but they’re consistent and reliable enough to guide serious training. In other words, smartwatches aren’t just dabbling in fitness data; they’re built for it.

That’s not to say the AirPods Pro 3 aren’t compelling. As earbuds, they’re likely to offer great sound, polished features, and seamless perks if you’re already invested in Apple’s ecosystem. For casual users, a rough pulse check plus some motivational nudges from Workout Buddy might be plenty. But for athletes or anyone serious about training, earbuds are still not a substitute for traditional trackers and smartwatches. At the end of the day, your playlists belong in your ears, but your heart rate sensor still belongs on your wrist.