Following months of leaks and at least a couple of examples of quiet, pre-release promotion from Apple during the 2026 World Cup, Apple and Beats made their latest pair of flagship headphones official today.
The new Beats 360 are the first over-ear headphones from the brand with a true focus on workouts. Beats (and to an extent, AirPods Max) headphones have been a staple on playing fields during warmups and inside gyms for years now. And Beats’ earbuds models have long catered to the fitness crowd.
But Beats 360 mark the first time that features like sweat and water resistance and a lightweight design engineered for comfort during workouts have been a major focus for a Beats over-ear model.
But, as you’ll see, Apple is taking things a bit further. These headphones promise premium Beats sound, long battery life, Active Noise Cancellation (ANC), and some fantastic customization options.
A New Take on Customizable Headphones
The standout feature is the new interchangeable cushion system.
Beats 360 ship with color-matched Performance Knit cushions — one beneath the headband along with left and right ear cups — made from memory foam wrapped in a breathable knit material. Beats says these are designed with exercise and stability in mind, making them better suited to workouts than the traditional leather-style cushions found on many premium over-ear headphones.
And while these are breathable knit cushions, Beats knows they’re going to get wet and gross with sweat if you’re using them the way they’re intended. So, they made them removable and swappable. That means you can workout and then swap into a clean cushion kit in seconds. Apple’s going to be selling Performance Knit cushion kits in multiple different colors, allowing you to mix and match to create your own personal look. Apple is also offering introductory pricing on these kits with a huge discount at launch. More on that below.
Plus, Apple is also offering UltraPlush cushions for extended listening comfort. The UltraPlush cushions are made from a seamless engineered leather. The Performance Knit kits will be available in Black, Cloud, Pink, Sky, Navy, and Volt, while the UltraPlush kits will be available in Black and Cloud.
A More Comfortable, More Robust Design
Beyond the swappable cushions, Beats 360 also feature a very different look than previous over-ear models. Beats weren’t ever the heaviest headphones, but they also weren’t the lightest — or the comfiest. Beats over-ear models have long had a pretty heavy-handed clamp that were too much for many (including me) to wear for long periods of time.
Beats 360 have shifted toward a more lightweight design with less clamp and the goal of making them more comfortable while remaining stable during workouts. In fact, Beats says the new slim headband is the result of a true “wireless-first design.”
That means that Beats has removed any wired connection between the two earcups. According to Beats, “Each earcup operates as its own self-contained system — with its own battery, antenna, and processing components — minimizing the wiring and signals traditionally routed across the headband.” Without the wires traversing the headband, Beats was able to reduce the size and weight of the headband, resulting in headphones that feel “incredibly light on the head while ensuring lasting comfort, stability, and all-day wearability.”
Beats 360 are also the company’s first over-ear headphones to carry an IPX4 sweat and water resistance rating.
The Best-sounding Beats Headphones Yet
Inside, Beats 360 use an entirely new acoustic architecture with custom drivers featuring “three-layer diaphragms and dual neodymium magnets.” We have no idea what that means, but Beats says the result is greater detail, stronger dynamics, and ultra-low distortion across the frequency range. (We haven’t listened to these ourselves yet, but based on early reviews, it seems like you can expect the traditional Beats sound signature: above average but not the best sound and a punchy, bass-prominent sound signature.)
The headphones also feature Beats’ most advanced Active Noise Cancellation system to date, with the company claiming up to 1.75 times more total noise cancellation than Beats Studio Pro. Transparency mode is included for situations where you need to hear the world around you, while Adaptive EQ continually adjusts frequencies based on the fit and seal of the headphones.
Apple users also get Personalized Spatial Audio with dynamic head tracking and Dolby Atmos support. An accelerometer and gyroscope inside the left earcup track movement to create the Spatial Audio effect for compatible music, movies, and other content.
However, while other Apple over-ear models like the AirPods Max and the Beats Studio Pro support wired listening over USB-C, because of the new model’s wireless-first design, the Beats 360 do not.
Built to Work With Your Apple Devices
Beats 360 use a custom Beats chip rather than one of Apple’s AirPods-specific H-series chips. That allows Beats to support deep integration with both Apple and Android devices.
On Apple hardware, that includes one-touch pairing, iCloud pairing, Automatic Switching between devices, Audio Sharing, hands-free “Hey Siri,” Find My, and Personalized Spatial Audio. Android users get Fast Pair, Audio switch, Find Hub, and integration with the Beats app. Bluetooth 5.3 handles wireless connectivity.
Physical controls remain on the headphones as well. (Another sign that these were designed with workouts in mind as touch controls are way too fiddly mid-session.) The right earcup includes dedicated volume and playback controls, while the left provides power and listening-mode controls.
Beats says battery life reaches up to 32 hours even with Active Noise Cancellation and Personalized Spatial Audio enabled. Fast Fuel charging provides up to one hour of listening from a five-minute USB-C charge.
Pricing and Availability
Beats 360 are available to order now for $349.99 in Black, Cloud, Pink, and Sky, with in-store availability beginning September 24.
Additional cushion kits normally cost $49.99, but Beats is offering them for an introductory price of $9.99 through October 31 in select markets, including the U.S., while supplies last.
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