Beats 360 Review: $349.99 Headphones With Swappable Cushions and IPX4 Sweat Resistance

The Beats 360 are Beats’ new over-ear noise-cancelling headphones, and they are built around an idea no other premium pair has: you can swap the ear and headband cushions. They cost $349.99 and went on sale September 24, 2026, alongside the Beats Studio Pro, which stays in the lineup at $299.99. Full specs are on Beats’ product page.

The other big change is that they are sweat-resistant. The 360 carries an IPX4 rating, which most premium over-ear headphones don’t. Beats wants these to be the pair you take to the gym and then wear on the train home.

Pros and cons

Quick specs

The cushions are the product

Each Beats 360 ships with color-matched Performance Knit cushions on the ears and headband. The knit is a breathable diamond weave designed for sweat. The other option is UltraPlush, an engineered-leather cushion that seals better and feels more like a traditional premium headphone. You can mix materials and colors on the ears and headband independently, and Beats counts up to 256 combinations. The cushions twist off and on.

Reviews disagree on what is in the box. Beats’ product page lists only the knit cushions, with UltraPlush sold separately in Beats 360 Cushion Kits (about $49.99 each, according to launch coverage). Engadget’s review describes having both materials. Assume you are getting knit only, and budget for a second set if you want the plush seal for flights.

Swappable cushions are more than a style feature. Pads are the first part of a pair of headphones to wear out, especially after a year of gym sweat. The 360 makes that a two-minute job instead of a reason to buy new headphones.

Noise cancelling and sound

Beats claims 1.75 times the total noise cancellation of the Studio Pro, with eight of the nine microphones dedicated to ANC. That makes it the strongest ANC Beats has shipped.

Testers found it good, not class-leading. Engadget says it handles steady noise like engines and air conditioning well, but does little against voices. SoundGuys calls the ANC moderate next to the competition. Engadget points to the Bose QuietComfort Headphones (2nd gen) as stronger ANC for similar money, without the 360’s IPX4 rating or cushions.

The sound is unmistakably Beats. Beats says the new dual-magnet driver produces 12 dB more output than the Studio Pro’s. Engadget describes it as energetic and bass-forward, with good detail and low distortion. SoundGuys found the bass heavy with ANC on and suggests turning off Adaptive EQ for a more balanced sound. There is no custom EQ. If you don’t like the tuning, you can’t do much about it.

No wired audio and no lossless

This is the biggest compromise. The Beats 360 has no 3.5 mm jack and no USB-C audio. The USB-C port is for charging only, as Engadget and SoundGuys both confirmed. (One early review said otherwise, but the majority found the port is charge-only.)

Bluetooth is limited to AAC and SBC. Put those together and the 360 cannot play lossless audio in any mode. You also can’t plug it into a plane seat or a laptop with flaky Bluetooth.

That makes the cheaper Studio Pro the better buy for some people. It keeps both USB-C audio and the 3.5 mm jack, and it is frequently discounted well below $299.99.

Apple and Android

Beats is owned by Apple, and the 360 does all the iPhone things: one-touch pairing, iCloud pairing across your devices, Automatic Switching, Audio Sharing, Find My, “Hey Siri” and Personalized Spatial Audio with head tracking.

Android gets almost equal treatment. Google Fast Pair, pairing across your Google account, Audio Switch, Find Hub, and the Beats app for settings and firmware updates. Few headphones work this well on both platforms. If you have an iPhone and an Android tablet, the 360 works with both.

Battery and calls

Beats rates 32 hours with ANC and Personalized Spatial Audio on. Engadget had 47% left after 24 hours, which puts it on track to meet or beat the claim. Fast Fuel gives about an hour of playback from five minutes on the charger.

Each earcup has its own battery, antenna and chip, which means fewer wires running through the headband. That should help durability.

Call quality is a strength. SoundGuys rates it highly, and Engadget calls it clear with good background noise suppression, though with some audible processing.

Comfort and controls

At 294.5 g, the 360 is light for a full-size ANC headphone, nearly 30 g lighter than the Sonos Ace Ultra. The flip side is clamp force. Engadget found the headband tight on larger heads, which keeps the headphones in place during a workout but can tire you out after a few hours.

Controls are physical: a volume rocker, play/pause, a power button and a listening-mode button. There is no wear detection, so music keeps playing when you take them off. A woven ripstop case comes in the box.

Who should buy the Beats 360

Buy it if you want one pair of over-ear ANC headphones for both the gym and the commute. IPX4, breathable knit cushions you can replace, and a secure fit make it the best workout-friendly over-ear pair in this price range.

Buy it if your household mixes iPhone and Android. Find My and Find Hub, Fast Pair and Apple’s pairing all work.

Buy it if you care about style and want to change the look or replace worn pads without buying new headphones.

Who should skip it

Skip it if you want a wired connection or lossless audio. The Beats Studio Pro has both and costs less. The Sonos Ace Ultra has both plus aptX.

Skip it if ANC is your top priority. Bose and Sony are stronger for the same money. Our noise-cancelling headphones roundup covers those.

Skip it if you like to tune your sound. Without a custom EQ, you are stuck with Beats’ bass-forward tuning.

Verdict

The Beats 360 is a smart, focused design. Swappable cushions, IPX4 and a light, secure fit solve real problems for anyone who has ruined a pair of premium headphones at the gym. Strong battery life, good calls and excellent Apple and Android support round it out.

It loses points on everything else that $349.99 normally buys: no wired audio, no lossless, no custom EQ, no wear detection, and ANC that is good rather than best-in-class. If you plan to sweat in them, the 360 is the pair to get. If you won’t, Bose, Sony or the cheaper Studio Pro will serve you better.

Weighing it against the Sonos? Read our Sonos Ace Ultra vs Beats 360 comparison.

Where to buy

Check whether a listing includes UltraPlush cushions or only the knit set. Retailer bundles vary, and a second set of cushions bought separately adds about $50.