4 iPod Alternatives For Your Workout Session

Nothing keeps you motivated during a workout like some great tunes, and as the cost of flash memory has dropped, workout mp3 players have become a popular option at the gym.  Here’s a look at a few of the cheapest mp3 players on the market that are perfect for serious workouts that would leave other mp3 players gasping for breath.

As an added plus, all of these mp3 players cost less than $50, which means that you can workout without stretching your budget.

SanDisk Sansa Connect (4GB) – The Sansa Connect is one of the most full featured mp3 players on this list, and it offers a great 4GB worth of memory—more than enough for the longest workout sessions.

The coolest thing about the Sansa Connect is its Internet connectivity.  There are very few mp3 players in this price range that offer a WiFi connection, and fewer still that allow you to use a streaming Internet service as full featured as Yahoo! Music.  For a cheap monthly subscription fee, you can keep the tunes on your Sansa Connect playing while you work out at home or at a gym with WiFi, and that's certainly very cool.  Unfortunately, it's just WiFi, so if you're into long jogs down by the park, you're not going to be able to keep the music streaming.  Still, for $50, the Sansa Connect is a very full-featured mp3 player, and it's hard to find any serious issues with it. 

Coby MP-C556 – Coby’s mp3 players have provided simple versions of their competitors’ major features for years, usually with a very small pricetag.  The MP-C556 isn’t going to turn any heads, but it will play your tunes reliably.  It boasts a great battery life, simple operation, easy song transfers, and 512MB of internal memory for under $40.  There are mp3 players with much better options on the market, but you’re not going to mind if your MP-C556 takes a few hits during your workout.  It can take a lot of abuse, and it’s cheap—perfect for workout enthusiasts who don’t want to worry about a big, expensive mp3 player.

RCA M2204 – This one is clearly modeled after the iPod, but I’m not complaining.  RCA has done things right.  The M2204 will play back protected music and videos, which means that you can use it with your favorite music websites (besides just iTunes).  It can also play pictures and video, so it’s good for anyone who likes the look of the iPod but doesn’t want to shell out a ton of cash for one—plus, the touch display feels very nice, and it’s easy to use during a workout.

Philips SA2625 – The Philips is another no-nonsense player with some seriously tough features.  You can playback protected content from a range of music websites or use the built in FM tuner to hear a few tracks off of the radio during your workout.  It’s got a built in USB connection, so you’ll never lose your cord; all you have to do is plug the SA625 directly into your computer to transfer and go.  There’s even a built in equalizer.  The Philips SA2625 is astoundingly cheap, and it’s a particularly fantastic alternative to the iPod shuffle.  Don’t be surprised if you find yourself ordering a few of these to give out to friends at the gym.