Trains, buses, and bikes: MP3 players for your commute

Jasmine France, Senior Associate Editor April 6, 2009

You listen to your stereo at home and to your computer at work, but filling your commute with tunes requires a portable player. If you commute by car, look for a hard-drive-based model; size doesn't matter much in this situation, so feel free to save money by buying a heftier unit. You'll also need a cassette-style adapter and a cigarette-lighter charger. The former can be purchased anywhere, but for the charger, stick with manufacturer-approved accessories; that way, you'll avoid frying your player with the wrong voltage or polarity. If your car has no cassette player, you're going to need an FM transmitter device or a direct line-in jack on your car stereo. If you commute via subway, bus, or some self-propelling method (i.e. biking or walking), look for a compact flash-based player and, to seal out as much of the din as possible, a pair of noise-canceling or sound-isolating headphones. Remember, though: if you ride a bike, it's illegal to have both ears covered. Pick some earbuds and always leave one out.

First up for the car drivers, we've selected the Microsoft Zune and the Apple iPod. These quality players have plenty of room to store most people's entire music collection, but the main reason they make this list above other hard drive models is due to the plethora of auto-friendly accessories available for them. For commuters whose only container is a bag or pocket, we have the iRiver Clix, the SanDisk Sansa Connect, the Sony Walkman, and the Creative Zen Stone. These are all highly rated flash players--with a variety of pricing options and feature sets--and they won't weigh you down.

More Resources

Editors' top MP3 players,

Editors' top headphones