Looks like it would be more at home in the kitchen timing eggs, but is actually a decent choice for outdoors types and not too pricey. The unusual necklace-style earphones stop the player from pulling the headphones from your ears, but it does mean that the unit swings around a lot if you go running. And with just four buttons, navigation through your tunes is easy.

The smallest of the bunch can be worn around your neck on a strap while you exercise. But for the sake of saving your pride, you're probably better off slipping it into your pocket as it's so incredibly light you wouldn't even know it's there. The only downside is that with so many buttons it's tricky to use while you're exercising.

Great for posing, but not a practical purchase if you planto use it for your workout. The earphone cable is not even two feet long, which means you're forced to wear it dangling around your belly like a gaudy hi-tech pendant tugging at the earphones. There are hours of frustration to be had with the fiddly function buttons, too - anyone with digits bigger than an infant's may struggle.

It was a shrewd idea to collaborate with Nike on this MP3, as it is far and away the best choice for sportsmen. The device - which is fairly basic but easy to use - can be worn on an armband, cancelling the need for pockets, while the earphones are cunningly designed sit on the back of your neck in such a way that they can't pop out of your ears. Great value.

The B&O offering is typically classy, minimal-looking and user friendly. The earphones are so perfectly constructed that you could run into the path of a tornado and they still wouldn't dislodge. Unfortunately, it doesn't have any sort of clip to attach it to clothing, so when you're running you'll need to slip it into your pocket, where it will bounce around perilously close to your family jewels.

Definitely the most stylish and practical. It's easy to use - run your fingers around the wheel on the front to navigate the menus, hit play and you're off - and lighter than it looks. Simply slip the iPod into its holder and pop it onto your waistband and you won't even know it's there. Best of all, it holds thousands of tunes, keeping you entertained through one marathon after another.