Regardless of what you’re looking for, you’ll find a set of earbuds for you in this list. We’ve got all sorts of styles from wired to true wireless earbuds, and everything in between. If you’re on the go, or just chilling at home, you’ll find a great pair of earbuds to check out your favorite music or podcasts. While a wired headset will almost always give you better sound, there’s nothing quite like the freedom of true wireless earbuds. Here are our picks of the best out there. Pairing the AirPods Pro with your iPhone is as simple as holding them near one another. You can also simply say “Hey Siri” to access Apple’s assistant. If you’re on an Android phone, things aren’t quite as simple, but they still work. You can pair the AirPods Pro like a normal set of Bluetooth earbuds. You won’t get the same kind of control on an Android phone, but they will still work and deliver excellent sound. Type: True Wireless | Connection Type: Bluetooth | ANC: Yes | Water/Sweat Resistant: Both Battery life is pretty good with these earbuds. Jabra promises around 7.5 hours on a single charge, which will almost get you through a workday. Along with the charging case, you can expect up to 28 hours of listening, meaning the case has enough juice for another 2.5 charges before it needs to get plugged in. That’s pretty impressive, and could get you through a weekend trip without needing a cord. Type: True Wireless | Connection Type: Bluetooth | ANC: Yes | Water/Sweat Resistant: Both The sound quality of these earbuds is superb. They are the first THX-certified headphones, which confirms the amazing sound you’re getting. While the Quad Drivers don’t have noise-cancelling technology, the numerous ear tips ensure great sound isolation, meaning the sounds around you will disappear, leaving you in your own sonic oasis. They’re wired earbuds, which means your phone or audio player will need to have a headphone jack, so that’s important to keep in mind. The headphones also only come in one color option: gray. Type: Wired | Connection Type: 3.5mm | ANC: No | Water/Sweat Resistant: No The sound quality is really great, especially the bass. Unfortunately, these great sounds max out at a volume that isn’t as high as some other options. If you plan to wear these buds in loud environments, that could be problematic. The battery life is rated only at 6 hours, which is fine if you’re going to wear these while working out, but not so much if you’re going to wear them at work, or when relaxing at home. Typically, earbuds with a connecting wire have better battery life, so we expected more here. But if you’re OK with shorter listening sessions, these will give you great sound across the spectrum. Type: Wireless | Connection Type: Bluetooth/NFC | ANC: No | Water/Sweat Resistant: Sweat The buds will last around 6 hours on a full charge, which is great for working out. The case holds an additional 34 hours of charge, meaning you can charge these things forever. The sound quality is not the best, and that’s due largely to the no-isolation design of the earbuds. The buds are designed to rest outside your ear canal, which is great for working out. You can remain aware of your surroundings in the gym or out on the road, but the result is a lack of punch to the sound, making it sound hollow. Maybe that’s not the biggest concern if you’re looking for a good set of workout buds that last forever. But if you’re more of an audiophile that can be problematic. Type: True Wireless | Connection Type: Bluetooth | ANC: No | Water/Sweat Resistant: Both The AirPods will last you around 5 hours on a single charge with an extra 20-24 hours in the charging case. This was pretty amazing when they first came out, but since then others have caught up, so 24 hours remains about the average. But AirPods give you that extra premium build quality that Apple brings. If you have an iPhone, and the AirPods Pro are a bit out of your budget, these are a good alternative. Type: True Wireless | Connection Type: Bluetooth, NFC | ANC: No | Water/Sweat Resistant: No The earbuds’ attached cable is quite long, approaching 4 feet in length which can make it a bit unwieldy for day-to-day use. However, this could come in handy for gaming — if you’re plugging your earbuds into your controller, that extra length can be a blessing. But if you’re just strolling down the street or trying to run or work out, that extra length can get in the way very quickly. Type: Wired | Connection Type: 3.5mm | ANC: No | Water/Sweat Resistant: No All the extras you get with these buds though make them pretty great. Not only do you get surround sound, but you also get Ambient Aware, which is what Samsung calls its passthrough technology that allows you to hear what’s going on around you. Another nice perk is Qi wireless charging, which works well with reverse wireless charging on Samsung phones. Overall, this is a great package from Samsung and should be near the top of any shopping list you have for true wireless earbuds. Type: True Wireless | Connection Type: Bluetooth | ANC: No | Water/Sweat Resistant: No The Liberty Air 2 offer solid Bluetooth connectivity, which is great. Our reviewer did run into trouble when attempting to connect the earbuds to a second device, however. Bluetooth 5.0 should support that, but the earbuds didn’t switch between devices as seamlessly as the technology should allow. This is mostly a niche case, but worth mentioning. Otherwise, you’ll get really good sound and rock-solid connectivity which is all you can ask for in Bluetooth earbuds. Type: True Wireless | Connection Type: Bluetooth | ANC: No | Water/Sweat Resistant: Water A single charge of these earbuds will get you just four hours of listening time. If you have a long meeting, these buds won’t even make it to lunch on an average workday. Along with the case, you get a total of 20 hours, which is still below average for this industry. But if you’re looking for great sound, and don’t mind the short battery life, these are a good option. Type: True Wireless | Connection Type: Bluetooth | ANC: Yes | Water/Sweat Resistant: No
About Our Trusted Experts
Adam Doud has been writing in the technology space for almost a decade. When he’s not hosting the Benefit of the Doud podcast, he’s checking out all the earbuds and headphones he can get his head between. That’s not as weird as it sounds. Jason Schneider has been reviewing audio products for over a decade. With a degree in Music Technology and previous publication in Greatist and Thrillist, he’s our premier audio expert and has covered just about everything from earphones and speakers to earplugs and keyboards. He’s like both the Bose Soundsport Wireless and the original Airpods for their solid audio quality and easy pairing. Yoona Wagener has a background in content and technical writing. She has written for BigTime Software, Idealist Careers, and other small tech companies. Ajay Kumar is a Tech Commerce Editor for Lifewire. He joined Dotdash in November 2018 and brings with him nearly a decade of experience in tech journalism, consumer electronics, and digital publishing.
What to Look For in Earbuds
Earbuds come in a variety of different styles, brands, and types, and they also come in prices ranging from less than five bucks to several hundreds of dollars. With so many options at prices all over the map, how do you decide which earbuds to buy? Aside from the cost, factors such as design, battery life, charging, audio quality, noise-cancelling, controls, range, water resistance, and compatibility may all play a role when choosing the best pair of earbuds for you. We break down everything you need to know in this earbuds buying guide.
Battery life
Battery life on wireless headphones is crucial. Many true wireless headphones have two battery life ratings—battery life on a single charge and the combined battery life that comes in the charging case (if applicable). It’s important to note both factors and decide if the headphones’ performance will meet your requirements in a single session and over the long term.
Connectivity
How your headphones connect to your music player is crucial to your experience. If you want a wired connection, make sure your music player has a headphone jack. If you want a wireless connection, make sure the range is good and that the codecs your music player supports are the same as those in the headphones. Only one of them has to match in that regard.
Fit
Pay attention to comments on how the earbuds fit. Some earbuds go into the ear canal, others rest on your earlobes, and others combine both scenarios. The shape of your ears will largely determine your comfort with a given set of headphones.
Earphones vs. Earbuds
Earbuds sit on the outside of the ear canal, while you gently insert earphones (or in-ear headphones) into your ear canal. In spite of this difference, some brands will market earphones as earbuds or “in-ear earbuds.” Although you may see earphones labeled as earbuds, there’s a clear distinction in the design of the two. Earphones usually fit more securely in the ears, and they may produce better audio quality, while earbuds are easier to clean and may offer benefits in terms of durability.
Wired Earbuds
You know those wired EarPods you get when you buy an iPhone, like an iPhone 8 or iPhone XR? Those are wired earbuds. You’ll also see wired earbuds where the bud portion is circular instead of shaped to fit the geometry of the ear. Wired earbuds have a cord you plug into your phone or device. The other end of the cord will have some sort of connector, like a 3.5 mm audio jack or a lightning cable that plugs into your device. Wired earbuds offer several benefits over their wireless competitors, including a lower price point, better audio quality, compatibility benefits, and the ability to operate without a battery. On the other hand, wired earbuds come with the drawbacks of having to deal with cords that can tangle and leave you tethered to your device. You can’t set your device down and walk away from your phone while listening to wired earbuds like you can with a good pair of wireless earbuds.
True Wireless Earbuds
Bluetooth is the most common wireless technology for earbuds, and Bluetooth earbuds and in-ear headphones come in different styles. You can find neckband style earphones that have a thick band that goes around the back of the neck, and wires that connect to each in-ear headphone or earbud. You can also find earbuds that connect to each other with a thin wire, but they connect to your device via Bluetooth. The neckband style is popular among runners and gym-goers because the band or wire can help promote additional stability. Also, many users say they don’t even notice the thin connector wire once they get used to it. Although these neckband style earphones and earbuds are wireless in the sense that they don’t connect to your device with a wire, they’re not true wireless earbuds. True wireless earbuds have no external wires whatsoever, and you get a separate earbud for each ear. These are earbuds like Apple AirPods, Samsung GalaxyBuds, and Sennheiser Momentum True Wireless Earbuds. When it comes to finding a pair of true wireless earbuds, you have a few different style options. If you like the bud and stem look, you can find several true wireless earbuds that have a similar style to AirPods, where they have the small bud that sits in the ear and then a stem that hangs down and may include a microphone. If you like more subtle earbuds, you can go with a smaller design, like Samsung Galaxy Buds. These are rounded with no stem, so they’re more inconspicuous when you’re wearing them. If stability is your top priority, and you don’t want to worry about your buds falling out of your ears, you may want to go with an over-the-ear design. Although the over-the-ear design is more common with in-ear headphones, you can find earbuds in this design as well, like the JLab Audio JBuds Air Sport True Wireless Bluetooth Earbuds.
True Wireless Earbuds vs. Bluetooth Headsets
Wireless earbuds come in a pair and are optimized for sound quality and music playback. Bluetooth headsets are optimized for conversation, and they often come as a single earpiece that goes in one ear. Also, a Bluetooth headset will always have a microphone, while earbuds may or may not have a microphone (though more and more earbuds are also including inline microphones).
Sound Quality
When shopping for earbuds, you’ll see a few specifications that can help determine sound quality. Driver Size The driver is primarily responsible for converting the signal coming from your device into audible vibrations. It’s basically a loudspeaker composed of a voice coil, magnet, and diaphragm. Earbud drivers usually range in size from around 4 mm to 15 mm. Larger drivers are generally more powerful than smaller drivers, but a larger driver doesn’t necessarily mean better sound quality. Other factors, like tuning, materials, and build quality all impact sound performance. Sometimes, the manufacturer won’t even indicate the driver size, but that’s OK. You can use other specs to help determine your earbud’s sound quality. Sound Mode The sound mode will say something like “mono,” or most often, “stereo.” Stereo sound mode means it has a right and a left sound channel, so it gives the audio depth. Mono means it only has a single channel, so you’re hearing the same sounds in each ear. If a pair of headphones has a “surround sound” mode, this means it sounds like it has several channels (5.1 or 7.1), so you can hear several layers of sound and even more dimension than you can with stereo sound. Frequency Response Frequency response measures the earbuds’ ability to reproduce high and low tones. Sub-bass and bass frequencies are between 20 and 250 Hz, while higher tones are in the kHz ranges. The Jabra Elite Sport True Wireless Earbuds have a minimum frequency response of 20 Hz and a maximum frequency response of 20 kHz, which covers the full range of human hearing. Impedance Impedance measures resistance, and lower numbers are generally better because it means the earbuds require less power and amplification to produce a clean sound. You’ll usually see an impedance number of around 16 ohms for earbuds. It may go higher for headphones. Sensitivity This is a measure of efficiency. It indicates how much sound the earbuds can produce with a given amount of power. If the earbuds or earphones indicate a sensitivity rating, it will often be 100 decibels or higher. Sound Isolation If the earbuds or earphones have sound isolating, this means they have some means of blocking outside noise. It’s basically a type of noise canceling. By blocking off your ear canal from other sound waves, it focuses on the sound coming from the earbud or earphone. Active Noise Cancelling If the earbuds have active noise cancelling (ANC) technology, this means they produce sound waves to counteract background noise and cancel out the external sound. If noise canceling is a priority, you may want to seek out earbuds with ANC.
Bluetooth Connectivity and Codecs
When you examine the connectivity specifications for a pair of earbuds, you’ll often see information on the Bluetooth version and codec. Typical wireless earbuds will be Bluetooth versions 4.0, 4.1, 4,2, or 5.0, but newer Bluetooth versions are backward compatible, so most Bluetooth earbuds will work with most phones. You’ll also want to be mindful of the earbuds’ Bluetooth range, which tells you how far you can travel away from your phone while wearing your earbuds and still experience a stable connection.The codec (stands for compression/decompression) tells you how Bluetooth is transmitted from your phone to your earbuds. It’ll say something like AAC and/or SBC, and most earbuds will have a compatible codec for Android phones and iPhones.
Earbud Controls
Most earbuds have some sort of volume controls, as well as controls for music functions like play, pause, previous, and next song. If the earbuds have a microphone built-in you’ll also have buttons for answering and rejecting calls. Some of these buttons may double as more than one function. For instance, the “play” button may double as the “answer call” button, or the “decline call” may double as the “stop” or “pause” button. Some earbuds have touch controls, while others have physical buttons. Many earbuds, like AirPods, are controlled by taps. Examine the controls, and see if the controls will be comfortable and easy to access.
Battery Life
Typically, wireless earbuds will indicate the battery capacity in milliampere hours, or mAh. This is a formula that determines a battery’s storage capacity, and it’s the time a battery lasts times the discharge current. To use a real-life example, the Jaybird - RUN XT Sport True Wireless In-Ear Headphones have an 80 mAh battery and the battery lasts for four hours. This means the headphones draw 20 milliamperes of power (80 mAh divided by 4 hours = 20 mA).Wireless earbuds should take between 60 minutes and five hours to reach a full charge, and most earbuds last for between four and 12 hours on a single charge. Twelve hours or more is generally considered very good. However, you can find devices with an extended battery life, or devices that come with a charging case.
Charging Cases
If you plan on using your earbuds regularly, it’s a good idea to find a pair of earbuds that come with a charging case you can take with you on-the-go. These cases provide an additional two or more full charges without connecting to an outlet, so you can charge your buds while you’re away from home. You can find a number of earbuds that include a charging case like Apple AirPods, Samsung Galaxy Buds, and even earbuds from a number of lesser-known brands.
Water Resistance
Water-resistant earbuds are particularly important for those who plan on using them outdoors or while exercising. Water resistance prevents the earbuds from getting destroyed when they come into contact with rain, sweat, or water splashes. If the earbuds are water or sweat resistant, you’ll see that feature in the product description. You should also see a water resistance rating, like IPX5, IPX6, or IPX7. The higher the number at the end, the more resistant the earbuds are to water. A water resistance rating of IPX5 means the product can withstand sustained, low-pressure water jets. If it has a water resistance rating of IPX6, this means the earbuds can resist heavy-pressure sprays of water. Once you get up to IPX7 water resistance, this means the earbuds can be submerged in up to one meter of water for up to 30 minutes. However, because water resistance doesn’t mean waterproof, it’s probably not a good idea to go swimming with your earbuds even if they have a water resistance rating.
Voice Assistants and Companion Apps
If you want a voice assistant available to you at all times, you may want to go with a pair of earbuds like Echo Buds or Google Pixel Buds. Many earbuds have a companion app, where you can adjust the controls, enable and disable features, and even view wellness information. The Bose Connect App, for instance, lets you view your real-time heart rate.
Brands and Manufacturers
You have countless options when it comes to choosing a brand of earphones or earbuds. Here are a few of those options, and what they have to offer. Off-brand Earbuds Earbuds are different from other tech-like phones and tablets because you can actually get a pretty good pair of off-brand earbuds for a very low price. The lower-priced earbuds may even offer similar features and functionality to the higher-priced options. You may not get the latest features like a voice-assistant, but you can get touch controls, water resistance, and noise isolation in a pair of earbuds or earphones that cost less than $50. On the other hand, shelling out a bit more cash may promote longevity and better overall quality. Let’s not forget about style either. Earbuds have become a trend, and having the right pair of earbuds—a pair that looks good—is key for some people. Apple Apple AirPods and Apple AirPods Pro have become extremely popular for their style and ease of use with the iPhone. However, AirPods are costly, especially when you compare them to competitors that offer similar features at a lower cost. Google Google Pixel Buds are small and stylish with decent battery life. You can take Google Assistant everywhere you go and ask the assistant to turn up your music when you don’t have a free hand. The latest Pixel Buds can even translate conversations in real-time. However, the new Pixel Buds have some design quirks, and the controls aren’t very intuitive. Jabra Jabra makes several different earbud and in-ear headphone models, including the Jabra Evolve 65t, Jabra Elite 65t, the Jabra Elite Sport, and more. Jabra products are generally well-built, and most of their earbuds have pretty good battery lives. Some of the higher-end Jabra earbuds even have Alexa built-in, but you’re going to pay a pretty penny for the best Jabra earbuds. Accessories You may see some earbuds, earphones, or over-the-ear style buds that come with additional ear tips, ear hooks, or cases. Sometimes the manufacturer will offer different sizes of ear tips or ear hooks, so you can get the best possible fit. You can also purchase aftermarket accessories, like a strap to connect your AirPods or an extra charging case.
Conclusion
When picking out a pair of earbuds, keep in mind how, when, and where you’re going to be using them. If you’re going to be working out or frequently using your buds outdoors, look for features like stability, a good water resistance rating, good build quality, and good battery life. If you’re listening to music and making calls, look for the best audio quality, noise-canceling, and advanced microphone technology. Buying the most expensive pair of earbuds doesn’t guarantee you’ll be happy with your purchase. It’s best to carefully examine the design, features, and sound quality to determine the best buds for your individual lifestyle.
