It’s hard to buy a bad pair of wireless earbuds these days, and with constant discounts and deals wherever you look, now is as good a time as any to splurge on the pair you’ve been eyeing. The market has come a long way since the early era of true wireless earbuds when we had to deal with mediocre sound quality and unreliable performance, all for the sake of ditching cables. Things are much different now. After several product generations of learned lessons, companies like Sony, Apple, Samsung, and others are releasing their most impressive earbuds to date.
You can get phenomenal noise cancellation and sound quality in the premium tier of earbuds if you’re willing to spend big. But those aren’t always the most important criteria for everyone: maybe you’re looking for the perfect fitness earbuds or for a set that works just as well for Zoom calls as for playing your favorite playlists and podcasts.
Tech companies are increasingly making their earbuds work best with their own products through exclusive features and functionality, so that’s another thing to consider as you shop around. If you want a perk like head-tracking spatial audio, you’ll need to use AirPods with an iPhone, Samsung buds with a Samsung phone, and so on.
What I’m looking for
Whether you’re using earbuds to check out a newly-released album on Spotify, as motivation at the gym, or to tune out distractions around the office, they must deliver on the key metrics of sound quality, noise cancellation, voice call performance, and more. We spend many hours putting our picks through the paces. This includes quiet listening sessions that reveal their full detail, overall fidelity, and dynamics. We also take these buds out into the real world — on rush hour subway commutes, around busy cities, and in crowded cafes — to gauge their connection strength and determine how effectively they can quiet the world around you. We test them on video calls at work and by calling friends and family, who provide blunt feedback on how their mics sound. And importantly, with earbud makers often reserving certain software tricks for their own preferred ecosystem, we see how the earbuds fare when used across multiple platforms.
No matter how they sound, what good are earbuds if you don’t enjoy wearing them? Ears come in all shapes and sizes, so the comfort factor is highly subjective. Most of our picks include several sizes of ear tips; usually they’re silicone, but some companies use foam (or both). Again, which you like better comes down to personal preference. Silicone tips are more common, but foam can expand to fill more of your ear for a better seal. The most important tip we can offer is to try different-sized tips in each ear: you might find that one of your ears needs something bigger or smaller than the other.
Just like with comfort, we all have our own inclinations for what we want from sound quality. Some people are bass-heads who can’t live without a thumping low end. Personally, we care more about dynamics, clarity, and definition from the music we’re listening to. We want vocals to ring through naturally and instruments to be well separated in the sound stage. We look for earbuds that can bring out the subtle details in our favorite songs.
What was once a luxury feature is now the status quo. Many of our top picks include active noise cancellation to help quiet the raucous outside world. Whether you’re trying to concentrate at the office or rest while traveling, noise cancellation can be a huge help. However, some people hate the “plugged up” feeling of earbuds and prefer open-style buds that help maintain full awareness of their surroundings.
Most earbuds these days can reach between five and six hours of continuous battery life with ANC enabled. Some models can exceed that (and over-ear headphones tend to last much longer on a charge), but the convenience of being able to just pop your earbuds back into their case for more juice makes the tradeoff easier to live with.
Even if you don’t intend to use your earbuds for fitness purposes, there’s always a chance of getting caught out in the rain while wearing them. At minimum, you should be looking for earbuds that offer IPX4 water resistance. This safeguards them from splashes of water (and sweat), so they should be cut out for the hazards of daily life.
The best overall wireless earbuds
$228
The Good
- Smaller, more comfortable design
- Upgrades to ANC and sound quality
- Much clearer voice call performance
The Bad
- Glossy texture can make them harder to remove from case
- Sony’s bonus features aren’t as seamless as those of its competitors
- Potential battery longevity concerns
Noise cancellation: Yes / Battery life: 8 hours (ANC on) / Water resistance: IPX4 / Bluetooth codecs: LDAC, AAC, SBC / Multipoint: Yes / Works best with: Android, iOS, Windows, macOS / Ear tips: Foam (XS, S, M, L)
Just like their predecessors, Sony’s WF-1000XM5 earbuds have again topped our recommendations for the overall best noise-canceling earbuds. Thanks to their larger drivers, the audio quality is more detailed and dynamic than before while still retaining the warmth and clarity that made the WF-1000XM4 so enjoyable. Sony has also further improved its ANC and is nearing the same territory as Bose’s QC Earbuds II. These earbuds do a terrific job of eliminating background noise. Battery life can stretch to eight hours of continuous listening with noise cancellation turned on.
Some people found the XM4 to be bulky and uncomfortable, so this time around, Sony has managed to shrink the XM5 by 25 percent. Like before, the company includes foam-style tips that expand in your ears to create an excellent seal — and now there’s a fourth (extra small) set of tips in the box.
On Android phones, the 1000XM5 support Sony’s LDAC codec for higher-quality music playback. And they’re capable of dynamic head tracking spatial audio through supported video apps like Netflix. But even if you’re not using LDAC (or have an iPhone), these are up there with the very best audio-focused premium earbuds — including Sennheiser’s Momentum True Wireless 4, only with substantially better noise cancellation. They’re also capable of multipoint Bluetooth connectivity, so you can pair them with two devices at the same time.
It’s worth noting that there were many reports of battery issues with the 1000XM4 over time as those earbuds aged, but Sony claims to have rectified that problem with the new model by tweaking the charging algorithm.
Read our full WF-1000XM5 review.
The best budget earbuds under $100
$89
The Good
- Standout color and design
- Very compact carrying case
- Great performer for the price
The Bad
- Limited retail availability
- Plastic case can show scuffs
Noise cancellation: Yes / Battery life: 5.5 hours (ANC on) / Water resistance: IP54 / Bluetooth codecs: LDAC, AAC, SBC / Multipoint: Yes / Works best with: Android, iOS, Windows, macOS / Ear tips: Silicone (S, M, L)
When looking at Nothing’s Ear (a) earbuds, it’s easy to focus all your attention on the catchy yellow color or their fun, super compact carrying case. But at their $99 price, the company’s entry-level earbuds provide a ton of features, including active noise cancellation, a low-latency mode for gaming, multipoint Bluetooth pairing, and a decent IP54 dust and water resistance rating.
And the sound quality you get outperforms my usual expectations for this price point. They’re not quite on par with Nothing’s higher-end Ears, but you do get expressive, very enjoyable audio — and you can customize the EQ further in Nothing’s mobile app.
Read my Nothing Ear (a) hands-on impressions.
The best noise-canceling earbuds
$299
The Good
- Exceptional ANC
- Secure fit
- Wireless charging case
The Bad
- Bulky design
- Merely average battery life
Noise cancellation: Yes / Battery life: 6 hours (ANC on) / Water resistance: IPX4 / Bluetooth codecs: AAC, SBC, aptX Adaptive / Multipoint: Yes / Works best with: Android, iOS, Windows, macOS / Ear tips: Silicone (S, M, L)
The name Bose has been synonymous with noise cancellation for decades, and it’s again proven why with the QuietComfort Ultra Earbuds (Gen 2). They offer the best noise-canceling performance available in a set of earbuds, delivering the peace and isolation many of us crave throughout the day. The second-gen earbuds bring some much-needed improvements to call quality, too, and while they don’t match the performance of our best call quality picks, the AirPods 4 or Samsung Galaxy Buds, the Bose handle noisy environments far better and allow you to sound like you in conversations.
Although Bose added wireless charging and there’s now a little screen in the ear tips to keep earwax out of the earbuds, there’s no visual upgrade to speak of. The second-gen earbuds maintain a chunky look that’s identical to the first-gen QC Ultra Earbuds, which were already extremely similar to 2022’s QC Earbuds II. They come with three ear tips and three stabilizer sizes, providing a variety of combinations and a secure fit for different ear shapes.
As with the design, the QC Ultra Earbuds (Gen 2) sound nearly identical to their first-gen counterpart. The bass and treble are boosted, providing more bass than competitors and a lively high-end — although it can get to be a bit much on some tracks. Bose continues to stick with its three-band EQ in the app, which doesn’t allow much meaningful adjustment, but most people will appreciate the stock sound. Bose also continues to offer Immersive Audio, first introduced with the Ultra Earbuds, which is similar to Apple’s spatial audio.
Read our full QC Ultra Earbuds (Gen 2) review.
The best earbuds for sports and working out
$249
The Good
- Huzzah! Wireless charging!
- Adds ANC, transparency modes, spatial audio
- Slimmer ear hook, smaller case
- Adds heart rate
- Great sound
- No price hike
The Bad
- Case is still a chonker
- Heart rate is not that useful for iOS users
Noise cancellation: Yes / Battery life: 8 hours (ANC on) / Water resistance: IPX4 / Bluetooth codecs: AAC, SBC / Multipoint: No / Works best with: Android, iOS, Windows, macOS / Ear tips: Silicone (XS, S, M, L, XL)
After a long wait, Beats finally introduced the Powerbeats Pro 2 in early 2025. They carry forward the signature ear hook design of past Powerbeats earbuds, but improve upon the original Powerbeats Pro in several key ways. Beats added active noise cancellation and a natural-sounding transparency mode to the Pro 2; the first-gen pair lacked both. The earbuds themselves are lighter, too, and the charging case is noticeably smaller.
The Powerbeats Pro 2 also feature heart rate monitoring thanks to built-in sensors on each earbud. You might already have a fitness tracker, chest strap, or smartwatch for this purpose, but if not, you can use these with compatible apps like Nike Run Club, Runna, Ladder, Slopes, Open, Peloton, and YaoYao. The downside is that they can’t simultaneously play music and broadcast heart rate to gym equipment when paired to an iOS device, rendering the Pro 2 a better heart rate monitoring alternative for Android users than iPhone users.
The Powerbeats Pro 2 remain rated IPX4 for water resistance. While that’s not as robust as some other fitness-focused buds, it should be sufficient to survive sweat and outdoor runs in various conditions. The earbuds still offer easy-to-use physical buttons and a dedicated volume rocker, so it’s easy to control them in the middle of a workout.
If you’re an iPhone owner, the Powerbeats Pro 2 earbuds include Apple-only features like dynamic head tracking for spatial audio, auto device switching, Find My integration, and more. For Android users, Beats has an app that packs in a smaller subset of these functions.
Read our full Powerbeats Pro 2 review.
The best earbuds for iPhone owners
$249
The Good
- Improved ANC and sound
- Longer battery
- Standalone workout tracking
- Live translation
- Same price
- IP57
- Better fit
- Camera remote control is handy!
The Bad
- If you’re hoping for traditional foam ear tips, this isn’t that
Noise cancellation: Yes / Battery life: 8 hours (ANC on) / Water resistance: IP57 / Bluetooth codecs: AAC, SBC / Multipoint: No / Works best with: iOS, macOS / Ear tips: Silicone (XXS, XS, S, M, L)
Apple continually adds to the features of the AirPods Pro line — either with a new product like the second-gen AirPods Pro, or with a software update, such as the one that introduced the hearing health features last year. The AirPods Pro 3 continue the trend, with (yet again) improved noise-canceling performance, heart rate sensing, newly designed ear tips with an extra XXS size, and more battery life. The splashiest update is Live Translation, which, unlike the other improvements, still needs some time to develop into a more streamlined experience.
The new foam-infused earbuds improve passive isolation and, in combination with better ANC performance, give the AirPods Pro 3 the best overall noise canceling from a pair of Apple earbuds yet. ANC performance is incredibly close to that of the Bose QC Ultra Earbuds (Gen 2), but the AirPods have a slight high-end hiss (although some people might not even notice it). A redesign of the acoustic architecture gives the AirPods Pro 3 improved bass performance over the second-gen model, and its spatial audio delivers a wider, richer listening experience.
But what’s important for many Apple users is how well the AirPods Pro 3 fit into the Apple ecosystem. A new heart sensor, which we first saw with the Powerbeats Pro 2 last winter, enables heart rate tracking for 50 different types of workouts directly from the iOS Fitness app. And unlike the Powerbeats Pro 2, the AirPods can work in conjunction with the Apple Watch, providing a secondary heart rate stream to ensure you always have the most accurate data.
Read our full AirPods Pro 3 review.
The best earbuds for Samsung Galaxy phone owners
$180
The Good
- Terrific sound quality
- Crisp, natural transparency / passthrough mode
- Voice commands are simple and so useful
- Good voice calls
The Bad
- Uninspired design
- Midtier noise cancellation performance
- No true multipoint
Noise cancellation: Yes / Battery life: 6 hours (ANC on) / Water resistance: IP57 / Bluetooth codecs: Samsung seamless, AAC, SBC / Multipoint: No / Works best with: Android, Windows, macOS / Ear tips: Silicone (S, M, L)
Samsung’s Galaxy Buds 3 Pro ditch the company’s more discreet designs of the past for a stemmed style that’s similar to AirPods and any number of other wireless earbuds. Boring? Maybe, but thanks to that change, we’ve found them to be more comfortable and provide better stability than the Buds 2 Pro. The sound quality is even better than before — and it was already excellent. These are right up there with Sennheiser and Technics from an audio fidelity standpoint.
The Buds 3 Pro are also a standout performer when it comes to call quality. And our favorite thing about these earbuds are the hands-free voice commands that don’t require you to say any specific wake phrase beforehand. You can just say “volume up” and / or “next song,” and it happens.
But they’re not perfect: the Buds 3 Pro lack multipoint connectivity, so they can’t connect to two devices at the same time. Just like Apple, Samsung prefers to automatically hop between products within its own walled garden ecosystem. Some people might consider this a dealbreaker, but we’ve still enjoyed the earbuds plenty without it.
Read our full Galaxy Buds 3 Pro review.
The best earbuds for Google Pixel phone owners
$169
The Good
- Smaller and lighter design is supremely comfortable
- More powerful noise cancellation
- Crystal-clear transparency mode
- Very pleasant and detailed sound quality
The Bad
- ANC can’t quite match Bose
- Google still refuses to add higher-quality Bluetooth codecs, limiting overall fidelity
- Gemini Live feels more feeble than futuristic
Noise cancellation: Yes / Battery life: 8 hours (ANC on) / Water resistance: IP54 / Bluetooth codecs: AAC, SBC / Multipoint: Yes / Works best with: Android, Windows, macOS / Ear tips: Silicone (XS, S, M, L)
With the Pixel Buds Pro 2, Google has addressed most of the downsides of the original pair. They’re far smaller and lighter than the chunky first-gen Pixel Buds Pro. And there’s a small nub on the buds to help lock them in place even during intensive activities like running or exercise.
Google’s active noise cancellation still isn’t on the same tier as Bose, but the transparency mode on the Buds Pro 2 is among the very best you’ll find. It offers a crisp, natural passthrough for the outside world when needed. Multipoint support is included, and Google’s latest earbuds eke out impressive battery life that surpasses most competitors.
Got a Pixel phone? With the Pixel Buds Pro 2, you can have lengthy conversations with Google’s Gemini AI while your phone stays in your pocket. Features like head-tracking spatial audio and Clear Calling are also exclusive to those within the Pixel ecosystem. If that’s you, the Pixel Buds Pro 2 are a big step up from the previous buds in a much smaller package.
Read our full Pixel Buds Pro 2 review.
The best earbuds if you own both Apple and Android devices
$150
The Good
- Better sound, ANC, and battery life than Studio Buds
- Standout translucent case option
- Improved voice call performance
The Bad
- ANC and transparency fall short of second-gen AirPods Pro
- Doesn’t offer all Apple ecosystem tricks
- No wireless charging or in-ear detection
Noise cancellation: Yes / Battery life: 6 hours (ANC on) / Water resistance: IPX4 / Bluetooth codecs: AAC, SBC / Multipoint: No / Works best with: Android, iOS, Windows, macOS / Ear tips: Silicone (XS, S, M, L)
Beats’ Studio Buds Plus are an upgraded, better-performing revision of the Studio Buds released in 2021. This time, the company has made the noise cancellation more powerful while also improving the quality of the transparency mode and extending battery life. If you’re going for style points, it doesn’t get much cooler than the translucent color option. These earbuds are very tiny and rank up with the best in terms of overall comfort.
What’s interesting about the Studio Buds Plus is that they use a proprietary chip that allows them to support native software features on both iOS and Android. Plenty of earbuds offer companion apps on each platform, but in the case of the Beats, they work with both Apple’s Find My and Google’s Find My Device. You also get simple one-tap pairing, no matter which operating system you’re using.
The drawback to this dual-ecosystem life is that Apple customers don’t get all the usual bells and whistles that come with AirPods or even the Beats Powerbeats Pro 2; you lose out on audio sharing, head tracking spatial audio, and other tricks. Wireless charging and an ear detection sensor (for auto-pause when a bud is removed) are also MIA, which stings a bit considering the price.
Read our full Beats Studio Buds Plus review.
The best earbuds for sound quality
$300
The Good
- Fantastic sound quality
- Improved day-to-day reliability
- Auracast-enabled
The Bad
- Too pricey for some
- Noise cancellation does the job, but isn’t anything special
- Long-term durability remains to be seen
Noise cancellation: Yes / Battery life: 7.5 hours (ANC on) / Water resistance: IP54 / Bluetooth codecs: AptX Adaptive, AptX, AAC, SBC / Multipoint: Yes / Works best with: Android, iOS, Windows, macOS / Ear tips: Silicone (XS, S, M, L)
Sennheiser’s Momentum True Wireless earbuds have always sounded fantastic; that’s never been the issue. But previous models in the series have been tainted a bit by bugs, unsteady performance, and battery reliability problems. The fourth-gen pair finally gets that part right while continuing to offer tremendous, detailed sound quality that stands above nearly all competitors. They’re a joy to listen to. The active noise cancellation can’t compete with the likes of Apple, Sony, and Bose, but if you care more about lush, intricate sound, the MTW4 won’t disappoint in the slightest.
These earbuds come with optional wing tips to help keep them securely locked in your ears. That could prove helpful for running or when hitting the gym. Sennheiser allows for plenty of EQ customization using its mobile app, and the Momentum True Wireless 4 support a range of Bluetooth codecs, including AAC, SBC, AptX, and AptX Adaptive. Sennheiser has also promised that they’re LE Audio and Auracast-ready for when those features become more widespread.
Read our full Momentum True Wireless 4 review.
The best earbuds for voice calls on iPhone
$119
The Good
- Upgraded sound quality
- Voice isolation can noticeably improve call clarity
- Deep Apple ecosystem integration
The Bad
- No wireless charging
- No built-in speaker on the case
- No proper multipoint
Noise cancellation: Optional / Battery life: 5 hours / Water resistance: IP54 / Bluetooth codecs: AAC, SBC / Multipoint: No / Works best with: iOS, Windows, macOS / Ear tips: None
Apple’s AirPods 4 come in two different versions, with a higher-priced option that includes active noise cancellation and wireless charging. But sound quality is identical on both sets, and equally as important in this case is that the same can be said of voice call clarity.
On the AirPods 4, there’s a new “voice isolation” feature — enabled by default — that uses machine learning both on the earbuds and your iPhone to eliminate distracting background noise on your end so that you come through clearly to whoever you’re speaking with.
Photo by Chris Welch / The Verge
Overall call quality is excellent with the AirPods 4. And beyond that, compared to the third-gen model, you can expect upgraded audio quality (with richer bass), new ways of interacting with Siri through head movements, and yes… there’s a USB-C connector on the included charging case, as opposed to a Lightning port.
The AirPods still have a one-size-fits-most hard plastic form factor, so we recommend trying them before committing to a purchase. However, Apple says it used more than 50 million data points to further refine the contours and overall stability of its latest earbuds. So, if previous models worked well for you, these seem like a safe bet. The only question is whether you feel like spending a little more to gain ANC, a transparency mode, wireless charging, and a built-in speaker for Find My location tracking.
Read our full AirPods 4 review.
The best earbuds for voice calls on Android
$180
The Good
- Terrific sound quality
- Crisp, natural transparency / passthrough mode
- Voice commands are simple and so useful
- Good voice calls
The Bad
- Uninspired design
- Midtier noise cancellation performance
- No true multipoint
Noise cancellation: Yes / Battery life: 6 hours (ANC on) / Water resistance: IP57 / Bluetooth codecs: Samsung seamless, AAC, SBC / Multipoint: No / Works best with: Android, Windows, macOS / Ear tips: Silicone (S, M, L)
Sony’s unconventional LinkBuds were our longtime pick for the clearest voice calls on Android, but we haven’t had the chance to review their successors. For now, the aforementioned Galaxy Buds 3 Pro are an easy-to-recommend choice. The built-in “voice pickup unit” detects the movement of your mouth to help isolate your voice from background noise and keep conversations clear.
The Buds 3 Pro have proven dependable for us during video chats on Google Meet, and people have been able to hear us without issue, even when answering a quick call on the street.
Read our full Galaxy Buds 3 Pro review.
Update, November 7th: Updated to add the Bose QuietComfort Ultra Earbuds (Gen 2) and Apple AirPods Pro 3 as picks, and to reflect current pricing / availability.
