You could say that the Bluetooth earbuds space is thriving, but you might also say that the amount of variety in the market can make it confusing to decide which pair will be the best Bluetooth earbuds for you. There are a lot of good options out there that sport strong active noise cancelation—ANC, like the AirPods Pro 2—sound quality, and designs. For a lot of people, it’s going to come down to special features that big companies like Sony, Bose, Apple, and Samsung have baked into their products.
I test and review many sets of earbuds every year for Into The Gadgets. I compare new models with the best ones before to keep this list of the best true wireless earbuds updated. This guide tells you why I picked the best wireless earbuds and gives you tips on what to know before choosing the right true wireless earbuds for you.
If you don’t like earbuds, you can look at our best headphones buying guide, which includes our top picks for wireless over-ear headphones, noise-canceling headphones, and more.
Best wireless earbuds
Sony
Best wireless earbuds overall
Sony WF-1000XM5
Battery life: 8 hours, up to 24 hours with charging case | Water resistance: IPX4 | Noise cancellation: Yes | Multipoint: Yes
The WF-1000XM5 takes the already great-sounding Sony flagship earbuds to new heights, and they’re also incredibly comfortable. Equipped with effective noise cancellation and a list of useful features, they are by far the best and most comfortable design of Sony’s 1000X models yet. The WF-1000XM5 solves one of the last puzzles for Sony: they pack more features than anybody else into their flagship buds, from special ones like adaptive sound and Speak-to-Chat to plain handy ones. Add in upgraded drivers, new chips, eight hours of battery life and significant improvements to sound quality and these are Sony’s best earbuds yet.
Pros
- Excellent sound quality
- Improved design
- More comfortable fit
- Loads of handy features
Cons
- More expensive
- No battery life improvement
- Head tracking is Android only
- Some features still need fine-tuning
Photo by Billy Steele / Into The Gadgets
Best wireless earbuds for Google phones
Google Pixel Buds Pro 2
Read our full Google Pixel Buds Pro 2 review
Battery life: 8 hours, up to 30 hours with charging case (ANC on) | Water resistance: IP54 | Noise cancellation: Yes | Multipoint: Yes
The Google Pixel Buds Pro 2 are the best earbuds to wear, although they are among the priciest. They’ve been redesigned from scratch; small size, comfortable to fit properly. For the first time, there is a Tensor chip in the earbud for processing of audio and ANC signals. As you can probably guess, this once again means hands-free access to the Gemini AI, although it’s not necessary to invoke the voice assistant.
There are many useful features like Conversation Detection, Hearing Wellness, and Find My Device, as well as improved acoustics and drivers providing sufficiently ample low-end tone when needed. Spatial Audio is also included right at launch, but that’s only available for compatible video streaming apps.
Pros
- Tiny, comfy design
- Punchy bass, full mids, crisp highs
- Slightly longer battery life than predecessor
Cons
- Price went up again
- Spatial audio is limited to video apps
- Smaller touch panel requires precision
Photo by Billy Steele / Into The Gadgets
Best wireless earbuds for iPhone
Apple AirPods Pro (2nd Generation)
Battery life: 6 hours, up to 30 hours with charging case | Water resistance: IPX4 | Noise cancellation: Yes | Multipoint: Yes
The second-generation Apple AirPods Pro are a huge improvement over the first generation. They have better sound quality and active noise cancellation, not to mention all the other features that make AirPods the best choice for iPhone, iOS, and Mac. In our testing, we found the best feature to be transparency mode, which sounds more natural than any other earbuds by a long way. You can keep these in while talking, and it feels like you’re not wearing them at all. Also, easy pairing, hands-free Siri, spatial audio, long battery life, and a USB-C charging case that can charge wirelessly will be useful too.
Pros
- Improved sound
- Stellar transparency mode
- Solid ANC
- Seamless switching between Apple devices
Cons
- Same design
- New touch gesture takes practice
- Average battery life
- Personalized Spatial Audio results vary
Samsung
Best wireless earbuds for Samsung phones
Samsung Galaxy Buds 3 Pro
Read our full Samsung Galaxy Buds 3 Pro review
Battery life: 6 hours, up to 26 hours with charging case | Water resistance: IP57 | Noise cancellation: Yes | Multipoint: Yes
The Galaxy Buds 3 Pro borrow from Apple’s AirPods Pro in both looks and features, but are built on the foundation of the Samsung Galaxy Buds 2 Pro. Samsung did well to make things like Adaptive ANC and voice commands work well. Some features like Voice Detect could still use some fine-tuning to make it more functional for other tasks.
The sound quality is really what surprised me about the Galaxy Buds 3 Pro. There are some very thick, boomy bass notes when you need it, and enough bright detail to complement it. When paired with a Samsung device, this model gets the best performance as it activates the 24-bit HiFi streaming capability. I’m also a huge fan of the transparency mode with its natural sound, so when you’re on a call it doesn’t sound like you’re shouting.
Pros
- Great sound quality
- Loads of handy features
- Comfy fit
- Natural ambient sound
Cons
- Battery life is shorter than some rivals
- The best features require a recent Samsung device
- Copycat design
- Blade lights are a gimmick
Best budget wireless earbuds
Anker Soundcore Space A40
Battery life: 10 hours, up to 50 hours with charging case | Water resistance: IPX4 | Noise cancellation: Yes | Multipoint: Yes
At their price range, the Anker Soundcore Space A40 provide more than their share of features: ANC, multi-device pairing, wireless charging, IPX4 water resistant, transparency mode, battery life of 8-10 hours, and LDAC support! The sound out of the box is warm and quite satisfying when tested, but if it needs tweaking, there’s the Anker companion app to customize the EQ curve. Their ANC is simply not as effective as our top picks in reducing background noise still effective for a noisy office or long flight.
Pros
- Affordable
- Good battery life
- Multipoint connectivity
- Transparency Mode
Cons
- ANC isn’t as strong as competitors
Sony
Honorable mention
Sony LinkBuds S
Battery life: 6 hours, up to 20 hours with charging case | Water resistance: IPX4 | Noise cancellation: Yes | Multipoint: Yes
Instead of the unusual open-wear LinkBuds of Sony, it’s the follow-up to that more mainstream that turned out to be quite a surprise last year. The LinkBuds S come in, and are really more traditionally styled, with this launch featuring a pair of earbuds similar in nature to the flagship WF-1000XM4 but rather smaller and much lighter to fit even more comfortably. These little wireless earbuds offer a potent punch to their sound quality, with support for high-res listening (LDAC and DSEE Extreme). There are features such as ANC to assist in blocking out environmental noises, along with a transparency mode to converse(sometimes) when called for. There’s even a handy Speak-to-Chat and Adaptive Sound Control, which automatically changes settings based upon activity or location. That’s quite a lot of premium features for a mid-range price.
Pros
- Comfortable design
- Good sound quality
- Speak-to-Chat
- Adaptive Sound Control
Cons
- Average battery life
Bose
Best noise-canceling earbuds – runner up
Bose QuietComfort Earbuds (2024)
Battery life: 8.5 hours, up to 31.5 hours with charging case | Water resistance: IPX4 | Noise cancellation: Yes | Multipoint: Yes
You’d have expected to pay $300 or so for ANC as excellent as Bose on a pair of earbuds. With QuietComfort Earbuds, the company tries to pack in more of its best qualities at a lower price. You will have effective ANC, good sound quality, and features such as voice control.
Smaller than most Bose earbuds, offering better comfort and fit. You will also get over eight hours worth of battery life with ANC, and it is also IPX4 rated, which is good enough for workouts. If the product page is to be believed, Bose’s unique immersive audio (spatial audio) will also be coming soon.
Pros
- Great sound quality
- Effective ANC
- Lots of handy features
- Dependable battery life
Cons
- No Immersive Audio (yet)
- Audio and ANC sacrifices compared to the QC Ultra Earbuds
- No CustomTune feature
- Poor call quality
Photo by Billy Steele / Into The Gadgets
Best noise-canceling earbuds
Bose QuietComfort Ultra Wireless Noise Cancelling Earbuds
Battery life: 6 hours, up to 24 hours with charging case | Water resistance: IPX4 | Noise cancellation: Yes | Multipoint: Yes
From the first iteration of Bose’s QuietComfort Earbuds, Bose now has the best noise cancellation compared to all other wireless buds that we have been able to test. It is no wonder that the newest QC Ultra was an improvement in ANC. However, the bigger story here is that Bose has finally developed the musical chops to stand toe-to-toe with the best in the earbuds game with its new Immersive Audio tech. This technology will make spatial audio accessible to the masses without requiring specially made content to work. Unlike many others, which offer music and movies where sound emanates from multiple directions, the QC Ultra Earbuds heavily rely on virtualization to locate you right in the middle of the acoustic “sweet spot.” There are also gesture-controlled volume controls, an impressive battery life, and customization settings.
Pros
- Stellar ANC
- Spatial audio doesn’t require special content
- Upgrades with no price increase
Cons
- Earbuds are still big
- Immersive Audio significantly impacts battery life
- Wireless charging costs extra
Photo by Billy Steele / Into The Gadgets
Best sounding wireless earbuds
Sennheiser Momentum True Wireless 4
Read our full Sennheiser Momentum True Wireless 4 review
Battery life: 7 hours, up to 30 hours with charging case | Water resistance: IP54 | Noise cancellation: Yes | Multipoint: Yes
Sennheiser reigns supreme again as the best in sound quality. There are other brands like Bose and Sony with ANC and feature rich options. The Momentum True Wireless 4 sound incredible with details and clarity. They sound warm enough that you can listen to them for hours, and while the bass is boomy and deep when required, it never overpowers the rest of the sound. The Android users can also use Snapdragon Sound for better pairing, while the iPhone users enjoy the best sound experience, particularly using Apple Music and Dolby Atmos tracks.
Pros
- Excellent sound quality
- Support for higher-resolution audio on Android
- Good battery life
- Customization options
Cons
- $50 more than previous model
- No design refresh
- No spatial audio
Photo by Billy Steele / Into The Gadgets
Best wireless earbuds for working out
Beats Fit Pro
Read our full Beats Fit Pro review
Battery life: 6 hours, up to 24 hours with charging case | Water resistance: IPX4 | Noise cancellation: Yes | Multipoint: Yes
All of the best AirPods features pack into a pack of workout earbuds: the Beats Fit Pro. Thanks to Apple’s H1 chip, these buds allow quick one-tap pairing, hands-free Siri, and Find My tools. Further, you can use Audio Sharing to connect with an Apple device and another set of AirPods or Beats wireless headphones to enjoy music or films together. Minutes in the gym will enjoy balanced and punchy bass as good noise cancellation combined with an IPX4 rating and comfortable silicone ear tips makes these suitable for places other than the gym. Plus, plenty of Android support means they’re by no means limited to the iOS crowd, either!
Pros
- Comfortable design
- Good ANC
- H1 chip offers quick pairing and switching between Apple devices
- Plenty of Android support
Cons
- Call quality could be better
What to look for in wireless earbuds
The first thing to think about in earphone shopping is the design or wear style. Do you prefer a semi-open fit, like AirPods, or do you prefer something that completely blocks out your ears? If you’re looking for earbuds with active noise cancellation, then you will be interested in closed models, but one can make a case for something more open if you plan on wearing them all day or often find yourself in places where you need to be tuned in with ambient sounds. The shape of the earbud will determine how comfortable it will be, of course, as well as the size and weight, so all of that should be weighed into your decision. And remember: audio companies are not infallible; research can get it wrong, and hence the earbud shape they decided on may not fit you well. Don’t hesitate to send back any pair of earphones that doesn’t feel good enough for something that does.
Since wireless earbuds became everyday devices, they generally make life easier concerning things such as linking Bluetooth seamlessly and relying on a firm connection. While most companies race to fit as much into the ever shrinking design, on average this means longer bullet points of features on the pricier earbud models, and for the cheaper earbuds, its the bare bones. Think about what you simply can’t live without most when you’re ready to pick up your next earbud. You’d want to make sure regarding key items such as automatic pausing and multipoint connectivity when looking through a spec sheet. You will also need to dive into touch and volume settings as it’s usually one or the other that you’ll have to forego to make that touch-tap adjustment. There’re even some earbuds out there that have adjustable settings via apps for changing audio profiles or firmware updates that widen performance improvements over time.
Apple aficionados would have features like automatic pairing with their devices, notably AirPods Pro 2. In contrast, Android users beware of models that have similar cross-functionality between devices in their line of work.
Most earbuds provide about five hours of listening time on a single charge. Others give longer use but will be enough for most workdays with some simple docking during lunch and meetings. You would also want to check how many extra charges are supported via the case and if that case supports wireless charging.
Expect chalked-up claims about audio quality on wireless earbuds. Promises aside, the reality is that most earbuds still sound as if you’re on speakerphone. Some sets deliver, but don’t get your hopes up until reviews confirm the claims.
Sound can be subjective, so we suggest giving it a test drive before you buy if at all possible, particularly if you’re an audiophile. This isn’t seemingly easy since a majority of us do so much online shopping, but trying on a pair and listening to them for a few minutes can save you from a case of buyer’s remorse. If a store won’t allow a “quick demo,” most retailers have return policies that allow you to return earbuds you don’t like. Of course, you’d be out-of-pocket for a while; that rule’s always there.
Keep an eye out for features like Spatial Audio, Dolby Atmos, and 360 Reality Audio for immersive sound. Such features may not be supported by every headphone so check for support before you go to the buying, especially if you are going to be using it to listen to good-quality audio.
How we test wireless Bluetooth earbuds
Most of the time, the true test of earbuds is how long we can wear them. Doing this over a one- to two-week period is preferable, but embargoes do not always allow for this. During this time, we will listen to everything from music to podcasts while also making voice and video calls. Since battery life is usually shy of one whole day anyway, we discharge the battery using repetitive music on a comfortable volume (around 80 percent is usually best).
Then, we test their worth in audio by playing multiple genres of music through them while noting how sound profiles vary among genres. We test these earbuds at both low and high volumes to check for consistency in tuning. As for call quality, we will take recorded audio samples with the earbuds’ microphones, and allow a third party to call us while we used those answering devices to receive the call.
We test each of the features in companion apps, routing the software. All features possibly coming from previous versions of the model will be examined again for any increment or decrement. When these are found to be upgraded versions of older models, time will be spent re-acquainting oneself with the older earbuds. Similarity will be drawn with the nearest competitors of each new pair of earbuds reviewed.
Other wireless Bluetooth earbuds we tested
Sennheiser Momentum Sport
Out of all models I must say I enjoy the shape of the Momentum Sport most of all. The momentum true wireless 4 are less snug than them, making these more comfortable and firm fitting to one’s ears. Additionally, the body temperature and heart rate sensors function properly and send statistics to the apps. The sports tracking feature is best with Polar’s app and devices as well. In addition, sound quality and ANC are not impressive while the price of these earbuds is quite high.
Samsung Galaxy Buds 3
Open-type design mixed with ANC seems to be a critical design flaw with the Galaxy Buds 3, because it renders the noise-filtering capabilities of Galaxy Buds 3 mostly useless. However, when a track calls for it, there is a great low-end tone with sufficient bass. There are also many useful features that most need a Samsung phone in order to use them. But at this price, Google, Beats, and Sony have better alternatives.
Bose Ultra Open Earbuds
Bose has developed something quite distinctive with this pair of earbuds, allowing you to remain aware of your surroundings while enjoying your audio. The clip-on design is very comfortable, but the sound quality is compromised due to the open-type fit, particularly in terms of bass and spatial audio.
Audio-Technica ATH-TWX7
These stick buds feature a compact design that makes them comfortable to wear, and their warm sound profile is enjoyable at times. However, the overall audio performance can be inconsistent, and they lack automatic pausing functionality.
Beats Solo Buds
There’s a lot to appreciate about the Solo Buds priced at $80. Personally, the standout feature for me is their comfort during extended use, thanks to some well-thought-out design elements. While they offer only the essential features and, as expected, the sound quality doesn’t quite match that of the more expensive models in the Beats lineup, you do get an impressive 18 hours of battery life. This is because the company decided to eliminate the battery in the case and enhance the listening time in the earbuds themselves.
Beats Studio Buds +
With updates to sound quality, ANC, and battery life, this model has a strong spec sheet. The new clear color option also brings a nostalgic vibe that I appreciate. However, some basic features are missing, and Beats falls short of Apple’s natural audio quality in transparency mode.
JBL Tour Pro 2
These earbuds are loaded with features, including a touchscreen “smart case.” However, their overall performance isn’t the most consistent, and I’m not yet convinced that the case adds significant utility.
Master & Dynamic MW09
The MW09 offers improved audio, a better ambient sound mode, and reliable multipoint Bluetooth connectivity. However, they come with a high price tag, and you can find better active noise cancellation (ANC) performance in other options.
Wireless earbud FAQs
What is considered good battery life for true wireless earbuds?
Most wireless earbuds typically last at least five hours on a single charge. Some models offer even better battery life, lasting between six and eight hours before needing a recharge. The best wireless earbuds come with a charging case, which provides additional hours of battery life, but you’ll need to return each bud to the case to recharge them.
Which earbuds stay in ears the best?
A secure fit can vary significantly from person to person. Everyone’s ears are unique, so audio companies aim to design their products to accommodate as many people as possible with a single shape. This is why AirPods are often…
Which wireless earbuds have the longest battery life?
With new models constantly being released, keeping track of the battery life for each can be quite a task. The longest-lasting earbuds we’ve reviewed are Audio-Technica’s ATH-CKS5TW. The company claims they last 15 hours, but during our tests, the app still showed 40 percent battery remaining at that point. The only drawback is that these earbuds were launched in 2019, and both technology and features have advanced since then. Among current models, Master & Dynamic’s MW08 provides 12 hours of use on a charge with ANC off (10 hours with ANC on), and JBL offers several options with 10-hour battery life.
Is sound quality better on headphones or earbuds?
Comparing sound quality between earbuds and headphones is somewhat like comparing apples to oranges. There are numerous factors to consider, and the differences in components make it challenging to draw direct comparisons. Personally, I lean towards the audio quality of over-ear headphones, but I must say that the sound from earbuds like Sennheiser’s Momentum True Wireless 3 is also impressive.
What wireless earbuds are waterproof?
There are many choices available today when it comes to enhanced water resistance. To assess the level of protection, you should check the IP (ingress protection) rating. The first digit indicates protection against solid objects like dust, while the second digit represents moisture protection. You’ll want that second number to be 7 or higher. With this water-resistance rating, earbuds can endure full immersion for up to 30 minutes at depths of up to one meter (3.28 feet). If either of the IP numbers is an X, it means there’s no special protection. For instance, a pair of wireless earbuds rated IPX7 would not be designed to prevent dust intrusion, but they would be fine if accidentally submerged in shallow water.
