I’m always testing earbuds and have tried more than 50 options for this story.
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I → test → story
I use wireless earbuds constantly to tune out subway noise, listen to podcasts, take work calls, listen to music while working out — I always have a pair in my backpack or my pocket.
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I → use → backpack
With so many options, it can be hard to know which model is best for you and your needs.
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model → know → you
Below, I rounded up the best wireless earbuds for various activities and budgets so you can find a pair that most suits your lifestyle.
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that → round → lifestyle
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The best wireless earbuds
After testing dozens of earbuds, my top picks came from brands like Apple, Google, Beats, Bose and Shokz.
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picks → want → Apple
Every option on this list were samples I requested from brands for testing purposes for this story.
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I → request → story
You can find key specifications like battery life and IP rating inside the "What to know" dropdown.
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You → find → dropdown
In May, I updated this list after testing the Samsung Galaxy Buds 4 Pro.
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I → update → Buds
Best for iPhone
If you own an iPhone, these are the earbuds to get.
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these → own → iPhone
They’re also good for basically any activity you throw at them including outdoor runs and workouts.
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you → ’re → runs
With noise cancellation turned on, chatter and music at the gym fade instantly, in my experience.
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chatter → turn → experience
With transparency mode on, I can hear my surroundings very clearly, perfect for running outdoors.
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I → hear → surroundings
The buds have great on-ear controls, including a swipe on the ear stem to control volume.
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buds → have → volume
They also have built-in heart rate sensors, meaning you can start a workout from your iPhone and track your heart rate and calories burned with just your AirPods Pro 3 — no fitness tracker required.
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you → have → Pro
They come with five ear tip sizes, more than most brands, which can help you get a more comfortable fit for your ears.
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you → come → ears
If all of this sounds good to you, but you can’t stand rubber eartips clogging your ears, consider Apple AirPods 4 ANC instead.
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eartips → sound → ANC
They have similarly great sound and call quality, but leave your ears more open because they don’t have rubber eartips.
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they → have → eartips
Anyone with an Android phone looking for one pair of do-it-all earbuds should consider these latest Google Pixel buds.
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Anyone → look → buds
The new design has a mini wing-tip stabilizer in each ear that fits snugly and makes them stable and secure for workouts.
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them → have → workouts
“They are comfortable and don’t hurt the inside of my ear within an hour of wearing them,” says NBC Selected commerce editor Cory Fernandez.
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Fernandez → hurt → them
You don’t need to spend hundreds of dollars to get fully featured earbuds — these have active noise cancelling, transparency mode, Bluetooth multipoint and wireless charging, all for under $100.
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these → need → 100
They are comfortable, sound surprisingly good and can compete with earbuds that are much pricier.
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that → sound → earbuds
The only downside is noise cancellation — it’s okay, but isn’t very useful against plane, train and car noise.
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it → ’ → noise
The Liberty 4 NC is not the brand’s latest model, and while I would love to recommend the newer Anker Soundcore Liberty 5, which are excellent, they are $130, which I don’t consider “budget.”
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These are some of the most affordable wireless earbuds that still deliver a steady Bluetooth connection, surprisingly good sound quality and a convenient charging case.
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that → deliver → connection
The earbuds and case have a combined battery life of around 32 hours, and the case has a cable built-in for convenient recharging.
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case → have → recharging
If you purchase the earbuds from the brand’s website, you can choose from 13 bright and earth-tone colorways.
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you → purchase → colorways
They don’t have active noise cancelling or transparency modes, and the app is a little lackluster, but these are fair trade-offs for such a low price.
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these → have → price
If your top priority is blocking out background noise like the hum of a plane cabin, rattling train cars and water cooler talk, these earbuds are for you.
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earbuds → block → you
They have the best noise cancellation of any earbud I’ve tried, full stop.
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I → have → earbud
Plus they sound amazing, with detailed instrumentation in music and clear audio in TV shows and movies.
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they → sound → shows
They are big earbuds, though — I don’t find them particularly comfortable for fitness and exercise.
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them → find → fitness
If you’re willing to sacrifice a little noise cancelling power, consider the Bose QuietComfort Earbuds as a more affordable runner-up.
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Best for fitness
The previous Beats Fit Pro were my go-to workout headphones for years, and the updated version, these Beats Powerbeats Fit, make a few subtle improvements but keep everything I loved about the originals in-tacts.
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I → update → tacts
The buds have a wing-tip design that creates a secure fit in your ear — mine stay secure during runs, bike rides and gym time.
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mine → have → runs
They are small and relatively lightweight compared to other earbuds on this list, but are especially compact compared to sportier, full ear-hook earbuds like the Beats Powerbeats Pro 2.
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They → compare → Pro
Both earbuds have physical button controls that are easy to use, even when I am wearing thick gloves during a winter run.
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I → have → run
You can press either button to stop, start and skip songs, and holding the button changes between noise cancellation and transparency mode.
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holding → press → cancellation
They pair easily with iPhones and Android phones (through the Beats app).
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They → pair → app
Open earbuds rest on the outside of your ear instead of going inside of your ear canal.
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earbuds → rest → canal
…and 66 more, not listed.
The Aporia
