Truly wireless earbuds are relatively new in the headphones market. While several models were made by lesser-known brands for a couple of years, they didn't become immensely popular until Apple released the first AirPods in late 2016. Since then, almost every company has thrown its hat in the ring. What used to be a relatively expensive product that lacked features is now available at every price point with impressive performance. While truly wireless headphones can't quite match the battery life of larger Bluetooth headphones, most popular options come with a charging case to extend their overall battery life while away from a charger, and some can juice up with convenient wireless charging pads.
We've tested over 225 pairs of truly wireless earbuds and in-ear headphones, and below are our recommendations for the best options. They tend to cost more than ordinary earbuds, so check out our picks for the best cheap earbuds if you're looking for something more budget-friendly. You can also look at the best in-ear headphones, the best earbuds for iPhone, and the best wireless Bluetooth earbuds for more options.
Quick Look
Our How We Test Headphones article takes you behind the scenes in our lab. You'll learn how we choose and purchase products and dive into the details of our review philosophy, from testing and scoring to writing and editing.
You can also discover how we produce recommendations like this one, so that you can find the best headphones (or earbuds!) for your needs.
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Best True Wireless Earbuds
Travel8.4Office Work7.8Noise Isolation - Full Range8.8Battery8.1See all our test resultsRecording Quality5.2The Technics EAH-AZ100 are the best true wireless earbuds we've tested so far, delivering a noticeable step up in noise isolation performance over the older Technics EAH-AZ80. Their active noise cancelling does an excellent job cutting out low-end noise like airplane or car engine rumble. With ANC on, they last over 12 hours off a single charge, making them ideal for long flights or days at the office. They also support Google Fast Pair and can connect to up to three devices at once, which is convenient for those who switch between phones, tablets, and laptops.
The AZ100 have a smooth, warm sound that flatters most types of audio content. And if you prefer a different sound profile, you can always use the graphic EQ available in the companion app. If you're not one for tweaking EQs and prefer a more mid-forward sound, the Bose QuietComfort Ultra Earbuds (2nd Gen) are a strong alternative in the same price bracket. That sound profile gives vocals a bit more presence in dense mixes. The Bose also go blow-for-blow with the Technics in terms of ANC performance, but their six-hour battery life is a long way behind the Technics'. Still, some listeners may find the Bose more comfortable thanks to their stability bands, which also makes them a great choice for working out.
If noise isolation is particularly important to you, check out our best noise cancelling earbuds article.
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Best Upper Mid-Range True Wireless Earbuds
Travel8.1Office Work7.5Noise Isolation - Full Range8.8Battery7.7See all our test resultsRecording Quality4.9The Sony WF-1000XM5 Truly Wireless are the best true wireless earbuds we've tested in the upper mid-range price bracket. These high-end buds are the next generation of the Sony WF-1000XM4 Truly Wireless and have improved overall performance. While they're MSRP is similar to that of the Technics EAH-AZ100, they often go on sale for much less. The Sony use memory foam ear tips alongside their active noise cancelling (ANC) system to reduce a significant amount of ambient sound. The ear tips do most of the heavy lifting for those high-pitched noises like chatty neighbors and dish clatter, as the ANC mostly targets bass-range noise like bus rumbles or a clothes dryer. But, while excellent, the Sony can't quite match the performance of the Technics when it comes to blocking out the sound of those low-end engine rumbles.
With the ANC on, they last well over eight hours continuously, and their case holds a couple of extra charges if needed. It's not quite the 12 of the Technics, but it's still enough for a transatlantic flight. Out of the box, their warm sound profile adds extra boom to mixes, making them a great choice for genres like techno. Too much bass for you? It's easy to adjust their sound profile in the companion app's graphic EQ and presets.
These headphones can connect using Bluetooth LE and the LC3 codec, which helps reduce wireless audio delay, but support for this newer standard isn't widespread yet. Gamers who want a more consistent low-latency experience may be better off with the Sennheiser MOMENTUM True Wireless 4, since their aptX Adaptive codec works with a wider range of devices. However, the Sennheiser don’t offer a virtual surround sound feature and their battery life is a bit shorter than the Sony.
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Best Mid-Range True Wireless Earbuds
Travel7.6Office Work7.4Noise Isolation - Full Range7.4Battery6.6See all our test resultsRecording Quality6.2The Nothing Ear are our mid-range pick that don't require you to make too many compromises to suit your budget. They're not as stable as the Sony WF-1000XM5 Truly Wireless, but these buds are similarly comfortable and well-built. Out of the box, their sound profile is quite flat, with a little extra bass and a slightly rolled-off treble. This profile suits most genres, but if you like something with more rumble or a more excited tuning, their EQ is simple to adjust to taste.
To help you focus, the noise isolation and ANC do a decent job of cutting out environmental sounds throughout the range, though it can't match the amazing performance of the more expensive Sony buds. But if you're looking for mid-range buds with better ANC, consider the Sony LinkBuds S Truly Wireless, which do an excellent job blocking out noise. That said, the Sony's mic isn't as good as the Nothing's. While the Nothing don't have a virtual surround sound feature, they do support high-resolution Bluetooth codecs like LDAC and LHDC. A rating of IP54 for the buds and IP55 for the case rounds things off nicely. These buds will withstand a rainy or dusty day at the park or get you through an average workout.
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Best Lower Mid-Range True Wireless Earbuds
Travel7.8Office Work7.2Noise Isolation - Full Range8.9Battery7.7See all our test resultsRecording Quality4.3If you're looking for affordable earbuds, the lower mid-range Anker Soundcore Space A40 Truly Wireless are a great model for starting your search. These earbuds don't have as good a microphone as the Nothing Ear, but their warm sound profile is similar-ish to the Nothing's and suits a wide variety of genres. They do lack a little detail in the low-treble region, so those of you who like vocals to sound very up-front will want to use the app's graphic EQ and presets to customize their sound to your liking. Like the Nothing, the Anker support LDAC for high-resolution audio via Bluetooth.
These earbuds have an adaptive ANC system that adjusts to the noise around you. It does a fantastic job of effectively blocking out ambient sound while filtering out low-pitched noise, like rumbling engines. The earbuds last more than eight hours of continuous use with ANC on and have a case that holds an additional four charges.
The Anker Soundcore Liberty 4 NC True Wireless offer a similar performance but feature a stem design that protrudes from your ear, providing more stability. They have a bassier sound profile than the Space A40, which will suit fans of EDM and hip-hop, but the Space A40 provide greater attenuation against bass range noise, and it's easier to achieve a consistent sound delivery with them.
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Best Budget Wireless Earbuds
Travel6.8Office Work6.5Noise Isolation - Full Range5.3Battery7.9See all our test resultsRecording Quality7.4Check out the JBL Vibe Buds True Wireless for wireless earbuds at an affordable price. Unlike many budget-friendly options, they have a companion app, which gives you more control over their performance. The sound adds some extra thump in the bass and a slightly forward upper mid-range that keeps vocals at the front of busy mixes. You can change this default tuning to your taste by using the companion app's parametric EQ and presets. Besides the app's EQ, the feature set is pretty standard, so if you care about multi-device pairing or LDAC support, consider the Anker Soundcore Space A40 Truly Wireless instead.
The JBL buds are decently secure and lightweight, with a durable IP54 rating against dust and water. Their long battery life of more than eight hours can get you through a workday's worth of continuous playback. The passive isolation can block a small amount of low-pitched rumble and a good amount of chatter, but they don't have ANC, so look at our lower mid-range pick to filter low-pitched noise. Their mic sounds decent in a quiet environment, but struggles to separate noise from speech. For a slightly better mic, the JBL Vibe Beam True Wireless handle noise better. They have a lot of similarities, although these have a somewhat shorter continuous battery life and one less charge stored in the case. However, their case does have a lid.
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Best Truly Wireless Earbuds For iPhone
Travel8.6Office Work8.0Noise Isolation - Full Range9.7Battery7.5See all our test resultsRecording Quality5.5The Apple AirPods Pro 3 are a great option if you're looking for premium buds that will integrate well with your Apple ecosystem. While they don't have cross-platform sound customization features like the Technics EAH-AZ100, they offer a few features for iOS that you might appreciate if you're an iPhone or MacBook user. Their H2 chip helps with easy pairing to Apple devices, and they support Spatial Audio, a surround sound feature meant to create a more immersive listening experience with compatible content.
Their adaptive EQ produces a sound that varies with the device they're paired to and how loud you listen. In general, the sound is versatile, with a fairly flat mid-range ensuring voices and instruments sound true to life, while kick drums and basslines have just a touch of extra boom. They're even better than the Technics at blocking out noise around you, doing an outstanding job isolating you from the rumble of plane engines and office chatter alike.
That said, their nine-hour battery life is good, but not quite as impressive as the Technics' 12, though you do get a couple of extra charges in the case. They have a comfortable fit for most people, but you might find they wiggle out of your ears after a while and require repositioning. Finally, the Pro 3 come with nice-to-haves such as a heart rate monitor and hearing aid functionality, although the latter's availability varies with your region, so check before buying.
Notable Mentions
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Beats Powerbeats Pro 2:
The Beats Powerbeats Pro 2 are a great choice for anyone looking for workout-focused earbuds that have secure and malleable over-ear hooks, so you don't have to worry about them falling out. They perform fairly similarly to the Technics EAH-AZ100, but their bulky design is less versatile than the Technics' and their battery doesn't last as long.
See our review -
Devialet Gemini II True Wireless:
The Devialet Gemini II True Wireless are premium in-ears with an outstanding noise isolation performance. While they have a much shorter battery life than the Technics EAH-AZ100, their mic has a better recording quality and very good noise handling, making them a great choice for taking phone calls.
See our review -
Samsung Galaxy Buds3 Pro:
The Samsung Galaxy Buds3 Pro are sleek in-ears with remarkably good noise isolation performance. However, their six-hour continuous battery life is shorter than the almost nine hours offered by the Sony WF-1000XM5 Truly Wireless. Their mic also does a worse job of separating your voice from any noise around you.
See our review -
JLab Audio GO Air POP True Wireless:
The JLab Audio GO Air POP True Wireless are affordable in-ears that offer a bass-rich sound profile with built-in EQ presets. While they don't have any ANC features, they passively block out a decent amount of ambient sound. They don't have a companion app to tweak their sound like the JBL Vibe Buds True Wireless, but their stable and comfortable fit makes them a good choice for the gym.
See our review -
Apple AirPods 4 with Active Noise Cancellation:
The Apple AirPods 4 with Active Noise Cancellation are earbuds with an adaptive EQ feature, which adjusts their sound to how they fit your ears. They're a good alternative for iPhone users who don't like the in-ear fit of the Apple AirPods Pro 3. Still, that design means they can't block out anywhere near as much noise as the Pro 3.
See our review
Recent Updates
Oct 14, 2025:
The Technics EAH-AZ100 are our new top pick for their impressive all-around performance, with the Bose QuietComfort Ultra Earbuds (2nd Gen) as an alternative with a more mid-forward default sound. The Sony WF-1000XM5 Truly Wireless are now our upper mid-range pick, and the Apple AirPods Pro 3 are our new 'Best For iPhone' pick. Finally, we removed the Bose Ultra Open Earbuds Truly Wireless from our Notable Mentions, and the Beats Powerbeats Pro 2 replace the Beats Powerbeats Pro Truly Wireless in the same section.
Apr 25, 2025:
We've replaced the Jabra Elite 8 Active Gen 2 with the Technics EAH-AZ80 as our pick for the upper-mid range category due to the Jabra's dwindling availability.
Jan 27, 2025:
We've replaced the Sony LinkBuds S Truly Wireless with the Nothing Ear Truly Wireless because the Nothing have a better-performing microphone. We've kept the Sony as an option for those looking for better noise isolation performance. We've also updated our Notable Mentions with the latest models of Samsung and Apple buds.
Oct 28, 2024:
The Jabra Elite 8 Active Gen 2 are our new upper mid-range pick for their balanced sound and outstanding noise isolation. We've also removed the 'Best Truly Wireless Earbuds For Running' pick, as the Jabra are our top pick for that, too. The Beats Powerbeats Pro Truly Wireless and Bose Ultra Open Earbuds Truly Wireless replace the Sennheiser MOMENTUM Sport True Wireless as workout-focused alternatives in our Notable Mentions. Finally, we removed the Anker SoundCore Life P3 Truly Wireless from our Notable Mentions.
Aug 01, 2024: Following our recent Test Bench 1.7 update, which changed how we test noise isolation, the Jabra Elite 10 True Wireless replace the Apple AirPods Pro (2nd generation) Truly Wireless as our upper mid-range pick. The AirPods are now our pick for iPhone. We removed the 'Best Noise Cancelling Earbuds' category and integrated the Bose QuietComfort Ultra Earbuds Truly Wireless as a competitor to the main pick. We added the Sennheiser MOMENTUM Sport True Wireless to our Notable Mentions because of their built-in biometric sensors.
All Reviews
Our recommendations above are what we think are currently the best earbuds to buy for most people in each price range. We factor in the price (cheaper headphones win over pricier ones if the difference isn't worth it), feedback from our visitors, and availability (no headphones that are difficult to find or almost out of stock everywhere).
If you would like to choose for yourself, here is the list of all our reviews for truly wireless headphones. Be careful not to get caught up in the details. There are no perfect headphones. Personal taste, preference, and listening habits will matter more in your selection.