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The 6 Best Earbuds For Phone Calls - Winter 2024 Reviews

Updated
Best Earbuds For Phone Calls

In this day and age, there's an expectation that you can answer calls quickly and easily. Whether you're working from home and joining a meeting or you're getting a call from family on the go, you'll want earbuds with a solid mic performance. If you're taking calls from a noisy office or busy street, blocking out background noise can make it easier to understand your conversation. This article mostly covers truly wireless earbuds. They don't offer the best performance regarding calls, especially when compared to dedicated earbuds & Bluetooth headsets for phone calls, but they maximize versatility and portability.

We've tested over 285 pairs of earbuds and in-ear headphones with microphones, and below are our recommendations for the best earbuds for calls to buy. If you want more recommendations, check out our picks for the best earbuds with a mic. If you don't mind an over-ear fit, you'll also want to check out the best office headphones.


  1. Best Earbuds For Phone Calls

    The Sony WF-1000XM5 Truly Wireless are the best earbuds for phone calls we've tested. Like most Bluetooth earbuds, they have an integrated mic, and while it doesn't make your voice sound natural or full, you'll be easy to understand over the phone. The mic has decent noise handling, so your voice won't be drowned out by loud background noise like a truck going by. The buds support multi-device pairing, so you can easily jump from meetings on your computer to a call on your phone. With head gesture controls, you can even answer or end a call by moving your head.

    These are some of the best earbuds we've tested overall, partly thanks to their outstanding noise isolation performance. If you use the included foam ear tips and activate 'Adaptive Sound Control' in the app, they block out a broad range of noise, so you can hear calls you take on the bus or in a busy office. Their well-balanced sound profile makes voices clear and detailed, and they last for nearly nine hours of continuous use.

    They're comfortable for most people, but you may find that the foam tips put pressure on your ear canals after a while. If you want something more comfortable for long days, the Bose QuietComfort Ultra Earbuds Truly Wireless are worth considering. Their mic has sub-par noise handling, so they aren't as good for phone calls from noisy places, but it also makes your voice sound a bit more natural and full-bodied. They offer similar noise isolation and a more comfortable fit for most people.

    See our review

  2. Best Upper Mid-Range Earbuds For Phone Calls

    If you don't want to spend that much on your earbuds, check out the Razer Hammerhead Pro HyperSpeed True Wireless. These cheaper earbuds don't offer the same level of noise isolation as the Sony WF-1000XM5 Truly Wireless, especially when it comes to low-pitched noise like rumbling engines, so they aren't as suitable for calls from noisy places like subway stations. Still, they do a good job of reducing ambient sound so you can hear your call. Their wireless USB-C dongle works with phones and computers (as well as PlayStation consoles). If you're connected that way, they offer a much better mic recording quality and a stronger noise-handling performance, so your voice sounds clear and understandable, even in noisy environments.

    They have a well-balanced sound profile that makes it easy to understand whoever you're speaking with, and they have onboard controls for answering and ending calls. However, they have a short continuous battery life of roughly five hours. They support Bluetooth for when you'd rather not connect with the dongle, but switching between connection types can be a pain. They also don't support multi-device pairing, so you'll have to re-pair them if you need to switch between your phone and computer.

    See our review

  3. Best Mid-Range Earbuds For Phone Calls

    The best Bluetooth earbuds for phone calls in the mid-range we've tested are the Nothing Ear (2) Truly Wireless. Although their ANC doesn't perform quite as well as the Razer Hammerhead Pro HyperSpeed True Wireless', they offer a comparable mic performance. The integrated mic offers a fairly good recording quality, making your voice understandable over the phone. It almost matches the Razer's noise-handling performance, so background noise at the office won't drown out your voice.

    With the ANC on, they last over 5.5 hours, which may not get you through long days without a recharge. Luckily, their carrying case holds four extra charges if needed. Their sound is versatile enough for most kinds of audio content as well. You can answer and end calls with the earbuds' onboard controls. If you're looking for buds with more call-centric features, consider the Jabra Elite 7 Pro True Wireless instead. Their app offers sidetone controls, which allow you to monitor your voice during a call, as well as EQ presets that affect how the other person's voice sounds. However, their mic's noise handling is significantly worse, so they're best for calls from quiet places.

    See our review

  4. Best Lower Mid-Range Earbuds For Phone Calls

    The Samsung Galaxy Buds FE Truly Wireless are more affordable wireless earbuds. Their integrated mic has a good overall performance, ensuring your voice sounds clear and intelligible. Your voice won't be drowned out by moderate background noise from a busy street. If you're having difficulty paying attention to your call, their ANC system can block out more background noise than the Nothing Ear (2) Truly Wireless. However, they don't support multi-device pairing, so you can only stay connected to one device at a time.

    Out of the box, these very comfortable buds have a fairly neutral sound that ensures your conversation is easy to understand. It's versatile enough for most kinds of music, and you can use their companion app's EQ presets to adjust their sound to your liking. With the ANC on, they have over six hours of continuous playback time. Their carrying case has an extra 3.5 charges if needed, though.

    See our review

  5. Best Budget Earbuds For Phone Calls

    Shopping on a budget? The best wireless earbuds for phone calls at this price point are the JBL Vibe Beam True Wireless. They aren't quite as comfortable as the Samsung Galaxy Buds FE Truly Wireless and lack an ANC system, but they're still a great choice for keeping in touch with friends. Their integrated microphone has a very good recording quality for the price, and it can handle a reasonable amount of background noise, making it easy for whoever's on the other end of the line to understand you. They're customizable, and their 8.3-hour battery life will be more than enough to last through your workday. That said, they don't block out as much background noise as some of the more premium picks on our list. This can still be useful if you want to stay aware of your surroundings while you chat on the phone, like when working in an office.

    However, you might also prefer a mono headset like the Jabra Talk 45 Bluetooth Headset at this budget price point. This headset consists of one earbud with a tiny boom mic, so you can keep one ear free when you're on the phone. It makes your voice sound clear and does a passable job of separating voices from background noise. As expected for mono buds, its sound profile isn't good for music, but voices are reproduced accurately. It supports multi-device pairing, and you can set it up to read out your text messages when you can't look at your phone.

    See our review

  6. Best Wired Earbuds For Phone Calls

    Wired earbuds are worth checking out if call quality is your top priority. While they're more unwieldy than their truly wireless counterparts and usually lack useful features like customizability or noise cancelling, they have in-line mics rather than integrated ones. This design puts the mic closer to your mouth, making it easier for the mic to separate speech from background noise. Enter the Apple EarPods. Even though they're a lot older and less refined than other buds on this list, their mic has a great recording quality. It can also separate speech from ambient noise so you're heard clearly.

    These budget-friendly buds may not be as well-built or as customizable as the JBL Vibe Beam True Wireless since their cable is pretty flimsy, but some people may find their one-size-fits-all design more comfortable than a deeper in-ear fit. They also have a well-balanced sound that ensures voices sound clear and natural. They have an open-back design and lack low bass, so they may not be ideal if you want to listen to genres like EDM or hip-hop in your downtime. For the same reason, they don't block out background noise, so it can be harder to hear your conversation well if you're calling from a noisy office.

    See our review

Notable Mentions

  • Devialet Gemini II True Wireless: The Devialet Gemini II True Wireless are premium earbuds. They have a great build quality and balanced sound, and while their noise isolation isn't as stellar as the Sony WF-1000XM5 Truly Wireless, their mic has a better recording quality and better noise handling. However, they retail for more, and their 4.8 hours of continuous battery life is on the short side if you plan on taking back-to-back calls. See our review
  • TOZO T6 Truly Wireless: The TOZO T6 Truly Wireless are the cheaper alternative to the JBL Vibe Beam True Wireless. They're similarly well-built, and they passively isolate against more background noise. However, their battery life isn't as long-lasting, and they lack sound customization tools. See our review
  • SteelSeries TUSQ: The SteelSeries TUSQ are wired gaming earbuds with a detachable boom mic. While their mic offers a better overall recording quality, they're not as comfortable or neutral-sounding as the Apple EarPods. See our review
  • Turtle Beach Battle Buds: The Turtle Beach Battle Buds are another pair of wired gaming earbuds with a boom mic. They're much less comfortable than the Apple EarPods, but their mic offers slightly better noise-handling performance and can passively block more ambient noise. See our review

Recent Updates

  1. Mar 08, 2024: We've added the Devialet Gemini II True Wireless as a Notable Mention due to their excellent mic quality and noise handling. Otherwise, we've checked to ensure all our picks are in stock and their pricing remains consistent.

  2. Jan 11, 2024: We've made minor updates to the text and checked that the products are in stock.

  3. Nov 30, 2023: We've added the Samsung Galaxy Buds FE Truly Wireless as the 'Best Lower Mid-Range Earbuds For Phone Calls'. They offer a good overall mic performance and have an ANC feature to cut down sound.

  4. Nov 06, 2023: The TOZO NC7 Truly Wireless aren't widely available, so we replaced them with the JBL Vibe Beam True Wireless. Replaced the Bose QuietComfort Earbuds II Truly Wireless with the Bose QuietComfort Ultra Earbuds Truly Wireless as an alternate to the top pick.

  5. Oct 06, 2023: We've removed the JBL CLUB PRO+ TWS True Wireless from Notable Mentions as they're no longer available.

All Reviews

Our recommendations above are what we think are currently the best earbuds for calls for most people. 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 earbuds sorted by phone call usage. 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.