the best earbuds we ve tested for As the wireless earbuds market continues to evolve, consumers have an impressive array of options to choose from in 2026.
the best earbuds we ve tested for
Introduction to the Wireless Earbuds Landscape
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, companies like Sony, Apple, Bose, 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. However, 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.
The Best Overall Wireless Earbuds
Sony WF-1000XM5
Sony’s flagship wireless earbuds offer the company’s best noise cancellation, powerful and lively sound, and a comfortable fit.
- Score: 8
- Pros: Smaller, more comfortable design; upgrades to ANC and sound quality; much clearer voice call performance.
- Cons: Glossy texture can make them harder to remove from the case; Sony’s bonus features aren’t as seamless as those of its competitors; potential battery longevity concerns.
Where to Buy: $329.99 $328 at Amazon, $329.99 $328 at Best Buy, $329.99 $289.99 at Walmart.
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 latest QC Ultra Earbuds. 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 users 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. They’re capable of dynamic head tracking spatial audio through supported video apps like Netflix. Even if you’re not using LDAC (or have an iPhone), these earbuds are among 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.
The Best Budget Earbuds Under $100
Nothing Ear (a)
Nothing’s Ear (a) earbuds have the same stylish, semi-transparent design as the company’s other earbuds — but these come in a snazzy yellow. They combine decent ANC, enjoyable sound, and other features like multipoint for under $100.
- Pros: Standout color and design; very compact carrying case; great performer for the price.
- Cons: Limited retail availability; plastic case can show scuffs.
Where to Buy: $89 $59 at Nothing, $109 $59 at Amazon.
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.
The sound quality you get outperforms expectations for this price point, especially since they often can be found for as little as $60. They’re not quite on par with Nothing’s higher-end Ear 3, but you do get expressive, very enjoyable audio — and you can customize the EQ further in Nothing’s mobile app.
The Best Noise-Canceling Earbuds
Bose QuietComfort Ultra Earbuds (2nd Gen)
The second generation of the Bose Ultra Earbuds carry over the chunky design from the previous generation, with improved ANC and call quality.
- Score: 8
- Pros: Exceptional ANC; secure fit; wireless charging case.
- Cons: Bulky design; merely average battery life.
Where to Buy: $299 $249.99 at Amazon, $299 at Bose, $299 $249.99 at Best Buy.
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 yourself 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 users 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.
The Best Earbuds for Sports and Working Out
Beats Powerbeats Pro 2
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.
- Score: 8
- Pros: Wireless charging; adds ANC, transparency modes, spatial audio; slimmer ear hook, smaller case; adds heart rate monitoring; great sound; no price hike.
- Cons: Case is still a chonker; heart rate is not that useful for iOS users.
Where to Buy: $250 $199.95 at Amazon, $249 $199.95 at Walmart, $249.99 $199.99 at Best Buy.
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).
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.
The Best Earbuds for iPhone Owners
AirPods Pro 3
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 at the end of 2024. 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.
- Score: 9
- Pros: Improved ANC and sound; longer battery; standalone workout tracking; live translation; same price; IP57; better fit; camera remote control is handy!
- Cons: If you’re hoping for traditional foam ear tips, this isn’t that.
Where to Buy: $249 $199.99 at Amazon, $249 at Best Buy, $249.99 at Walmart.
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).
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, when combined with better ANC performance, deliver the best overall noise cancellation in a pair of Apple earbuds yet. ANC performance is nearly identical to that of the Bose QC Ultra Earbuds (Gen 2), but the AirPods have a slight high-end hiss (though some people might not 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.
For many Apple users, the AirPods Pro 3 fit seamlessly into the Apple ecosystem. A new heart sensor, first
Was this helpful?
Last Modified: January 9, 2026 at 11:42 am
10 views
