In recent years, wireless earbuds have taken the world by storm. Starting with the original Apple AirPods in 2016, the truly wireless headphones were adopted very quickly by a wide variety of markets, and for many good reasons.
The new design made the small form-factor earbuds much more convenient with the removal of the clutter and messy wire, and the range of options that have been made following the success of the AirPods made its way to non-business users.
5. Jabra Elite 3 – Best value
Sometimes, great sound doesn’t have to come at a high price, and the Jabra Elite 3 come to life. Their premium features lift them above the sub-$100 earbuds on the market and even put to shame some of the higher-priced ones (yes, we are looking at you Apple).
The Elite 3’s 7hr internal and 28hr total battery life gives a comfortable all-day use and their Bluetooth 5.2 connection ensures a reliable and seamless experience that is very welcome. The buttons are large and easy to use, and the earbuds’ gel ear tips allow for a secure fit through the most intensive workouts. The Elite 3 has been given an IP55 rating for water and dust resistance, and the weight of each earbud comes in 4.5 grams.
As affordable as the Elite 3 come, they have some of the more expansive options from Jabra – such as a great sound and EQ customization built into the app. Although you don’t get active noise cancelation, the earbuds block out a lot of outside noise, and for $80 they bring great value to your money (and sometimes they are on sale…)
4. Bose QuietComfort – Best Noise Cancelation
the Bose QuietComfort are certainly one of the most isolating (as the name suggests) and best earbuds on the market, and if not for their high price and chunkiness would probably make it to the top of the list.
The QuietComfort offer 6hr of on a charge plus 2 additional charges for a total of 18hr of battery life. The premium build quality and materials are defiantly present, but the case is a bit dated and not very comfortable to use.
With all their flaws, and there are some noticeable ones, the sound department is most certainly deserving of applause. The sound quality is rich, the noise cancelation is top-notch and makes the listening experience more than enjoyable.
Bose has catered a premium product for premium users who don’t mind the $280 price tag. If the highest quality is what you are looking for, this is it.
3. Beats Fit Pro – Best For Workouts
In a time that workout earbuds are sort of forgettable and boring, comes an iOS\Android hybrid trying to rule them all – the Beats Fit Pro (which are awesome).
The Fit Pro comes from apple with integration both for native support through Apple’s magic and an app for android users. The sound quality is very good, noise cancelation is almost “AirPods Pro” perfect, and the fit in the ear is amazing thanks to winged tips that allow for a tight grip. Regarding battery life, you will get 6hr of usage on a single charge and a total of 27hr.
As the contender to the Powerbeats Pro, the Fit Pro fix a lot of the problems from the last generation: the charging case is smaller and magnetizes the earbuds, the charging port was changed from lightning to USB-C and the earbuds themselves are much easier to handle.
For the slightly hefty price of $200 you can get one of the most complete wireless headphones today, and whether you are an iOS or Android user you get almost all features on both ends.
2. Apple AirPods Pro – Best Design
You’ve probably seen this one coming. The ever so criticized AirPods Pro.
Yes, we all know that the AirPods have never been the best at everything, but they get so much of it right. The battery isn’t mind-blowing with 4.5hr with ANC on, but enough to get through the day on with 24hr on the case. The ANC is still hard to beat and create a fantastic immersion.
Perhaps for the Android users of the world, they won’t appeal as much, but for you Apple fanboys this is probably the perfect solution. They move back and forth between the Apple ecosystem’s devices in such a smooth manner that will make all other accessories pale in comparison. In addition, Apple’s products tend to hold their value better than most competitors.
Even though the AirPods Pro retail for $250, you can find it in sale for $200 or even less, which is a good price for Apple’s reliability and reputation, connection to the iPhone, and all the other Apple products.
1. Sony WF-1000XM4 – Best Overall
When it comes to the best, Sony has dominated the category of the high end for a long time through their over-ear to studio monitors to our candidate in the wireless earbuds market: the WF-1000MX4 (Yes, it confuses everyone).
Sony’s XM4 come after the overwhelming success of the M3, which were the best noise-canceling earbuds for almost 3 years. Their ANC and sound quality are some of the best in the game, they have a long-lasting battery with 8hr\24hr respectively and the touch-based controls are quick and snappy. Also, Sony offers sound and ANC controls that are easy to use and understand. For the price of $250 you get what you paid for, and there isn’t much else to say besides that these headphones will satisfy most customers to almost all of their requirements.
