If you inquire me, a due brace of wireless earbuds are 1 of the much important investments erstwhile it comes to tech that impacts my regular life. I mean, I usage them mundane for euphony and podcasts, and person to trust connected them to instrumentality meetings successful a pinch. A bully brace of earbuds tin besides beryllium expensive, truthful you should cognize whether oregon not the terms tag is justified. And america being IGN, bully earbuds tin beryllium your go-to audio cogwheel for gaming (which I state successful my reappraisal of the SteelSeries Arctis GameBuds). But arsenic with immoderate of our buying guides for the likes of gaming headsets oregon keyboards, determination tons of options and I'm present to assistance benignant them each to bring you our apical picks for the champion wireless earbuds.
With the extremity of summertime abrogation drafting near, immoderate folks are heading backmost to schoolhouse and bully earbuds are a definite game-changer passim the schoolhouse year. Whether you're walking betwixt classes oregon trying to fastener successful for survey sessions, being without earbuds astir feels similar forgetting your wallet astatine home. If you're near with ones that dependable similar a tin can, can't artifact extracurricular noise, oregon hardly past a fewer hours connected a afloat charge, it's clip to upgrade, and immoderate of our picks present volition instrumentality attraction of you.
TL;DR – These are the Best Wireless Earbuds:
We made respective picks truthful you person a coagulated acceptable of options depending connected your fund and circumstantial needs, but regardless, you'll extremity up with a due brace of earbuds. If you privation to shot out, we basal by the JBL Tour Pro 3 that came retired this year, oregon if you solely privation beardown bass and gaming features, Razer's Hammerheads are inactive fantastic. In 1 mode oregon another, we person first-hand acquisition with our recommendations truthful we tin vouch for them – so, if you privation to cognize astir their dependable quality, features, and artillery life, work on!
This nonfiction features contributions from authors Kevin Lee, Georgie Peru, and Danielle Abraham.
1. JBL Tour Pro 3
Best Premium Wireless Earbuds
2. Jabra Elite 5
Best Mid-Range Wireless Earbuds
JBL Tour Pro 3
Balanced, expressive audio, Bluetooth multipoint, ANC, touchscreen controls connected the case, and wide mics marque this brace of existent wireless earbuds a standout.
Connectivity
Bluetooth 5.2
Audio codec
aptX, SBC, AAC
Earbud artillery life
7 hours (ANC on)
Case artillery life
28 hours
Weight (earbuds)
5g (each)
Size (case)
1.02 x 1.53 x 2.52 inches
Supports assorted audio codecs
Balanced, expressive audio
Mediocre sound cancelling
For a perfectly balanced, expressive audio acquisition successful a comfy and sturdy brace of earbuds, you can’t spell incorrect with the Jabra Elite 5. Pair with up to 2 devices utilizing Bluetooth Multipoint, and erstwhile connected, Jabra’s intuitive Sound+ app lets you play astir with EQ settings and ANC dependable modes. That hybrid sound cancellation does a decent occupation of drowning retired an airplane’s motor oregon muffling voices astatine a java shop, though it does conflict with high-pitched sounds.
While you bask a pleasant listening acquisition akin to immoderate of the champion headphones, others volition admit the six microphones that marque your dependable ace wide connected calls, adjacent connected windy days. Answering those calls is elemental acknowledgment to the fastener power connected each earbud, which besides gives you entree to playback and Amazon Alexa oregon Google Assistant, on with immoderate different functions that tin beryllium assigned utilizing the app. And you won’t request to interest astir breaking a sweat oregon getting stuck successful the rainfall acknowledgment to the earbud's IP55 particulate and h2o resistance.
3. Apple AirPods (3rd Generation)
Best Budget Wireless Earbuds
Apple AirPods (3rd Generation)
Simple connectivity, h2o resistance, fantastic dependable with spatial audio, and a comfy plan marque these AirPods a boon.
Connectivity
Bluetooth 5.0
Earbud artillery life
6 hours
Case artillery life
30 hours
Weight (earbuds)
4.28g (each)
Size (case)
2.14 x 1.83 x 0.84 inches
Adaptive EQ and Spatial Audio with caput tracking
Comfortable, open-back design
You can’t spell incorrect with Apple’s AirPods (3rd generation) erstwhile you privation a brace of affordable, dependable AirPods that easy link to the champion iPhones oregon truly immoderate smartphone. To start, these earbuds dependable spectacular, delivering virtually flawless, rich, elaborate audio. You adjacent get Adaptive EQ to customize the dependable to your ears, portion spatial audio with caput tracking makes it consciousness similar the dependable is wrapping astir you.
However, you won’t get ANC similar the Pro model, and you’ll announcement immoderate dependable leakage owed to the open-back design. But that open-back makes these AirPods wicked comfortable, lightly resting successful your receptor and remaining successful place. Add successful immoderate sweat- and water-resistant, and you’re definite to person an easy-going listening acquisition wherever you deterioration these large iPhone earbuds.
4. Sony LinkBuds S
Best Noise-Cancelling Wireless Earbuds
Sony LinkBuds S
Get fantabulous ANC successful a light, compact brace of earbuds that besides connection ambient dependable modes and enactment for high-res codecs.
Connectivity
Bluetooth 5.2
Audio codec
LDAC, AAC, SBC
Earbud artillery life
6 hours (ANC on)
Case artillery life
14 hours
Weight (earbuds)
4.8g (each)
Size (case)
3.35 x 2.64 x 3.58 inches
Excellent sound cancelling
Middling lawsuit artillery life
Sony’s exceptional WH-1000XM bid of over-ear headphones has acceptable the precocious barroom for noise-cancelling exertion for years. And with the Sony LinkBuds S Wireless Earbuds, the aforesaid large noise-cancellation successful a light, compact signifier factor. Its ANC eliminates sounds similar an airplane motor oregon noisy aerial conditioner. But you’re astir apt inactive going to announcement incidental sounds similar a car horn oregon canine barking, though it’ll decidedly travel done much muffled acknowledgment to the awesome passive dependable isolation owed to the choky acceptable of the earbuds. An ambient dependable mode is besides supported, which gives you 20 antithetic options connected what outer sounds you tin hear, providing an perfect listening acquisition catered to you.
In summation to being fantabulous sound cancelling headphones, these earbuds connection up to six hours of artillery beingness adjacent with noise-cancelling running, and there’s an other 14 hours of complaint retired of the carrying case. That means you instrumentality vantage of these earbuds connected the longest enactment and question days. It’s adjacent imaginable to bask higher solution audio with LDAC and AAC codec enactment implicit Bluetooth 5.2. You besides get on-ear controls to set volume, skip tracks, reply calls and activate dependable assistants. And acknowledgment to humble h2o resistance, you tin usage these earbuds to tune into your euphony portion you’re moving retired and tune retired everything else.
5. Razer Hammerhead True Wireless (Gen 2)
Best Wireless Earbuds for Gaming
Razer Hammerhead True Wireless (Gen 2)
True wireless Bluetooth earbuds with 60ms latency, ANC, and Chroma RGB lighting
Connectivity
2.4GHz dongle, Bluetooth 5.3
Earbud artillery life
6.5 hours (features off)
Case artillery life
24 hours
Weight (earbuds)
6g (each)
Size (case)
2.08 x 2.53 x 1 inches
Includes flashy Razer Chroma RGB
60ms Low Latency Gaming Mode
Features deplete artillery life
The Razer Hammerhead True Wireless (Gen 2) Bluetooth earbuds are a large prime for gamers, with a ocular motion to the inclusion of Razer Chroma RGB. This allows users to personalize their gaming earbuds with 16.8 cardinal colors and assorted effects. This not lone adds a stylish flair but besides ensures that users tin basal retired from the assemblage with the eventual wireless earbud flex.
With an omnidirectional microphone pick-up pattern, Bluetooth 5.2 connectivity, and a 64dB signal-to-noise ratio, the Razer Hammerhead True Wireless (Gen 2) guarantees a wide and immersive audio acquisition during calls and gameplay. The integration of ANC further enhances the idiosyncratic acquisition by eliminating unwanted ambient noise, ensuring users tin afloat immerse themselves successful their favourite tunes oregon games without disruptions.
For gamers, the 60ms Low Latency Gaming Mode is simply a game-changer. Activating this mode optimizes the earbuds' performance, providing a seamless and lag-free gaming acquisition connected Bluetooth devices.
6. Beats Fit Pro
Best Wireless Earbuds for Sports
Beats Fit Pro
Wingtips and 3 antithetic receptor extremity options guarantee a snug fit, portion an IPX4 standing means you tin deterioration the earbuds successful the rainfall oregon during a sweaty gym session.
Earbud artillery life
6 hours (ANC on)
Case artillery life
18 hours
Size (case)
2.44 x 2.44 x 1.12 inches
H1 spot to easy brace with iPhone
If you’re looking for a coagulated brace of earbuds that you tin sweat retired astatine the gym with oregon instrumentality on connected a jog, past the Beats Fit Pro are for you. These headphones are designed to enactment successful your ears nary substance what you’re doing acknowledgment to wingtips that tuck into your precocious receptor and 3 antithetic receptor extremity options to guarantee a snug fit. There’s nary request to interest astir accidentally knocking 1 into the ungraded during a way tally oregon interrupting a lifting league to enactment the instrumentality backmost successful your ear. Plus, the IPX4 standing means it’ll clasp up large against sweat and rain, conscionable possibly don’t bring the earbuds on for a swim.
Not lone are the Beats Fit Pro designed to enactment successful your receptor making them immoderate 1 of the champion earbuds for running, but they besides dependable great, too. Spatial audio and progressive sound cancellation are supported, truthful you’ll beryllium afloat immersed successful your euphony nary substance the situation you find yourself in. And, the six hours of artillery beingness with ANC connected positive 18 further hours with the compact charging lawsuit means these wireless headphones are the cleanable question companion, arsenic well. With on-device controls, you won’t request to interest astir taking retired your telephone to alteration songs oregon reply calls, either. The earbuds adjacent stone an Apple H1 spot for hands-free assistance from Siri.
7. Apple AirPods Pro (2nd Generation)
Best Wireless Earbuds for iPhones
Apple AirPods Pro (2nd Generation)
Enjoy Apple’s H2 spot and acquisition amended sound cancellation, crisp audio, and affluent bass.
Connectivity
Bluetooth 5.3
Earbud artillery life
6 hours (ANC on), 5.5 hours (Spatial Audio on)
Case artillery life
24 hours
Size (case)
2.39 x 1.78 x 0.85 inches
Spatial audio with caput tracking
No enactment for precocious solution Bluetooth codecs
Apple’s second-generation AirPods Pro looks the aforesaid arsenic its predecessor, but astir everything wrong has been re-engineered and runs connected the H2 spot to amp up performance. For starters, the progressive sound cancellation has improved astatine dampening sounds successful your environment, portion a caller adaptive transparency mode does a coagulated occupation astatine minimizing louder abrupt sounds similar a sheet breaking astatine a edifice oregon a large siren passing by. The audio connected these earbuds is besides much dynamic, bringing you a thoroughly enjoyable listening experience, though you inactive don’t get the enactment for higher-res audio files.
There’s plentifulness of different tech going connected with these wireless earbuds, including Spatial Audio which uses caput tracking to make a dependable illustration tailored to you. Apple besides makes it casual to set the media you’re listening to connected your iPhone with dependable power utilizing “hey, Siri” oregon pat controls connected the earbuds that diagnostic a caller swipe functionality to set the volume. The AirPods connection bully artillery life, too, with up to six hours connected the buds and different 24 hours successful the MagSafe charging case, and that lawsuit adjacent has tracking for those prone to misplacing it. These AirPods besides complaint via USB-C, making them somewhat much universal.
8. Sony WF-1000XM5
Best Wireless Earbuds for Android Phones
Sony WF-1000XM5
AI-driven ANC and dependable isolation destruct extracurricular sound distractions connected these earbuds with useful features similar spatial audio and multipoint connectivity.
Connectivity
Bluetooth 5.3
Audio codec
SBC, AAC, LDAC, LC3
Earbud artillery life
6 hours (ANC on), 7 hours (ANC off)
Case artillery life
24 hours
Weight (earbuds)
5.9g (each)
Size (case)
2.54 x 1.57 x 1.05 inches
Rich, well-balanced audio
Next level sound cancelling
Our squad tested Sony’s WF-1000XM5 earbuds, and we deliberation they whitethorn conscionable beryllium worthy the splurge. With them comes affluent and well-balanced audio successful a lightweight, compact signifier factor. Spatial audio and caput tracking let the earbuds to automatically set what you’re listening to for a much realistic, immersive dependable experience. Bluetooth 5.3 provides a beardown nexus betwixt the headphones and your Android telephone oregon different devices. It adjacent comes with multipoint connectivity to perceive connected much than 1 device, similar your laptop and tablet.
But the stand-out diagnostic of Sony’s WF-1000XM5 is the AI-driven ANC. It does a large occupation of eliminating sounds similar a leafage blower and aerial conditioner. Design changes from the Sony WF-1000XM4 mean the receptor tips are much secure—and comfortable—for amended dependable isolation to artifact retired incidental sound similar a car horn oregon canine barking. And if you privation to instrumentality a telephone call, there’s adjacent a peculiar dependable pickup exertion that uses AI to observe a user’s voice, truthful you travel crossed intelligibly during calls, dampening dependable successful noisier environments.
9. 1More Evo
Best Audiophile-Grade Wireless Earbuds
1More Evo
Enjoy accurate, affluent dependable from 10mm hybrid dynamic drivers connected earbuds that enactment higher-quality audio codecs.
Connectivity
Bluetooth 5.2
Audio codec
LDAC, AAC, SBC
Earbud artillery life
8 hours
Case artillery life
28 hours
Weight (earbuds)
5.7g (each)
Size (case)
2.62 x 1.52 x 1.13 inches
Crisp highs and heavy bass
Support for high-res audio codecs
The information that they're tiny doesn't mean earbuds are doomed to person mediocre dependable quality, and the 1More Evo earbuds are a testament to that. These harvester quality, well-balanced dependable with immoderate progressive noise-cancelling goodness, truthful you tin truly drown retired your surroundings and bask your audio. Now, the 4 antithetic modes of ANC won’t beryllium arsenic awesome arsenic the Sony WF-1000XM5, but you’re inactive eliminating immoderate extracurricular sound distractions. And if you request to perceive the satellite astir you, they besides diagnostic 2 useful transparency modes.
The 1More Evo earbuds connection an accurate, affluent dependable with crisp highs and heavy bass utilizing a operation of 10mm hybrid dynamic drivers and enactment for higher prime audio codecs. The effect is simply a somewhat heavier and bulkier earbud than astir others connected this list, but determination are ever tradeoffs for greatness. Beyond that, the earbuds tin tally for an awesome 8 hours, and the charging lawsuit tin widen that by an other 20 hours. And, if you person a wireless charger, it'll beryllium casual to retrieve to support the lawsuit topped up, arsenic it supports Qi wireless charging.
10. SteelSeries Arctis GameBuds
Best All-Around Earbuds
SteelSeries Arctis GameBuds
Wireless earbuds acceptable to crippled with ANC, customizable EQ settings, and a 2.4 GHz dongle for a debased latency transportation to a scope of devices.
Connectivity
Bluetooth 5.3
Audio codec
LHDC, AAC, SBC, LC3
Earbud artillery life
9 hours (ANC off), 6 hours (ANC on)
Case artillery life
39 hours
Size (case)
2.37 x 1.93 x 0.98 inches
Decent progressive sound cancellation
Impressive debased and high-end sound
Some features lone enactment with One Plus phones
Gaming earbuds are a reasonably caller inclination with the notable peripheral companies similar Razer, Asus, and PlayStation making their ain that are suited for games. It's pugnacious due to the fact that of the constricted operator size and artillery life, earbuds thin to marque sacrifices successful 1 mode oregon another. But the SteelSeries Arctis GameBuds are truthful awesome due to the fact that of however uncompromising these small rounded buds are.
On apical of having coagulated foundations of dependable quality, artillery life, and semipermanent comfort, SteelSeries has 1 of the astir robust bundle suites, which is easy controllable done a mobile app. This takes retired the inconvenience of having to flip done PS5 menus to customize the earbuds, portion besides letting you entree its 100+ custom-tuned EQ profiles easily.
Although determination are a fewer insignificant inconveniences with however immoderate of its quality-of-life features enactment (autoplay erstwhile taking it connected and off, connecting done Bluetooth reliably), the GameBuds bash each the important things highly well. While you should decidedly usage these arsenic your superior earbuds to perceive to euphony connected your phone, they truly radiance successful games with the benignant of bold audio acquisition you expect from a headset. They'll brace nicely with your PS5 oregon Switch 2 since you besides get a 2.4GHz USB-C wireless receiver for a no-latency connection; this is my preferred audio setup for Switch 2 acknowledgment to the further USB-C ports, letting maine ditch my aged wired earbuds for good. For each that and more, I gave a 9 to the SteelSeries Arctis GameBuds successful my review.
At $160, these person cheaper basal terms than the Razer Hammerheads I antecedently recommended. While I inactive deliberation the Hammerheads person a precise flimsy borderline successful dependable quality, it's the artillery life, bundle support, and wide comfortableness that marque the GameBuds the champion each around.
What to Look for In Wireless Earbuds
When buying for a brace of wireless earbuds, determination are a fewer things you should consider:
- The archetypal is successful regards to Bluetooth. It has improved dramatically with each iteration, however, Bluetooth inactive can't transportation a beardown awesome done objects specified arsenic walls, people, oregon your ain pants, which successful crook leads to interference and the awesome being dropped. The Bluetooth awesome tin besides beryllium scrambled by aggravated areas wireless signals you mightiness brushwood successful the city. If the music, podcast, oregon video you're listening to starts cutting successful and out, simply determination your root (likely a smartphone oregon tablet) person to your earbuds, and that should wide things up successful astir cases.
- The 2nd happening you should look for is decent artillery life, which successful this lawsuit means six hours and above. Currently, 8 hours oregon much is the precocious benchmark for the champion artillery beingness connected wireless earbuds and 10 hours is the implicit champion we've seen frankincense far. It mightiness look short, but unless you're flying connected a cross-country oregon planetary flight, you astir apt won't beryllium wearing your wireless earbuds for highly agelong stretches of time.
- Planning to workout with your wireless earbuds? Be definite to find thing with astatine slightest immoderate level of water-resistance. You'll typically spot an IP standing attached to the specifications of immoderate wireless earbuds you're looking at. Breaking down IP ratings, similar IPX5 oregon IP55, is simple. The archetypal fig denotes however dust-resistant an entity is portion the aboriginal digit refers to however water-resistant a merchandise is. Most wireless earbuds aren't rated for dust-resistance, truthful they'll person an IPX standing wherever you lone person to absorption connected the past number.
For moving out, you'll privation to find thing with astatine slightest an IPX4 that certifies extortion from h2o splashes for astatine slightest 5 minutes. IPX6 gives you adjacent amended extortion from splashing and rain. Once you scope IPX7, it means your wireless earbuds are harmless to submerge if you determine to spell swimming with them, conscionable cognize they'll lone past successful up to 3 feet of h2o for 30 minutes. Also, if you're taking them nether underwater, beryllium definite that the charging larboard is afloat sealed shut.
Feel similar we missed anything? Throw down your ain suggestions for wireless earbuds successful the comments below. We'll cheque them retired and see nominating them successful our list.
Kevin Lee is IGN's Hardware and Roundups Editor. Follow him connected Twitter @baggingspam
Originally posted:
Jul 31, 2025 6:00 pm