The market is filled with different choices for earbuds, with features like active noise cancellation, wireless or quick charging, and intuitive touch interfaces. Brands like Bose, Sony, Apple, and JBL are popular brands in the earbud market, so it can be hard to choose which earbuds are right for you. That’s why we’ve rounded up the best options – from true wireless earbuds to bone conduction – so you can find the best fit for your budget and needs. Also:
The best noise-canceling earbudsThe best cheap earbudsThe best wireless headphones
Bose’s Acoustic Noise Cancelling technology provides true quiet within this pair of wireless earbuds. Using hidden microphones in the earbuds, they monitor external sound and emit an anti-sound wave to cancel out any noise other than whatever you’re listening to. When you want to tune back into your surroundings, an Aware Mode feature allows you to hear your music and surroundings at a lower level simultaneously. So if you want to block the sounds of city construction or get into the zone for work, these best true wireless earbuds are a wise option to consider. Review: Bose QuietComfort Earbuds II: Step aside, AirPods The newest Apple AirPods Pro that debuted this year are a welcome upgrade from the previous generation’s features. Thanks to Apple’s new and improved H2 chip, these AirPods have better performance via high-band connectivity and a low-distortion audio driver with a custom amplifier. The technologies combine to ensure clearer audio across various sound frequencies, making them the best-sounding AirPods to date. As far as noise cancellation goes, these AirPods have two times more noise cancellation than the previous version. An upgraded adaptive transparency mode also automatically lowers the volume of harmful noises above the 85dB threshold. Plus, you can personalize your spatial audio settings to create your ideal sound experience (using iOS 16). Review: AirPods Pro 2 offer two big upgrades but connectivity remains a problem London-based technology company, Nothing, made headlines last year with its transparent-themed earbuds. This year, it’s back with a successor that looks just as good but sounds marginally better, making the Nothing Ear 2 ZDNET’s pick for best-designed earbuds. The Ear 2 earbuds cost $149, are built with a new custom diaphragm for more accurate low frequencies and sustained high frequencies, can be controlled via squeeze gestures, and block upwards of 40 decibels of sound via ANC. Perhaps the most important addition to the new model is LHDC 5.0 codec compatibility, a hi-res audio format that not every pair of high-end earbuds support. Review: Nothing Ear 2 Despite the latest technology, some users may still prefer a wired fit. Although called wireless, these Bose SoundSport earbuds are not entirely wireless because they are still connected by a wire that wraps around your neck to keep the fit secure while you are wearing them. The earbuds’ StayHear+ Sport tips are built to stay in your ears, so you can work out in these without worrying about them falling out – plus, they are sweat-proof. The rechargeable lithium-ion battery provides up to 6 hours of improved sound quality on a full battery in just 2 hours of charging. In addition, you can easily control the volume, skip tracks, and take calls by tapping the built-in remote. If you’re looking to go entirely “old-school” and forgo Bluetooth altogether for wired earbuds, these earbuds from Sennheiser are great midrange options. A 3.9-inch cable includes a built-in microphone and remote so you can play or pause music and take a call without using your phone. While these earbuds don’t have active noise cancellation, they have sound isolation thanks to their in-ear design. These also come with four ear adapter sizes (XS, S, M, and L) and a handy travel pouch. And, since they are wired, you never have to worry about charging them. Don’t want to cram something in your ear? These open-ear earbuds by Shokz fit over your ear and play the sound against your cheekbone. Two bass enhancers allow you to experience every note, beat, and chorus of your favorite song, resulting in premium sound quality. They have an impressive battery life of up to 10 hours, but if you need a quick, last-minute charge, charging them for five minutes provides up to 1.5 hours of listening. Perfect for runners, these earbuds stay put thanks to the brand’s signature open-ear design. And while this allows you to remain alert to your surroundings, the trade-off is that you still hear ambient sounds around you. Review: Shokz OpenRun Pro Also: The best music streaming services We compared ratings and reviews from customers (both good and bad), standout features, brands, and different price points to help you find the best earbuds for your budget and needs. If you’re looking for tips for preventing hearing loss caused by headphones, some include keeping the volume lower (and opting for ANC headphones to cancel out exterior noise rather than turning up the volume), using quality headphones, and taking breaks while working with headphones in so you can give your eardrums a breather. And, you can always opt for open-backed headphones like the Shokz OpenRun Pro. In fact, Apple dominated the U.S. headphone market in 2021, and beat out other brands like Samsung, JBL, and Bose for the most popular headphone brand. However, if you’re open to looking at other brands, Bose and Sony make excellent earbuds, some of which are on this list. Especially if you plan to use your earbuds mainly for working out, there are other worthy earbud options than AirPods. Also: The best cheap earbuds
