Wireless earbuds continue to be the most popular style of headphones to choose but which are the best pair? Here we review and rank the best true wireless earbuds you can buy to help you find the right pair for your needs.
As well as the AirPods, there are great wireless earbuds from the likes of Sony, Bose and Samsung as well as brands you might not know so well like Cambridge Audio.
We’re focusing on what are known as ‘true wireless’ earbuds here – ie not ones that are attached to each other with a cable that hangs on your neck like the Google Pixel Buds or Huawei FreeLace Pro – aka neckbuds. You might see them referred to as ‘TWS’ which stands for true wireless stereo.
1. Sony WF-1000XM4
- Best in class ANC
- Amazing sound
- Strong battery life
- Smart features
Cons
- A little bulky
If you can afford them and don’t have tiny ears, there’s really nothing to dislike about the WF-1000XM4. Sony has once again created an exceptional pair of wireless earbuds.
Along with solid battery life and quick charging, they offer the best active noise cancelling on a pair of earbuds we’ve tested. Not only does it do a great job of removing unwanted sound, it has unrivalled AI technology that can change the mode and level depending on where you are or what you’re doing.
There’s plenty more tech packed in, too, with Speak-to-Chat, DSEE Extreme upscaling, LDAC support for Hi-Res Audio Wireless as well as 360 Reality Audio spatial audio. And pretty much everything can be customised or switched off when needed.
Read our full Sony WF-1000XM4 review
2. Cambridge Melomania Touch
- Epic battery life
- Great sound
- User-friendly app
- Comfortable fit
Cons
- No ANC
- Slow switching modes
- Slightly awkward case
As long as noise cancelling isn’t a must-have feature, the Cambridge Melomania Touch are one of the best pairs of wireless earbuds you can get.
Not only are they affordable, but they are comfortable and have the best battery life around – able to last for a total of 50 hours if you switch them into low power mode. Even on high performance, they can still go for an impressive 44.
Longevity aside, the sound quality is excellent and you get a lot of control over the sound with a graphic EQ in the app which can also do various other useful things. You can still get the Melomania 1 if you want a bargain.
3. Samsung Galaxy Buds Pro
- Cheaper than rivals
- Intellegent ANC
- Wireless charging
Cons
- Awkward touch controls
- Middling battery life
It’s taken a while but the Galaxy Buds have finally gone Pro and Samsung has really nailed it here.
They might not have the longest battery life around but this is a very well-rounded and premium package, ticking all the important boxes at a cheaper price than key rivals.
The Buds Pro are comfortable and have excellent Intelligent ANC, sound quality and come with wireless charging and IPX7 protection.
About the only downsides are that some features are limited to Samsung phones and the touch controls can be a little fiddly, but then most are.
Read our full Samsung Galaxy Buds Pro review
4. Apple AirPods Pro
- User friendly
- Solid ANC
- Secure fit
Cons
- Sub-par battery life
- Better sound quality elsewhere
AirPods have always been good, but the Pro model makes them great. Apple has done this by improving the design and therefore fit and comfort for starters.
They’re also very fuss-free thanks to easy pairing, plus automatic pause and off. Then there’s the way they maintain a solid connection and have decent active noise cancelling, which is still a feature quite rare on wireless earbuds.
While we welcome these improvements and new features, they’re expensive and really should offer better sound quality at this price. Look to the regular AirPods if you need something cheaper.
Read our full AirPods Pro review
5. Huawei FreeBuds Pro 2
- Dual-drivers sound amazing
- Solid ANC performance
- Useful smart features
- Wireless charging case
Cons
- Irritating software setup
- New colour is a fingerprint magnet
- Slightly awkward swipe gesture
Huawei’s follow-up to its original Pro level earbuds are phenomenally good apart from some small annoyances, which can largely be avoided or forgotten about.
At a much lower price than some rivals, you get incredible sound from the dual-driver setup which unusually features planar drivers. They also fit really well and the active noise cancelling and call quality are nothing short of excellent, even if you need the app to select specific ANC modes beyond on and ambient.
There is a selection of useful smart features such as wear detection, fit test, custom EQ and more. Most markets will get wireless charging, but it’s a shame battery life isn’t any better and the new Silver Blue colour attracts fingerprints.
Read our full Huawei FreeBuds Pro 2 review
6. NuraTrue
- Incredible personal sound
- Secure fit
- Touch controls
Cons
- Average ANC
- No fast charging
They might lack fast charging and don’t have the best noise cancelling but Nura stands out in the earbud market for its unique personalised audio technology. It’s just as impressive as previous prodcuts, but now packed into tiny earbuds.
You need to hear it to believe it and there are other things to like about the NuraTrue beyond mesmerising sound. They have useful touch controls and a compact, secure fit making them suitable for running and exercising.
They’re also cheaper than some of the big names and you can still get the NuraLoop for a little less if a neckbud design is suitable.
Read our full NuraTrue review
7. Bose QC Earbuds
- Excellent ANC
- Useful app
- Solid sound
Cons
- Bulky design
- Middling battery life
Granted, they look a bit dated with a bulky design but a surprisingly lightweight and secure fit means that doesn’t matter as much as it could. The touch control system is unusual but certainly not bad and automatic play/pause makes up for it somewhat.
If you’re ok with the style, then Bose has made one of the best pairs of true wireless earbuds you can buy – if you can afford them, of course. Battery life is a little behind Sony but it’s decent enough with a total of 18 hours.
Importantly, sound quality is excellent and active noise cancelling has 11 levels of control – you can even set three favourite levels for different situations.
Read our full Bose QC Earbuds review
8. Apple AirPods (2021)
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- Comfortable design
- Improved smarts
- Wireless charging
- Spatial Audio
Cons
- No Active Noise Cancellation
- Limited noise isolation
- Slightly more expensive
The regular AirPods – now third-generation – remain the obvious default purchase for Apple users if you can’t afford the Pro model.
A number of improvements have been made including a more comfortable design, Spatial Audio support, improved Find My support and wireless charging as standard – both Qi and MagSafe.
Still, there are downsides such as the lack of noise cancelling and the open-fit design means no ear canal seal for proper noise isolation like the AirPods Pro and most rivals.
Great earbuds, but not quite a no brainer at the increased price.
Read our full Apple AirPods 3 review
9. Jabra Elite 7 Pro
- Strong sound
- Optimised for calls
- Excellent passive noise isolation
- Impressive battery
Cons
- ANC doesn't add much
- Lacking bass
They are more expensive than a number of other options but the Elite 7 Pro are an excellent all-rounder pair of earbuds.
Jabra offers reliable buttons instead of touch and the impressive fit results in excellent noise isolation. Partly due to this, the active noise isolation doesn’t add much but there’s a HearThrough mode for when you need to know what’s going on around you.
It also kicks in automatically when you start a call and the EQ also applies to calls as well as music. They are the best earbuds we’ve tested for calls and there’s also great sound quality along with matching battery life and wireless charging.
Read our full Jabra Elite 7 Pro review
10. Samsung Galaxy Buds 2
- Lightweight & compact design
- Solid sound & ANC
- Wireless charging
Cons
- Fiddly touch controls
- Limited iOS support
- Average battery life
If you can’t afford the Galaxy Buds Pro then the Buds 2 are a great all-round option providing a lot of good elements for a reasonable price.
They come in a range of colours and offer a comfortable fit along with good sound quality, noise cancelling and even wireless charging. You will have to put up with over-sensitive touch controls and better battery life can be found elsewhere if that’s important.
As you might expect, it’s better to look elsewhere if you’re an iPhone user due to limited support.
Read our full Samsung Galaxy Buds 2review
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