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Truly wireless earbuds are relatively new in the headphones market. While several models were made by lesser-known brands for a couple of years, they didn't become immensely popular until Apple released the first AirPods in late 2016. Since then, almost every company has thrown its hat in the ring. What used to be a relatively expensive product that lacked features is now available at every price point with impressive performance. While truly wireless headphones can't quite match the battery life of larger Bluetooth headphones, most popular options come with a charging case to extend their overall battery life while away from a charger, and some can juice up with convenient wireless charging pads.
We've tested over 200 pairs of truly wireless earbuds and in-ear headphones, and below are our recommendations for the best options. They tend to cost more than ordinary earbuds, so check out our picks for the best cheap earbuds if you're looking for something more budget-friendly. You can also look at the best in-ear headphones, the best earbuds for iPhone, and the best wireless Bluetooth earbuds for more options.
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Best True Wireless Earbuds
Sony WF-1000XM5 Truly Wireless 72
Neutral Sound
7.1
Commute/Travel
8.2
Sports/Fitness
8.3
Office
7.5
Wireless Gaming
5.7
Wired Gaming
5.5
Phone Calls
6.7
Type In-ear
Enclosure Closed-Back
Wireless Truly Wireless
Transducer Dynamic
Noise Cancelling Yes
Mic Yes
See all our test results
The Sony WF-1000XM5 Truly Wireless are the best true wireless earbuds we've tested. These high-end buds are the next generation of the Sony WF-1000XM4 Truly Wireless and have improved overall performance. They use memory foam ear tips alongsidetheir active noise cancelling (ANC) system to reduce a significant amount of ambient sound. The ear tips do most of the heavy lifting for those high-pitched noises like chatty neighbors and dish clatter, as theANC mostly targets bass-range noise like bus rumbles or aclothes dryer.
With the ANC on, they last well over eight hours continuously, and their case holds a couple of extra charges if needed. Out of the box, their warm sound profile adds a touch of extra boom to mixes without overwhelming vocals and instruments. You can adjust this with their app's graphic EQ and presets.If you're looking for similarly sounding buds with slightly better noise isolation,consider the Bose QuietComfort Ultra Earbuds Truly Wireless. They do a particularly good job of isolating you fromsounds like rumbly train engines, so they're great for commutersand abit more comfortable.On the other hand,theyaren't quite as good at blocking out mid-range noise like chatty co-workersanddon't support multi-device pairing or LDAC, which is Sony's proprietary codec for streaming Hi-Res audio.
If noise isolation is particularly important to you, check out our best noise cancelling earbudsarticle.
See our review
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Best Upper Mid-Range True Wireless Earbuds
Jabra Elite 10 True Wireless 36
Neutral Sound
7.4
Commute/Travel
8.3
Sports/Fitness
8.4
Office
7.7
Wireless Gaming
5.9
Wired Gaming
5.7
Type In-ear
Enclosure Semi-Open
Wireless Truly Wireless
Transducer Dynamic
Noise Cancelling Yes
Mic Yes
See all our test results
The Jabra Elite 10 True Wireless earbuds are thebest true wireless earbuds we've tested in the upper mid-range price bracket.Their excellent ANC performs even better thanthe Sony WF-1000XM5 Truly Wireless and is great for blocking out everything from the rumble of bus engines to office chatter. On the other hand, the Sony deliver more consistent audio from wear to wear, and the Jabra render high-pitched sounds like piercing sibilants. Fortunately, you can tweak their soundto your liking using their companion app's graphic EQ and presets. That said,their default sound profile is mostly neutral and well-balanced.Kick drums have enough thump, and basslines have enough punch to keep hip-hop fans happy, while vocals and instruments are rendered with plenty of detail.
With their ANC on, they last 7.5 hours continuously, and their carrying case supplies an additional three charges. Unlike our top pick, these don't support LDAC, but they do support Dolby Spatial Sound, which gives any audio you run through it a more3D, immersive feel. If you have Dolby Atmos content, they support that, too.
See our review
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Best Mid-Range True Wireless Earbuds
Sony LinkBuds S Truly Wireless 3
Neutral Sound
7.2
Commute/Travel
8.1
Sports/Fitness
8.2
Office
7.4
Wireless Gaming
5.7
Wired Gaming
5.5
Phone Calls
6.5
Type In-ear
Enclosure Closed-Back
Wireless Truly Wireless
Transducer Dynamic
Noise Cancelling Yes
Mic Yes
See all our test results
The Sony LinkBuds S Truly Wireless are our mid-range pick that don't require you to make many compromises to suit your budget. Their battery life isn't quite as long as the Jabra Elite 10 True Wireless, and the build quality is not as good, but these comfortable buds still have multi-device pairing and an app for customizing their sound. Out of the box, their sound profile is quite neutral with a somewhat subdued low-end and treble. Itsupplies a fairly accurate reproduction of your music that suitsmost genres. If you like something with more rumble or a more excitedtuning, their EQ is simple to adjust to taste.
To help you focus, the noise isolation and ANC do a great job of cutting out environmental sounds throughout the range. While they don't support Dolby Atmos, you doget access to Sony 360 Reality Audio, the brand's surround sound feature. However,it requires compatible media to work through subscriptions to platforms like TIDAL. Like our top pick, theSony WF-1000XM5 Truly Wireless, these use the LDAC Bluetooth codec for high-quality audio streaming from your device to your buds.
See our review
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Best Lower Mid-Range True Wireless Earbuds
Anker Soundcore Space A40 Truly Wireless 13
Current Deal: The Anker Soundcore Space A40 Truly Wireless has dropped in price by $40 at Amazon.com.
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Neutral Sound
6.8
Commute/Travel
8.1
Sports/Fitness
8.0
Office
7.5
Wireless Gaming
5.5
Wired Gaming
5.3
Phone Calls
6.3
Type In-ear
Enclosure Closed-Back
Wireless Truly Wireless
Transducer Dynamic
Noise Cancelling Yes
Mic Yes
See all our test results
If you're looking for affordable earbuds, the lower mid-rangeAnker Soundcore Space A40 Truly Wireless are a great model forstarting your search. These earbuds don't have a virtual surround sound feature. Their warm sound profile lacks thump and rumble, making them less well-suited for bass-heavy music. However, it's well-balanced enough for various genres, and if you prefer a different sound, you can use the app's graphic EQ and presets for sound customization. They support LDAC, Sony's codec for Hi-Res audio via Bluetooth.
They also have an adaptive ANC system thatadjusts to the noise around you. It does a fantastic job of blocking out ambient sound and filters out low-pitchednoise like rumbling engines effectively. The earbuds last more than eight hours of continuous usewith ANC on and havea case that holds an additional four charges.
The Anker Soundcore Liberty 4 NC True Wireless offer a similar performance butfeaturea stem design that protrudes from your ear, providing more stability. They have a bassier sound profile than the Space A40, which will suit fans of EDM and hip-hop, whiletheir mic has a better recording quality. However, the Space A40 provide greater attenuation against bass range noise, and it's easier to achieve a consistent sound delivery with them.
See our review
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Best Budget Wireless Earbuds
JBL Vibe Buds True Wireless 0
Neutral Sound
7.2
Commute/Travel
7.3
Sports/Fitness
8.1
Office
6.8
Wireless Gaming
5.8
Wired Gaming
5.7
Phone Calls
6.4
Type In-ear
Enclosure Closed-Back
Wireless Truly Wireless
Transducer Dynamic
Noise Cancelling No
Mic Yes
See all our test results
Check out the JBL Vibe Buds True Wireless for wireless earbuds at an affordable price. Unlike many budget-friendly options, they have a companion app, which gives you more control over their performance. The sound adds some extra thump in the bass and a bit of brightness to sibilants (S and T sounds) and harmonics in your audio. You can change the tuning to your taste by using the companion app's parametric EQ and presets. Besides the app's EQ, the feature is pretty spartan, so if you care about multi-device pairing or LDAC support, consider the Anker Soundcore Space A40 Truly Wireless instead.
The JBL buds are decently secure and lightweight, with a durable IP54 rating against dust and water. Their long battery life of more than eight hours can get you through a workday's worth of continuous playback. The passive isolation can block a small amount of low-pitched rumbles and a good amount of chatter, but they don't have ANC, so look at our lower mid-range pick to filter low-pitched noise. Their mic sounds decent in a quiet environment but struggles to separate noise from speech. For a slightly better mic, the JBL Vibe Beam True Wireless handle noise better. They have a lot of similarities, although these have a somewhat shorter continuous battery life and one less charge stored in the case. However, they do have a lid.
See our review
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Best Truly Wireless Earbuds For Running
Beats Powerbeats Pro Truly Wireless 4
Neutral Sound
7.6
Commute/Travel
6.9
Sports/Fitness
8.3
Office
6.7
Wireless Gaming
5.9
Wired Gaming
5.7
Phone Calls
6.3
Type In-ear
Enclosure Closed-Back
Wireless Truly Wireless
Transducer Dynamic
Noise Cancelling No
Mic Yes
See all our test results
Lace up your sneakers and grab the Beats Powerbeats Pro Truly Wireless for the best truly wireless earbuds for running we've tested. They come gym-ready with secure and malleable over-ear hooks, so you won't have to worry about them falling out. Their IPX4 rating can handle some splashes of water, and their long battery life means you can go to the gym several times or wear them through a marathon without needing a recharge. If you're caught with a low battery, they also have a quick charge function, although they use a Lightning cable, which is inconvenient for some people.
If you have an iOS device, the buds use an H1 chip to optimize your connection, and after your workout, you can seamlessly switch to your Apple device or computer. They have the right amount of boom and thump, with clear lead instruments and a warmer top-end that veils sibilant sounds like S and T, which works great for rock and dance music.
If you prefer to hear your environment to run safely, the Bose Ultra Open Earbuds Truly Wireless are uniquely designed to clip onto the bottom of your ears. As a result, your ear canals stay open for greater awareness of your surroundings than the Beats. The Bose's innovative design is very stable for workouts and has an IPX4 rating. Unfortunately, like most open-fits, they don't have much bass on tap, and while they sound great for your favorite podcast, you might miss the extra thump in your music compared to the more balanced sound of the Beats.
For more options to keep up with your runs, check out the best wireless earbuds for running and working out.
See our review
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Best Truly Wireless Earbuds For iPhone
Apple AirPods Pro (2nd generation) Truly Wireless 24
Neutral Sound
7.4
Commute/Travel
8.2
Sports/Fitness
8.3
Office
7.2
Wireless Gaming
5.8
Wired Gaming
5.6
Phone Calls
6.4
Type In-ear
Enclosure Closed-Back
Wireless Truly Wireless
Transducer Dynamic
Noise Cancelling Yes
Mic Yes
See all our test results
The Apple AirPods Pro (2nd generation) Truly Wireless are a great option if you're looking for premium buds that will integrate well with your Apple ecosystem. While they don't have sound customization features like the Sony WF-1000XM5 Truly Wireless, they offer a few features for iOS that you might appreciate if you're an iPhone or MacBook user. Their H2 chip helps with easy pairing to Apple devices, and they support Spatial Audio, a surround sound feature meant to create a more immersive listening experience with compatible content.
Their adaptive EQ results in a warm sound profile, so your audio has a bit of extra boom along with cozy-sounding vocals and instruments. They don't block out as much ambient noise as the Sony, but their ANC still offers great overall performance with a wide range of noise, including rumbling bus and plane engines. The earbuds last just under six hours of continuous use with ANC on and come with a case with four extra charges. They have a comfortable fit for most people, but you might find they wiggle out of your ears after a while and require repositioning.
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Recent Updates
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Aug 01, 2024: Following our recent Test Bench 1.7 update, which changed how we test noise isolation, the Jabra Elite 10 True Wireless replacethe Apple AirPods Pro (2nd generation) Truly Wireless as ourupper mid-range pick. The AirPods are now our pick for iPhone. We removed the 'Best Noise Cancelling Earbuds' category and integrated the Bose QuietComfort Ultra Earbuds Truly Wireless as a competitor to the main pick. We added the Sennheiser MOMENTUM Sport True Wireless to our Notable Mentions because of theirbuilt-in biometric sensors.
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Jul 08, 2024: Our mid-range pick has been updated with the Sony LinkBuds S Truly Wireless, and minor text edits have been made throughout.
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Apr 16, 2024: The picks and text have been checked for accuracy, and we added the Bose Ultra Open Earbuds Truly Wireless as an alternative for their open fit and stability for runners.
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Feb 16, 2024: This article was updated to move the Beats Powerbeats Pro to the 'Best Truly Wireless Earbuds For Running' pick and to add the JBL Vibe Buds True Wireless as the 'Best Budget' pick. Minor text edits are made throughout.
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Dec 19, 2023: We've added the Bose QuietComfort Ultra Earbuds Truly Wireless as our 'Best Noise Cancelling' pick and added the Jabra Elite 10 True Wireless, Anker Soundcore Liberty 4 NC, and Anker Soundcore P25i/P20i True Wireless as alternatives. The Devialet Gemini II True Wireless and the JLab Audio GO Air POP have been added as Notable Mentions.
All Reviews
Our recommendations above are what we think are currently thebest earbuds to buy for most people in each price range. We factor in the price (cheaper headphones win over pricier ones if the difference isn't worth it), feedback from our visitors, and availability (no headphones that are difficult to find or almost out of stock everywhere).
If you would like to choose for yourself, here is the list of all our reviews for truly wireless headphones. Be careful not to get caught up in the details. There are no perfect headphones. Personal taste, preference, and listening habits will matter more in your selection.
