The best budget wireless earbuds 2024, chosen by our reviewers (2024)

The best budget wireless earbuds are excellent value. Most of the earbuds in this guide bring you fantastic features, quality sound and top designs that even give some of the highest-performing earbuds a run for their money.

However, the best budget earbuds do need to sacrifice something for their incredibly low prices. That could be a lack of ANC, sound that isn't as clear or as detailed as the options in our best earbuds and best wireless earbuds lists, no multipoint connectivity or maybe a battery life that's somewhat lacking. In audio products as in life, you largely get what you pay for. But the good news is that if you're on a super strict budget, there are plenty of options for wireless earbuds that pack in the basics for very little money and do so very well indeed.

All of the budget wireless earbuds in this guide are under $100 / £100 / AU$130. As we've reviewed hundreds of pairs at this point, we know what makes a good pair of earbuds and which are budget for a reason. We've included low-priced gems that are also high-performing, including big names like Sony, as well as smaller, lesser-known brands.

The quick list

Keen to cut straight to the best bit – ie. which budget earbuds are the best? We get you. Below, you’ll find a roundup of our choices. You can also jump to a more detailed review of every top pick, plus our price comparison tool to help you find the best deals.

Becky Scarrott

I've reviewed over 150 audio products since becoming a tech journalist, ranging from super-budget earbuds to high-end Hi-Res Audio music players. Before joining TechRadar, I spent three years at What Hi-Fi? testing everything the world of audio had to offer; before that, I was a professional dancer. My love of music ties it all together.

The best budget wireless earbuds of 2024

The best budget wireless earbuds overall

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Simply put, the Sony WF-C700N earbuds are our go-to if you're looking for budget buds that tick all of the boxes. You'll find better noise-cancelling earbuds out there, but none will be as affordable as these.

Before we get too excited, the audio here doesn't approach class-leading territory, but what the Sony WF-C700N can offer above the competition is effective ANC alongside the most energetic and fun audio at the level. Sony's proprietary 360 Reality Audio is also on the spec sheet, so those with a Tidal account are basically sorted, and you also get Sony's standard DSEE audio 'upscaling' engine (note: not the top-tier upscaler but still a neat inclusion), so your even your lowly Spotify tracks are going to get a bit of help too. Other notable features not always seen at the level include handy multi-point connectivity and adaptive sound control.

As if that wasn't enough, these are some of the most secure and comfortable buds we've tested (especially for smaller ears) with an unmistakably Sony classy build and finish – plus they're 38% smaller and 37% lighter than Sony's WF-1000XM4 buds.

It's hard to fault them at this level – their sub-$100/£100 price tag makes it nigh on impossible. They're smaller, they're cheaper, but they still boast many of the features that made their flagship siblings class-leaders. Highly recommended.

Read our full Sony WF-C700N review

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The best super cheap budget wireless earbuds

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See Also

The best true wireless earbuds of 2024 | CNN UnderscoredBest wireless earbuds 2024 — tested and ratedThe Best Wireless Bluetooth EarbudsThe best earbuds of 2024: Expert tested and reviewed

All of the buds in this guide are budget, but if you're looking for a super affordable option then the JLab JBuds Mini are cheap at $39.99 / £39.99 full price (and can often be found for about 30% off) without compromising too much on sound and features.

The first thing you'll notice about the JLab JBuds Mini is they're incredibly small. This is why, as well as being a top option for those on a budget, we recommend them some of the best earbuds for small ears, and are a comfortable and light choice. At just 3.3g per earbud, they're incredibly light, 30% smaller than the Go Air Pop before them. Their case is tiny too, at least compared to rivals. But don't worry, JLab has added a keyring to the side in an effort to stop you losing them. They also have an IP55 rating, which is useful if you get stuck in a light rain shower or want to wear them at the gym during a sweaty workout.

We'd never expect a pair of cheap buds to be packed with features, but you have all of the essentials here, and then some. There's Bluetooth multipoint connectivity to easily switch between two devices without reconnecting, and the JLab app will help you tweak some settings. Battery life is decent for the price: you'll get 5.5 hours from the buds themselves and 20 hours if you've got your case with you.

Despite the fact there's no ANC, they do a good job at keeping out some noises. In our review we wrote: "Passive noise isolation is better than you'd think for earbuds of this size and price." The sound here is just fine, which we're not complaining about considering these buds are so affordable. In our review we noticed a clear and crisp quality to most tracks. They only disappoint when it comes to bass, which isn't particularly bold or meaty.

All in all, this is a top pair of buds that packs a lot into a teeny tiny package with an equally small price tag. If you're looking for the best super cheap buds, you can't go wrong here.

Read our full JLab JBuds Mini review

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The best mid-range budget wireless earbuds

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The EarFun Air Pro 3 buds don't look particularly special, but they're a really great pair of all-rounder earbuds. As well as bringing you an excellent nine hours of battery life (with an additional 36 from the case), there's also multipoint pairing and some next-gen features that may soon make these buds even more special, including support for the hotly-anticipatedBluetooth LE Audio –and Auracast.

The ANC from the EarFun Air Pro 3 aren't on a par with the best noise-cancelling earbuds you can buy today, but they cost less than half the price of many of those rivals and the level of noise-nixing is good enough for focusing at work and diminishing most extraneous low-level sounds while travelling.

Audio-wise, the EarFun Air Pro 3 buds are powerful and punchy from the get-go. During our testing, we listened to Stevie Nicks'Edge of Seventeenand the signature sound was bang on, with big, booming vocals and oodles of energy.Through the lower registers, things can get a little muddied and cluttered, particularly through heavier tracks, but it's a relatively minor issue at this level.

At 52g they're lovely and light and although the units do feel a bit plasticky, they're incredibly comfortable.

The EarFun Air Pro 3 earbuds deliver a generous dollop of everything most people will need from a pair of true wireless earbuds today, and they do it all for well under $100/£100.

Read our full Earfun Air Pro 3 review

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The best top-end budget wireless earbuds

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See Also

The Best Earbuds (In-Ear Headphones) for 2024

The Nothing Ear (a) are our top high-end budget pick. They cost $99 / £99 / around AU$192, which means we can still call them budget at a pinch. And they're well worth including if you want affordable buds that are impeccably good value.

They're packed with features, including in-ear detection, multipoint to two devices, an ear tip fit test and a Find My Earbuds feature. You can also toggle on low lag for gaming and there's Bluetooth v5.3 here, as well as LDAC support for hi-res audio.

Both call quality and ANC have been massively improved over Nothing buds that came before them. During our testing, we were blown away by the noise-cancelling power on offer here, although did comment that we can see why battery life takes such a hit when it's on – it's really that good.

How do they sound? Great, especially for the price. In our review, we said the sound is fun and energetic. We wrote: "There's so much here to celebrate sonically that I cannot pick fault."

Design-wise, expect the cool, transparent and minimal aesthetic Nothing has become known for. And not only do they look fantastic, but the case has been upgraded and is now small and more pocketable and the fit is extremely comfort for all-day listening.

We know it's tempting to go for the cheapest buds you can find. But if you want a reliable pair that represent excellent value in terms of design, comfort, sound and features, the Nothing Ear (a) are a very impressive set of buds and a choice that won't disappoint.

Read our full Nothing Ear (a) review

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The best budget wireless earbuds for design

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The Audio-Technica ATH-SQ1TW earbuds are one of our favorite pairs of budget buds because they're packed with more features than you'd expect for the price, including on-ear controls that work well (including volume) plus a low-latency mode and a hear-through function. You're also getting Bluetooth 5.0 and an impressive 20 hours of battery. They lack a companion app and there's no active noise cancellation here, but during our testing we were wiling to let these specs slide for everything else you get here.

These aren't the best-sounding buds you can buy, but for the price we were impressed. Stream Perfume Genius'On the Flooron Tidal and the complex intro comes through with such detail that we're noting treble elements in our right ear we never picked up before. A female backing vocal is easily perceptible and impactful – delivered with the kind of insight that lesser earbuds at this money cannot begin to dish up.

These buds sound good, but it's the design that we really want to shout about. They have a cubist and cool aesthetic that's refreshingly different in a sea of similar-looking buds. They're also available in six delicious-sounding colorways (Caramel, Popsicle, Cupcake, Blueberry, Liquorice and Popcorn). Not only do they look good, they feel good too and fit comfortably for hours.

These inexpensive earbuds should be on your list – and not on looks alone. These buds sound more expansive and are generally better than anything else you can buy for this money.

Read our full Audio-Technica ATH-SQ1TW review

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The best budget wireless earbuds for battery life

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The LyperTek PurePlay Z3 2.0 are the successors to the original Lypertek PurePlay Z3, which we loved. They're a little older now but still hold their own in the game, boasting great features for the price, including wireless charging, a powerful LDX Audio mode and an improved companion app. Perhaps the best feature here is battery life though, which is a massive 80 hours with the charging case and 10 hours from the buds on their own. Know many other buds that can do that? Neither do we…

Sound quality is also good – it's a detailed, integrated, balanced, agile hi-fi sound. They boast a novel LDX Audio mode, which during our testing was "like hitting an overdrive button – raising the volume of less-present frequencies (particularly bass tones), widening the soundstage." The result is a more energetic, dynamic delivery, and whether you love it forever or use it sporadically at best, it certainly adds value in this budget realm.

They're not the nicest-looking proposition, but they're gloriously light and comfortable even for long listening sessions and we are big fans of the physical buttons. They come with small, medium or large silicone ear tips, and even a Flexifit foam tip that expands slightly in the ear for a tighter seal and better passive noise cancellation –yes, for this money!

These budget buds are a few years old now, but that means they're often around at even lower prices –and that killer battery life alone makes them a great buy if you can find them.At the time of writing, the Lypertek PurePlay Z3 2.0 earbuds are sold out in the UK. As a result, we recommend considering the Soundpeats Air4 Pro as an alternative – although it only offers up to 26 hours of battery life.

Read our full Lypertek PurePlay Z3 2.0 review

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The best budget wireless neckbuds

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The SoundMagic E11BT buds aren't packed with features (there's no ANC whatsoever), but they remain our top pick for budget 'buds if you prefer a neckband-style design. They boast good connectivity, control via an inline remote and continuous playback for up to 20 hours, provided you don't max out the volume during your workout.

Largely speaking, the audio quality provided by the E11BTs is very good indeed, with an impressive amount of oomph and drive for such small earbuds. Vocals are clear and smooth thanks to their custom-tuned drivers and there's good bass depth and clout too.

Overall, the E11BTs are comfortable to wear thanks to ergonomically-designed eartips and a flat neckband that shouldn’t irritate you while running or working out. With an IPX4 rating, they'll also withstand even super-sweaty training sessions.

The SoundMagic E11BTs are an extremely capable pair of wireless in-ear earphones and given their low price they're fantastic value. Aside from an occasionally overstated treble (but we're really nitpicking here) we found it difficult to fault them. This particular model is seeing limited stock in the UK at the moment, so we recommend checking out the 1More Penta Driver P50 wired earbuds as an optional alternative.

Read our full SoundMAGIC E11BT review

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Other wireless earbuds to consider

We've recently been testing lots of new earbuds. Take a look at our Earfun Air Pro 4 review for a pair of buds that we thought were good but were let down by a cluttered user experience with an overwhelming number of options. We also reviewed the LG Tone Free T90S, a fantastic pair of hi-res Dolby Atmos wireless earbuds crammed full of features. But as you might expect from such a capable pair of buds, they're too pricey for this list at £229 (about $300 / AU$450). Still, do take a look at them if your budget can stretch in our LG Tone Free T90S review.

If you're a fan of Beats, you may want to read our Beats Solo Buds review. They're budget, compact and have and awesome 18-hour in-bud battery life. But, ultimately, sound is what's most important and the audio quality is just not up to scratch here, especially compared to rivals. In our OnePlus Buds 3 review, we commented that these buds are lightweight and offer impressive ANC for the price. But the sound isn't ideal. Yes, they might be a good shout if you like bass-heavy sound, but they're not for everyone.

We've also recently reviewed the Samsung Galaxy Buds 3 Pro, a very good pair of buds that are, again, a little expensive for this guide. For us, the experience also fels a little bit 'walled garden' – ie. the top perks only work if you've got a newer Samsung phone. Still, if that's you have a read of our Samsung Galaxy Buds 3 Pro review. If you've previously been a fan of Jabra earbuds, it might be worth skipping our Jabra Elite 10 Gen 2 review, because sadly we found the Elite 10 Gen 2 pretty disappointing all round.

The 1More PistonBuds Pro Q30 are a solid pair of feature-packed earbuds and a strong competitor to the Earfun Air Pro 3 in our list above. However, they don't quite knock the Earfuns off this list because they've got a weak battery and iffy touch controls in comparison. The design is arguably funkier, though – here's our full 1More PistonBuds Pro Q30 review.

We also reviewed the Motorola Moto Buds Plus. They've got great sound and noise cancellation for the price, so why don't they make this list? Well, they're too expensive – but they're only a little above our price ceiling, so we mention them here because during price drops they may fall into the budget category. It's worth reading our Motorola Moto Buds Plus review if ANC is your priority, but we'd generally recommend people stick to the options above from Nothing or Sony.

You'll see the Nothing Ear (a) now feature in this guide because, well, they're excellent. With their fun, engaging sound, achingly cool looks and improved design, they're very deserving of a place here as our best top-end budget pick.

What of CMF by Nothing –the cheaper offering within Carl Pei's growing empire? Well, they're good, not great. In our CMF by Nothing Buds review, we enjoyed their stylish design for the price, and when combined with the low price, they're very tempting. But with middling sound quality and features, they're not quite a knockout, and so haven't pushed their way onto this list.

How to choose the best budget wireless earbuds

Buying a pair of the best budget earbuds can be a challenge. You might uncover a real gem or land yourself with a pair or buds that barely work, let alone sound good.All of the the affordable earbuds in this list come with our recommendation.

But often you do get what you pay for in terms of connectivity, build and noise cancellation.In fact, ANC is the first thing to be omitted from the spec sheet in the budget realm. For example, you need to be looking at models such as the EarFun Air Pro 3 and Sony WF-C700N as opposed to Audio-Technica's ATH-SQ1TW or Lypertek's PurePlay Z3 2.0 if you want active noise cancellation in your budget buy.If that's not an essential feature for you, then it's even worth looking at cheaper models in a brand's lineup. For example, the Earfun Air 2 is a more stripped back version of the Air Pro 3 that offers great money for value.

Before you add the earbuds to your online shopping cart, it's also worth having an idea of what kind of earbuds you need. There are two kinds of wireless earbuds: neckbuds that have a cable connecting each earbud but connect via Bluetooth to your phone, and true wireless earbuds that have no cables at all. The former is a dying breed but still, certain active users and athletes prefer it.

If you intend to workout with your earbuds, then you'll need buds that will stay put, so look out for interchangeable eartips and fins to hold them in place. Check out our guides for the best running headphones and best workout headphones, or even the best bone conduction headphones for more inspiration.

If you're all about the sound quality, look for earbuds that support hi-res audio and low latency codecs like aptX Adaptive and aptX Lossless.Or, if you want cheap earbuds that will get your through a week's worth of commuting, you'll want to look out for long battery lives – think 25 hours and above.

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How we test the best budget wireless earbuds

We're constantly testing the best cheap wireless earbuds to determine which can be included in this list. But to make the cut, we need them to tick a number of boxes. We have a more detailed breakdown of how we test earbuds at TechRadar but we've outlined a brief summary of the methodology below.

The biggest consideration we make when determining if a pair of earbuds makes our list is pricing. Being available for under £100/$100/AU$150 is what we determine to be relatively cheap. This is closely followed by how solid the sound quality is, which features a pair of earbuds offers (such as decent battery life or mic quality) and the level of comfort they deliver .

We always test earbuds in a number of different sound environments across a vast selection of musical genres with a wide-range of connectivities (mainly wired and Bluetooth). We listened to podcasts and albums in both quiet rooms and busy aeroplanes, to ensure we knew how they'd handle varying levels of noise too. We also wore them while walking and, often, working out, which meant we could speak to their comfort levels, ANC if available, and how secure they are in your ear.

We also put those battery claims to the test, making sure we got a sense of how quickly the juice drains from the buds and the case itself during both extensive listening sessions and shorter ones.

Of course, these earbuds aren't going to compare with the high-end buds that you'll find our best wireless earbuds guide, which are double – or even triple – the price, but our testing is independent, which means we can assure you that you're getting the best sound-per-pound experience.

• Read TechRadar's review guarantee

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Latest updates to the best budget wireless earbuds

August 16, 2024
Rewrote the introduction. Added a selection of new wireless earbuds we’ve recently tested into our ‘also consider’ advice, including the Earfun Air Pro 4, LG Tone Free T90S and Beats Solo Buds.

July 18, 2024
Added the JLab JBuds Mini as our 'best super cheap' option, replacing the JLab Go Air Pop.