Best wireless earbuds 2024: top pairs tested by our experts

Wireless earbuds are unsurprisingly a hugely popular category of audio products, with different pairs offering different features across multiple price points.

These small, Bluetooth in-ears are now the go-to choice for many music listeners thanks to the constantly improving quality they can provide paired with the convenience of going wireless. 

After just a few minutes of looking, it can feel like there are millions of models out there and difficult to know where to focus your attention. Luckily, we have tested hundreds of wireless earbuds over the years so you don't need to.

We know the market inside out and can confidently pick the best pairs out there across all price points. Through our reviews, you can be confident that you're buying the best wireless earbuds for your particular needs.

The guide you can see below shows the best pairs to have passed through our test rooms that are available to buy right now. Every pair here has been tested by our team of audio experts who have over 100 years of collective experience in reviewing, so you can trust our buying advice.

You can see a detailed breakdown of what we look for when testing Bluetooth buds in our how we test section, or use the links to jump down the page and see our choice of the best wireless earbuds money can buy right now.

Andy Madden bio pic
Andy Madden

Hi. I'm Deputy Editor of What Hi-Fi? and have been testing headphones, hi-fi kit and TV/AV products for the best part of 18 years. I'm a big fan of wireless earbuds and have heard and tested hundreds of pairs over the years from a huge cross-section of brands. Sound quality and value for money are at the top of my list when I test but comfort is up there too, together with battery life, keeping a stable connection and the quality of noise-cancelling (when it's available). I can guarantee every pair on this list deserves a spot based on their all-round ability and price.

The quick list

The best wireless earbuds overall

What Hi-Fi? Awards 2023 winner. Sony's most accomplished and detailed wireless earbuds to date.

Specifications

Noise-cancelling: Yes
Bluetooth: SBC, AAC, LDAC
Battery life: 8hr (+16hrs from charging case)
Wireless charging: Yes
Waterproof: Water resistant
Finishes: Black, Silver

Reasons to buy

+
Class-leading levels of detail and clarity
+
Top-notch musicality and timing
+
Comfortable, light and discreet design

Reasons to avoid

-
Some rivals produce more bass
-
Fit could feel more secure

If you're looking for the best wireless earbuds currently on sale, look no further than the brilliant WF-1000XM5.

During testing, we found the XM5 to be comfortable and nice to use, while their noise-cancelling and call quality are up there with the competition. Looking for the clearest and most detailed sonic performance from a pair of wireless earbuds on the market right now? The WF-1000XM5 produce it.

They're not quite as rich or full in the bass as the Bose QuietComfort Ultra, but in our review we said "what Sony has managed to achieve as far as clarity and detail go is really rather special". We think they're a great choice for fans of any musical genre.

Add to that an eight-hour battery life (plus 16hrs from the case), Multipoint Bluetooth (so you can connect to two devices simultaneously), excellent noise cancellation (they seem to remove an extra layer of midrange noise compared to their predecessors, the XM4) and IPX4-rated sweat resistance, and this is a solid offering across the board.

There's no shortage of competition at this price, including the Bose QC Ultra and AirPods Pro 2, which also feature in this list for different reasons. We've also got the recently announced Sennheiser Momentum True Wireless 4 in for testing – they could be real contenders if previous form is anything to go by.

But for most people, most of the time, the Sonys are great all-rounders. Keep an eye out for price drops around big sales events like Black Friday.

Read our full Sony WF-1000XM5 review

Best cheap wireless earbuds

Wonderfully cheap wireless earbuds that do a very decent job for not a lot of money.

Specifications

Noise-cancelling: No
Bluetooth: AAC, SBC
Battery life: 7hrs (+28hrs from charging case)
Wireless charging: Yes
Waterproof: Yes
Finishes: Black, White, Red

Reasons to buy

+
Punchy, expansive sound
+
Strong feature set for the money
+
Classy build and finish at this level

Reasons to avoid

-
Treble needs more refinement
-
Spending slightly more gets you a decent jump in performance

These wireless buds aren't from what you'd consider one of the larger, heavy-hitting brands, but they are ridiculously affordable and they sound great for the money too!

The Earfun Air are also packed with features. Noise-cancelling is out of the picture at this price, but there's excellent noise isolation and these well-fitting wireless earphones feel comfy too. They're also waterproof to IPX7 standards (submersible in one metre of water for up to 30 mins), support virtual assistants and include Qi wireless charging.

Calls sound clear, and the battery life is seven hours from the buds and a further 28 hours from the charging case. Amazingly, we think it all feels fairly premium too. The Bluetooth 5.0 connection is solid and stable and for the money, and during testing we found the wireless earbuds offer a "grippy, energetic" sound.

If you’re after something fun-sounding that won't break the bank, the Earfun Air wireless earbuds could be just the ticket.

Read our full Earfun Air review

Best mid-price wireless earbuds

What Hi-Fi? Awards 2023 winner. The best wireless earbuds with noise-cancelling for tight budgets.

Specifications

Noise-cancelling: Yes
Bluetooth: AAC, SBC
Battery life: 7.5hrs (+7.5hrs from charging case)
Wireless charging: No
Waterproof: Water resistant
Finishes: (White, Black, Sage Green, Lavender

Reasons to buy

+
Very comfortable all-day fit
+
Refined presentation for the money
+
Detailed, dynamic and musical sound

Reasons to avoid

-
Charging case doesn't add a lot to battery life
-
No aptX or LDAC Bluetooth support

Sony's excellent wireless earbuds slot neatly between the budget WF-C500 (no ANC, below) and premium WF-1000XM5 (above).

And we think they're brilliant options that more than justify their price tag. The buds are impressively small, and their lightweight design helps make them even more comfortable than Sony's XM4. Battery life is competitive at seven and a half hours.

They lack aptX HD and LDAC but do feature noise-cancelling tech, which the WF-C500 lack. Adaptive Sound Control automatically switches listening modes depending on your location, and Sony's DSEE (Digital Sound Enhancement Engine) upscales low-res digital audio files to higher quality. A software update has seen Bluetooth Multipoint also added so you can be connected to two devices simultaneously.

We think the Sony's sound quality is superbly balanced too, with deep, detailed bass, expressive mids and engaging highs. During testing, we said, "there’s a fantastic sense of power and drive on display that grabs your attention". They're a very musical listen for the money and a clear step up from the cheaper WF-C500.

Downsides? The lack of support for aptX HD and LDAC is disappointing, and the charging case only provides one extra charge which seems a little mean. But the superb sound and great feature set make these easy to recommend as some of the best Sony headphones available. 

Read our full Sony WF-C700N review

Best wireless earbuds for battery life

What Hi-Fi? Awards 2023 winner. Excellent, affordable earbuds offer 10 hours of earbud battery life per charge.

Specifications

Noise-cancelling: No
Bluetooth: AAC, SBC
Battery life: 10hrs (+10hrs from charging case)
Wireless charging: No
Waterproof: Water resistant
Finishes: Black, White, Green, Orange

Reasons to buy

+
Compact, comfortable, lightweight design
+
Spirited, well-balanced sound
+
Decent control app

Reasons to avoid

-
Slightly small-scale sound
-
No ANC

Think of Sony's WF-C500 wireless earbuds as a no-frills version of the WF-1000XM5 found further up this page. They deliver a lot of what makes those wireless earbuds a success without cutting too many corners.

They're good for running and sports, thanks to their IPX4 rating, while you also get ‘fast pair’ connectivity with Android devices and ‘swift pair’ with Windows 10 PCs.

We think the sound is nicely balanced, there's loads of mid-range detail on show and it's presented in a cohesive and more importantly, hugely enjoyable package. We said the Sonys deliver "a well-defined and easy-to-follow presentation" in our original review and we still stand by that now.

Battery life is 10 hours from the buds themselves, which is a real highlight and should be plenty for most, and the case provides another 10 hours. If you're looking for the best Bluetooth earbuds with great battery life and don't want to spend a fortune, the Sony WF-C500 should be on your shortlist.

Read our full Sony WF-C500 review 

Best noise-cancelling wireless earbuds

The best premium wireless earbuds if noise-cancelling is top of your wish list.

Specifications

Noise-cancelling: Yes
Bluetooth: AAC, SBC
Battery life: 6hrs (+18hrs from charging case)
Wireless charging: No
Waterproof: IPX4
Finishes: Black, White Smoke

Reasons to buy

+
Punchy, musical sound
+
Solid, weighty bass
+
Excellent ANC
+
Comfortable for long-term wear

Reasons to avoid

-
Immersive Audio greatly impacts battery life
-
No Bluetooth multipoint
-
No wireless charging

We all know Bose knows how to make a great pair of wireless headphones and the QuietComfort Ultra Earbuds have to be considered its finest wireless earbuds to date.

The Ultra provide a comfortable fit and lots of features. Bluetooth 5.3 is a big bonus, while they are also Bose's first in-ears to offer its very own spatial audio tech, Immersive Audio.

The Bose app allows you to alter the amount of noise-cancelling on offer via several customisable presets and, speaking of noise-cancelling, the new Bose are still at the top of their game. They can automatically adjust the amount of ANC on offer so your music isn’t drowned out by particularly loud noises and the effect is deeply impressive. As for sound, it's balanced, punchy and wonderfully musical – in our review, we said "there is a good sense of openness and spaciousness to the whole presentation." Call quality is good for the money too.

It's a shame there's no support for high-quality wireless audio codecs such as LDAC or aptX HD, nor is there wireless charging or Bluetooth multipoint (both of which the Sony WF-1000XM5 cater for). But we don't think this is the end of the world when you consider that these classy buds ooze such sophistication.

The Ultra actually replace the company's 2022 What Hi-Fi? Award winner – the Bose QuietComfort Earbuds II, so shop around and you might be able to find a big chunk of cash slashed off the older pair. It's an option worth considering.

Read our full Bose QuietComfort Ultra Earbuds review 

Best AirPods

The best wireless earbuds if you're an Apple fan.

Specifications

Noise-cancelling: Yes
Bluetooth: AAC, SBC
Battery life: 6hrs (+24hrs from charging case)
Wireless charging: Yes
Wateproof: Water resistant
Finishes: White

Reasons to buy

+
Clear, detailed and powerful sound
+
Excellent noise-cancelling
+
Smooth, intuitive use with iOS devices

Reasons to avoid

-
Many features restricted to iOS devices only
-
Customisable ANC modes would be useful

Apple's in-ear AirPods have always been decent wireless earbuds, but unremarkable. They've picked up quite a number of four-star reviews over the years. But with the AirPods Pro 2, Apple has made a pair of wireless buds that delivers the goods.

How? Noise-cancelling is better, battery life is longer, and you get new features and, more importantly, much improved sound quality. They also cost the same as the original AirPods Pro, which helps.

Fit is very good, and the tweaked design feels a lot less intrusive than some in-ears. Apple has finally added on-bud volume controls, which takes the user experience up a level too.

The noise-cancelling works a treat, while Adaptive Transparency muffles loud noises when letting in ambient sounds. And the sound quality? With weight, detail and a good dose of dynamic subtlety, they are accomplished performers who can go toe-to-toe with the best. As we said in our review, "next to the Sony and Bose rivals, Apple is now on par where it once was still playing catch up."

Read our full Apple AirPods Pro 2 review

TOP TIP
Kashfia Kabir
TOP TIP
Kashfia Kabir

Granted, the AirPods won't appeal to everyone, but as an Apple user I can vouch for the AirPods Pro 2nd Generation, for their entertaining sound quality and the sheer convenience of using them with other Apple devices. Their ability to pair quickly and reliably to an iPhone or MacBook really adds to the user experience and shouldn't be underestimated. And the fact they're the best-sounding in-ear AirPods to date makes them easy to recommend.

Best wireless earbuds for running

A solid, sporty-esque pair of wireless earbuds for running or exercise.

Specifications

Noise-cancelling: Yes
Bluetooth: AAC, SBC
Battery life: 8hrs (+20hrs from charging case)
Waterproof: Yes
Wireless charging: Yes
Finishes: Black, Pink, Blue

Reasons to buy

+
Lightweight, secure fit – great for exercise
+
Likeably lively, detailed sound
+
Above-average earbud battery life

Reasons to avoid

-
Noise-cancelling is only OK
-
No aptX Bluetooth support

Yes, you can get wireless earbuds not geared towards sport that, for a similar price, deliver more detail and dynamic subtlety (look further up this list for inspiration). But, unlike these JBLs, they won’t have the finely-honed ergonomics or rugged design that's required to be hailed as ideal fitness buddies.

Within the context of wireless earbuds for exercise, the Reflect Flow Pro perform well across the board. They're waterproof, lightweight, comfortable and come with multiple ear tip fin options. Battery life is a very decent 10 hours (or eight with ANC on) while the wireless charging case stores an extra 20 hours. They also produce a lively, detailed sound that makes them easy to recommend. During testing we were surprised and impressed by the fact they are "more neutral sounding than many sport earbuds we’ve tested", which worked in their favour.

Read our full JBL Reflect Flow Pro review

Also consider

The best wireless earbuds alternatives we've tested:

Panasonic RZ-S500W: these five-star wireless earbuds have been near the top of this list previously, but newer models such as the Sony WF-C700N now have the edge. Because of their age, I've seen pairs available with a big discount which is why I'd still consider them worth a look. They sound great and boast good noise-cancelling and responsive touch controls. The fit might not be for everyone, though.

JBL Live Pro 2 TWS: another fine option for anyone looking for a pair of wireless earbuds for exercise or running. These JBLs deliver a lively, entertaining sound but they're also IPX5-rated i.e. water-resistant. Add a user-friendly app to the equation and the fact they're regularly discounted and you've got a great buy.

Sony LinkBuds: if you don't want your wireless earbuds burrowing into your ears, these clever Sonys offer something slightly different. They use a ring driver which slides into the bottom part of your ear and fires music into your ear's opening. The result is a very open and natural sound with good levels of detail. They're also comfy to use over long periods.

Bose QuietComfort Earbuds II: Yes, the QuietComfort Ultra found higher up this list are our pick of Bose's current line-up, but there's still life (and plenty of value) in this older model. They offer sound quality and noise-cancelling in the same ballpark while the level of comfort (which is excellent) is virtually identical. If you can find a good discount on this pair of Bose, they won't let you down.

How to choose the best wireless earbuds for you

One thing you will need to bear in mind is that everyone's ears are different, which means that whether or not a pair of earbuds are comfortable tends to come down to personal preference. We can give a bit of guidance comfort once we've tested them, but there's no substitute for sliding them into your own ears. If you've got ears on the shallow side, for example, we'd go for a physically smaller or flatter earbud that won't stick out much.

After comfort, you'll want to think about when and where you're going to use them. Do they need to be water-resistant, sport-friendly earbuds or do they just need to pair to your smartphone and survive your daily commute? 

How we test wireless earbuds

How we test wireless earbuds

Why you can trust What Hi-Fi? Our expert team reviews products in dedicated test rooms, to help you make the best choice for your budget. Find out more about how we test.

Before we start our listening tests, we first experiment with any tips provided to make sure we've got a perfect seal. This ensures that sound quality (particularly bass) isn't affected and we can also evaluate the level of comfort on offer too.

We'll also start with a full charge and see how accurate battery life claims are and just how it's drained during day-to-day use.

Although we have dedicated testing facilities in London, Reading and Bath, the bulk of our wireless earbuds testing happens outside those facilities, whether that's on the street, on public transport or in our busy office.

It's only when nailing down the finer details of audio quality, we head for quieter environments where we compare the wireless earbuds we're testing to price comparable models and current class-leaders at the money. This gives us a chance to come to solid conclusions and peg each pair on sound quality. 

Obviously, testing ANC wireless earbuds requires quite the opposite - here we venture outside to put noise-cancelling algorithms through their paces and also test any transparency mode to see how well it works.

We'll also test the call quality of the earbuds, to make sure the wearer can be heard in both calm and windy conditions (weather permitting, of course).

As with all headphones, we run wireless earbuds in for several hours before evaluating sound quality. We'll also download and fire up any Android/iOS apps that are available that can affect the user experience. How easy is it to use, what features does it offer, how useful are they and how well are they executed?

All our review verdicts are agreed upon by the team rather than an individual reviewer to eliminate any personal preference and to make sure we're being as thorough as possible. Neither PR companies nor our sales team have any input into our reviews at any stage of the process. We are proud of having delivered honest, unbiased reviews for decades.

F.A.Q

Which wireless earbuds have the best sound quality?

It really depends on your budget and how much you have to spend. Our entry-level pick of earbuds would be the Sony WF-C500 which are a brilliant pair of budget buds, or the next-model-up WF-C700 if active noise cancellation is a must and your budget can stretch a little further. 

At the premium end of the Bluetooth earbuds market, you're spoilt for choice, though standout, class-leading models are the Sony WF-1000XM5, Bose QuietComfort Ultra Earbuds and Apple AirPods Pro 2.

Are premium wireless earbuds worth it?

In our opinion, the best pairs are most definitely worth it. You get a clear step up as far as sound quality goes with more detail uncovered, even greater dynamics and a more overall polished performance. Many budget models don't have the same spread of features as more expensive designs and might be missing key things like active noise-cancelling.

What are the best earbuds for Zoom meetings?

Whether you're taking voice or video calls you want a pair of wireless earbuds with a good microphone set-up. Some premium pairs even have special technology that helps to emphasise voices so your voice should come through even clearer. Pairs we would recommend include the Sony WF-C700N at the affordable end of the spectrum and the Sony WF-1000XM5, Bose QuietComfort Ultra Earbuds and Apple AirPods Pro 2 at the more premium end.

What is the difference between cheap and expensive wireless earbudsbuds?

The main differences tend to centre around build quality, features and performance. That's not to say you can't get cheap Bluetooth buds that don't sound great for the money or have a solid feature set, just like the Sony WF-C700N. In our testing experience, the best cheap earbuds can certainly outperform some more expensive pairs.

However, the very best expensive pairs tend to offer better build quality, higher quality components, a more sophisticated sound and even more accomplished features. Noise cancelling and call quality can be more advanced, for example, but the biggest differences are in sound quality. You can hear more detail, and experience greater dynamics and the very best pricey pairs, such as the Sony WF-1000XM5 and Bose QuietComfort Ultra Earbuds offer a greater level of sonic refinement.

Recent updates

  • 29th February 2024: added product galleries, added also consider section, added recent updates section, added top tip
  • 18th January 2024: added more F.A.Qs, updated how to choose and how we test sections

Today's best wireless earbuds deals

Andy Madden

Andy is Deputy Editor of What Hi-Fi? and a consumer electronics journalist with nearly 20 years of experience writing news, reviews and features. Over the years he's also contributed to a number of other outlets, including The Sunday Times, the BBC, Stuff, and BA High Life Magazine. Premium wireless earbuds are his passion but he's also keen on car tech and in-car audio systems and can often be found cruising the countryside testing the latest set-ups. In his spare time Andy is a keen golfer and gamer.

  • Willhiro
    More and more I notice that the "Reasons to Avoid" are not the same for all earbuds. For example many fo them do not have AptX support, but it is only listed as "Reasons to Avoid " in only some of them. The same goes with volume. Should you guys use a list of features for all of them and clearly annotate whether the device has the features or not?
    Reply
  • hybridauth_Facebook_100000759563588
    Willhiro said:
    More and more I notice that the "Reasons to Avoid" are not the same for all earbuds. For example many of them do not have AptX support, but it is only listed as "Reasons to Avoid " in only some of them. The same goes with volume. Should you guys use a list of features for all of them and clearly annotate whether the device has the features or not?

    Trouble is they increasingly are commercialised - promoted reviews etc. etc. Sounds sensible to me but doubt they will employ that.
    Reply
  • nikolasch
    I bought the Sony WF-1000XM3 after reading your article. I asked the employee of the Sony store if they connect to a Samsung TV and he said no problem. Turns out they keep losing the connection between them and the one earbud keeps turning off and on on its own. Worse earbuds ever. Bought Jbl for a quarter of the price and they work perfectly.
    Reply
  • Bdoro
    Hello guys, have you forgotten the Jabra's? Usually you have good opinion but sometimes I wonder if you are correct in your choises based on biased contenders....
    Reply
  • Tootles
    I own the Sony buds and yes they do sound very good but they are horrible to the point of unusable for phone calls. Nobody can ever hear me. Truly awful in that respect and in no way should they be viewed as a five star product. Hugely flawed.
    Reply
  • gwarner
    I ordered the Sony WF-1000XM3 earphones, partly because off reviews like this, partly becoame I have their over ear headpones and they give a great sound.

    I was very happy with the sound on the earphones, but they have gone back. Why? Mainly because I found the touch control unusable. Repeatedly, I got the two-tap-skip-a-track result when I tapped once to pause/restart. Sometimes, I got the normal beep, but nothing else happened at all, unitl I stopped them and rerstarted. Moreover, while I really liked the feature that pauses playback when an earphone is removed, I found that sopmetimes it worked, but quite often it didn't. So I would end up with no way either to pause or to undo a false skip-forward, exept by getting the phone out.

    I tried them with three different devices, a Redmi Not 8T phone, and iPad and a Samsung Tab A6 tablet. Problams with all, so it was tthe phones, not the devices.

    I really tried to overcome this, because the sound and noise cancellation itself was great. I tried varing the force of my taps, tapping with different parts fingertips or flat of the finger/ I have never had any problem using multi-tap touch controls on any other device. I systematically experimented to see if I could make them work consistently. The performance seemed to vary while I was counting outcomes. Sometimes I got only one rogue skip in ten taps. At others, any tap, however light or careful, skipped tracks, or less frequently, did nothing burt cause a beep.

    And I returned the phones and got a second pair through my supplier, in case I had a faulty pair. No good - the touch controls were still too unreliable to use.

    This gives me no satisfaction. I really wanted these phones. The saound and noise cancellation impressed me. But they were just unusable in practice. What a shame.
    Reply
  • razorjack
    This comparison looks like a joke, you have many different models, all of them are described as 'excelent quality, best sound etc.', only few of them have AptX, nothing about ergonomics and available controls...
    WTF IS THAT ?
    Reply
  • Jmck
    Samsung conspicuous by its absence. Not only do they not make the top 20, but "key rivals sound better" than Apple Airpods. Just say Samsung.
    Reply
  • AgrusKosy
    Creative Labs got some mean buds last year. Sad not to see it on this list
    Reply
  • sensable
    Akg N400nc? Still best sounding wireless iem out now.
    Reply