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Wireless earbuds fit neatly in your ears and are completely without wires. Because they're so small, these earbuds can be easily transported and stored in small charging cases when you're not wearing them, not to mention they're more comfortable and lightweight than on-ear or over-ear headphones.
The sheer convenience of this type of headphone makes them suitable for everyday use, on-the-go listening, workouts, and noisy environments. The best models offer the right balance of sound quality, comfort, cost, and battery life.
After testing and comparing several pairs of true wireless earbuds, we selected the best models you can buy in 2022. Our picks cover a variety of needs and budgets, offering recommendations based on overall value, sound quality, specific platforms, and more.
Learn more about why you can trust our tech team to recommend the best products.
Here are the best wireless earbuds of 2022
Best wireless earbuds overall: Jabra Elite 85T, $229.99 on Best Buy
The Jabra Elite 85T have just the right balance of sound quality, comfort, battery life, and price.
Best premium wireless earbuds: Sony WF-1000XM4, $248 on Amazon
The WF-1000XM4 offer truly high-end audio quality and noise cancellation for those willing to pay a little more.
Best mid-range wireless earbuds: Amazon Echo Buds, $119.99 on Amazon
Amazon's Echo Buds 2 feature almost everything you'd want in wireless earbuds for a little less than most competitors.
Best cheap wireless earbuds: Jlab Jbuds Air, $31.66 on Amazon
With performance that far exceeds their affordable price, the Jbuds Air by Jlab are stunning wireless earbuds on a budget.
Best wireless earbuds for Apple users: AirPods Pro, $179.99 on Amazon
The AirPods Pro are the best wireless earbuds to pair with other Apple devices, and they're a good value when on sale.
Best wireless earbuds for Android phones: Samsung Galaxy Buds 2, $149.99 on Best Buy
Samsung's Galaxy Buds 2 defy their affordable price by producing quality, powerful sound from a tiny package.
Best Buy
The Jabra Elite 85T deliver high-end audio quality and noise-cancelling performance for a great price.
Pros: Great audio quality, good noise cancellation, customizable sound, Bluetooth Multipoint, comfortable fit, wireless charging case, water resistant
Cons: Can be prone to interference (very rare)
Jabra's Elite 85T are the first headphones that pop into my mind when someone asks me what wireless earbuds they should buy.
That's because they're such good all-rounders that do almost everything well for a good price. Audio quality and noise cancellation are great, they fit well, they come with a wireless charging case, and they're water-resistant.
Battery life is fairly average at five and half hours with ANC activated, but the wireless charging case holds an extra 19.5 hours of charge, making for a total of 25 hours. You can get up to 31 hours with ANC turned off.
Phone calls are fine, but they'll struggle in noisy environments, where my test calls were disjointed and full of "can-you-hear-mes." That's par for the course in noisy places with most wireless earbuds — you need to spend more and get the Sony WF-1000XM4, or full-size WH-1000XM4 or Bose 700 if this is a priority for you.
There was one instance during testing where the Elite 85T faced interference — they hated being next to a TV in an office waiting room, and they crackled to the point that it was better to simply take them off. This was the only instance I encountered this issue, so it's likely isolated.
It's also worth noting that Jabra does have a newer pair of earbuds on the market now, the Elite 7 Pro, that come with improved clarity. But we still recommend the Elite 85T over the Elite 7 Pro because the new model doesn't feature Bluetooth Mutlipoint connectivity for pairing with multiple devices at the same time.
Antonio Villas-Boas/Insider
The Sony WF-1000XM4 are best-in-class for sound quality and noise cancellation, but they're best suited for those willing to pay their high price.
Pros: Superb audio quality and noise cancellation, customizable sound, long battery life, comfortable ear tips, wireless charging case, good phone call quality, water resistant
Cons: Pricey, lack Bluetooth Multipoint, app could be easier to use
If you're looking for the best pair of wireless earbuds and you're willing to spend up to $280, Sony's WF-1000XM4 come highly recommended.
Audio quality and noise-cancelling performance are only rivaled by the Bose Quiet Comfort Earbuds, but for the same price as the Bose, we'd rather recommend the Sony WF-1000XM4 for their slightly better battery life. Sony also has excellent EQ settings that help you get the best out of the earbuds.
We also prefer the foam ear tips on the WF-1000XM4, as they make for a more secure ear-plug-style fit that ensures a tighter seal. The Bose may be more comfortable in the ears, but users who have difficulty getting earbuds to fit properly may have more trouble getting a proper seal with them.
You also get a long eight-hour battery life with ANC activated on the buds themselves, and the wireless charging case's 16 hours makes for a total of 24 hours. You can get up to 36 hours with ANC turned off. The WF-1000XM4 are also water-resistant, and offer good phone call quality with some ability to reduce ambient noise, so the person you're calling can hear you better.
Lisa Eadicicco/Insider
Amazon's Echo Buds 2 offer almost everything you'd want in wireless earbuds for a little less than most competitors.
Pros: Good sound quality and noise cancellation for the price, customizable sound, sleek and comfortable design
Cons: Not as much bass as pricier earbuds, sometimes feel loose while exercising without wing tips, no multi-device connectivity
If our overall top pick — the Jabra Elite 85T — is a little out of budget, Amazon's Echo Buds 2 are a great alternative. They offer good sound that can be customized, noise cancellation, and water resistance for a cheaper price.
The Echo Buds 2 come with four different tips compared to the usual three you get with most earbuds, so you're likely to find a great fit. Plus, the optional included wingtips add security to the fit for workouts.
Battery is about average at five hours for the buds with ANC enabled, or six and a half hours with ANC off. With the case, you get 15 hours total with ANC on, and 19.5 hours with ANC off. For $20 extra, Amazon offers a model with a wireless charging case.
JBL
The Jlab Jbuds Air deliver better sound than their low price lets on, and discounts are available frequently, making them unbelievably affordable.
Pros: Impressive sound for price, touch controls, water resistance, built-in USB charging cable
Cons: No ANC, microUSB charging case
Considering their affordable price, frequent discounts, impressive sound quality, and water resistance, it's pretty much impossible to say anything negative about the Jlab Jbuds Air. If you're looking to get the wireless earbud experience without spending more than $50, the Jbuds Air are the pair to get.
They sound remarkable for their price and you can often find them on sale for under $30. That's not to say they sound as good as wireless earbuds that cost $200 or more — bass is strong and rich, but the highs can make audio sound a little thin. Still, for this price range we can't complain.
They also work with phone or video calls, but only with the right earbud. There are touch sensors on each bud for media controls, summoning Siri or Google Assistant, and switching between the Jlab's equalizer presets.
Total battery life is fairly standard, but we love the built-in USB charger — you never need to worry about bringing a charging cable as long as you have a power source with a USB port, like a laptop or charging brick.
There's no premium features, like noise-cancelling or wireless charging, but that's not expected at this price point.
Crystal Cox/Business Insider
Apple users who want to get the most out of Apple's ecosystem should consider the AirPods Pro.
Pros: Integrate with the Apple ecosystem, decent sound and noise cancellation, water resistant, wireless charging case, comfortable and more universal fit than standard AirPods
Cons: Inferior earbud battery life compared to competition
The vast majority of wireless earbuds will work on any Apple device with a Bluetooth connection, and you'll find better sound quality, noise cancellation, and battery life for the price. But no other wireless earbuds complement your Apple devices like the AirPods and AirPods Pro.
The AirPods Pro pair seamlessly with iPhones and Apple Watches, and they can connect to Macs simultaneously to switch back and forth to various Apple devices automatically. As expected, Siri is fully supported, and you can take advantage of Apple's Audio Sharing feature that lets you share what you're listening to with another user's pair of AirPods.
Anyone who's had fitting issues with the standard AirPods will find solace with the AirPods Pro and their silicone tips, which fit deeper in your ear canal, but don't quite have an ear-plug fit. As a result, they're comfortable and light in the ear. Their water resistance also makes them a suitable option for working out.
And if the AirPods Pro are a little over budget, the cheaper standard AirPods also come with seamless Apple ecosystem support. You just lose noise cancellation and water resistance, and audio quality isn't as good.
Best Buy
The Galaxy Buds 2 deliver incredible sound and noise-cancelling performance, but the app is limited to Android devices only.
Pros: Amazing audio quality for the price, incredibly effective noise-cancelling, small and discreet, comfortable fit, wireless charging case
Cons: No IP-rated water resistance, app for controls isn't available on iOS, doesn't support Bluetooth multipoint for multiple devices connections
Samsung's Galaxy Buds 2 are total winners in the $150 range. If you're an Android user and can't find a good deal on the Jabra Elite 85T, the Galaxy Buds 2 are the next best option.
The Galaxy Buds 2 deliver satisfyingly rich and clear sound that's widely customizable to match any style of music or personal preference. It's amazing such tiny things can produce such big sound while nicely balancing powerful bass and clarity.
Noise-cancelling performance is very good, and even threatens Jabra and Sony's on their more expensive earbuds. Customizable touch controls on the buds make it easy to quickly switch to ambient mode so you can hear what's going on around you.
Seeing as they're so small, they barely stick out of your ears. Fit is snug, secure, and comfortable, and the buds come with three tip sizes. Battery life is fairly average, but the wireless charging case is rare in this price range. You get five hours on the buds themselves with ANC on, and 20 hours total with the case included.
The only thing to watch out for is the lack of an official IP rating for water resistance, which makes us nervous about recommending the Galaxy Buds 2 for those who want to use them for workouts. They might be totally fine with a little sweat, but we can't say for sure without the proper specs to back them up.
Antonio Villas-Boas/Insider
- The Bose QuietComfort Earbuds also come highly recommended in the premium category. Their audio quality and noise-cancelling performance are comparable to the Sony XM4, and they come with nearly identical features like water resistance and wireless charging. The main reason the Bose earbuds don't quite make it to the top of the list is because it's harder to adjust their sound profile to your specific listening tastes.
- We also tried the Jabra 75T, the Cambridge Audio Melomania 1+, and the Beats Studio Buds, all of which are in the $120 to $150 price range. These are all good options, and they would be worthy alternatives to the Amazon Echo Buds 2. Just note that the Cambridge Audio Melomania 1+ don't have noise cancellation.
- We tested the Samsung Galaxy Buds Pro as well, which we loved at first. However, we now prefer the Galaxy Buds 2 for their better price, superior battery life, and equally good audio performance.
- The $20 Jlab Go Air Pop are also a fantastic pair of bare-bones wireless earbuds for their price. Their sound quality far exceeds what you'd expect for $20, but we still recommend the Jbuds Air as our best budget pick for that model's superior build quality.
Antonio Villas-Boas/Insider
We take product testing seriously, and we aim to use consistent, reproducible testing methods. For audio products like headphones and wireless earbuds, we assess their sound quality by listening to a wide range of music genres. To replicate the most likely scenario that our readers would be using wireless earbuds, we stream music from common mobile devices, both iOS and Android, with popular music streaming services. We also test the ease of setup and use.
An extra note on sound quality on wireless earbuds: We don't base our assessment on how "accurate" their sound is. "Accurate" headphones tend to be studio-grade or monitor headphones that have flatter sound signatures, and they aren't very pleasing for general listening. Those kinds of studio-grade headphones tend to be designed for audiophiles or professionals. We're making recommendations for "most of us" who simply want a good, convenient pair of wireless earbuds we can use with our computers and mobile devices.
For noise-cancelling performance, we find common noisy environments and try new models against our top picks one after the other in the same testing period.
We are currently devising a way to validate the battery life claims that companies make about their wireless earbuds and headphones. However, we haven't found that any claims have been dramatically inaccurate so far.
Samsung
Most of the year, our picks are discounted to a little less than retail price; the AirPods Pro and Galaxy Buds Pro are often $20 off, for example.
At the time of writing, we see a small $30 off the Jabra Elite 85t True Wireless Bluetooth Earbuds. We're also seeing a cool $70 off AirPods Pro. During Black Friday and Cyber Monday, these models will likely be down even more.
Below, we rounded up the best deals on wireless earbuds from top brands, including Samsung, Apple, and Sony.
Read more about how the Insider Reviews team evaluates deals and why you should trust us.
Amazon
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