The best earbuds of 2026, tested by audio experts

Whether you're tuning out your commute, powering through a workout, or unwinding with some music at home, the right pair of earbuds can seriously upgrade your daily routine. The challenge? There are so many options out there, at every possible price. Sorting through them to find the best earbuds for your needs isn't always easy.

That's where we come in. Our audio experts have spent hours reviewing and comparing dozens of top-rated models to narrow down your options. Based on our hands-on testing, the Sony WF-1000XM5 stand out as the best wireless earbuds for most people, thanks to their excellent active noise cancellation (ANC), rich sound quality, and smart feature set. If you're shopping on a tighter budget, the JLab Go Air Pop earbuds are a pleasant surprise, delivering impressive performance for under $25.

Below, you'll find our complete guide to the best earbuds you can buy right now, including picks for runners, iPhone users, and serious audiophiles.

Our top picks for the best earbuds

Best overall: Sony WF-1000XM5 - See at Amazon

Best premium sound: Technics EAH-AZ100 - See at Amazon

Best on a budget: JLab Go Air Pop - See at Amazon

Best midrange: Anker Soundcore Liberty 4 NC - See at Amazon

Best for noise canceling: Bose QuietComfort Ultra (2nd Gen) - See at Amazon

Best for running: Soundcore AeroFit 2 - See at Amazon

Best for Apple users: AirPods Pro 3 - See at Amazon

Best overall

Simply put, the WF-1000XM5 (aka the "Mark 5") are the best earbuds for most people. They pack everything we love about Sony's high-quality offerings into a sleek and powerful design.

The XM5s are small and light, with a compact charging case to match. Their size is all the more impressive given their great battery life and excellent noise-canceling performance. They do a great job of crushing low-end drones and suppressing high-frequency sounds. Only a few earbuds, like Bose's QuietComfort Ultra, can beat them in ANC.

The XM5s also offer a wealth of features via the Sony Headphones app for iOS or Android. There, you'll find settings to adjust everything from Ambient Sound mode to features like multipoint pairing, Speak-to-Chat, Sony's 360 Reality Audio spatial sound, and a multi-band EQ, allowing you to create a personalized sound profile.

The WF-1000XM5s deliver clear, rich, and detailed sound across instruments and vocals. You can further improve the quality by engaging Sony's DSEE Extreme audio upscaling engine. Additionally, supported Android devices can access high-resolution Bluetooth via Sony's LDAC audio technology. Bone conduction sensors help improve call quality, even in noisy environments.

The XM5s are comfortable to wear for hours. They come with a selection of foam ear tips that keep them stable in your ears and baseline water resistance for various use cases. We're also happy that Sony included volume controls on the buds themselves. Repeated taps on the left or right buds lower or raise volume, respectively, which gets the job done.

Our only real complaint is that the earbuds' glossy material makes them slippery. You've got to really nudge them from the sides to get them out of their case. It's also worth noting that Sony now offers a newer version of these buds, the WF-1000XM6. The new model delivers improved ANC, better call quality, and a revised shape that could fit some ears better. However, they currently cost about $100 more. If you want the most advanced wireless earbuds Sony makes, the XM6s are the ones to get, but most people are better off saving money with the XM5s.

Visit our guide to all the best headphones and best Sony headphones.

Best premium sound

Panasonic's Technics audio brand is renowned for its great-sounding earbuds, and its latest model, the EAH-AZ100, continues that tradition.

The buds look and feel premium, with stylish touches like sparkling endcaps that mimic the turntables and amplifiers that have made Technics a household name. Three handsome colorways are available, including black, silver, and a new champagne gold option released to celebrate the brand's 60th anniversary. The AZ100s are also more compact than their predecessors and feature a comfortable in-ear fit with five tip sizes to choose from.

The earbuds are equipped with a range of features, including a "Find My" function in case you lose them, adjustable noise canceling and ambient sound modes, customizable controls, six EQ presets, a fitting sensor, and a wireless charging case. We also appreciate that they support multipoint pairing for up to three devices simultaneously.

Of course, sound quality is the big selling point here, and the AZ100s deliver excellent performance with a finely detailed soundstage marked by delicate texture and a wide sense of space and dimension. This kind of high-end audio quality lets you hear subtle nuances you may have previously missed with other buds. As reviewers, we test tons of headphones all the time, but earbuds like this actually make it fun to try out our favorite songs again just to hear how great they sound. The default settings favor a slightly warm tone, but you can adjust them in the Technics app to suit your taste.

The earbuds also support the LDAC high-resolution codec, enabling higher quality Bluetooth transmission with compatible devices. Conversely, you can use Bluetooth LE for better power efficiency when paired with a supported device.

Unlike the previous-generation AZ80s, this model adds support for a spatial audio mode that creates a surround-sound effect with optional head-tracking. This setting is interesting to play around with, and we found it created a bit more separation and distance between elements in certain tracks. However, you can't use LDAC and spatial audio at the same time, and we prefer the higher-quality connection with standard stereo playback for the best sound.

The AZ100s also have solid noise canceling, with improved performance compared to the older AZ80s. They hold their own well in a noisy gym environment and compare much more favorably to other flagship earbuds than their predecessor. That said, we still give Bose's QC Ultra an edge if ANC is your priority. Battery life has also been upgraded, with up to 10 hours with ANC on, and you can get a total of 28 hours with the included charging case.

Best on a budget

The JLab Go Air Pop earbuds offer performance that defies their price point. Even when they're not on sale, these buds cost less than you'd pay to pick up dinner for two at your local pizza joint.

At just $25 a pair, we don't expect much from the Go Air Pop, but within those qualified expectations, these earbuds shine. While they're not big on features, they offer the essentials, including responsive touch controls, up to eight hours of battery life per charge, and a few EQ modes to adjust the sound.

Sound quality is average but passable, without any notable sharpness or overbearing bass to ruin the overall audio profile. We weren't blown away by the detail here, but we could hear all the main elements of our favorite tunes without any major issues.

These aren't the most comfortable buds available, but they're suitable for short to medium-length listening sessions. They also come in various colors to add a "pop" of style. Frankly, given their price, there's not much more we'd ask of these earbuds. But remember, you won't get features like auto-pause or even an app, let alone extras like noise canceling or a transparency mode.

If you're looking for more, you may want to upgrade to our midrange pick, the Soundcore Liberty 4 earbuds, which are pricier but include extras like noise canceling. Otherwise, the JLab Go Air Pop are the perfect starter buds, whether you're just testing the waters or looking for an affordable gift. At such a low price, what have you got to lose?

Visit our guide to the best budget headphones.

Best midrange

Soundcore's Liberty 4 NC earbuds offer solid sound, a truckload of extras, and noise canceling on par with plenty of flagship earbuds. They're also stylish in an AirPods way, with a premium look and feel. The kicker? They do all that for $100 or less.

Soundcore has been perfecting its formula for undercutting the competition for years, and the Liberty 4 NC earbuds are the culmination of this effort. Name a flagship feature, and these buds likely have some version of it, from personalized multipoint pairing and an optional volume limiter to an earbuds finder and noise-canceling mode that can be programmed for your environment.

Not surprisingly, at this price, there are a few compromises to be made. Some features — like 3D spatial audio — can feel tacked on. The touch controls are sometimes less responsive than we'd like, and while the audio quality is clear and detailed, it can sound brittle without some EQ. And rather than the 10 hours Soundcore claims, we got more like seven hours of battery life per charge with ANC engaged.

One area where these buds easily live up to the hype is their noise-canceling performance, which meets or exceeds that of anything in their class. You can still get better noise cancellation by spending more, but you'll pay double or even triple the cost to get there.

Bottom line: If you're looking for a flagship experience at a midrange price, especially in terms of features and noise canceling, the Liberty 4 NC are the best wireless earbuds we've found.

Best for noise canceling

The Bose QuietComfort Ultra 2nd Gen are the best noise-canceling earbuds we've tested. Competing flagship models, such as the Sony XM series and Apple AirPods Pro 3, come close, but nothing quite matches the QC Ultra for silencing pesky ambient noise.

The second-generation QC Ultra Earbuds were released in September 2025. The new edition retains everything we loved about the first-gen model while offering a few small yet welcome tweaks. And best of all, they carry the same retail price as the old earbuds.

During our review, the QC Ultra Earbuds 2nd Gen blocked out test sounds, like airplane cabin noise, better than any other earbuds we tried. The Bose earbuds also had an edge over similar rivals when listening to higher-pitched noises and when we tested them with subway ambiance. The differences between the top competitors are subtle, but the QuietComfort Ultra Earbuds maintain a slight edge.

The QC Ultras offer a great transparency mode, too, which lets in outside sounds when you want to hear your surroundings. This second-generation model features smoother ActiveSense performance, helping prevent sudden spikes in loud noise. Call quality has also been improved with AI-enhanced background noise suppression. Even in loud areas, this feature kept our reviewer's voice sounding clear and full.

Although they can't match the high-end audio quality of competitors like Technics' EAH-AZ100, the QC Ultra Earbuds still deliver excellent sound, featuring a lively midrange, crisp treble, and deeper bass performance out of the box than most rivals. The earbuds fit a wide range of ear shapes and include three ear tip sizes and stability bands. The second-gen model also adds in-ear wax guards on each bud.

One of our biggest complaints about the first-gen QC Ultra Earbuds was their lack of a wireless charging case. Thankfully, Bose has corrected this for the second-gen model, as the included case now supports wireless charging. Sony, Apple, and Technics already offered this, so it's great that Bose has finally matched its rivals in that regard.

Read our Bose QuietComfort Ultra (2nd Gen) review.

Check out our guides to all the best Bose headphones and best noise-canceling headphones.

Best for running

People looking for earbuds that work especially well during runs should check out the Soundcore AeroFit 2. Unlike our other picks, this model has an open-ear design that allows users to stay naturally aware of their surroundings.

Rather than creating a seal in your ear canal, the AeroFit 2 earbuds rest just outside your ear and stay securely in place with adjustable hooks. This design is ideal for active use outside, as it offers a stable fit while also allowing ambient noises to pass through. However, open-fit earbuds can't match the sound quality of in-ear buds.

That said, the AeroFit 2 still offered ample volume and solid bass performance during our tests. Our reviewer wore them during his daily runs and enjoyed music and spoken word content without any issues.

We also loved how the included wireless charging case fits the earbuds in whatever position you set the adjustable hooks. This way, you don't have to keep re-adjusting them every time you take them out. At 10 hours, the buds offer great battery life, too, and the case gives you a total of 42 hours.

Our reviewer would have preferred physical buttons for controls, as it can be tricky to use touch-sensitive functions while running, but the AeroFit 2's double-tap gestures work well. The earbuds also have an IP55 rating for water- and sweat-resistance.

Check out our guides to the best headphones for running and the best headphones for working out to see additional recommendations.

Best for Apple users

If you're an Apple fan who's plugged into the brand's ecosystem of products and services, the AirPods Pro 3 are the best earbuds you can get. The third-gen model offers better sound quality, improved ANC, built-in heart rate tracking, and stronger water resistance — all while carrying over everything that made the previous generations so impressive.

Though the AirPods Pro 3 use the same drivers and H2 chip as the second-gen model, Apple has tweaked the design a bit to improve airflow. The result is a slightly expanded sound stage with deeper bass. Noise-cancellation quality has also been improved with the addition of foam-injected ear tips. When testing them against the Bose QC Ultra Earbuds 2nd Gen, we found the AirPods Pro 3's ANC to be nearly neck-and-neck. Though we still give a slight edge to Bose, the differences were subtle.

Their transparency mode is also among the most natural-sounding we've heard, and they offer a cool audio-limiting feature to protect your ears from unexpected loud noises. Apple takes things further with Adaptive Audio, which naturally blends transparency mode and noise canceling to adjust to your environment and personal volume preferences.

A new feature you won't find on other AirPods is a heart rate tracking sensor. When paired with an iPhone, this sensor provides insights into your workouts and overall health. The earbuds also offer stronger water resistance than previous models, with an IP57 rating rather than the previous IP54 rating. This means the buds can withstand temporary submersion in water.

The AirPods Pro 3 offer longer playback time than the second-gen model, with up to eight hours of use versus six. However, the caveat is that the charging case's battery has been reduced, so you now get a total of 24 hours with the case instead of 30. We consider this a fair trade-off.

You also get extras that make using the AirPods Pro with Apple devices intuitive, such as hands-free Siri, Auto-Switching to move between devices connected to your iCloud account, and Find My support to track the buds down if you've left them behind. And like the AirPods Pro 2, the Pro 3 earbuds support a suite of aural health functions, as well as a live translation feature when used with an iPhone that has Apple Intelligence.

Unfortunately, there's still no AirPods app for Android users, making these earbuds decidedly aimed at Apple folks. If you fit that mold, the AirPods Pro 3 work seamlessly with Apple and iOS devices for an experience unlike anything else on the market. But if you're looking for earbuds similar to Apple's offering that play nicer with Android, check out our guide to the best AirPods alternatives.

Read our AirPods Pro 3 review.

Check out our guide to the best Apple AirPods.

What else we considered

Sony WF-1000XM6 - See at Amazon
The WF-1000XM6 are Sony's latest flagship wireless earbuds. They impressed our reviewer with improved noise cancellation over the XM5s and better call quality. They also have a slightly revised design that could be a pro or con depending on your ear shape. Though they do perform better overall, the current price difference between the two is a bit steep. With that in mind, the XM5s remains the better overall value while the XM6s are best for buyers willing to pay a premium for Sony's most advanced tech.

Read our full Sony WF-1000XM6 earbuds review.

Bose QuietComfort - See at Amazon
The Bose QuietComfort are the brand's midrange wireless earbuds, sitting right below the QuietComfort Ultra. They offer similar performance but can't match the Ultra model's noise cancellation strength. With that in mind, if ANC is your top priority, the QC Ultras are the earbuds to get.

Read our full Bose QuietComfort earbuds review.

How we test wireless earbuds

We take product testing seriously and use consistent, reproducible testing methods wherever possible. To determine the best earbuds, our experts evaluated several models and assessed their sound quality by listening to a wide range of music genres from popular streaming services. This process includes a dedicated playlist to maintain consistency in our testing, along with video samples to evaluate features such as spatial audio and head tracking with stereo and Dolby Atmos content.

We also test ease of setup and use with various devices, especially for features like Multipoint pairing. To test ambient audio features like noise canceling, we use a sound-treated room and professional stereo monitors to reproduce sounds such as airplane drones, voice chatter, and various other frequencies. For battery tests, we time the earbuds while playing music at medium volume, either in our ears or out, with auto-pause sensors disengaged when possible, monitoring the earbuds at regular intervals.

We also test the best wireless earbuds the way regular people use them; we go for walks with the dog, listen to music alongside high-traffic areas with noise canceling on and off, and chat with friends and neighbors to test features like transparency mode. As much as possible, we live with these earbuds to analyze how they work and feel in daily use.

For more details about our review process, check out our breakdown on how we test tech products.

Wireless earbuds FAQs

Are wireless earbuds better than wired ones?

Wireless earbuds are more convenient than wired earbuds. You don't have to deal with tangled cords, and they pair easily with phones that no longer have a headphone jack. Many of the best wireless earbuds also offer features you can't get with most wired models, like active noise cancellation, touch controls, and customizable sound settings.

That said, wired earbuds still have their perks. They don't need charging, are often more affordable, and offer consistent audio quality without worrying about Bluetooth connectivity. If you value convenience and extra features, wireless is the way to go. If you prefer simplicity and plug-and-play reliability, wired earbuds can still make sense.

Are earbuds better than over-ear headphones?

It depends on how and where you listen. Earbuds are smaller, lighter, and easier to toss into a bag or pocket, making them great for commuting, travel, and workouts. Over-ear headphones, on the other hand, typically offer bigger drivers, longer battery life, and often better noise cancellation, so they can deliver more immersive sound, especially at home or in the office. If portability is your top priority, the best earbuds are hard to beat. If sound quality and all-day comfort matter most, over-ear headphones may be the better pick.

Check out our guide to the best over-ear headphones to see our top recommendations.

What is noise canceling?

Noise cancellation is a sound-suppression technology that helps defray environmental noises with the use of advanced hardware and software. Noise-canceling earbuds use onboard microphones to capture the sound around you. They then flip the polarity of these frequencies to "cancel" certain sounds.

Some frequencies are easier to suppress than others, with higher frequencies presenting particular difficulty. As such, noise canceling can't suppress all the sounds around you. However, this technology has advanced with each new generation, offering increasingly better isolation from unwanted environmental annoyances.

What is Bluetooth?

Bluetooth is a wireless technology that enables compatible devices, such as earbuds and speakers, to exchange data, including audio, over short distances. The majority of Bluetooth devices have a range of up to 33 feet, although devices with Bluetooth Class 1 can extend their range much further. This technology has evolved over time to deliver improved sound, increased data capacity, and a more reliable connection. Newer Bluetooth versions often offer advanced features and improved quality and reliability.

For other Bluetooth device recommendations, check out our guide to the best Bluetooth speakers.

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