Karlston Posted August 26, 2020 Share Posted August 26, 2020 The Best Wirefree Earbuds for Every Mood Ready to cut the cord between your ears? These are the best true wireless buds we’ve tested. Wirefree (true wireless) earbuds are one of those ideas that sounds like a dream: Pop a tiny little headphone into each ear and listen to music or take calls untethered from everything. Until recently, the reality was quite different. Most of the first wirefree buds were gigantic, dead after a few hours, and had a bunch of other problems. Luckily, times have changed. There are a host of new models that sound fabulous and work (almost) perfectly. After testing dozens of them for the past three years, here are our favorite wirefree earbuds right now, in a wide range of styles and prices. If you don't find what you're looking for, our favorite cheap headphones and best workout earbuds guides may help. Updated August 2020: We've added new favorites, including the Samsung Galaxy Buds Live and JBL x Under Armour True Wireless Flash X. Wait, What Are “Wirefree” Earbuds? We've seen them go by many names: true wireless earbuds, truly wireless earbuds, completely wireless earbuds, fully wireless earbuds. Here at WIRED, if a pair of earbuds is wireless, connecting to your phone/computer via Bluetooth, and has no cord that connects the left bud to the right, we call them wirefree. We think it's less confusing. Typically, wirefree sets come with two popcorn-sized buds, each with a battery in them, and a charging cradle that carries extra battery power and keeps them safe when you're not wearing ’em. They're liberating, but they do come with issues, such as limited battery life (don't buy any with less than 5 hours), confusing controls, and reliance on a charging case. They're also a bit easier to lose than traditional earbuds, and replacing one bud can be expensive. Our Picks If you buy something using links in our stories, we may earn a commission. Learn more. Photograph: 1More Best Overall 1More ColorBuds We've tried a lot of wirefree earbuds in the past couple of years, but lesser-known audio brand 1More has made our favorite all-around in-ears for two generations. Now called the ColorBuds (changed from the Stylish), the second generation of 1More's $100 wirefree headphones are our new favorite. They're extremely comfortable and sweat-resistant, and they sound as good as buds two or three times the price. Thanks to their silicone ring-tips, you can wear them for hours at a time and almost forget they're there. An IPX5 rating means it's fine to take them outside for socially distant exercises, and they've got four built-in mics for better call quality compared to the previous model. The 6 hours of juice per charge is down about a half-hour from the Stylish that came before, but the earbuds are smaller and lighter. Between sessions, the case holds about 16 more hours of juice. $100 at Amazon Photograph: JLab Audio Best Cheap Buds JLab Audio Go Air Not everyone has hundreds of dollars to spend on wireless earbuds. Thanks to JLab, you can spend as little as $30. The company has made a name for itself by building big-name-rivaling earbuds for much less, and the Go Air (8/10, WIRED Recommends) are no different. For $30, you get 5 hours of battery life, a comfortable fit, and they're sweatproof. The downside? They're heavier on the bass than other models, and the open-topped case will need frequent cleaning, as it attracts gunk. $30 at Amazon $30 at Best Buy Photograph: Apple Best for iPhone Apple AirPods Pro They're expensive and offer just 4.5 hours of battery life, but Apple's AirPods Pro (8/10, WIRED Recommends) are easily the best wirefree headphones for iPhone or iPad owners. The company's H1 chip allows for near-instant pairing, active noise canceling removes unwanted background noise, and silicone ear tips—a first for AirPods—make them comfortable. Just say "Hey Siri" aloud and Apple's voice assistant is ready to change songs, send texts, and add something to your shopping list. Unlike the regular AirPods, the AirPods Pro boast an IPX4 rating, which means you won't have to worry about breaking them when you're breaking a sweat. The included carrying case recharges wirelessly too. $249 $220 at Amazon $249 at Apple Photograph: Master & Dynamic Best for Workouts Master & Dynamic MW07 Go Our favorite workout buds right now are the Master and Dynamic MW07 Go (9/10, WIRED Recommends), which offer premium sound and a whopping 10 hours of battery life (12 more in the case) for $150. The water-resistant MW07 Go function better—and are more comfortable, thanks to slotted silicone ear fins—than pricier workout buds like Beats' Powerbeats Pro and even Apple's AirPods Pro. They're also intuitive to use when out and about, with easy-to-find volume and play/pause buttons on top of each earbud. $200 $150 at Best Buy $150 at Amazon $199 at Master & Dynamic Photograph: Beats Also Great for Workouts Beats Powerbeats Pro Apple's Powerbeats Pro (8/10, WIRED Recommends) are beefier than many earbuds on this list, and that's by design. They're made to give a super-secure fit during even your sweatiest workout, which they'll stay protected from thanks to an IPX4 water-resistance rating. They sound far better than Apple's standard AirPods, Samsung's Galaxy Buds Live, or almost any pair of Beats you've probably heard before. They squeeze an impressive 9 hours of life out of a charge (18 extra hours with the portly 3 x 3-inch square case they come in). One of the most helpful features is their ability to automatically pause or route calls back to your phone if you take one of them out of your ear. We also love the banded (but still Bluetooth) Powerbeats model (8/10, WIRED Recommends), which have even better battery life, and nearly identical looks and sound. But no, they are not completely wirefree. $250 $200 at Amazon $200 at Best Buy Photograph: Sony Best Noise-Canceling Earbuds Sony WF-1000XM3 Sony makes our favorite noise-canceling headphones overall, so it makes sense that it would make the first really outstanding pair of sound-silencing wirefree earbuds too. The WF-1000XM3 (9/10, WIRED Recommends) are a little bulky for strenuous workouts, but they have killer sound. A dedicated active NC processor quiets everything to an almost eerie degree, and they even have a feature that lets you amplify the outside world if you hold your finger on the left earbud. With 6 hours of battery life on their own and 18 more with the case, you'll be able to work from home in silence for nearly an entire day without popping them out. $228 $178 at Amazon $230 $178 at Best Buy Photograph: Google Best With a Voice Assistant Google Pixel Buds (2020) If you're after earbuds that will do everything from reading the weather to pulling up your favorite Spotify playlists, Google's Pixel Buds (8/10, WIRED Recommends) are the best you can get. The tiny rounded earbuds are super comfortable thanks to built-in ear fins, and they've also got some of the best sound I've heard from wirefree headphones. The pièce de résistance is how they allow hands-free control of Google Assistant, which makes everything from sending texts to pulling up tunes easy (on Android, at least). Alternative: They don't sound quite as good—and I prefer Google Assistant—but Amazon's voice-controlled Echo Buds (8/10, WIRED Recommends) are also a solid option when it comes to headphones with voice assistants. They even have Bose-borrowed noise canceling. It's not as whisper-quiet as what's offered by more expensive models from Sony or Apple, but it's powerful enough to clear out some background clutter. $180 at Best Buy $179 at Google Photograph: Creative Best Battery Life Creative Outlier Gold They don't have the same crystal-clear sound or robust build quality as the 1More ColorBuds, but Creative's Outlier Gold wipe the floor with the competition when it comes to battery life. With 14 hours in the buds and about 25 more in the charging case, you'll make it through nearly a whole work week of listening before hunting for a USB-C cable. They're very ergonomic, with long slender ear tips that fit well in ears during workouts. With an included IPX5 rating, you can give them a quick rinse before you toss them back in your gym bag. $80 $60 at Amazon $80 at Creative Photograph: Jabra Most Rugged Jabra Elite Active 75T Jabra's latest Elite Active model comes with an IP57 rating, which means they are fully waterproof and sweatproof. That's made them my go-to buds when it comes to yard work, long runs, and other socially distanced excursions. Beyond a rugged exterior, the ergonomic earbuds offer top-of-the-line specs—you get excellent sound and call quality, plus AirPods-beating 7.5 hours of battery life (you get an additional 22 hours with the case). Just know that they are a bit bulky for those with small ears. $200 at Amazon $200 at Best Buy Photograph: JBL Under sArmour Most Secure JBL True Wireless Flash X A pair of large, soft earfins and cross-hatched rubber sections on the top make the second generation of JBL and Under Armour's workout-earbuds collaboration the most stable you'll find. Even with smaller ears, they stay in like no other on this list—perfect for those who are exercising outdoors during this pandemic. With 10 hours of battery life, Bluetooth 5.0 for speedy connection, and a great pair of physical buttons built-into the Under Armour logos (no annoying touch controls!), these are some of our new favorites. $170 at JBL $170 at Under Armour Photograph: Samsung Most Stylish Samsung Galaxy Buds Live The Samsung Galaxy Buds Live are some of the most unique-looking earbuds you'll find in the wirefree category. The semi-sealed, noise-canceling headphones are shaped like tiny little beans, which is why many refer to them as the "Bean Buds." They offer surprisingly great sound and a reasonably versatile and comfortable fit, given that they don't have traditional silicone ear tips. For people that find many in-ears too large, like WIRED senior writer Adrienne So, these will fit you well. They've even got six hours of battery life with noise canceling on and come with a wireless charging case so you can juice them up off the back of your Samsung Galaxy Note 20 Ultra. $170 at Best Buy $170 at Amazon Photograph: House of Marley Most Eco-Friendly House of Marley Liberate Air House of Marley's big claim to fame is its attempt at sustainable construction. The buds and case are made from sustainably sourced bamboo, recycled aluminum, sawdust, and a fabric made of recycled plastic bottles. Despite using old materials, the Liberate Air look stylish, and you get nine hours on a charge and 23 more baked into the case. They sound superb and fit well enough, if a little tight. Call quality is adequate, though they sometimes pick up background noises. It's worth noting that despite the sustainable materials, they still aren't very repairable, which is a big sustainability-related concern facing wirefree earbuds today. $170 $148 at Amazon Photograph: Samsung Honorable Mentions Other Buds We Like This has been a big year for earbuds. Every month seems to bring new sets with longer battery life and more compact designs. As such, we can't list everything we like. But if you're still hunting, here are some other recommendations. Samsung Galaxy Buds Plus ($130) (8/10, WIRED Recommends) are a pair we reviewed and enjoyed. They have a comfortable fit, 11-hour battery life, and a wireless charging case. Sennheiser Momentum True Wireless 2 ($287) bring noise canceling to Sennheiser's excellent high-end earbuds. You'll have to shell out a lot for them, but they do have some of the best sound quality you'll find. They also fix the bug in the first Momentum pair that drained the battery after a week or so, even if you didn't use them. Master & Dynamic MW07 Plus ($299) are slightly larger and more cumbersome than the MW07 Go listed above (and cost $100 more), but they come with some of the best noise canceling I've heard on wirefree earbuds. Photograph: Apple Earbuds to Avoid Why Didn't We Include AirPods? As a general rule, it's best to avoid earbuds that don't support the Bluetooth 5.0 standard or ones that don't offer more than five hours of battery life. This is because batteries in wirefree headphones degrade over time, making buying earbuds with longer battery life always advisable for longevity's sake. There are so many models available now that it's tough to mention all the earbuds we're not huge fans of. But we do want to note that while Apple's standard AirPods do some things well, we just don't like them all that much. (Read our review.) They get OK battery life, come in a compact case, and work well for calls. They don't fit all ears very well, and since they don't have ear tips or wings, you're out of luck if they're loose. Want clear, high-fidelity music? Get the AirPods Pro, which cost a bit more cash but are legitimately great headphones. We also are not fans of the first Sennheiser Momentum True Wireless buds. They sound good, but they are too large for some ears, and the battery drained significantly after a week, even when they sat in the case unused. The Best Wirefree Earbuds for Every Mood Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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