We buy all the products we test — no freebies from companies. If you purchase through our links, we may earn a commission, which helps support our testing.
We researched over 50 models of true wireless earbuds and bought 6 of the best for testing. We focused on side-by-side listening tests, using various genres of music to determine relative bass quality, clarity, brightness, and separation. We then used a team of testers to evaluate each buds' overall comfort level, user-friendliness, and suitability for athletic activities. Finally, we ran a handful of battery life tests to ensure that these models could go the distance. Whether you're looking for truly wireless earbuds to elevate your listening experience, eliminate annoying cables while working out, or provide entertainment while commuting or traveling, we can help guide you to the perfect pair.
Battery life (buds only): 8 hours | Weight (buds only): 0.47 oz
REASONS TO BUY
High-end sound quality
Great fit for dynamic movement
Comfortable for long periods
App-controlled EQ
REASONS TO AVOID
Expensive
Of the earbuds we tested, we were the most impressed by the Jaybird Vista 2. Not only do they sound fantastic, but they were also comfy for the duration of a long flight and never budged during a high-impact workout. They stayed put during squat jumps and mountain biking on some bumpy terrain. Our testers were impressed by their robust bass power, clarity, and richness of sound. Comfort tends to be a personal perspective among earbud users, but nearly all of our dozen testers found these buds comfortable enough for hours of wear. To complete the package, the Vista 2's small charging case and excellent battery life make these buds up to snuff for nearly any wireless earbud need.
Our main issue with the Jaybird Vista 2 is the high cost, and if we're being supercritical, the noise cancelation's performance isn't the best on the market. Still, there aren't many products that will match the all-around performance of these buds. These are a great option if you want comfortable earbuds with amazing performance and don't mind paying more (but not the most) for them. Another great pair we love for exercise is the Beats by Dre Powerbeats Pro, although they're not as comfortable for long periods of wear.
Battery life (buds only): 5 hours | Weight (buds only): 0.47 oz
REASONS TO BUY
Great sound quality
Active noise reduction
Comfortable for most people
Relatively inexpensive
REASONS TO AVOID
Bulky
Those on a budget should check out the Amazon Echo Buds for their winning combo of high performance and low price. These are priced significantly lower than the top-shelf competitors while still providing remarkably immersive sound and a reasonably comfortable fit. They also have the added benefit of 'active noise reduction.' Even though it wasn't advertised as the main selling point, the 'noise reduction' seemed to work just as well as the 'noise cancellation' in other models we tested. Rowdy subway rides and noisy coffee shops were made much quieter and more favorable for listening to music when these earbuds were in use.
Some of our testers, though, found the Echo Buds to be a poor fit during high-intensity workouts or runs. Though most of us had no issues using these buds for athletic endeavors, if you're looking for a pair of buds specifically to exercise with, you may want to look for a more secure pair. They also require you to set up Amazon's digital assistant, which may not vibe with folks already using Google or Siri. Ultimately, if you are looking for the best performance-per-dollar earbuds of those we tested, these are the best to meet your needs.
Battery life (buds only): 5 hours | Weight (buds only): 0.38 oz
REASONS TO BUY
Superb sound
Effective noise cancellation
Intuitive pinch controls
REASONS TO AVOID
Expensive
Android users lose some advanced features
If we had to choose one pair of earbuds for long plane rides, the Apple AirPods Pro would be our go-to. The silicone tips of these buds create a good enough seal to block out much of the ambient noise and provide all-day comfort. Add Apple's fairly effective active noise canceling technology on top of that, and you get a much more isolated auditory experience than most other buds offer. Though the noise cancellation isn't perfect, it allows you to enjoy music on planes, in gyms and subways, or when trying to get some work done while the kids are making noise, without cranking the volume up uncomfortably high. The pinch controls used to play/pause the music and skip tracks are some of the most intuitive and responsive that we've seen, which is great for when you don't want to take your phone out of your pocket or when summoning Siri would be awkward. Back this all up with a reasonably impressive soundscape that can flatter many genres of music, and you've got a great pair of buds.
The major downside of the Apple AirPods Pro, as you might have been able to guess, is the cost — they are some of the priciest buds currently on the market. Additionally, if you don't use an iPhone, you lose some of the advanced features they offer, like a fit test and control customization. If you're an Apple user and are willing to pay a bit of a premium, these buds are some of the best on the market, particularly for traveling and city commuting. If you want on-ear headphones, you should consider the Apple AirPods Max.
Battery life (buds only): 8 hours | Weight (buds only): 0.5 oz
REASONS TO BUY
Microphone provides excellent call clarity
Great noise cancellation
Many customizable settings via app
REASONS TO AVOID
Insecure fit for some
Pricey
For those who need to be on the phone for business or pleasure constantly, the Sony WF-1000XM4 is the optimal earbuds for high-quality, hands-free conversations. These buds have an excellent microphone that transmits your voice with excellent clarity, while the "focus on the voice" feature deftly employs active noise cancelation while you speak. On top of that, the WF-1000XM4 delivers the exceptional audio quality we expect from Sony that can be tweaked to your liking.
These earbuds fall short when it comes to athletic performance. Across the board, our testers found them comfortable but insecure and unsuitable for working out, even with the three included earpiece sizes. We struggled to find a secure fit that could remain in our ears during dynamic movement. If this isn't a big concern, you'll be very content with the superb sounds and high-quality calls from the WF-1000XM4. For on-the-ear wireless options, we love the Sony WH-1000XM4.
Getting ready to tune out and take a call with the Sony WF-1000XM4.
Credit: Laura Casner
Compare Products
One convenient advantage of true wireless earbuds is the accompanying case that acts as a power bank to charge the buds when not in use.
Credit: Laura Casner
Why You Should Trust Us
In our obsessive pursuit for the best true wireless earbuds around, we've run 132 individual tests to accumulate a robust data set of the 15 models we've tested over time. This review represents more than 100 hours of hands-on testing. The majority of that time is spent listening to various genres of music with each pair of buds, specifically comparing the relative qualities of their bass, treble, separation, clarity, and overall fullness. We also have multiple testers wear each pair for at least a full workday to assess short and long-term comfort. Those same testers log dozens of miles on the trails and hours at the gym to assess each model's suitability for athletic activities. Finally, we use all of the on-bud controls and associated apps, measure and weigh each charging case, and conduct exhaustive battery tests to determine overall user-friendliness.
Our testing of true wireless earbuds is divided across four different metrics:
Sound Quality testing (35% of total score weighting)
Comfort testing (30% weighting)
Battery Life testing (20% weighting)
Ease of Use testing (15% weighting)
Sound quality is the highest weighted test metric at 35% of the total overall score, with sub-testing for clarity (35% of total sound quality), fullness (30%), bass (25%), and calls (10%). Comfort was assessed both during active pursuits and stationary ones. We assigned a bit less weight to battery life and ease of use, as these factors can be important in specific situations but don't have as much of an impact on overall satisfaction.
Authors Max Mutter and Michelle Powell have tested more than 150 consumer audio products over the last five years using an exhaustive, side-by-side sound quality approach. Their techniques were honed with the help of Palmer Taylor, a professional sound recordist who has completed audio-based projects for the likes of National Geographic, Apple, and The History Channel.
Our favorite models pair quickly and easily with any device, be it iOS or android.
A charging case can come in handy when you're away from an electrical outlet.
Analysis and Test Results
We purchase and test each product for hours in a variety of different situations. We gather details designed to help you make the best buying decision for your needs and goals.
Value
True wireless earbuds tend to be on the more expensive end of the spectrum when it comes to earbuds, but that doesn't mean you have to pay top dollar to get good performance. Case in point: the Amazon Echo Buds (2nd Gen) offers good sound quality and impressive noise isolation for significantly less than most other models. Even our favorite pair, the Jaybird Vista 2, ring up at an affordable price compared to the premium-priced buds.
Sound Quality
To save you from the specter of auditory dissatisfaction, we listened to a wide range of musical genres (and a plethora of podcasts for good measure) with each pair of earbuds. Throughout the process, we quickly switched between models so we could get an accurate, side-by-side comparison of sound quality. We focused on assessing how well each model articulates in the bass, mid, and treble ranges, instrument separation, the width of the soundstage, and overall fullness.
The Jaybird Vista 2 buds provide exceptional clarity and separation with respectable bass power. We loved listening to every genre of music with these buds.
The Sony WF-1000XM4 are our favorite earbuds for making phone calls, providing great call quality regardless of the surroundings.
Credit: Laura Casner
The Amazon Echo Buds (2nd Gen) also impressed in our sound quality tests, largely because of the resonant yet well-controlled bass. They do sacrifice a bit of overall clarity and separation when compared to the higher-scoring models, but they still sound great. The Sony WF-1000XM4 excels in our audio testing and is also our favorite pair to use while making phone calls due to its excellent onboard microphone performance.
The Apple Airpods Pro are a big improvement over their predecessors in terms of sound quality, and the active noise cancellation makes them great for noisy environments.
Credit: Ian Pearman
The Apple AirPods Pro lacks a bit of the bass oompf of the top models but makes up for it with great clarity and separation. Because of this, we prefer these buds for podcasts and acoustic arrangements, but they still do quite a good job of blasting through a bass-heavy workout playlist.
Comfort
To ensure we garnered many opinions on each model's short and long-term comfort, we had more than a dozen testers wear each pair for multiple hours. Stability is also important, particularly for true wireless models, as the danger of one bud falling out and disappearing down a storm drain while out walking or running is real. Therefore, we also had all of those same testers go for runs and trips to the gym with each pair of buds to assess their stability and comfort for athletic endeavors. We believe the results of our comfort tests will apply to most people, but since everyone's ear anatomy differs, we still suggest that you only buy earbuds from a retailer with a good return policy just in case the fit doesn't suit you.
Amongst our comfort testers, the most universally loved buds were the Jaybird Vista 2. Almost across the board, they found these buds to be stable enough for even intense workouts and mountain bike rides and perfectly comfortable when worn for a full workday.
The over-ear hooks of the PowerBeats Pro makes them incredibly stable, but they can sometimes get in the way of sunglasses.
Credit: Laura Casner
The Apple Airpods Pro and the Amazon Echo Buds are other great contenders in our comfort testing. With both pairs, almost all of our testers found the buds comfortable over multiple hours of wear, and though most found them more than suitable for long runs and workouts, a few failed to find a secure enough fit for athletic endeavors.
Battery Life
To test battery life, we fully charged each pair, then repeated the same playlist over and over at 75% volume until the buds died. While most pairs of buds we tested nestle into a carrying/charging case that can recharge them on the go, we focused our battery testing on how long the buds themselves last. Essentially, our tests are representations of how long you can listen to each pair of buds before you have to take a break and let them recharge in the case. Though we found quite a difference in these figures, we did find that the total battery life of each pair — as in the playtime provided by the battery in the buds plus the battery in the charging case — was relatively consistent (around 20 hours) across the entire field. For example, if a pair of buds provided 5 hours of playtime in our battery test, the charging case usually provided about 3 additional charges. Alternatively, if buds lasted 10 hours in our testing, the charging case generally only held 1 full additional charge.
We listened to the Powerbeats Pro for 11 hours before needing to put them back in their charging case.
Credit: Jenna Ammerman
Even the poorer performers in this test still last long enough to get through a long workout or an epic movie. For example, the Jaybird Vista lasted more than 5 hours in our battery life testing.
The pinch gesture of the Apple AirPods Pro makes skipping tracks quite easy.
Credit: Ian Pearman
Ease of Use
Possibly one of the best features of true wireless earbuds is that almost all of them automatically pause/play your music when you take one of the buds out and then put it back in. Beyond that, the actual user experience offered by each pair can be quite different. We assessed every aspect of these buds, from the on-bud controls to any advanced features offered by corresponding applications.
The Apple AirPods Pro are some of our favorite buds to use. This is mainly because of the white tips that stick out of your ears. While many consider these a fashion faux pas, they allow for a pinch gesture for play/pause and track skipping controls. This pinch is far more comfortable than having to push buttons further into your ear like you have to on most other buds. Plus, Apple users are treated to things like a fit test that determines if you're using the correctly sized earpiece as well as quick access to advanced settings.
We also enjoy the user experience of the Jaybird Vista 2. This is primarily because the large button on each bud is easy to find, and a 'click' sound effect is noticeably registered when pressed. It doesn't require an uncomfortable amount of pressure to activate.
An included charging case can make your earbuds go farther, and also makes them a little easier to keep track of.
Credit: Laura Casner
Conclusion
True wireless earbuds represent a wide range of sound quality, ideal use cases, and prices. The technology itself offers the awesome potential to enable greater freedom and versatility than their wired counterparts. They are quickly becoming the standard way to enjoy music and podcasts while on the go. We hope that the results of our exhaustive tests have helped you find your way through the seeds and discover the perfect pair for your needs and budget. If you aren't sure that earbuds are what you need, we also tested the best wireless headphones if you prefer over-the-ear options.
