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Every month brings a new set of earbuds with longer battery life and a more compact design. As such, we cannot list everything we like. But if you’re still hunting, here are some other recommendations.
Soundcore Space A40 for $60: Although they’re no longer on our main list, the Space A40 are still some of my favorite buds for the money, with good features, clear sound, and excellent sound cancellation for their price class. They also look polished, only the lack of an auto-pause sensor betrays their low price.
Sony Linkbuds Fit for $200: Sony’s Linkbuds Fit offer rich and punchy sound, natural clarity mode, and a light and comfortable fit, helping them live up to their intent as a “wear anywhere” solution. They offer some solid features, but skimp on battery life at just 5.5 hours per charge, and their noise cancellation is okay. Their reliance on flimsy silicone sleeves and oddly responsive touch controls further diminishes their value, but they may still be worth grabbing at Sony buds and sales.
Samsung Galaxy Buds 2 Pro for $100-200: The Galaxy Buds 2 Pro are getting old, but they’re still one of the best buds around Samsung phone. They don’t have the multi-device connectivity of our top picks for Android users, and their five-hour battery seems pretty short these days, but they offer excellent sound quality, IPX7 waterproofing, and a distinctive design that’s not the only AirPods Pro to consider on their sale. makes good
Pixel Buds A Series $99: These used to be our top picks for most people, but they’ve now been overshadowed by other affordable options that include things like noise cancellation. If you can find a pair on sale, they’re still worth snapping up, especially if you have an Android phone.
OnePlus Nord Buds 3 Pro at $150: These comfortable, lightweight earbuds feature multipoint pairing, making them great for people who like to work with a laptop and cell phone at the same time (7/10, Wired recommends) We didn’t like their control layout and thought it was OK to cancel the noise. Also, these are another pair of AirPods clones by design.
Soundpeats Air4 for $80: Soundpeats’ Air4 (7/10, Wired recommends) may be obvious AirPods Pro knockoffs, but they’re very good knockoffs for the money. You won’t get top-flight performance, let alone Apple exclusives like Find My Support or iCloud sharing, but you’ll get good sound and features at a huge discount, including decent noise cancellation. Although they are not a top choice, they are a great budget buy, especially on sale
Montblanc MTB 03 for $395: These earbuds are priced out of reach for most buyers, but if you’ve got the cash, you’ll be rewarded with a luxury experience worthy of the brand. Montblanc called on some of the audio industry’s heavy hitters to design and voice these buds. The result is a small, comfortable, and pretty slick-looking pair of wireless earbuds that sound really impressive.
Apple/Beats Powerbeats Pro for $180: Apple’s beefy Powerbeats Pro (8/10, Wired recommends) provide a super-secure fit, sound far better than Apple’s standard pair of AirPods or Beats, and boast an impressive nine hours of life without a charge. They’re getting long in the tooth and now omit standard extras like transparency mode and ANC, but might still be worth considering for a seriously stable fit.
Raycon Everyday Earbuds for $80: These YouTuber-favorite earbuds are actually a decently inexpensive pair (7/10, Wired review) They’re small and light, and they come with an IPX6 rating, making them great for workouts.
Master and Dynamic MW08 Sport for $254: The Sport is a great option that comes with active noise cancellation and an attractive design, but the high price puts them out of reach for most people.
