Top 5 compared
The best wireless earbuds
Music, podcasts and calls in your ears on the bus, at the gym or out for a run.
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The top 5 at a glance
Wireless earbuds sit in your ears with no cord between them, and live in a pocket-sized case that charges them between uses. In-ear buds seal the ear with soft tips, which blocks a good deal of noise on its own; open designs rest in the outer ear and let more of the world in. Active noise cancelling goes further, quieting steady sound like the hum of a bus or a plane before it reaches your ears.
A phone maker’s own earbuds, like Apple’s and Samsung’s, pair instantly with its phones and keep their extras for them; other brands work fully with any phone. Noise cancelling uses more battery, so expect fewer hours per charge with it on than the headline figure, and the case recharges them on the go.
What matters
- Ear tips for a sealed fit, or an open fit if tips bother you.
- IPX4 or higher, for the gym or a run.
- A quick charge, where minutes in the case buy hours of listening.
- An app with EQ settings, to tune the sound to your taste.
#1soundcore by Anker P31i Noise Cancelling Earbuds
$30–$50
Noise cancelling that adapts to the surroundings by itself, LDAC hi-res sound and up to 50 hours with the case, from soundcore, Anker’s audio brand. The cancelling, the battery and the app work the same with any phone, and six microphones keep calls clear in wind and traffic.
What owners say: The noise cancelling, the value and the battery life are what owners single out, and the touch controls respond quickly; reliability, fit and the connection get mixed reports.
A closer look: A 10-minute charge before heading out buys about three and a half hours of listening. Translation covers more than 100 languages, though soundcore says the real-time version will need a subscription later. The hi-res sound relies on LDAC, which many Android phones support and iPhones don’t, so on an iPhone they play at standard Bluetooth quality.
- Cancelling adapts to surroundings
- Hi-res sound with LDAC
- Six mics for calls
- Translation in 100+ languages
Best for: Noise cancelling with any phone
- Noise cancelling
- Yes
- Battery (with the case)
- 10 hrs, 50 with the case (8 and 40 with NC)
- Quick charge
- 10 min = 3.5 hrs
- Fit
- In-ear, with tips
- Water resistance
- Sweat and rain (IP55)
- App: EQ and finding
- soundcore app: custom EQ, HearID; finding not listed
- Works best with
- Any phone
#2Apple AirPods Pro 3
$200–$300
Apple’s strongest noise cancelling yet, removing up to twice as much noise as AirPods Pro 2 by Apple’s own measure, with ear tips in five sizes for a sealed fit. Heart rate sensing tracks workouts, and Live Translation and a hearing test are built in for iPhone owners.
What owners say: The noise cancelling and the sound are what owners rate most, and they’re happy with the battery; fit and comfort don’t suit every ear, and the price draws mixed views.
A closer look: Try each ear tip size in the first few days: with five to choose from, the right seal makes the biggest difference to noise cancelling and bass. Heart rate sensing during a workout trims a charge to about 6.5 hours by Apple’s figures, still plenty for a long run or a gym session.
- Heart rate sensing for workouts
- Live Translation
- Hearing test built in
- MagSafe and Qi charging
Best for: iPhone owners on loud commutes
- Noise cancelling
- Yes
- Battery (with the case)
- 8 hrs, 24 with the case (with NC)
- Quick charge
- 5 min = 1 hr
- Fit
- In-ear, tips in 5 sizes
- Water resistance
- Sweat and water (IP57)
- App: EQ and finding
- Adaptive EQ; Find My, case speaker
- Works best with
- iPhone
#3Apple AirPods 5 (USB-C charging case)
$150–$200
Apple’s open-ear AirPods, with no ear tips to fit, now with improved noise cancelling built in. Adaptive Audio blends it with Transparency as the surroundings change, and Conversation Awareness turns the music down when you start talking. They’re rated IP57, so rain and a sweaty workout are no trouble.
What owners say: Owners rate how well they cut outside noise and how clear they sound, and say calls come through crisply; most think the price is fair, but the open fit and how comfortable they are split opinion.
Heads up: With no ear tips, the fit depends on the shape of your ears: they stay put for some people and slip for others.
A closer look: Five minutes in the case gives around an hour of listening. This version’s case charges by USB-C cable only; the AirPods 5 with Wireless Charging Case adds Qi and Apple Watch charging, a speaker for Find My and a swipe on the stem for volume.
- Music dips when you talk
- Cancelling adjusts to your surroundings
- Live Translation
- Personalized Spatial Audio
- USB-C charging case
Best for: Ears that find tips uncomfortable
- Noise cancelling
- Yes
- Battery (with the case)
- 4 hrs, 20 with the case (with NC)
- Quick charge
- 5 min = 1 hr
- Fit
- Open-ear, no tips
- Water resistance
- Sweat and water (IP57)
- App: EQ and finding
- Adaptive EQ; Find My (no case speaker)
- Works best with
- iPhone
#4Samsung Galaxy Buds3 FE (2025)
$150–$200
Samsung’s everyday earbuds, with active noise cancelling, six microphones for clear calls and a blade-shaped stem with a redesigned rounded tip that keeps them in place. With a Galaxy phone they switch by themselves between phone, tablet and PC, and can translate a face-to-face conversation as it happens.
What owners say: Owners rate them highly overall and say they shut out the world around them; how strong the noise cancelling is, the value, the fit, battery life and the connection all draw mixed reports, though.
A closer look: The touch controls on the stem handle music, volume and calls, so the phone can stay in a pocket. With noise cancelling on, expect about 6 hours from the buds and 24 with the case. The interpreter and Auto Switch need a compatible Galaxy phone, so iPhone owners are better served by the AirPods here.
- Six microphones for calls
- Auto Switch between Galaxy devices
- Real-time interpreter on Galaxy
- Wireless charging case
- Touch controls on the stem
Best for: Samsung Galaxy owners
- Noise cancelling
- Yes
- Battery (with the case)
- 8.5 hrs, 30 with the case (6 and 24 with NC)
- Quick charge
- 5 min = about 1 hr
- Fit
- In-ear, with tips
- Water resistance
- Sweat and splashes (IP54)
- App: EQ and finding
- Galaxy Wearable: EQ presets; Find My Earbuds
- Works best with
- Samsung Galaxy
#5soundcore P20i by Anker True Wireless Earbuds
$20–$30
Big 10mm drivers tuned for bass, 10 hours from a charge and a pocket-sized case with a lanyard. The soundcore app adds 22 EQ presets and can make a lost earbud beep.
What owners say: Owners like the sound and rave about the battery life; fit varies from ear to ear, though, and the connection, durability and how well they block outside noise all get mixed marks.
Heads up: With no noise cancelling, a snug fit is what keeps the noise out, so twist each bud in gently until it seals.
A closer look: Ten minutes in the case gives about two hours of listening, handy when they’ve run down just before a commute. The lanyard clips the case to a bag or a set of keys, and the soundcore app lets each earbud’s touch controls be changed to suit.
- 10mm bass-boosted drivers
- Case with a lanyard
- Custom touch controls
Best for: A second pair to keep handy
- Noise cancelling
- No
- Battery (with the case)
- 10 hrs, 30 with the case
- Quick charge
- 10 min = 2 hrs
- Fit
- In-ear, with tips
- Water resistance
- Sweat and rain (IPX5)
- App: EQ and finding
- 22 EQ presets; Find My Earbuds
- Works best with
- Any phone
How they compare
Swipe sideways or rotate device to see all 5.
| Feature | #1soundcore P31i | #2AirPods Pro 3 | #3AirPods 5 | #4Galaxy Buds3 FE | #5soundcore P20i |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Best overall | Best premium | Best open-ear | Best for Samsung | Best budget | |
| Picked Rating | 8.8 | 8.7 | 8.7 | 8.5 | 8.4 |
| Price | $30–$50 | $200–$300 | $150–$200 | $150–$200 | $20–$30 |
| Noise cancelling | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | No |
| Battery (with the case) | 10 hrs, 50 with the case (8 and 40 with NC) | 8 hrs, 24 with the case (with NC) | 4 hrs, 20 with the case (with NC) | 8.5 hrs, 30 with the case (6 and 24 with NC) | 10 hrs, 30 with the case |
| Quick charge | 10 min = 3.5 hrs | 5 min = 1 hr | 5 min = 1 hr | 5 min = about 1 hr | 10 min = 2 hrs |
| Fit | In-ear, with tips | In-ear, tips in 5 sizes | Open-ear, no tips | In-ear, with tips | In-ear, with tips |
| Water resistance | Sweat and rain (IP55) | Sweat and water (IP57) | Sweat and water (IP57) | Sweat and splashes (IP54) | Sweat and rain (IPX5) |
| App: EQ and finding | soundcore app: custom EQ, HearID; finding not listed | Adaptive EQ; Find My, case speaker | Adaptive EQ; Find My (no case speaker) | Galaxy Wearable: EQ presets; Find My Earbuds | 22 EQ presets; Find My Earbuds |
| Works best with | Any phone | iPhone | iPhone | Samsung Galaxy | Any phone |
| Best for | Noise cancelling with any phone | iPhone owners on loud commutes | Ears that find tips uncomfortable | Samsung Galaxy owners | A second pair to keep handy |
| Buy now | Amazon | Amazon | Amazon | Amazon | Amazon |
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