A guide to the best wireless earbuds and earbuds that you can buy today, including true wireless and noise cancelling earbuds
The best wireless earbuds you can buy in 2021 deliver a combination of reliable Bluetooth connectivity, excellent audio quality, and comfortable, compact designs. Many of the wireless earbuds in this list are so good and worthy of your time, we think many of them give the best wired earbuds a run for their money – something that wouldn’t have seemed possible only a few years ago. Whether you’re looking for wireless earbuds you can wear while you workout or a noise-cancelling pair that can block out the world around you while you work, we’ve got you covered with our round up of the very best models you can buy today. What’s more, many of the best Bluetooth earbuds are often cheaper than over-ear headphones, so they’re a great option for anyone on a strict budget – though over-ear headphones are still usually superior when it comes to pure audio fidelity. This guide covers the two main categories of wireless earphones that you can buy today; true wireless earbuds and neckbud-style Bluetooth earphones. The former have no cables whatsoever, while wireless neckbuds retain a single cable connecting each earbud together. One of the most popular pairs of true wireless earbuds are the Apple AirPods, which were launched back in 2016 and received an upgrade in 2019. But there are plenty of better options out there, including noise-cancelling earbuds, like the AirPods Pro and our top pick, the new Sony WF-1000XM4. We’re also excited to see how the new Nothing Ear 1 true wireless earbuds perform and shake up the audio tech space. From new audio company Nothing, run by OnePlus co-founder Carl Pei, these buds undercut the Apple AirPods by a significant amount while offering even more features like active noise cancellation,34 hours of battery life with the charging case and 11.6mm drivers. Neckbud-style wireless earphones are still worth considering in 2021, too. After all, the cable that’s usually worn around the back of your neck gives you a little extra security if you’re worried about losing a bud down the drain (yes, it happens). With so many different models and styles to choose from, it can be difficult to find the best wireless earbuds for you. That’s why this guide includes the Bluetooth earbuds for every budget, every situation, and in every form factor. First up – the best true wireless earbuds you can buy today. If you’re only interested in neckbuds, just scroll down the page for our top picks, including the excellent NuraLoop headphones. Sony is largely responsible for the rude health of the active noise-cancelling wireless earbuds market, and with the WF-1000XM4, the company has combined performance, ergonomics, and build quality more effectively than ever before. Compared to their predecessors, the Sony WF-1000XM3, the new wireless earbuds offer enough quality-of-life features to make them worth upgrading to, even if they are more expensive. While other wireless earbuds surpass the Sony WF-1000XM4 in particular areas – noise cancellation, for example – no other model comes close to offering such excellent quality across the board. That’s why the Sony WF-1000XM4 are hands-down the best wireless earbuds you can buy today. Read more: Sony WF-1000XM4 review For nearly two years, the Sony WF-1000XM3 were best true wireless earbuds you could buy – until they were usurped by the WF-1000XM4. However, the Sony WF-1000XM3 are still worth considering, not least because you can usually find them discounted to around $170 / £150 / AU$200. The Sony WF-1000XM3 still manage to offer a level of noise-cancellation that’s exceedingly good for a pair of earbuds, fist-pumping musicality, a sleek design, and a decent battery life. Read more: Sony WF-1000XM3 review The NuraTrue are perhaps the most personalized wireless earbuds you can buy today – and they’re among the best-sounding, too. They’re the first true wireless earbuds from Australian audio brand Nura, following in the footsteps of its NuraLoop earphones – which, incidentally, are our pick for the best wireless earbuds of 2021. The NuraTrue are another success for the company, offering unbeaten levels of customization that allow the earbuds to be tuned to your ears exactly. The accompanying app even analyzes how well the buds fit into your ears. The end result is outstanding audio performance that reveals superb levels of detail in your music, and a wide soundstage that enables every instrument to sing. And in case you think these earbuds are made with only audio in mind, they in fact come with plenty of features that will appeal to anyone who wants a cheaper alternative to popular models such as the AirPods Pro and the Sony WF-1000XM4. These features include decent noise cancellation, an IPX4 water-resistance rating, fast charging, and support for hi-res audio too. Read more: NuraTrue review Cambridge Audio may be best known for its high-end audio equipment, but the past couple of years has seen the British company branch out into the world of true wireless earbuds. Its first offering, the Melomania 1, are among the best wireless earbuds you can buy, thanks to their stellar sound quality, However, the new Cambridge Audio Melomania 1 Plus are a worthy upgrade, putting many other earbuds in the shade for audio performance, battery life, and ease-of-use.
