Whether you’re buying your first pair of Apple AirPods or upgrading, here’s how to choose the right pair.
Originally a cultural lightning rod when first launched in 2016, Apple’s AirPods have redefined the way we think of headphones, convincing a lot of us that we want to do away with wires and spawning a whole legion of competitive products. Apple eventually redesigned the AirPods, launched a couple of higher-end versions, and kept a pair with the original design at a discounted price.
There are now plenty of wireless earbuds and headphones that cost a lot less than the AirPods, and even a few that cost more. The main benefit of getting Apple’s version over the others is if you have an iPhone, which makes AirPods easier to pair, set up, and connect repeatedly throughout the day. That benefit multiples if you have an iPad and/or a Mac, because AirPods can connect to all of them and automatically switch between them as you move from one device to another.
So if you’ve decided that you don’t want one of the competitors but want a pair of Apple’s headphones, I’ll help you select the AirPods that will best meet your needs and your budget.
I have used the AirPods Pro every day since they launched in October 2019, and upgraded to the AirPods Pro (2nd Generation) at launch in 2022. I have used them with iPhone, iPad, Apple Watch, Mac, and Apple TV. Before that, I used the original AirPods, even though they wouldn’t stay in my ears and I had to use the Aha Style silicone tips to keep them in, as I wrote about for CNET at the time. More recently I tried the AirPods Max on an international family vacation over the summer.
My pick for the best AirPods — the recently revised AirPods Pro 2 with USB-C — is based on my extensive experience using and testing the different versions of AirPods, as well as competitors from Beats, Soundcore, Samsung, Sony, Microsoft, and many others. Here are my recommendations for the best AirPods for you.
Apple AirPods Pro (2nd Generation) with USB-C Best AirPods overall
AirPods Pro (2nd Generation) with USB-C features: Type: In-ear | Chip: H2 | Battery life: 6 hours | Water-resistant: Yes
The AirPods Pro 2 are the most easily recommendable of the four current models of AirPods. That’s because they fit almost every type of ear, they are very comfortable to wear, and they include all of the best and latest features that Apple has to offer in headphones. Plus, they get a bonus set of new features as part of the iOS 17 update, which won’t come to any of the other AirPods.
The AirPods Pro 2 use silicon tips to fit into your ears (with four sizes to choose from), similar to the ones you’re probably familiar with in most of the earbuds you’ve used. Comparatively, the standard AirPods have hard plastic tips like the traditional Apple EarPods that used to come in the box with most iPhones — which many people found fell out of their ears easily, or weren’t very comfortable to wear.
The AirPods Pro 2 were the first to get Apple’s latest H2 chip for improved sound. That includes active noise cancellation, which roughly doubles the noise cancellation of the first-gen AirPods Pro and works impressively in loud environments like airplanes and city streets. It also includes adaptive transparency mode, which lets you hear the world around you when you have your earbuds in, while also automatically reducing loud sounds such as sirens.
One of the best features of the AirPods Pro 2 is the fact that the case can charge wirelessly on an iPhone MagSafe charger, an Apple Watch charger, or a standard Qi-compatible charging mat used by lots of non-Apple products.
