Looking for true wireless earbuds, but don’t know where to start? We’ve assembled a list of the best, for every activity, every budget, and every kind of music.
This article was updated by Digital Trends staff writer Nick Woodard on 7/24/2020. We’ve tested dozens of popular true wireless earbuds. Right now, our top pick is the Sony WF-1000XM3, which feature incredible active noise cancellation and impressive sound quality. But if that doesn’t quite meet your needs, we’ve rounded up a bunch of solid options for nearly every scenario. Why you should buy them: With built-in active noise cancellation, they’re the most technologically advanced true wireless earbuds you can buy. Who they’re for: Those who want it all: Great sound, great battery life, great customization, and of course, noise cancellation. Why we chose the Sony WF-1000XM3: The Sony WF-1000XM3 are effectively the true wireless version of the Sony WH-1000XM3 — the headphones that dominate several of our best-of lists, and our favorite overall headphones you can buy. These earbuds are a technological tour-de-force, combining superb sound quality, awesome noise cancellation, and solid battery life of 6 hours with noise cancellation, and 8 hours without. The WF-1000XM3 get their impressive audio chops with a little help from Sony’s DSEE HX sound processing, which has a near-magical ability to take even lo-fi MP3s and make them sound rich and full. The active noise-canceling circuitry is the same as the WH-1000XM3 — in other words, superb. You get whisper-quiet backgrounds on airplanes, public transit, or even noisy offices. That noise cancellation is fully adjustable, and a long-press on one of the earbuds activates a transparency mode, giving you unfettered access to the sounds of the environment around you. The charging case, which looks like it was designed by the marketing team at Duracell, stores three full charges, giving you up to 32 hours of playtime — or 24 if you like your environment ultra-quiet. Wondering how the WF-1000XM3 compare to the PowerBeats Pro? It isn’t even close. Sony’s app for iOS and Android has EQ, ANC, and voice assistant settings for a fully customized experience. And thanks to a post-launch update, you can even control volume without reaching for your phone — though you’ll have to trade it for another function. Also, Sony hasn’t claimed they offer sweat-resistance, though given how many AirPods we see at the gym, maybe the Sony buds can handle a bit of moisture too. Speaking of AirPods, we compared the non-pro version directly with the WF-1000XM3. It was an easy Sony win. On the other hand, the AirPods Pro stack up quite nicely. Perhaps the best current competitor is the Audio-Technica ATH-ANC300TW, which comes incredibly close to the quality of the Sony’s for the same price. Read our in-depth Sony WF-1000XM3 review Why you should buy them: They’re some of the most affordable active noise canceling true wireless earbuds we’ve seen so far. Who they’re for: Anyone who wants top-of-the-line features without paying top-of-the-line prices. Why we picked the Edifier TWS NB: The Amazon Echo Buds, our previous winners in this category, had a good run. They were able to dampen outside noise to a degree, they sounded good, and they cost just $130. But when you’re on the top, someone’s always trying to knock you off, and Edifier finally did it with the TWS NB. The TWS NB bring actual active noise cancellation to the table, as opposed to Amazon’s active noise reduction, at a price ($120) that’s cheaper than the Echo Buds. With ANC on, the TWS NB match the Echo Buds in battery life at five hours. But turn ANC off, and the TWS NB can last 11 hours without needing to return to their charging case. The TWS NB don’t have voice-activated Amazon Alexa integration like the Echo Buds do, and many may prefer Amazon’s buds for more intense activities like running. But with audio quality proving to be just as good as the Echo Buds, plus noise cancellation and battery life that are both objectively better, Edifier found a winner with its new true wireless earbuds. Read our in-depth Edifier TWS NB review Why you should buy them: They’re tiny, super-comfortable earbuds with excellent sound quality. Who they’re for: Those who find other earbuds uncomfortable, or insecure, and want a great fit. Why we chose the Jabra Elite 75t: If you’ve never had a problem getting earbuds to fit comfortably, this may not be a huge selling point, but we think the Jabra Elite 75t are some of the best-fitting earbuds you can buy. And if you have had trouble in the past, we don’t need to tell you how important this is. Of course, every set of ears is different, and what works for one person might be lousy for another. However, we’ve tried out a lot of wireless earbuds over the years and we can say with confidence that there’s an excellent chance the Elite 75t are going to fit you well. The secret is their size and shape. They’re very small and incredibly light, so there’s simply less mass acting on them. This keeps them seated securely even when you’re actively moving. They’re also very ergonomically shaped, with contours that let them nestle right in the pocket of your outer ear, avoiding any of the folds and protrusions that usually prevent other designs from staying put. So yes, they fit incredibly well and remain comfortable for hours of use, but that’s not the whole story. The Elite 75t have excellent sound quality, with a bass response that’s so commanding we think you’ll be as shocked as we were that so much boom can come from such small buds. They can last 7.5 hours between charges and their tiny charging case — one of the smallest we’ve ever seen — can keep the tunes going for a total of 28 hours. With an IP55 rating for water and dust protection, they can survive even the toughest workouts, provided you don’t jump in the pool.
