We’ve tested the best budget earbuds and headphones, so you can save money without skimping on quality.
On the hunt for the best cheap headphones? We get it. You want something affordable that will fit within your budget, but you also want them to sound good, feel comfortable and, hopefully, come with some added features, like Bluetooth and noise cancellation. We like to think of headphones as small pieces of art. The real connoisseurs might be able to spend a fortune on them and prioritize high-end features and design over anything else. However, for most people, budget models work just as well and you might not even notice much of a difference. Here at TechRadar, we’ve built a reputation for covering technology of every shape, size and price point. But hours and hours of testing high-end equipment has shown us that we still enjoy hunting down fantastic devices that are affordable – and there’s a good selection of choice when it comes to the best cheap headphones. Maybe you can only afford a pair of budget wireless earbuds or you’re looking for a second pair of cheap running headphones for the gym. Whatever your reason, we’ve got you covered, with the best headphones in every category for under $100 / £100. On their own merits, the Earfun Air Pro buds are accomplished, but against the competition at this price point they shine. Amid a sea of similarly priced efforts on Amazon, they stand out thanks to their superior design and excellent audio chops, and show a high level of competence in almost all other areas. If it weren’t for slightly fiddly gesture controls and – in our experience at least – a slightly uncomfortable fit, these would immediately earn our wholehearted recommendation. As it stands, these wireless earbuds are an excellent choice for most, offering a blend of useful features and strong performance that should make them popular with commuters in particular. Read more: Earfun Air Pro review Not only are the 1More Triple Driver in-ear headphone s the best cheap earbuds you can buy right now, they’re also our favorite earbuds of 2022 overall. These wired headphones end in a 3.5mm jack, and for $100 / £100 / around AU$168 (and usually less now that they’re a little older), it’s hard to think of a better sounding and built headphone than the 1MORE Triple Driver. That said, if you want just that little extra refinement and luxury materials, the 1MORE Quad Drivers are still a bargain at twice the price. There’s very little we can fault the Triple Drivers for. Their rubber cable is annoying and its remote control feels cheap but these are just nitpicks. For their price, it’s impossible to do better than 1MORE’s Triple Driver in-ear headphones. Read more: 1More Triple Driver In-Ear Headphone review The SoundMagic E11BTs are an extremely capable pair of wireless in-ear earphones, and given their low price, it really is difficult to fault them – the audio quality is fantastic and they look very elegant. They’re comfortable to wear thanks to ergonomically designed eartips and a flat neckband that won’t irritate you while running or working out – and with an IPX4 rating, they should withstand sweaty sessions. Read more: SoundMAGIC E11BT review When we first reviewed the original Lypertek PurePlay Z3 true wireless earbuds (then known as the Lypertek Tevi), we were blown away. The Lypertek PurePlay Z3 2.0 true wireless earbuds are their successors. They’re very similar to the originals, with a few key improvements, and yet still come in at the same affordable price point the originals did – $99 / £99. This gets you everything we loved about the original PurePlay Z3 (detailed balanced sound, a whopping 80 hours total battery life from its petite USB-C charging case, and a comfortably fitting bud with physical buttons), and adds wireless charging, a powerful new LDX Audio mode, improved app functionality and a hear through ambient mode. Our own issue is that app connectivity is patchy at best, and the ambient hear through mode is pretty much useless in comparison to the competition from the likes of Sony’s noise cancelling WF-1000XM4. Yet, with the price still so low, and nothing to detract from the quality standard the originals set out, with a few notable improvements, they remain must-have earbuds, more than a match for headphones two or three times the price.
