We travel, exercise, work, and live in the latest headphones and earbuds so we can recommend the best for you. Here’s a look at our testing methodologies.
Bose QC Ultra (left); Bose QC Ultra 2 (right)
Over the years, your favorite pair of headphones or earbuds can become just as essential to your daily life as your smartphone. If you’re like me, forgetting your AirPods at home can ruin your day. It’s important to consider all your headphone and earbud options, as the right ones for one person may not work for another. How we test headphones and earbuds in 2026
Our experts sleep, work, run, swim, hike, watch movies, and listen to music to test headphones and earbuds. During testing, we place our daily drivers in their carrying cases and use the review unit in our everyday lives to see how the devices perform in real-world situations.
Usually, we receive review units from manufacturers before they are available to the public. We use the period between receiving the product and publishing our review to spend as much time as possible putting the review unit through daily use and wear-and-tear. We also test the product’s software features and follow up with manufacturers if needed.
Here’s a general overview of our headphones and earbuds testing methodology, so you can better understand how a pair of headphones or earbuds makes it to one of our lists of recommendations. How we decide which pair to recommend
We understand that everyone has different uses, wants, and needs when looking for headphones and earbuds. Our mission is to recommend a range of products that best serve everyone’s individual preferences.
Some headphones may excel in design and comfort but fall short in noise cancellation. Despite that product’s shortcomings, we understand that some people don’t want headphones with strong noise cancellation and prefer ones that offer greater comfort. We treat all metrics equally during testing, but we make a point of letting our readers know when a product won’t serve their best interests. Here are the top factors we consider when testing headphones and earbuds. Comfort and design
Your headphones and earbuds should offer hours of comfort, especially if you plan to wear them while working, studying, or traveling.
