earbuds constantly. I use them for work, running, working out, relaxing, traveling—whatever I am doing, chances are I have a pair of wireless earbuds on me, just in case. While some of the earliest models were huge and inconvenient, earbuds nowadays are slim, comfortable, and often affordable.

But I don’t just use earbuds—I test them. Hundreds of them, actually. After weeks of music, calls, commutes, and rogue earbuds flying out of my ears, I’ve chosen these favorites as the best for most people.

For more top picks, check out WIRED’s other audio guides, like the Best Open Earbuds, Best Noise-Canceling Earbuds, and Best Workout Headphones.

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Best Earbuds for Most People

Soundcore by Anker Liberty 5 Pro

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Best Earbuds for Samsung PhonesRead more

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Updated November 2026: I’ve updated our best overall pick and added new honorable mentions and other earbuds tested. I’ve also updated specs, prices, and links.

The Soundcore Liberty 5 Pro are the best earbuds for most people because of their showstopping call quality, excellent noise-canceling, and reasonable $170 price tag. I was frankly floored when I tested their microphone quality against pricier Apple, Bose, and Sony earbuds—the Liberty 5 Pro mopped the floor with them. A bustling cafe, a city street full of traffic, a highway overpass—everyone I called thought I was in a quiet room at home and could clearly hear me, not the chaos around me.

Thankfully, everything else about these earbuds is solid too. The mini-stabilizers on the top end of the buds help keep them secure, so they stayed steady while working out. IP55 water and dust resistance and 6.5 hours of battery life (28 with the case) make them very versatile. And active noise-canceling (ANC) far exceeds my expectations. While it’s not quite as good as Apple’s and Bose’s flagship buds, it’s close, and for a lot less money.

The only nitpicks I notice are that they sound a bit bass-heavy out of the box (you can adjust this in the app, however), and they are a little big. That’s not much criticism for such a solid pair of earbuds.

There’s a reason everyone (myself included) recommends Apple AirPods Pro 3. They aren’t just the “default” option. They are incredibly good wireless earbuds for anyone with an iPhone. They offer the most seamless, fully featured earbud experience you can get on iOS, with instant pairing out of the box. They sound clear and detailed, whether you are listening to music or on a call with friends. And noise-canceling and transparency are some of the best on the market. AirPods can work with non-Apple devices, but you lose access to many features, like Siri voice assistance.

This latest version uses a new foam-lined ear tip that took a little getting used to but delivered significantly improved noise isolation, even before turning on noise-canceling. Battery life is also improved (up to eight hours per charge), as is water and dust resistance (an above-average IP57). These earbuds also have surprisingly accurate built-in heart rate sensors, so you can track your workouts without a fitness tracker or smartwatch. Plus, these earbuds support a bevy of Apple software features, including real-time translation.

The Samsung Galaxy Buds4 Pro are the best earbuds for anyone who already owns and uses a Samsung phone or Samsung smartwatch, similar to AirPods for Apple users. That comparison isn’t just surface level: These are the most AirPods-like Samsung earbuds yet; the size, shape, fit, and feel are very AirPods Pro 3.

These are fun, comfortable, and convenient earbuds for anyone with a Samsung phone. The noise-canceling works admirably, canceling out most low drones like plane and AC noise and reducing café and office chatter. Ambient Sound (aka transparency mode) is a real standout—it’s clear and natural-sounding, so much so that we used it instead of open earbuds for walks and hikes on occasion. Paired with a Samsung phone, there are features galore: a customizable nine-band equalizer (with presets), earbud fit tests, high-resolution audio support, voice control settings (Google Assistant or Bixby), Find My Earbuds (think Apple Find My), and more. But, importantly, they sound great straight out of the box.

The only downside is battery life: Six hours of playback with ANC puts it behind most other earbuds on this list. And controls, while simple and intuitive, misfired semi-often over several days of testing.

If you’re on Android and want something a little smaller and lighter than the Liberty 5 Pro, consider Google’s Pixel Buds Pro 2. They are small, lightweight, and very comfortable, with all the flagship performance you would expect: great noise-canceling and transparency, detailed sound quality, and superb battery life. Like the Liberty 5 Pro, they have a mini wing-tip that fits in your ear and helps keep these buds stable during more intense workouts. But unlike those buds, these are much smaller and a bit more comfortable to wear all day. Being Google buds, you can, unsurprisingly, prompt Gemini straight from the buds to answer questions or act as a voice assistant.

Bose’s QuietComfort Ultra Earbuds (2nd Gen) will truly quiet the world around you. While many earbuds on this list come close, none match the ANC on these earbuds. They are the benchmark I compare other earbuds against. Airplanes, subways, cars, cafes—nearly all noise gets dialed down.

Thankfully, they sound great too, with detailed bass, mids, and treble, plus a few spatial audio features to experiment with. Aside from the above-average price, the main con is that these buds are big. Like, really big. I’m used to it now, but my friends have pointed out, multiple times, how big these things are.

JLab is my go-to brand for budget earbuds, and the Go Pop ANC are a prime example of why. These buds are shockingly full-featured for $30: ANC and transparency modes that actually work, stable Bluetooth connectivity, a robust app with adjustable EQ and programmable controls, and a respectable IP55 dust- and water-resistance rating. I can think of many earbuds over $100 that mess up the basics more than these ones do. Sure, I found the tiny USB-C cable more annoying than helpful (it's short and built into the case), but at this price, it’s hard to nitpick.

Open earbuds rest on or wrap around the outside of your ears, leaving them open to hear the world around you. They’re an excellent choice when you want to be aware of your surroundings—think walking, running, biking, or hiking outdoors.

After testing dozens, I almost always come back to Shokz OpenDots. They have been my constant, consistent companion for walks, runs, bike rides, and just living life. For me, the combination of comfort, ease of use, and battery life puts them ahead of competitors. I’ve worn these earbuds for hours at a time and completely forgotten I was wearing them. Which is especially easy to do because the buds get up to 10 hours of battery life, way more than most of my recommendations on this list.

Open earbuds as a whole don’t sound nearly as good as in-ear earbuds, but the OpenDots 2 do a fine job of conveying detailed instrumentation in such a small form factor.

The controls have been consistent and responsive in my testing, though part of me wishes Shokz opted for real buttons (like the Bose Ultra Open Earbuds) instead of touch-sensitive areas around the barrel/battery cell.

If you’re really locked in on open-ear headphones for fitness, the Shokz OpenRun Pro 2 are the better buy, but OpenDots win on versatility and convenience.

• Incredible fit
• Clear, dynamic sound
• New heart rate monitoring feature

• No multipoint pairing
• Water resistance is not the best

The Beats PowerBeats Pro 2 are capital-W workout earbuds. Part of the reason is fit—these earbuds stay in my ears no matter what kind of workouts I do. I once tried to make them fall out by smacking my ears with my hands for a good five seconds. They didn’t budge.

They are massively improved from the 2019 originals. The earbuds are much smaller and comfier; they have solid noise canceling and transparency modes, plus built-in heart rate sensors, so you can record heart rate data without a smartwatch or fitness tracker. They’re also great on both iPhones and Android phones: Apple’s H2 chip adds Find My support, Siri voice assistant, and iCloud device switching, while Android users get a dedicated Beats app and easy one-touch pairing.

My main gripe with them is that they are only IPX4 dust- and water-resistant, which is particularly baffling for workout headphones (even the all-purpose AirPods Pro 3 are IP57). They’re also still a bit big, but that’s necessary for such a secure ear-hook design. If you want a more streamlined workout earbud, I also love the smaller Beats Powerbeats Fit, though they don’t have a built-in heart rate sensor.

I test new earbuds every month. These models made an impression but didn’t quite make it into my top picks.

Apple AirPods 5 With Wireless Charging Case for $149: If you are dead set on Apple earbuds, but don’t love the feeling of silicone in your ear, Apple AirPods 5 are your best bet. They have a semi-open-ear fit (no eartips!) that doesn’t block out noise like AirPods Pro 3 do. And the ANC, while not as good as the Pro 3’s, is excellent for an open-ear design and a huge improvement over AirPods 4. Still, I prefer AirPods Pro 3 for most occasions, and they do go on sale often, if price is a deciding factor.

: If you want premium design and excellent sound quality, these latest flagship earbuds from Sony fit the bill. With excellent ANC and transparency modes, plus a truly detailed sound profile, they scored a 9/10 in our Sony WH-1000XM6 review. What kept them out of the top spot is fit and price. I couldn’t find the right foam earbud to fit comfortably in my ear, no matter what sizes I used. (This rarely, if ever, happens when I test earbuds.) They’re also $330—that’s a high price, especially when so many competitors offer a similarly great experience for less.

: These stylish little earbuds stand out from the crowd with a bold design and a sub-$100 price. Even at this price, they don’t really leave anything out. They pair easily with iPhone and Android devices; have a fully fledged app with features like a customizable EQ, call recording, and audio transcriptions; and sound great. ANC could be better, but again, at this price, it’s hard to complain. You can learn more in our Nothing Ear (3a) review.

: I prefer stem-shaped earbuds, and these from Soundcore are excellent for the price, though they’re a bit outgunned by the Liberty 5 Pro. They fit comfortably and deliver above-average sound quality and noise-canceling. But they don’t have the outstanding call quality of the Pro version (it’s still good, just not as good). Their saving grace compared to their bigger brother is size—these are much smaller, lighter earbuds you may find more comfortable.

: The Shokz OpenRun Pro 2 are some of my favorite headphones for running and cycling. They are open-ear headphones that let you easily hear the world around you, great for staying aware while exercising outdoors. Nowadays, I tend to prefer the smaller size of open earbuds like the Shokz OpenDots 2. But the larger size of these headphones means better bass, clearer sound, and longer battery life than smaller open earbuds.

: The Soundcore Space A40 used to be some of my favorite earbuds for the price. That is, before the Nothing Ear (3a) and Soundcore’s own Liberty 5 and Liberty 5 Pro came along. They still offer some great sound and noise-canceling for the price, and if you prefer a pebble-style form factor, these may be just right for you.

: The Pixel Buds 2a are a former top pick (replaced by the Soundcore Liberty 5 Pro) and are still a great budget option, especially for anyone who wants something small and light. They share a lot with the pricier Pixel Buds Pro 2, including a comfortable fit, built-in stabilizer, great battery life, and instant pairing with Android phones. They don’t support wireless charging, however.

I wanted to like the Sony Linkbuds Fit more than I did. They are very comfortable, with a super soft built-in stabilizer that keeps the earbuds feeling stable even during workouts and runs. The issue is the touch controls: they aren’t very responsive. I often had to press commands multiple times for the Linkbuds to register what I was doing, and sometimes they wouldn’t respond at all. Plus, at $230, the competition is simply superior.

: The Beats Solo Buds are small, lightweight, and have great battery life on a single charge. But that’s where the compliments end. The earbuds don’t have noise-canceling or transparency of any kind. And the tiny earbud case doesn’t provide any extra charge. Buy the Soundcore Space A40 instead, or spend a little more to get the Nothing Ear (3a) or Soundcore Liberty 5.

: I didn’t find these earbuds very comfortable to wear, and the noise-canceling is not very effective compared to a traditional ear tip design or the new Apple AirPods 5. But the main issue here is price. You can get so many better earbuds for $180, including the often-on-sale Samsung Galaxy Buds Pro 3.

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