Discovering one of the best wi-fi earbuds could make an enormous distinction in the way you expertise music, podcasts, calls and even each day commutes. Whether or not you are tuning out distractions on the prepare or taking work calls on the go, right this moment’s wi-fi earbuds pack spectacular audio high quality and comfort into tiny, pocket-friendly kinds. Many now supply wonderful noise cancellation, good ambient noise modes for staying conscious of your environment and dependable noise isolation to assist hold you centered — all with out the effort of wires.
There’s a variety of choices obtainable, from budget-friendly picks to premium fashions with superior options like multi-device pairing, wi-fi charging circumstances and a number of mics for crystal-clear calls. Regardless of your worth level, there’s a pair on the market that may ship nice sound, consolation and performance to match your wants.
Desk of contents
Greatest wi-fi earbuds of 2025
Sony
Learn our full Sony WF-1000XM5 overview
Max battery life: 8 hours, as much as 24 hours with charging case | Water resistance: IPX4 | Noise cancellation: Sure | Multipoint: Sure | Included charging case: Sure | Waterproof: Sure (IPX4) | Driver dimension: 8.4mm
With the WF-1000XM5 flagship earbuds, Sony improves its already formidable mixture of nice sound, efficient ANC and useful options. These earbuds are undoubtedly the corporate’s greatest and most comfy design of its 1000X fashions to this point, which was one of many few remaining riddles Sony wanted to unravel. Sony nonetheless manages to pack in additional options than anybody else too, together with trademark ones like adaptive sound and Communicate-to-Chat. Add in upgraded drivers, new chips, eight hours of battery life and important enhancements to sound high quality and these are Sony’s greatest earbuds but. However the entire developments come at a value: these are additionally Sony’s costliest set of wi-fi earbuds within the 1000X lineup.
Professionals
- Wonderful sound high quality
- Improved design
- Extra comfy match
- A great deal of useful options
Cons
- Dearer
- No battery life enchancment
- Head monitoring is Android solely
- Some options nonetheless want fine-tuning
$200 at Amazon
Photograph by Billy Steele / Engadget
Learn our full Apple AirPods Professional (2nd Technology) overview
Max battery life: 6 hours, as much as 30 hours with charging case | Water resistance: IPX4 | Noise cancellation: Sure | Multipoint: Sure | Included charging case: Sure | Waterproof: Sure (IPX4) | Driver dimension: Not specified
Apple’s second-generation AirPods Professional are an enormous enchancment over the earlier fashions. These buds have improved sound high quality and energetic noise cancellation, whereas sustaining the entire conveniences that make AirPods one of the best earbud choice for iPhone, iOS and Mac. Once we reviewed them, we discovered essentially the most spectacular characteristic to be transparency mode, which is extra pure sounding than some other earbuds by a mile. You’ll be able to depart these in throughout a dialog and it’s such as you’re not even carrying them. After all, quick pairing, hands-free Siri, spatial audio, good battery life, and now, a USB-C charging case that may additionally energy up wirelessly will even come in useful.
Professionals
- Improved sound
- Stellar transparency mode
- Strong ANC
- Seamless switching between Apple units
Cons
- Similar design
- New contact gesture takes apply
- Common battery life
- Customized Spatial Audio outcomes fluctuate
$169 at Amazon
Photograph by Billy Steele / Engadget
Learn our full Google Pixel Buds Professional 2 overview
Max battery life: 8 hours, as much as 30 hours with charging case (ANC on) | Water resistance: IP54 | Noise cancellation: Sure | Multipoint: Sure | Included charging case: Sure | Waterproof: Sure (IPX4 for earbuds, IPX2 for case) | Driver dimension: 11mm
The Pixel Buds Professional 2 could also be Google’s priciest earbuds, however they’re additionally its greatest. An entire redesign resulted in considerably smaller earbuds that match extra comfortably and securely. The corporate has additionally packed in a Tensor chip for the primary time to deal with audio and ANC sign processing. As you would possibly count on, these earbuds supply a hands-free channel to Gemini AI, though they’re not required to make use of the voice assistant.
Google additionally revised the acoustics and drivers on the Pixel Buds Professional 2, delivering ample low-end tone when it’s wanted. There are many useful options too, like Dialog Detection, Listening to Wellness and Discover My System. Spatial Audio is on the market at launch this time, however you possibly can solely use it with appropriate video streaming apps.
Professionals
- Tiny, comfortable design
- Punchy bass, full mids, crisp highs
- Barely longer battery life than predecessor
Cons
- Value went up once more
- Spatial audio is proscribed to video apps
- Smaller contact panel requires precision
$229 at Amazon
Samsung
Learn our full Samsung Galaxy Buds 3 Professional overview
Max battery life: 6 hours, as much as 26 hours with charging case | Water resistance: IP57 | Noise cancellation: Sure | Multipoint: Sure | Included charging case: Sure | Waterproof: Sure (IP68) | Driver dimension: Twin drivers (woofer and tweeter); particular sizes not disclosed
The Galaxy Buds 3 Professional borrow closely from Apple’s AirPods Professional in each seems and options, and construct upon the muse of the Samsung Galaxy Buds 2 Professional. Nevertheless, Samsung did effectively to make issues like Adaptive ANC and voice instructions work effectively. Some options like Voice Detect may nonetheless use some advantageous tuning, however there’s loads to love right here past the essential performance.
The really shocking factor concerning the Galaxy Buds 3 Professional is the sound high quality. There may be some thick, boomy bass while you want it with loads of crisp element to enrich it. This mannequin actually shines while you pair it with a Samsung machine to unlock 24-bit HiFi streaming. There’s additionally a natural-sounding transparency mode that retains you from feeling shouty throughout calls.
Professionals
- Nice sound high quality
- A great deal of useful options
- Cozy match
- Pure ambient sound
Cons
- Battery life is shorter than some rivals
- One of the best options require a latest Samsung machine
- Copycat design
- Blade lights are a gimmick
$250 at Amazon
Photograph by Jeff Dunn / Engadget
Max battery life: 10 hours, as much as 50 hours with charging case | Water resistance: IPX4 | Noise cancellation: Sure | Multipoint: Sure | Included charging case: Sure | Waterproof: Not specified | Driver dimension: Not specified
The Anker Soundcore Area A40 supply the type of options you’d count on from wi-fi earbuds that price twice as a lot: ANC, multi-device pairing, wi-fi charging, IPX4 water resistance, a transparency mode, eight to 10 hours of battery life and LDAC assist. Once we examined them, we discovered their heat sound to be pleasing proper out of the field, however Anker’s companion app makes it straightforward to customise the EQ curve if wanted. And whereas their ANC isn’t fairly as efficient at lowering background noise as our prime picks, it’s nonetheless efficient for a loud workplace or lengthy flight. For $80 or so, this can be a excellent worth. – Jeff Dunn, Senior Commerce Author
Professionals
- Inexpensive
- Good battery life
- Multipoint connectivity
- Transparency Mode
Cons
- ANC is not as sturdy as rivals
$59 at Amazon
Photograph by Billy Steele / Engadget
Learn our full Bose QuietComfort Extremely earbuds overview
Max battery life: 6 hours, as much as 24 hours with charging case | Water resistance: IPX4 | Noise cancellation: Sure | Multipoint: Sure | Included charging case: Sure | Waterproof: Sure (IPX4) | Driver dimension: Not specified
For the reason that firm launched the primary mannequin, Bose’s QuietComfort Earbuds have persistently offered one of the best noise cancellation out of all of the wi-fi buds we have examined. It’s not shocking that its most-recent model, the QC Extremely Earbuds, solely improved in ANC efficiency. Nevertheless, the larger story right here is that Bose lastly has the audio chops to compete with one of the best earbuds due to its new Immersive Audio tech. The characteristic brings spatial audio to all by not requiring specially-made content material to make use of it. Somewhat than make use of music and films the place the sound is coming from all instructions, QC Extremely Earbuds put you in the course of the acoustic “candy spot” by relying closely on virtualization. A devoted gesture for quantity controls, better-than-advertised battery life and customization settings spherical out the spec sheet.
Professionals
- Stellar ANC
- Spatial audio would not require particular content material
- Upgrades with no worth enhance
Cons
- Earbuds are nonetheless large
- Immersive Audio considerably impacts battery life
- Wi-fi charging prices additional
$299 at Adorama
Bose
Learn our full Bose QuietComfort Earbuds (2024) overview
Max battery life: 8.5 hours, as much as 31.5 hours with charging case | Water resistance: IPX4 | Noise cancellation: Sure | Multipoint: Sure | Included charging case: Sure | Waterproof: Sure (IPX4) | Driver dimension: Not specified
Prior to now, you needed to pay round $300 if you happen to needed Bose-quality ANC on a set of earbuds. With the brand new QuietComfort Earbuds, the corporate packs in a whole lot of its greatest options for much less cash. You’ll get efficient ANC, good sound high quality, and options like voice controls.
The earbuds are smaller than typical Bose fare, which implies they’re extra comfy and match higher. You’ll additionally take pleasure in effectively over eight hours of battery life with ANC on and an IPX4 ranking that shall be ok for exercises. And if the product web page is to be trusted, you can even stay up for Bose’s distinctive spatial audio (Immersive Audio) coming quickly.
Professionals
- Nice sound high quality
- Efficient ANC
- Numerous useful options
- Reliable battery life
Cons
- No Immersive Audio (but)
- Audio and ANC sacrifices in comparison with the QC Extremely Earbuds
- No CustomTune characteristic
- Poor name high quality
$179 at Macy’s
Billy Steele for Engadget
Learn our full Noble Audio FoKus Rex5 overview
Max battery life: 5 hours (ANC on), as much as 45 hours with charging case | Water resistance: N/A | Noise cancellation: Sure | Multipoint: Sure | Included charging case: Sure | Waterproof: Not specified | Driver dimension: Not specified
If you would like one of the best sound high quality, you’ll need to pay for it. The FoKus Rex5 are an eyewatering $449, and simply the costliest wi-fi earbuds I’ve examined. Nevertheless, Noble Audio’s five-driver setup is extra strong than the competitors the place one or two drivers is usually the norm.
There’s a stage of pristine element and sonic separation I haven’t heard on different earbuds. For instance, traits of the guitars, together with the person nuances of a number of gamers on a monitor, contribute to a wider soundstage and extra immersion than you’ll encounter elsewhere. These are removed from a whole package deal when it comes to options, however the audio prowess is unmatched.
Professionals
- Detailed, immersive sound
- Customized audio profiles are saved on the buds
- Comfy match
Cons
- Very costly
- Only one colour and it’s not for everybody
- Subpar ANC efficiency
$449 at Amazon
Billy Steele for Engadget
Learn our full Technics AZ100 overview
Max battery life: 12 hours, as much as 29 hours with charging case | Water resistance: IPX4 | Noise cancellation: Sure | Multipoint: Sure | Included charging case: Sure | Waterproof: Sure (IPX4) | Driver dimension: 10mm
For an extended whereas Bowers & Wilkins was my choose for greatest total sound high quality. However, as Dylan sang, “the occasions they’re a-changin’.”
Technics borrowed magnetic fluid driver tech from its in-ear displays (IEMs) to enhance the sound high quality on the AZ100. The result’s deeper, extra immersive bass that’s complemented by detailed highs and ample mid-range tone.
There are additionally a whole lot of options on the AZ100, together with multipoint Bluetooth for as much as three units. Sony’s LDAC codec can also be supported, as are Dolby Atmos and Dolby’s dynamic head monitoring.
Professionals
- Wonderful sound high quality
- Tons of choices within the app
- Small dimension means comfortable match
- Three-device multipoint Bluetooth
Cons
- ANC lags behind one of the best
- None of right this moment’s “good” options
- Spatial audio doesn’t enhance default tuning
$264 at Amazon
Photograph by Billy Steele / Engadget
Learn our full Beats Match Professional overview
Max battery life: 6 hours, as much as 24 hours with charging case | Water resistance: IPX4 | Noise cancellation: Sure | Multipoint: Sure | Included charging case: Sure | Waterproof: Sure (IPX4) | Driver dimension: Not specified
A lot of the greatest AirPods options in a set of exercise earbuds? That’s the Beats Match Professional. Due to Apple’s H1 chip, these buds supply one-touch fast pairing, hands-free Siri and Discover My instruments. They’ll additionally will let you use Audio Sharing with an Apple machine and one other set of AirPods or Beats wi-fi headphones for tandem listening or viewing. Balanced and punchy bass will hold the vitality up throughout exercises whereas good noise cancellation, an IPX4 ranking and cozy silicone ear suggestions make these a strong choice exterior of the gymnasium too. And there’s loads of assist for Android units, so these aren’t only a good purchase for iOS customers both.
Professionals
- Comfy design
- Good ANC
- H1 chip affords fast pairing and switching between Apple units
- Loads of Android assist
Cons
- Name high quality may very well be higher
$170 at Macy’s
Sony
Max battery life: 6 hours, as much as 20 hours with charging case | Water resistance: IPX4 | Noise cancellation: Sure | Multipoint: Sure | Included charging case: Sure | Waterproof: Sure (IPX4) | Driver dimension: Not specified
One of many largest surprises final yr wasn’t Sony’s distinctive open-wear LinkBuds, it was the extra mainstream follow-up. With the LinkBuds S, the corporate debuted a extra historically designed pair of earbuds akin to its premium WF-1000XM4, solely this mannequin is way smaller and lighter which results in a way more comfortable match. These tiny wi-fi earbuds muster some punch in the case of sound high quality too and assist for high-res listening (LDAC and DSEE Excessive) are each onboard. Succesful ANC lends a hand with environmental noise and transparency mode can hold you tuned in when wanted. What’s extra, useful Communicate-to-Chat is right here and Adaptive Sound Management can routinely change settings primarily based on exercise or location. That’s a whole lot of premium options at a mid-range worth.
Professionals
- Comfy design
- Good sound high quality
- Communicate-to-Chat
- Adaptive Sound Management
$158 at Amazon
What to search for in one of the best wi-fi earbuds
On the subject of looking for earphones, the very first thing to think about is design or put on model. Do you like a semi-open match like AirPods or would you like one thing that fully closes off your ears? Should you’re looking for earbuds with energetic noise cancellation, you will need the latter, however a case may be made for the previous if you wish to put on all of them day or frequent locations the place you’ll want to be tuned in to the ambient sounds. The general form of earbuds can decide whether or not you get a snug match, so can the scale and weight, so that you’ll need to think about all that earlier than deciding. And bear in mind: audio corporations aren’t excellent, so regardless of a lot of analysis, the earbud form they selected might not suit you effectively. Don’t be afraid to return ill-fitting earbuds for one thing that’s extra comfy.
As wi-fi earbuds have change into the norm, they’re now extra dependable for staple items like constant Bluetooth connectivity. Corporations are nonetheless in a race to pack as a lot as they will into more and more smaller designs. This usually means an extended listing of options on the extra premium units of earbuds with fundamental performance on the most affordable fashions. Rigorously think about what you possibly can’t stay with out when choosing your subsequent earbuds, and ensure key gadgets like computerized pausing and multipoint connectivity are on the spec sheet. You’ll additionally need to examine the quantity and contact controls as you’ll usually need to sacrifice entry to one thing else to make that adjustment by way of on-board faucets or swipes. Some earbuds even supply app settings to tweak the audio profiles or firmware updates to enhance efficiency over time.
For these within the Apple ecosystem, options like auto-pairing with units, particularly with AirPods Professional 2, may be an added benefit, whereas Android customers might need to search for fashions that provide related cross-device performance.
On the subject of battery life, the common set of earbuds lasts about 5 hours on a single cost. You’ll find units that last more, however that is possible sufficient to get you thru a piece day if you happen to’re docking the buds throughout lunch or the occasional assembly. You’ll need to test on what number of additional prices can be found by way of the case and if it helps wi-fi charging.
Corporations will even make lofty claims about name high quality on wi-fi earbuds. Regardless of a lot of guarantees, the truth is most earbuds nonetheless depart you sounding such as you’re on speakerphone. There are some units that ship, however don’t get your hopes up except opinions affirm the claims.
Sound may be subjective, so we suggest attempting before you purchase if in any respect doable. That is very true if you happen to’re an audiophile. We perceive this isn’t straightforward when most of us do a whole lot of procuring on-line, however attempting on a set of earbuds and listening to them for a couple of minutes can prevent from an costly case of purchaser’s regret. If a retailer doesn’t permit a fast demo, most retailers have return insurance policies that may allow you to take earbuds again you don’t like. After all, it’s important to be keen to briefly half with funds with a purpose to do that.
We additionally suggest taking note of issues like Spatial Audio, Dolby Atmos, 360 Actuality Audio and different immersive codecs. Not all earbuds assist them, so that you’ll need to ensure that a perspective pair does if that type of factor excites you, particularly if you happen to plan to make use of them for playback of high-quality audio.
How we take a look at wi-fi earbuds
The first manner we take a look at earbuds is to put on them as a lot as doable. We favor to do that over a one- to two-week interval, however typically embargoes don’t permit it. Throughout this time, we take heed to a mixture of music and podcasts, whereas additionally utilizing the earbuds to take each voice and video calls. Since battery life for earbuds is usually lower than a full day, we drain the battery with looping music and the quantity set at a snug stage (often round 75 %).
To guage audio high quality, we take heed to a variety of genres, noting any variations within the sound profile throughout the kinds. We additionally take a look at at each high and low volumes to test for consistency within the tuning. To evaluate name high quality, we’ll document audio samples with the earbuds’ microphones in addition to have third events name us.
On the subject of options, we do an intensive overview of companion apps, testing every characteristic as we work by means of the software program. Any holdovers from earlier fashions are double checked for enhancements or regression. If the earbuds we’re testing are an up to date model of a earlier mannequin, we’ll spend time getting reacquainted with the older buds. Ditto for the closest competitors for every new set of earbuds that we overview.
Different wi-fi Bluetooth earbuds we examined
Sony WF-C710N
The WF-C710N is a set of compact and cozy earbuds that provide a number of of Sony’s greatest options. Whereas the ANC efficiency is above common for this worth ($120), sound high quality isn’t pretty much as good as the corporate’s barely dearer choices. Battery life fell beneath said figures and name efficiency isn’t ok to make use of these buds for work.
Beats Powerbeats Professional 2
The latest model of the Powerbeats Professional have an improved, comfy design, balanced bass and new H2 chips and a coronary heart price sensor inside. However coronary heart price assist is presently restricted on iOS, and there is a chance these capabilities make it onto the following AirPods Professional fashions.
Samsung Galaxy Buds 3
The Galaxy Buds 3 mix ANC with an open-type design, which renders the noise-blocking talents of the earbuds largely ineffective. Nonetheless, there’s nice low-end tone with ample bass when a monitor calls for it. There are additionally a lot of useful options, most of which require a Samsung telephone. However at this worth, there are higher choices from Google, Beats and Sony
Sennheiser Momentum Sport
I actually like the general form of the Momentum Sport earbuds. They’re extra comfy than the Momentum True Wi-fi 4 and slot in my ears higher. What’s extra, the physique temperature and coronary heart price sensors work effectively, sending these stats to quite a lot of apps. Nevertheless, that sport-tracking characteristic works greatest with Polar’s app and units, so there’s that consideration. Additionally, the audio high quality and ANC efficiency isn’t pretty much as good because the MTW4, and these earbuds are expensive.
Beats Solo Buds
There’s loads to love concerning the Solo Buds for $80. For me, the first perk is that they’re very comfy to put on for lengthy intervals of time due to some considerate design concerns. You solely get the fundamentals right here when it comes to options and, as anticipated, the general sound high quality isn’t pretty much as good because the pricier fashions within the Beats lineup. You’ll get 18 hours of battery life although, for the reason that firm nixed the battery within the case and beefed up the listening time within the buds themselves.
Bose Extremely Open Earbuds
Bose created one thing very distinctive for this set of earbuds that lets you keep in-tune with the world whereas listening to audio content material. The clip-on design could be very comfy, however sound high quality suffers because of the open-type match, particularly in the case of bass and spatial audio.
Audio-Technica ATH-TWX7
These stick buds have a compact design that’s comfy to put on and the nice and cozy sound profile is nice at occasions. Nevertheless, total audio efficiency is inconsistent and there’s no computerized pausing.
Grasp & Dynamic MW09
Retooled audio, higher ambient sound mode and dependable multipoint Bluetooth are one of the best issues the MW09 has to supply. They’re costly although, and you’ll find higher ANC efficiency elsewhere.
Wi-fi earbud FAQs
What is taken into account good battery life for true wi-fi earbuds?
Most wi-fi earbuds will final 5 hours on a single cost, at least. You’ll find some pairs which have even higher battery life, lasting between six and eight hours earlier than they want extra juice. All the greatest wi-fi earbuds include a charging case, which is able to present further hours of battery life — however you will need to return every bud to the case with a purpose to cost them up.
Is sound high quality higher on headphones or earbuds?
Evaluating sound high quality on earbuds and headphones is a bit like evaluating apples and oranges. There are a whole lot of variables to think about and the variations in parts make a direct comparability troublesome. Personally, I favor the audio high quality from over-ear headphones, however I can inform you the sound from earbuds like Sennheiser’s Momentum True Wi-fi 3 can also be excellent.
Which wi-fi earbuds have the longest battery life?
With new fashions popping out on a regular basis, monitoring the hours of battery life for every this may be troublesome to maintain tabs on. The longest-lasting earbuds we’ve reviewed are Audio-Technica’s ATH-CKS5TW. The corporate states they final 15 hours, however the app was nonetheless displaying 40 % at that mark throughout our assessments. The one draw back is these earbuds debuted in 2019 and each know-how and options have improved since. By way of present fashions, Grasp & Dynamic’s MW08 affords 12 hours of use on a cost with ANC off (10 with ANC on) and JBL has a number of choices with 10-hour batteries.
What wi-fi earbuds are waterproof?
There are many choices today in the case of elevated water resistance. To find out the extent of safety, you’ll need to search for an IP (ingress safety) ranking. The primary quantity signifies intrusion safety from issues like mud. The second quantity is the extent of moisture safety and also you’ll need to be sure that determine is 7 or greater. At this water-resistance ranking, earbuds can stand up to full immersion for as much as half-hour in depths as much as one meter (3.28 toes). If both of the IP numbers is an X, meaning it doesn’t have any particular safety. For instance, a pair of wi-fi earbuds which are IPX7 wouldn’t be constructed to keep away from mud intrusion, however they might be okay if you happen to dropped them in shallow water.
Which earbuds keep in ears one of the best?
A safe match can fluctuate wildly from individual to individual. All of our ears are totally different, so audio corporations are designing their merchandise to suit the most individuals they will with a single form. That is why AirPods will simply fall out for some however keep put for others. Design touches like wing suggestions or fins usually come on health fashions and people parts may also help hold issues in place. You’ll possible simply need to strive earbuds on, and in the event that they don’t match effectively return them.
What wi-fi earbuds work with PS5?
PlayStation 5 doesn’t assist Bluetooth audio with out an adapter or dongle. Even Sony’s personal gaming headsets include a transmitter that connects to the console. There are common choices that will let you use any headphones, headset or earbuds with a PS5. After you have one, plug it right into a USB port on the console and pair your earbuds with it.
Current updates
Might 2025: Up to date to make sure prime picks and shopping for recommendation stay correct.
March 2025: Up to date the highest choose for one of the best sounding wi-fi earbuds – runner up.
January 2025: Up to date the highest choose for greatest sounding wi-fi earbuds.
July 2024: Up to date our listing to incorporate the Samsung Galaxy Buds 3 Professional.
