Discovering the perfect wi-fi earbuds could make an enormous distinction in your day-to-day life, whether or not you’re commuting, figuring out, touring or simply zoning out along with your favourite playlist. At present’s earbuds aren’t nearly reducing the twine — they’re smarter, extra comfy and full of options like energetic noise cancellation, customizable sound profiles and even spatial audio assist.
With so many choices on the market, there’s actually a pair of wi-fi earbuds for everybody. Whether or not you need one thing that is excellent for working, constructed for all-day put on on the workplace or tuned for severe audiophiles, the alternatives have by no means been higher. Some fashions prioritize battery life, others ship premium sound high quality and some by some means handle to do all of it with out blowing your finances. It doesn’t matter what you’re in search of, we’re right here that can assist you discover the proper set of wi-fi earbuds to match your way of life.
Desk of contents
Greatest wi-fi earbuds of 2025
Learn our full Sony WF-1000XM5 review
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 measurement: 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 thus far, which was one of many few remaining riddles Sony wanted to resolve. 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 vital enhancements to sound high quality and these are Sony’s greatest earbuds but. However the entire developments come at a price: these are additionally Sony’s costliest set of wi-fi earbuds within the 1000X lineup.
- Glorious sound high quality
- Improved design
- Extra comfy match
- A great deal of useful options
- Dearer
- No battery life enchancment
- Head monitoring is Android solely
- Some options nonetheless want fine-tuning
Photograph by Billy Steele / Engadget
Learn our full Apple AirPods Pro (2nd Generation) review
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 measurement: Not specified
Apple’s second-generation AirPods Pro 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 the perfect earbud possibility for iPhone, iOS and Mac. After 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 may 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 may even turn out to be useful.
- Improved sound
- Stellar transparency mode
- Stable ANC
- Seamless switching between Apple gadgets
- Identical design
- New contact gesture takes apply
- Common battery life
- Personalised Spatial Audio outcomes fluctuate
Photograph by Billy Steele / Engadget
Learn our full Google Pixel Buds Pro 2 review
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 measurement: 11mm
The Pixel Buds Professional 2 could also be Google’s priciest earbuds, however they’re additionally its greatest. A whole 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 anticipate, 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 out there at launch this time, however you may solely use it with appropriate video streaming apps.
- Tiny, comfortable design
- Punchy bass, full mids, crisp highs
- Barely longer battery life than predecessor
- Worth went up once more
- Spatial audio is proscribed to video apps
- Smaller contact panel requires precision
Samsung
Learn our full Samsung Galaxy Buds 3 Pro review
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 measurement: Twin drivers (woofer and tweeter); particular sizes not disclosed
The Galaxy Buds 3 Pro borrow closely from Apple’s AirPods Professional in each seems to be and options, and construct upon the inspiration of the Samsung Galaxy Buds 2 Professional. Nevertheless, Samsung did properly to make issues like Adaptive ANC and voice instructions work properly. Some options like Voice Detect might nonetheless use some positive tuning, however there’s loads to love right here past the fundamental performance.
The actually shocking factor in regards to 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 enhance 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.
- Nice sound high quality
- A great deal of useful options
- Comfortable match
- Pure ambient sound
- Battery life is shorter than some rivals
- The most effective options require a current Samsung machine
- Copycat design
- Blade lights are a gimmick
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 measurement: Not specified
The Anker Soundcore Space A40 supply the sort of options you’d anticipate 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. After we examined them, we discovered their heat sound to be pleasing proper out of the field, however Anker’s companion app makes it simple 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 very good worth. – Jeff Dunn, Senior Commerce Author
- Reasonably priced
- Good battery life
- Multipoint connectivity
- Transparency Mode
- ANC is not as robust as opponents
Photograph by Billy Steele / Engadget
Learn our full Bose QuietComfort Ultra earbuds review
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 measurement: Not specified
For the reason that firm launched the primary mannequin, Bose’s QuietComfort Earbuds have persistently offered the perfect 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 the perfect earbuds because of its new Immersive Audio tech. The characteristic brings spatial audio to all by not requiring specially-made content material to make use of it. Moderately than make use of music and flicks the place the sound is coming from all instructions, QC Extremely Earbuds put you in the midst 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.
- Stellar ANC
- Spatial audio would not require particular content material
- Upgrades with no value improve
- Earbuds are nonetheless large
- Immersive Audio considerably impacts battery life
- Wi-fi charging prices further
Bose
Learn our full Bose QuietComfort Earbuds (2024) review
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 measurement: 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 number 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 suggests they’re extra comfy and match higher. You’ll additionally take pleasure in properly over eight hours of battery life with ANC on and an IPX4 ranking that will probably be ok for exercises. And if the product web page is to be trusted, you too can sit up for Bose’s distinctive spatial audio (Immersive Audio) coming quickly.
- Nice sound high quality
- Efficient ANC
- Plenty of useful options
- Reliable battery life
- No Immersive Audio (but)
- Audio and ANC sacrifices in comparison with the QC Extremely Earbuds
- No CustomTune characteristic
- Poor name high quality
Billy Steele for Engadget
Learn our full Noble Audio FoKus Rex5 review
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 measurement: Not specified
In order for you the perfect sound high quality, you’ll must pay for it. The FoKus Rex5 are an eyewatering $449, and simply the most costly wi-fi earbuds I’ve examined. Nevertheless, Noble Audio’s five-driver setup is extra sturdy than the competitors the place one or two drivers is usually the norm.
There’s a degree 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 observe, contribute to a wider soundstage and extra immersion than you’ll encounter elsewhere. These are removed from an entire package deal by way of options, however the audio prowess is unmatched.
- Detailed, immersive sound
- Customized audio profiles are saved on the buds
- Comfy match
- Very costly
- Only one coloration and it’s not for everybody
- Subpar ANC efficiency
Billy Steele for Engadget
Learn our full Technics AZ100 review
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 measurement: 10mm
For a protracted whereas Bowers & Wilkins was my decide for greatest total sound high quality. However, as Dylan sang, “the instances they’re a-changin’.”
Technics borrowed magnetic fluid driver tech from its in-ear screens (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 number of options on the AZ100, together with multipoint Bluetooth for as much as three gadgets. Sony’s LDAC codec can also be supported, as are Dolby Atmos and Dolby’s dynamic head monitoring.
- Glorious sound high quality
- Tons of choices within the app
- Small measurement means comfortable match
- Three-device multipoint Bluetooth
- ANC lags behind the perfect
- None of at present’s “good” options
- Spatial audio doesn’t enhance default tuning
Photograph by Billy Steele / Engadget
Learn our full Beats Fit Pro review
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 measurement: Not specified
Many of the greatest AirPods options in a set of workout earbuds? That’s the Beats Fit Pro. Due to Apple’s H1 chip, these buds supply one-touch fast pairing, hands-free Siri and Discover My instruments. They’ll additionally help 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 power up throughout exercises whereas good noise cancellation, an IPX4 ranking and comfortable silicone ear ideas make these a stable possibility exterior of the health club too. And there’s loads of assist for Android gadgets, so these aren’t only a good purchase for iOS customers both.
- Comfy design
- Good ANC
- H1 chip presents fast pairing and switching between Apple gadgets
- Loads of Android assist
- Name high quality could possibly be higher
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 measurement: Not specified
One of many greatest surprises final 12 months 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 ends up in a way more comfortable match. These tiny wi-fi earbuds muster some punch in terms 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 number of premium options at a mid-range value.
- Comfy design
- Good sound high quality
- Communicate-to-Chat
- Adaptive Sound Management
What to search for in the perfect wi-fi earbuds
On the subject of purchasing for earphones, the very first thing to think about is design or put on fashion. Do you like a semi-open match like AirPods or would you like one thing that utterly closes off your ears? In the event you’re purchasing for earbuds with energetic noise cancellation, you will need the latter, however a case could 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 cushty match, so can the dimensions and weight, so that you’ll need to take into account all that earlier than deciding. And bear in mind: audio firms aren’t excellent, so regardless of a number of analysis, the earbud form they selected could not fit your needs properly. 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 basic items like constant Bluetooth connectivity. Firms are nonetheless in a race to pack as a lot as they will into more and more smaller designs. This usually means an extended checklist of options on the extra premium units of earbuds with fundamental performance on the most affordable fashions. Rigorously take into account what you may’t reside with out when deciding on your subsequent earbuds, and ensure key gadgets like automated pausing and multipoint connectivity are on the spec sheet. You’ll additionally need to examine the amount and contact controls as you’ll usually must sacrifice entry to one thing else to make that adjustment through 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 gadgets, particularly with AirPods Professional 2, could be an added benefit, whereas Android customers could need to search for fashions that provide comparable cross-device performance.
On the subject of battery life, the typical set of earbuds lasts about 5 hours on a single cost. You could find units that last more, however that is doubtless 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 further prices can be found through the case and if it helps wi-fi charging.
Firms may even make lofty claims about name high quality on wi-fi earbuds. Regardless of a number of guarantees, the fact 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 verify the claims.
Sound could be subjective, so we advocate making an attempt before you purchase if in any respect attainable. That is very true if you happen to’re an audiophile. We perceive this isn’t simple when most of us do a number of buying on-line, however making an attempt 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 enable a fast demo, most retailers have return insurance policies that may allow you to take earbuds again you don’t like. After all, you must be prepared to quickly half with funds with a purpose to do that.
We additionally advocate 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 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 check wi-fi Bluetooth earbuds
The first means we check earbuds is to put on them as a lot as attainable. We desire to do that over a one- to two-week interval, however generally embargoes don’t enable it. Throughout this time, we hearken 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 amount set at a cushty degree (normally round 75 %).
To guage audio high quality, we hearken to a variety of genres, noting any variations within the sound profile throughout the kinds. We additionally check at each high and low volumes to test for consistency within the tuning. To evaluate name high quality, we’ll file audio samples with the earbuds’ microphones in addition to have third events name us.
On the subject of options, we do an intensive assessment of companion apps, testing every characteristic as we work by way 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 assessment.
Different wi-fi Bluetooth earbuds we examined
Beats Powerbeats Professional 2
The latest model of the Powerbeats Pro have an improved, comfy design, balanced bass and new H2 chips and a coronary heart fee sensor inside. However coronary heart fee assist is at the moment restricted on iOS, and there is a chance these capabilities make it onto the subsequent AirPods Professional fashions.
Samsung Galaxy Buds 3
The Galaxy Buds 3 mix ANC with an open-type design, which renders the noise-blocking skills of the earbuds principally ineffective. Nonetheless, there’s nice low-end tone with ample bass when a observe calls for it. There are additionally a number of useful options, most of which require a Samsung telephone. However at this value, 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 fee sensors work properly, sending these stats to a wide range of apps. Nevertheless, that sport-tracking characteristic works greatest with Polar’s app and gadgets, so there’s that consideration. Additionally, the audio high quality and ANC efficiency isn’t nearly as good because the MTW4, and these earbuds are expensive.
Beats Solo Buds
There’s loads to love in regards to the Solo Buds for $80. For me, the first perk is that they’re very comfy to put on for lengthy intervals of time because of some considerate design issues. You solely get the fundamentals right here by way of options and, as anticipated, the general sound high quality isn’t nearly as good because the pricier fashions within the Beats lineup. You’re going to get 18 hours of battery life although, because the 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 means that you can keep in-tune with the world whereas listening to audio content material. The clip-on design may be very comfy, however sound high quality suffers because of the open-type match, particularly in terms 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 instances. Nevertheless, total audio efficiency is inconsistent and there’s no automated pausing.
Grasp & Dynamic MW09
Retooled audio, higher ambient sound mode and dependable multipoint Bluetooth are the perfect issues the MW09 has to supply. They’re costly although, and yow will discover 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, in any case. You could find some pairs which have even higher battery life, lasting between six and eight hours earlier than they want extra juice. The entire greatest wi-fi earbuds include a charging case, which can present extra hours of battery life — however you will must 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 number of variables to think about and the variations in parts make a direct comparability tough. Personally, I desire the audio high quality from over-ear headphones, however I can inform you the sound from earbuds like Sennheiser’s Momentum True Wireless 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 tough 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 exams. The one draw back is these earbuds debuted in 2019 and each know-how and options have improved since. When it comes to present fashions, Master & Dynamic’s MW08 presents 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 lately in terms 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 guarantee that determine is 7 or greater. At this water-resistance ranking, earbuds can face 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 can be 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 the perfect?
A safe match can fluctuate wildly from individual to individual. All of our ears are totally different, so audio firms are designing their merchandise to suit the most individuals they will with a single form. For this reason AirPods will simply fall out for some however keep put for others. Design touches like wing ideas or fins usually come on health fashions and people components can assist hold issues in place. You’ll doubtless simply must strive earbuds on, and in the event that they don’t match properly 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 own gaming headsets include a transmitter that connects to the console. There are common choices that help 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
Could 2025: Up to date to make sure prime picks and shopping for recommendation stay correct.
March 2025: Up to date the highest decide for the perfect sounding wi-fi earbuds – runner up.
January 2025: Up to date the highest decide for greatest sounding wi-fi earbuds.
July 2024: Up to date our checklist to incorporate the Samsung Galaxy Buds 3 Professional.
