The best wireless earbuds for 2025

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The marketplace for true wi-fi earbuds has exploded, and whereas meaning extra decisions, it additionally means extra confusion relating to selecting the very best wi-fi earbuds in your wants. From premium choices just like the AirPods Professional 2, which mix smooth design with spectacular energetic noise cancellation, to fashions that prioritize distinctive sound high quality, there’s a pair of Bluetooth earbuds for everybody. These compact gadgets additionally now provide options that rival conventional, over-ear headphones, which may make them the go-to selection for music lovers, commuters, gym-goers and plenty of in between.

I’ve examined and reviewed dozens of units of earbuds a yr for Engadget, continuously pitting new fashions towards the earlier finest throughout all price ranges to maintain this record of the very best true wi-fi earbuds updated. This information explains why my present choices for the very best wi-fi earbuds made the lower, and presents some buying recommendation when it comes to all the pieces you might want to know earlier than selecting the very best true wi-fi earbuds in your wants.

If earbuds aren’t your jam, nonetheless, you possibly can try our best headphones buying guide, protecting our favourite wi-fi, over-ear headphones, noise-canceling headphones and extra.

Finest wi-fi earbuds of 2025

What to search for in wi-fi earbuds

In relation to looking for earphones, the very first thing to contemplate is design or put on fashion. Do you like a semi-open match like AirPods or would you like one thing that fully closes off your ears? In the event you’re looking for earbuds with energetic noise cancellation, you may 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 might 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 contemplate all that earlier than deciding. And keep in mind: audio corporations aren’t excellent, so regardless of plenty 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 snug.

As wi-fi earbuds have develop 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 sometimes means an extended record of options on the extra premium units of earbuds with fundamental performance on the most affordable fashions. Rigorously contemplate what you possibly can’t reside with out when deciding on your subsequent earbuds, and ensure key objects 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 need to sacrifice entry to one thing else to make that adjustment through on-board faucets or swipes. Some earbuds even provide 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, may be an added benefit, whereas Android customers might need to search for fashions that supply comparable cross-device performance.

In relation to battery life, the common set of earbuds lasts about 5 hours on a single cost. Yow will discover units that last more, however that is probably sufficient to get you thru a piece day should you’re docking the buds throughout lunch or the occasional assembly. You’ll need to test on what number of additional prices can be found through the case and if it helps wi-fi charging.

Firms can even make lofty claims about name high quality on wi-fi earbuds. Regardless of plenty 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 until critiques verify the claims.

Sound may be subjective, so we suggest attempting before you purchase if in any respect attainable. That is very true should you’re an audiophile. We perceive this isn’t straightforward when most of us do a whole lot of buying 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 enable a fast demo, most retailers have return insurance policies that can allow you to take earbuds again you don’t like. After all, you need to be keen to quickly half with funds with a purpose to do that.

We additionally suggest being attentive to 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 kind of factor excites you, particularly should you plan to make use of them for playback of high-quality audio.

How we check wi-fi Bluetooth earbuds

The first approach we check earbuds is to put on them as a lot as attainable. We want to do that over a one- to two-week interval, however typically embargoes don’t enable 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 amount set at a cushty degree (often round 75 p.c).

To evaluate audio high quality, we take heed to a spread of genres, noting any variations within the sound profile throughout the types. 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.

In relation to 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

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 plenty of helpful 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 snug 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 effectively, sending these stats to quite a lot of apps. Nonetheless, that sport-tracking characteristic works finest 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 so much to love concerning the Solo Buds for $80. For me, the first perk is that they’re very snug to put on for lengthy durations 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 nearly 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 means that you can keep in-tune with the world whereas listening to audio content material. The clip-on design may be very snug, however sound high quality suffers as a result of open-type match, particularly relating to bass and spatial audio.

Audio-Technica ATH-TWX7

These stick buds have a compact design that’s snug to put on and the nice and cozy sound profile is nice at instances. Nonetheless, general 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 very best issues the MW09 has to supply. They’re costly although, and yow will discover higher ANC efficiency elsewhere.

Beats Studio Buds +

Updates to sound, ANC and battery life prime the spec sheet here, and the brand new clear colour choice has some throwback power I really like. However there are some fundamental options lacking, and Beats doesn’t come near Apple’s pure audio high quality in transparency mode.

JBL Tour Professional 2

These earbuds are feature-packed, together with a touchscreen “sensible case.” They aren’t essentially the most constant when it comes to general efficiency although, and I’m not satisfied that case gives a whole lot of utility simply but.

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, as a minimum. Yow will discover some pairs which have even higher battery life, lasting between six and eight hours earlier than they want extra juice. All the finest wi-fi earbuds include a charging case, which can present extra hours of battery life — however you may 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 contemplate and the variations in elements make a direct comparability troublesome. Personally, I want the audio high quality from over-ear headphones, however I can let you know 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 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 exhibiting 40 p.c at that mark throughout our exams. The one draw back is these earbuds debuted in 2019 and each expertise and options have improved since. By way of 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 today relating to 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 ft). 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 might be IPX7 wouldn’t be constructed to keep away from mud intrusion, however they’d be okay should you dropped them in shallow water.

Which earbuds keep in ears the very best?

A safe match can range 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 ideas or fins sometimes come on health fashions and people parts may also help preserve issues in place. You’ll probably 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 own gaming headsets include a transmitter that connects to the console. There are common choices that can help you use any headphones, headset or earbuds with a PS5. Upon getting one, plug it right into a USB port on the console and pair your earbuds with it.