The 14 Best Earbuds to Buy Right Now: Apple, Beats, Sony, Samsung & More

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Looking for a new pair of Bluetooth earbuds? Whether wired or wireless, it’s become even easier to find a decent pair of earbuds for well under $50, but for shoppers willing to spend a bit more, we put together a list of more than a dozen of the best earbuds, priced from as low as $20 all the way up to $250.

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The models below from major brands such as Apple, Sony, Samsung and Bose offer the ability to play music, watch videos, take calls, control volume, and skip or fast-forward through tracks without having to touch your device. The list of headphones are comprised of options personally tested by our editors, as well as earbuds that have earned high customer reviews.

If you’re not a fan of the traditional shape of most earbuds, Samsung Galaxy Buds earned high marks for their bean-shaped design, and they’re currently on sale. Galaxy Buds have a 4.4 out of 5-star rating, with over 7,000 customer reviews. “Easy on the eyes and light on the ears,” these sleek earbuds include Active Noise Canceling, to block out unwanted sounds, an AKG-tuned 12mm speaker and enhanced bass tone to play everything in studio-quality sound. Samsung Galaxy Buds are available in bronz, black, red, white and black. The earbuds are 41% off at Amazon for a limited time. You can also find them at other retailers.  

Liberty Pro 3 earbuds are ergonomically shaped with noise cancelling technology and built-in ear pressure relief to combat fatigue from wearing them for long periods at a time. Apart from great sound, Liberty Pro 3 provide up to 32 hours of playtime (8 hours on a single charge) and include multiple size ear tips to secure a comfortable fit. Liberty Pro 3 are available in multiple colors including midnight black, fog gray (pictured above), frost white and dusk purple.  The earbuds are on sale for $118 at Amazon. 

Affordable and sustainable, the Boo and Boo Tip headphones from Urbanears deliver balanced sound with up to 30 hours of playtime. These stylish, Bluetooth headphones are made of up of mostly recycled materials and available in three colors: Almost Green, Slightly Blue, and Charcoal Black.

Sony LinkBuds are good alternative to Apple Airpods. Available in black or white, the water resistant, noise-cancelling earbuds provide ambient sound for an immersive listening experience.

Intuitive touch control settings lets you easily pause, play or skip tracks, control volume, activate your voice assistant, and answer phone calls. They fit comfortably and connect easily with iPhone and Android. Get up to up to 6 hours of battery life and up to 20 hours with the charging case (quick charging gives up to 60 minutes of playback in just five minutes)

UE Fits earbuds are one of a kind. No seriously, they’re the only Bluetooth earbuds on the market that conform to the shape of your ear using patented Lightform technology. Theses wireless earbuds are equipped with Bluetooth 5.0 and offer up to 20 hours of playtime (8 hours on the buds, 20 hours on the case). They also feature passive noise isolation, they’re sweat and water resistant, fit comfortably, pair easily with your device and available in three colors: lilac, black, and white. There’s also a limited-edition hot pink colorway on sale for $189 (regular $199).

On the cheaper end of our list, SoundPEATS Free2 Classic Wireless Earbuds are some of the most affordable earbuds on the market. These budget-friendly earbuds offer up to 8 hours of playtime on a single charge and up to 30 hours with the case. They’re also dust and water resistant (IPX5 rated) with instant-pairing, a built-in mic for clear calls, and 6mm dynamic drivers for powerful bass.

Sennheiser is synonymous with sound, so you can’t really go wrong with these wired headphones.  The Momentum Free Bluetooth earbuds deliver immaculate, wireless hi-fi sound courtesy of Bluetooth 4.2 and Qualcomm apt-X technology. The earbuds have a battery life of 6 hours per charge and multi-connection with up to two devices.

Whether you’re working out or relaxing, Bose has your ears covered! Available in black, blue and white, Bose Sport earbuds are secure and comfortable with up to 5 hours of playtime per charge (a 15-minute quick charge = two hours of batter life) and simple touch control and beamforming microphones to separate your voice from background noises, so you can hear calls more clearly.

If you’ve been sleeping on Raycon, it’s time to wake up. The electronics brand, founded by Ray J, carries speakers, headphones and earbuds that are affordably priced. The Everyday Earbuds, which are available in multiple colors including black, red, pink and blue, are designed to fit your “hustle.” The earbuds have a 4.5 out of 5-star rating on the brand’s website, earning high marks for sound quality, fit and battery life. The small but mighty, IPX6 rated, water-resistant buds feature three listening modes, Bluetooth 5.0 and up to eight hours of continued use (32 hours in stand-by mode).

Great sound, perfect fit and they look good. You may already be familiar with Klipsch as the brand is known for their speakers, but they also make earbuds. Besides providing dynamic sound for listening to music, watching movies and more, Klipsch T5 II Wireless Earbuds feature four, beamforming microphones designed to provide crystal-clear phone calls. The earphones offer up to 8 hours of playtime in your ears, 24 hours in the wireless charging case, and they come in white, black and green.

What else needs to be said about Apple AirPods? They’re compact, durable and connect easily to Apple devices. As for sound, it’s no secret that AirPods offer excellent sound clarity and a long battery life. They’re comfortable and stylish, sweat and water resistant — but not waterproof, so steer clear of submerging them in water or another liquid that could ruin them.

Another good choice for personal surround sound, Beats Fit Pro true wireless, noise cancelling earbuds. These stylish buds feature flexible, secure-fit wingtips that fit comfortably and stay put for up to 6 hours of listening time (24 hours in the case). On-device controls allows you to manage your playlist, adjust listening modes, activate virtual assistant and more from a single button, or go hands free with voice assistant. If you’d rather a more neutral tone, try the Kim Kardashian Beats Fit Pro.

Shure is another brand that you may be familiar with due to their microphones (a favorite of Chlöe Bailey and other recording artists). Shure AONIC Sound Isolating Earphones let you hear it all — with crystal-clear sound, and exceptional bass, produced by a single dynamic driver located in each ear. The over-the-ear design and wireform fit ensures that the earphones stay put while you jam away to your favorite songs, and they’re compatible with iPhone and Android.

Free Byrd true wireless earphones are a little pricier than others on the list, but certainly worth the splurge. They offer great sound (with ANC and Transparency Mode), an exceptional microphone and easy device integration — which is great if you prefer using earbuds without downloading an app to your device. Free Byrd True Wireless earbuds are equipped with Bluetooth 5.2, Alexa, Google Fast Pair, up to 11 hours of battery power per charge and they’re IPX4 certified, so you don’t have to worry if they get splashed with a little water. These earbuds are available in black or white and they come with five pairs of silicone ear tips and three pairs of memory foam eartips.

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