The 6 Best AirPods Alternatives - Black Friday 2024

The best alternative to AirPods we've tested are the Bose QuietComfort Ultra Earbuds Truly Wireless. These high-end earbuds rival the Apple AirPods Pro (2nd generation) Truly Wireless and have a wide variety of features to help you get the most out of them. Like the AirPods Pro, they have a spatial audio feature that is accessible in their companion app and helps to create a more immersive and dimensional listening experience. They also offer better active noise cancellation (ANC), so they can reduce a wide range of sounds, like rumbly bus engines and ambient chatter, very well.

Out of the box, these well-built buds have a bass-heavy sound that delivers thump and rumble to audio. If you prefer something else, their app has a graphic EQ and presets to help you fine-tune their sound to your liking. With their ANC on, they last seven hours continuously, and their carrying case supplies an additional three charges. Their comfortable fit also ensures you can wear them for long periods without experiencing fatigue. However, their integrated mic has difficulty separating speech from background noise, so if you need to make an important call, it's best to do so from a quiet space.

While the Bose QuietComfort Ultra Earbuds Truly Wireless are a solid pair of buds for their straightforward design and comfort, the Jabra Elite 8 Active Gen 2 True Wireless are perhaps a better AirPods choice if you take many calls. Their mic does a better job of handling background noise and capturing your voice than the Bose and the Apple AirPods Pro (2nd generation) Truly Wireless, with a handy in-app sidetone mix and fantastic ANC. Your gym may have plenty of AirPods users, but for extra reassurance, these Jabra buds are certified IP68 against dust and immersion in over a meter of water. Plus, their contoured shape and grippy housing mean they're very stable and comfortable.

Unlike the Bose and the AirPods Pro (2nd generation), the Jabra's spatial audio behaves like a digital signal processor (DSP) rather than a fully featured Dolby Atmos-compatible implementation with head-tracking. As a result, the DSP sounds more like an effect than a full-fledged professional surround mix that moves around you as you move. Still, if you can sacrifice the AirPods' pressure-sensitive stems and don't mind shallow buttons, the Jabra's 7.5 hours of continuous battery life and comprehensive EQ combine with a balanced sound profile that doesn't have too much bass so as to overwhelm the mids and treble. Their 'smart case' adds hybrid wired-to-wireless connectivity unmatched by AirPods, allowing you to connect to USB-C and analog audio sources alongside multi-device pairing for easily switching between devices.

The best AirPods Pro alternative we've tested in the mid-range price point are the Nothing Ear Truly Wireless. These earbuds have a stemmed design like the Apple AirPods Pro (2nd generation) Truly Wireless, and they use pressure-sensitive controls on the stems. Their well-balanced sound profile provides your mixes with a solid amount of rumble and body, while instruments and voices are clear and bright-sounding. Unlike the AirPods, they have an in-depth EQ and presets for sound customization. Their continuous battery life of 7.5 hours outlasts the AirPods Pro, too.

The Nothing Ear Truly Wireless earbuds sport ANC, but they don't block out as much noise as the Jabra Elite 8 Active Gen 2 True Wireless or the AirPods. However, the ANC is still decent at filtering out background chit-chat and isolates you from some lower-pitched noise like rumbling engines. They're rated IP55 for dust and water resistance and are stable enough to stay in place for workouts. Unlike the previous pick, though, these have no virtual surround sound feature onboard.

If you don't need quite the same degree of sound customization, then the slightly stripped-back Nothing Ear (a) Truly Wireless might be worth a try to save you a few bucks because these operate, look, and feel very similar to their full-featured sibling. That said, if you make calls frequently or need a longer battery life, the Nothing Ear Truly Wireless are the way to go.

If you're looking for the best AirPods Pro clone in the mid-range, check out the Anker Soundcore Liberty 4 NC Truly Wireless. These comfortable, well-built earbuds are available in several different colors, including white. They're a great choice for on-the-go use thanks to their portable design and adaptive ANC feature, which offers a remarkably good performance for the price. You can also use their Transparency Mode to stay aware of your surroundings, like when walking down a busy city street. They're rated IPX4 for resistance against water splashes.

Out of the box, these buds have a much more bass-heavy sound than the Apple AirPods Pro (2nd generation) Truly Wireless. That's great if you love to hear all the thump and rumble in your favorite EDM and hip-hop tunes, but fans of a more neutral sound might prefer the AirPods Pros' more controlled bass. Still, the Anker come with a graphic EQ and presets to help switch up their sound, which is a nice touch, especially since Apple doesn't offer EQ or sound customization with their AirPods. Plus, you can listen for up to nine hours without interruption, and their charging case gives you four extra recharges when you're out and about.

If you're willing to forego the stemmed look, the Anker Soundcore Space A40 Truly Wireless offer a flatter default frequency response and a bit better noise cancelling. However, their case feels cheaper, and their continuous battery life is about an hour shorter.

Consider the Skullcandy Dime 3 True Wireless if you're on a tight budget and don't need the ANC onboard the Anker Soundcore Liberty 4 NC Truly Wireless. At this price, manufacturers tend to cut down on extra features. That said, these buds not only offer a very balanced and neutral sound out of the box, but they also have a couple of EQ presets built-in, so you can still adjust their sound. Unlike the AirPods, they also support multi-device pairing, so you can connect them to your PC and smartphone simultaneously. Their continuous battery life of over eight hours will get you from point A to point B, and their charging case has two additional charges.

Beyond the features mentioned above, they have an otherwise simple design. They're well-built but a bit plasticky, and they aren't as comfortable as the more expensive Apple AirPods (2nd generation) Truly Wireless, as their deep in-ear fit can put pressure on your ears. If comfort is a top priority, it's worth considering the Anker Soundcore P25i/P20i True Wireless instead. They rest well in the ear and are lightweight, so you can wear them for long listening sessions without becoming fatigued. However, they don't support multi-device pairing and have a less balanced sound out of the box.

If you like the traditional AirPods without the ear tips fitted on the AirPods Pro, then the Nothing Ear (stick) Truly Wireless are the best AirPods alternative that leaves your ear canal open. As expected, you can hear your environment with very little of it blocked for excellent awareness. While Nothing added a noise suppression function in a later update, if isolation is your preference, most people ought to consider the ANC buds previously mentioned on this list instead. Like AirPods, the Nothing buds share pressure-sensitive stems for controls, granted, the implementation is a bit more basic on the Nothing, without any sliding for volume adjustments.

They're also rather affordable compared to Apple. Despite the difference in tiers, the Nothing still come with a comprehensive app that lets you EQ the tuning (which you may want to use to boost their weak bass). Plus, the buds are IP54-rated, and the case has an IP55 rating against dust and water splashes. Their continuous battery life is roughly the same as the Apple AirPods (3rd generation) Truly Wireless, as well.

That said, like the other picks on the list, the Nothing Ear (stick) don't have Apple-centric features like the H1/H2 chip for seamlessly switching between devices with the same iCloud account or the Apple Spatialize feature. While the Nothing's cylindrical case is visually striking, it's not necessarily as practical either, considering it'll roll on sloped surfaces. Then again, if you want earbuds that mimic the AirPods form, these actually outdo them for things like calls with a superior mic system.