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The 6 Best True Wireless Earbuds of 2025

Updated Jan 27, 2025 at 01:06 pm
Best True Wireless Earbuds

Truly wireless earbuds are relatively new in the headphones market. While several models were made by lesser-known brands for a couple of years, they didn't become immensely popular until Apple released the first AirPods in late 2016. Since then, almost every company has thrown its hat in the ring. What used to be a relatively expensive product that lacked features is now available at every price point with impressive performance. While truly wireless headphones can't quite match the battery life of larger Bluetooth headphones, most popular options come with a charging case to extend their overall battery life while away from a charger, and some can juice up with convenient wireless charging pads.

We've tested over 220 pairs of truly wireless earbuds and in-ear headphones, and below are our recommendations for the best options. They tend to cost more than ordinary earbuds, so check out our picks for the best cheap earbuds if you're looking for something more budget-friendly. You can also look at the best in-ear headphones, the best earbuds for iPhone, and the best wireless Bluetooth earbuds for more options.


  1. Best True Wireless Earbuds

    The Sony WF-1000XM5 Truly Wireless are the best true wireless earbuds we've tested. These high-end buds are the next generation of the Sony WF-1000XM4 Truly Wireless and have improved overall performance. They use memory foam ear tips alongside their active noise cancelling (ANC) system to reduce a significant amount of ambient sound. The ear tips do most of the heavy lifting for those high-pitched noises like chatty neighbors and dish clatter, as the ANC mostly targets bass-range noise like bus rumbles or a clothes dryer.

    With the ANC on, they last well over eight hours continuously, and their case holds a couple of extra charges if needed. Out of the box, their warm sound profile adds extra boom to mixes, making them a great choice for genres like techno. Too much bass for you? It's easy to adjust their sound profile in the companion app's graphic EQ and presets. If you're looking for similar-sounding buds with slightly better noise isolation, consider the Bose QuietComfort Ultra Earbuds Truly Wireless. These do a particularly good job of isolating you from sounds like rumbly train engines, so they're great for commuters and a bit more comfortable. On the other hand, they aren't quite as good at blocking out mid-range noise like chatty co-workers and don't support multi-device pairing or LDAC, which is Sony's proprietary codec for streaming Hi-Res audio.

    If noise isolation is particularly important to you, check out our best noise cancelling earbuds article.

    See our review

  2. Best Upper Mid-Range True Wireless Earbuds

    The Jabra Elite 8 Active Gen 2 True Wireless earbuds are the best true wireless earbuds we've tested in the upper mid-range price bracket. Their superb ANC performs even better than the Sony WF-1000XM5 Truly Wireless and is great for blocking out everything from the rumble of bus engines to office chatter. On the other hand, the Jabra have a slightly brighter sound out of the box, unlike the Sony, which have a smoother treble. But fear not! The Jabra's sound profile is still generally well-balanced and will suit a variety of genres. Kick drums have plenty of thump, and basslines have enough punch to keep hip-hop fans happy, while vocals and instruments are rendered with plenty of detail. Also, you can always tweak their sound to your liking using their companion app's graphic EQ and presets.

    The Jabra are a great choice for working out, as their sweat-resistant 'ShakeGrip' coating and ergonomic design means they should stay securely in your ears during your workout. With their ANC on, they last almost eight hours continuously, and their carrying case supplies an additional three charges. Unlike our top pick, these don't support LDAC, but they do support Dolby Spatial Sound, which gives any audio you run through it a more 3D, immersive feel.

    If you're looking for earbuds to accompany you while you exercise, consider our best earbuds for running and working out article.

    See our review

  3. Best Mid-Range True Wireless Earbuds

    Current Deal: The Nothing Ear has dropped in price by $45 at Amazon.com.

    The Nothing Ear Truly Wireless are our mid-range pick that don't require you to make too many compromises to suit your budget. Their battery life isn't quite as long lasting as the Jabra Elite 8 Active Gen 2 True Wireless and the build quality isn't as good, but these comfortable buds still have multi-device pairing and an app for customizing their controls and sound. Out of the box, their sound profile is quite flat, with a little extra bass and a slightly rolled-off treble. This profile suits most genres, but if you like something with more rumble or a more excited tuning, their EQ is simple to adjust to taste.

    To help you focus, the noise isolation and ANC do a decent job of cutting out environmental sounds throughout the range. But if you're looking for mid-range buds with better ANC, consider the Sony LinkBuds S Truly Wireless, which do an excellent job blocking out noise. That said, the Sony's mic isn't as good as the Nothing's. While the Nothing don't have a virtual surround sound feature, they do support high-resolution Bluetooth codecs like LDAC and LHDC. A rating of IP54 for the buds and IP55 for the case rounds things off nicely. These buds will withstand a rainy or dusty day at the park or get you through an average workout. 

    See our review

  4. Best Lower Mid-Range True Wireless Earbuds

    Current Deal: The Anker Soundcore Space A40 Truly Wireless has dropped in price by $35 at Amazon.com.

    If you're looking for affordable earbuds, the lower mid-range Anker Soundcore Space A40 Truly Wireless are a great model for starting your search. These earbuds don't have as good a microphone as the Nothing Ear Truly Wireless, but their warm sound profile is similar-ish to the Nothing's and suits a wide variety of genres. They do lack a little detail in the low-treble region, so those of you who like vocals to sound very up-front will want to use the app's graphic EQ and presets to customize their sound to your liking. Like the Nothing, the Anker support LDAC for high-resolution audio via Bluetooth.

    These earbuds have an adaptive ANC system that adjusts to the noise around you. It does a fantastic job of effectively blocking out ambient sound while filtering out low-pitched noise, like rumbling engines. The earbuds last more than eight hours of continuous use with ANC on and have a case that holds an additional four charges.

    The Anker Soundcore Liberty 4 NC True Wireless offer a similar performance but feature a stem design that protrudes from your ear, providing more stability. They have a bassier sound profile than the Space A40, which will suit fans of EDM and hip-hop, but the Space A40 provide greater attenuation against bass range noise, and it's easier to achieve a consistent sound delivery with them.

    See our review

  5. Best Budget Wireless Earbuds

    Check out the JBL Vibe Buds True Wireless for wireless earbuds at an affordable price. Unlike many budget-friendly options, they have a companion app, which gives you more control over their performance. The sound adds some extra thump in the bass and a slightly forward upper mid-range that keeps vocals at the front of busy mixes. You can change this default tuning to your taste by using the companion app's parametric EQ and presets. Besides the app's EQ, the feature is pretty spartan, so if you care about multi-device pairing or LDAC support, consider the Anker Soundcore Space A40 Truly Wireless instead.

    The JBL buds are decently secure and lightweight, with a durable IP54 rating against dust and water. Their long battery life of more than eight hours can get you through a workday's worth of continuous playback. The passive isolation can block a small amount of low-pitched rumble and a good amount of chatter, but they don't have ANC, so look at our lower mid-range pick to filter low-pitched noise. Their mic sounds decent in a quiet environment but struggles to separate noise from speech. For a slightly better mic, the JBL Vibe Beam True Wireless handle noise better. They have a lot of similarities, although these have a somewhat shorter continuous battery life and one less charge stored in the case. However, their case does have a lid.

    See our review

  6. Best Truly Wireless Earbuds For iPhone

    The Apple AirPods Pro (2nd generation) Truly Wireless are a great option if you're looking for premium buds that will integrate well with your Apple ecosystem. While they don't have cross-platform sound customization features like the Sony WF-1000XM5 Truly Wireless, they offer a few features for iOS that you might appreciate if you're an iPhone or MacBook user. Their H2 chip helps with easy pairing to Apple devices, and they support Spatial Audio, a surround sound feature meant to create a more immersive listening experience with compatible content.

    Their adaptive EQ results in a warm sound profile, so your audio has a bit of extra boom along with cozy-sounding vocals and instruments. They block out a bit more noise than the Sony, doing an outstanding job isolating you from the rumble of plane engines and office chatter alike. The earbuds last just under six hours of continuous use with ANC on and come with a case with four extra charges. They have a comfortable fit for most people, but you might find they wiggle out of your ears after a while and require repositioning.

    See our review

Notable Mentions

  • Devialet Gemini II True Wireless: The Devialet Gemini II True Wireless are premium in-ears with an outstanding noise isolation performance. While they have a shorter battery life than the Sony WF-1000XM5 Truly Wireless, their mic has a better recording quality and very good noise handling, making them a great choice for taking phone calls. See our review
  • Beats Powerbeats Pro Truly Wireless:

    The Beats Powerbeats Pro Truly Wireless are a great choice for anyone looking for workout-focused earbuds that have secure and malleable over-ear hooks, so you don't have to worry about them falling out. But unlike the Jabra Elite 8 Active Gen 2 True Wireless, these don't have ANC, and their controls aren't as easy to use.

    See our review
  • Bose Ultra Open Earbuds:

    The Bose Ultra Open Earbuds Truly Wireless clip onto the bottom of your ears so that your ear canals stay open, allowing you greater awareness of your surroundings than the Jabra Elite 8 Active Gen 2 True Wireless. Unfortunately, like most open-fits, they don't have much bass on tap so, while they sound great for your favorite podcast, you might miss the extra thump in your music compared to the more balanced sound of the Jabra.

    See our review
  • Samsung Galaxy Buds3 Pro:

    The Samsung Galaxy Buds3 Pro Truly Wireless are sleek in-ears with remarkably good noise isolation performance. However, their 6-hour continuous battery life is shorter than that of the Jabra Elite 8 Active Gen 2 True Wireless, and their mic does a worse job of separating your voice from any noise around you. 

    See our review
  • Apple AirPods 4 with Active Noise Cancellation:

    The Apple AirPods 4 with Active Noise Cancellation Truly Wireless are earbuds with an adaptive EQ feature, which adjusts their sound to how they fit your ears. However, not everyone will find their earbud shape comfortable or stable since they don't fit deeply into your ears. They block out about as much noise as the Nothing Ear Truly Wireless, but are usually more expensive. 

    See our review
  • JLab Audio GO Air POP True Wireless:

    The JLab Audio GO Air POP True Wireless are affordable in-ears that offer a bass-rich sound profile with built-in EQ presets. While they don't have any ANC features, they passively block out a decent amount of ambient sound. They don't have a companion app to tweak their sound like the JBL Vibe Buds True Wireless, but their stable and comfortable fit makes them a good choice for the gym.

    See our review

Recent Updates

  1. Jan 27, 2025

    We've replaced the Sony LinkBuds S Truly Wireless with the Nothing Ear Truly Wireless because the Nothing have a better-performing microphone. We've kept the Sony as an option for those looking for better noise isolation performance. We've also updated our Notable Mentions with the latest models of Samsung and Apple buds.

  2. Oct 28, 2024

    The Jabra Elite 8 Active Gen 2 are our new upper mid-range pick for their balanced sound and outstanding noise isolation. We've also removed the 'Best Truly Wireless Earbuds For Running' pick, as the Jabra are our top pick for that, too. The Beats Powerbeats Pro Truly Wireless and Bose Ultra Open Earbuds Truly Wireless replace the Sennheiser MOMENTUM Sport True Wireless as workout-focused alternatives in our Notable Mentions. Finally, we removed the Anker SoundCore Life P3 Truly Wireless from our Notable Mentions.

  3. Aug 01, 2024 :  Following our recent Test Bench 1.7 update, which changed how we test noise isolation, the Jabra Elite 10 True Wireless replace the Apple AirPods Pro (2nd generation) Truly Wireless as our upper mid-range pick. The AirPods are now our pick for iPhone. We removed the 'Best Noise Cancelling Earbuds' category and integrated the Bose QuietComfort Ultra Earbuds Truly Wireless as a competitor to the main pick. We added the Sennheiser MOMENTUM Sport True Wireless to our Notable Mentions because of their built-in biometric sensors.

  4. Jul 08, 2024 :  Our mid-range pick has been updated with the Sony LinkBuds S Truly Wireless, and minor text edits have been made throughout.

  5. Apr 16, 2024 :  The picks and text have been checked for accuracy, and we added the Bose Ultra Open Earbuds Truly Wireless as an alternative for their open fit and stability for runners.

All Reviews

Our recommendations above are what we think are currently the best earbuds to buy for most people in each price range. We factor in the price (cheaper headphones win over pricier ones if the difference isn't worth it), feedback from our visitors, and availability (no headphones that are difficult to find or almost out of stock everywhere).

If you would like to choose for yourself, here is the list of all our reviews for truly wireless headphones. Be careful not to get caught up in the details. There are no perfect headphones. Personal taste, preference, and listening habits will matter more in your selection.

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Comments

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Best True Wireless Earbuds: Main Discussion

What do you think of our picks? Let us know below.


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    I think the bass is REALLY great and this is definitely not mixed use. I would rate this a 9 for office, neutral sound and commute/travel. The sound quality is REALLY great, it is very crisp, unless you change it yourself using apps like Nahimic. They have some of the best sound quality for headphones and I never get any sort distortion. Overall, I would rate this like a 9.5 out of 10. These are REALLY great headphones, even though they are from 2018.