Best Overall Wireless Headphones
Sony WH-1000XM4
Sony’s flagship noise-canceling model is now in its fourth generation, and it shows. The WH-1000XM4 (9/10, WIRED Recommends) offers 30 hours of battery life, an ergonomic design, and a few of the simplest sound quality you will find, because of Sony’s DSEE Extreme upscaling engine.
They wipe out the planet better than nearly all competitors and may even sense once you talk and pause your music—a nifty trick meaning you’ll rarely reach for the pause button.
Sony has also addressed the one thing we hated about the previous model: call quality. New microphones combined with better processing make these great for Zoom meetings and phone calls alike.
1More ColorBuds
The True Wireless ColorBuds combine 1MORE’s award-winning sound with a stylish look, four on-trend color options and a compact size to set a new standard for headphones as an everyday lifestyle companion.
From tiny tots to stubborn geriatrics, the 1More ColorBuds are a number of the foremost universally comfortable headphones you’ll buy. Three sizes of silicone ear tips and little ear fins help them stay secure, and a rather slimmed-down design from the previous 1More Stylish model helps them fit well even in smaller ears.
The ColorBuds are waterproof (IPX5), and that they sound great. They’re AptX-enabled and have punchy bass that’s impressive for headphones this size, but never get too boomy. Such comfort, sound quality, and AirPods–beating 6 hours of battery life at a tag that’s $60 less make the 1More Colorbuds the simplest wirefree earbuds you’ll buy immediately.
Beats Powerbeats
AirPods are easy to use with iPhones, but they’re not all that great when it involves battery life or sweatproof performance. our favorite pair of workout headphones are the Beats Powerbeats (8/10, WIRED Recommends).
The ear clip-style buds stay attached during workouts, with a wire behind the top that keeps you from losing one, and allows you to hang them around your neck when you are not listening.
they appear and perform identically to the more-expensive Powerbeats Pro (8/10, WIRED Recommends), but the cable connecting each bud means you get 15 hours of battery life compared to the Powerbeats Pro’s 9 hours and saves you about $100.
Bose Noise Cancelling 700
Special digital signal processing (DSP) and a complicated microphone array inside Bose’s latest flagship headphones allow them to limit ground noise and specialize in your voice alone, making them the simplest headphones you’ll buy when it involves calling quality.
Plus, the special mics and DSP pair with Bose’s incredibly effective noise-canceling tech, making it appear to be you’re during a quiet space even when you’re out and about. All of that plus great comfort, long battery life, and excellent sound quality mean the Bose 700 are among the simplest headphones for a business person immediately.
Sennheiser Momentum 3 Wireless Headphones
You won’t get an equivalent level of noise-canceling or battery life as you’ll form the 2 top Sony or Bose headphones on our list, but the third generation of Sennheiser’s Momentum Wireless still silences tons of noise and are a tour de force when it involves sound quality and style.
These posh over-ears are like studio headphones from the rock and roll era, with robust chrome steel and plush leather earpads that stay comfortable for hours on end.
Sennheiser’s excellent in-house tuning will sometimes cause you to think you’re taking note of remixes of your favorite records with more detail added in.
Their low-end bass is bold—but not overwhelming—and it joins a hyper-detailed middle and high range, painting your favorite tunes in vibrant musical color.
The added noise-canceling serves the music within the same way a white wall serves the art during a gallery.
Sennheiser HD 4.40 BT
Don’t let the drab design fool you. These Sennheisers sound killer and last 25 hours on a charge. They also produce powerful but not overpowering bass and have an app that allows you to tinker with EQ settings.
Near-field communication (NFC) makes Bluetooth pairing as easy as holding up your phone, and therefore the buttons on the earcups make changing songs and adjusting volume straightforward tasks.
If you would like noise-canceling tech, the fancier Sennheiser BT4.5 could be up your alley.
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Best For $50 Or Less
JLab Audio Go Air
For an excellent budget pick, we like these wire-free earbuds from JLab (8/10, WIRED Recommends).
They only get five hours of battery life per charge and their case (which holds about four extra charges) has an open-topped design that will collect a touch of dirt and lint from your pockets, but they’re great cheap headphones. they’re small and cozy in your ears, and that they sound ok for the worth.
They’re also IP44 rated, so you’ll sweat in them without worry. The case also features a built-in USB cable, so you do not get to tote extra cords with you.
Sony WF-1000XM3
Carrying an enormous pair of over-ear headphones wont to be the sole thanks to effectively make noise the planet, but no more. With its WF-1000XM3 (9/10, WIRED Recommends), Sony took a shrink ray to an equivalent noise-canceling tech we loved inside its over-ear WH-1000XM3 model.
These wire-free earbuds have six hours of battery life, making them great for about the longest outdoor adventures, and a 10-minute charge within the case will nab you an additional hour and a half juice for once you forget to charge them.
Couple these features with Sony’s outstanding DSEE HX audio processing, and you’ve left with a number of the best-sounding and most capable earbuds around.
Best Workout Buds for Audiophiles
Master & Dynamic MW07 Go
Master & Dynamic’s MW07 Go (9/10, WIRED Recommends) are light, comfortable, and compact, but they still sound fantastic, which is why they’re now my go-to buds at the gym.
they need a vibrant soundstage and far more musical detail than most wire-free models; they last for 10 hours per charge; and that they have an IPX6 rating, so you’ll confidently rinse them off after your biweekly trip on the treadmill.
Plus, I prefer the physical buttons on top of every bud, which never gets jostled once you adjust them during workouts, unlike pesky touch controls.
Best for iPhone Owners
Apple AirPods Pro
The AirPods Pro (8/10, WIRED Recommends) is easily well worth the $100 premium you’ll pay over standard AirPods. For one thing, they are much easier and secure because of silicone ear tips that replace the quality AirPods’ hard plastic. They also sound far better.
The ear tips create a far better seal together with your ears for more dynamic bass response. We also love the active noise canceling.
You’ll never hear your kids squealing within the next room when you’re trying to urge some work done.
The built-in vents mean the “plugged-ear” feeling you get with another bud isn’t here, and an IPX4 rating makes them great at the gym. My only gripe? Battery life, which stands at a paltry 4.5 hours (outside of the 19.5-hour charging case).
Jabra Elite Active 75T
The Elite Active 75T is the perfect earbud for people that can’t stop breaking their phone screens.
They’re tiny and ergonomic, so you will not drop one on the road during a jog, and they have an IP57 rating, which suggests you’ll drop them within the sink or the dirt with no problems.
They’re also great-sounding headphones with a solid 7.5-hour battery life outside the case and excellent call quality. Do your worst, they’ll keep it up ticking.
Best Headphones for Kids
JLab Audio JBuddies Studio Bluetooth – Wireless Headphones
These compact Bluetooth headphones limit the quantity to your kiddos’ ears, keeping all sound below 85 decibels—the physician recommended limit for extended listening without hearing damage.
They get 13 hours of listening time and have a durable design with pinch-less hinges to survive whatever kids can throw at them. The grey, blue, and purple colors also make it easier to inform whose pair is whose if you’ve got multiple children. Plus, at just $30, they do not break the bank.
