Reviews, Buying Guide, Top Pick

By Tess Douglas On Dec 16, 2023

If you purchase an independently reviewed product or service through a link on our website, Rolling Stone may receive an affiliate commission.

There has never been a better time to go wireless, especially when it comes to your music — and it’s not all AirPods as far as the eye can see.

While headphones have always been a reliable option for taking your music on the go, a ton of manufacturers are competing to create the best wireless earbuds that deliver the same sound quality in more versatile, portable packages. Using Bluetooth technology, the best earbuds let you listen to music or take calls without being tied down by annoying cables. And, you don’t need to plug in to stay powered up.

But not all wireless listening devices are the same. For the best wireless listening experience, you’ll want to upgrade to a pair of true wireless earbuds — and we’ve found the best earbud releases, from audiophile picks with HiFi sound, to the most crisp on-the-go call quality around.

What Are the Best True Wireless Earbuds?

We’ve rounded up some of the best true wireless earbuds available online that we’ve personally tested over the years. They all win points for ease of use, comfort and durability, while delivering clean, crisp and reliable sound that will last you through the day and into the night.

EDITOR’S PICK: Apple AirPods Pro (2nd Gen)

BEST FOR ANDROID: Samsung Galaxy Buds 2 Pro

BEST SOUND: Bose QuietComfort Ultra Earbuds

BEST NOISE-CANCELLING: Sony WF-1000XM5 Wireless Earbuds

BEST FOR WORKOUTS: Jabra Elite 5

BEST FOR PHONE/VIDEO CALLS: Belkin Soundform Immense

MOST COMFORTABLE: Beats Fit Pro

1. Apple AirPods Pro (2nd Gen)

Amazon

Apple’s 2nd Generation AirPods Pro remain our pick as the best true wireless earbuds for Apple users, thanks to their comfortable fit, enhanced ANC and spatial audio.

Editor’s picks

The new AirPods Pro retain all of the things you liked about the first Generation model but with a few key differences. The latest model features the new H2 performance chip for better noise cancellation and more immersive audio. In fact, the new buds are set to cancel double the ambient noise as the previous AirPods Pro. The transparency mode is now adaptive too, meaning your buds can adjust for everything from construction noise to busy subways.

Speaking of listening, audio quality is excellent in these buds, with Apple’s Adaptive EQ automatically tuning the music to your ears and your surroundings. Apple‘s spatial audio technology is also still a big draw here, and with “dynamic head tracking” capabilities, the music seems to float from all directions, as if you were at a concert or theater.

The new AirPods are great for working out — they’re sweat and water-resistant with improved battery life at up to six hours per charge with ANC on (up to 30 with the included MagSafe charging case). They also come with four instead of three ear tip sizes now, featuring a new XS ear tip, specifically suited for smaller ears. The design remains relatively similar to the first generation though, so if you enjoyed the fit on the first pair, you won’t be disappointed with the new AirPods Pro (2nd Gen).

Apple ups the ante once again, delivering a pair of wireless earbuds with intuitive design and superb sound quality that tops all other audio brands in its class.

2. Samsung Galaxy Buds 2 Pro

The Galaxy Buds 2 Pro are a great alternative to Apple’s AirPods, with excellent audio quality and a more personalized active noise cancellation. The sound is also on par with most over-ear headphones, with an 10mm woofer and 5.3-mm tweeter built into each earbud, letting you hear low frequencies and thumping bass beats with stunning clarity.

Like the new AirPods Pro, Samsung’s buds feature “intelligent” active noise cancellation technology, for an immersive music listening experience with even the loudest outside sounds. Choose from four ambient sound modes in case you need to keep an ear out for the traffic while you’re walking down the street. But unlike the AirPods Pro, when your voice is detected during a conversation, the buds turns off ANC, turn down the volume and put them in Ambient Mode.

These buds are also IPX7-rated, so they can withstand rain with ease or your most grueling workouts at the gym. Battery life is decent, lasting about eight hours on a single charge if you’re not using Samsung’s voice assistant Bixby and you have ANC off.

Don’t worry about the fit — you’ll get three ear tip sizes to make sure these buds never leave your ear unless you yank them out. They come in a couple of different colors, too, so you can pick your favorite pair.

3. Bose QuietComfort Ultra Earbuds

Bose has produced some of our editors’ favorite earbuds over the years. But our most recent obsession for listening to music on the go: the QuietComfort Ultra Earbuds.

How do they sound? Put simply, Bose has delivered their best-sounding earbuds to date that we’ve tested. The QuietComfort Ultra buds are built for the music lover, with a more immersive spatial audio sound that other earbuds can’t always produce. Our music sounded warm, crisp, and overall clearer than other models on our desk during our tests.

And thanks to what the company calls “CustomTune tech,” the Bose buds fine-tune their noise cancellation and how your music sounds based on the shape of your ear canals, resulting in a truly custom, one-of-a-kind listening experience that tower over the competition.

The Bose earbuds also boast a six-hour battery life per charge with the included charging case. Plus, you can easily find the right fit for your ears, thanks to nine different eartips. The bootom line: Buy these buds.

4. Sony WF-1000XM5 Wireless Earbuds

Sony’s headphones are always in demand and with the past few generations of the brand’s noise-canceling earbuds, we have yet to find another reliable pair that can surround you in complete silence like the WF-1000XM5s can.

The Sony buds are also among one Rolling Stone editor’s favorite travel gifts to give: “These light-as-a-feather Sony buds are the ones we keep going back to for our long-haul flights, thanks in most part to their world-class active noise cancellation. In our testing, the earbuds blocked almost all airplane engine noise when listening to music at roughly 70 percent of the maximum volume level.” Sounds good to us.

5. Jabra Elite 5

Jabra’s Elite series has been ranking in our lists for years and the Elite 5 are well worth your money for the gym. Easily adjust the level of ANC to your liking through the Jabra Sound+ app to block as much sound as you need. You can even adjust transparency settings through the HearThrough mode to let ambient sound in. As for the earbuds‘ audio, you’ve got 6mm speakers that’ll make all your favorite songs sound crisp, whether your workout playlist is EDM or rap. There are also six microphones built-in if you need to take a break from your sweat sesh and jump into a Zoom call.

The fit’s great too, featuring a semi-open ear design which the brand says should avoid giving you that “plugged up” feeling that many earbuds have. Through the MyFit feature, you can adjust your fit to your liking. The earbuds are also IPX55-rated, which means they’ll be good to use for sweatier workouts at the gym. The brand also says the design is dust-resistant. Plus, you’ll get seven hours of battery life on a single charge, and the wireless charging case can hold an additional 28 hours of battery life. Simply put, run — don’t walk — to buy these buds.

6. Belkin Soundform Immense

BEST FOR PHONE/VIDEO CALLS

Belkin’s Soundform earbuds deliver audio quality that rivals that of over-the-ear headphones, especially when it comes to phone and video calling. They effectively block out sound using six microphones (three per earbud) that pick up, then filter out, external noise. Your voice will stay crisp and clear, and these buds really ensure quiet immersion no matter your surroundings.

The Soundform earbuds also feature IPX5 water resistance (for sweaty runs or rain) and a clever design that won’t fall out of your ear (but we’ve mostly used these in an office setting). Inside, 12mm dynamic drivers and 24-bit audio technology help generate exceptional audio quality for such a small pair of buds, even when our video calling quality got glitchy. Add 36 hours of battery life (eight in the earbuds and 24 in the charging case), and you’ve got some of the most capable earbuds for calls on the market.

7. Beats Fit Pro

For stellar style (and stellar sound), the Beats Fit Pro pack the most ergonomic fit we’ve ever tried. The wingtip design means you can adjust the fit as you want and that these buds will stay put in your ear, even during your workouts. There are three ear tip sizes included too, allowing you to further adjust the fit.

You’ve also got noise cancellation and transparency modes like the Apple AirPods Pro, which will help you zone out or stay in tune with your surroundings. Battery life runs six hours on a single charge and the wireless charging case will hold another 18 hours of charge time.

The Beats Fit Pro are IPX4-rated as well, which means they’re both sweat and water-resistant up to a degree so you can wear these buds at the gym, while out on a walk or just while you’re at home when you’re streaming your favorite TV shows.

These buds even carry Apple’s H1 chip for an immersive audio experience and there are audio sharing features too, so you and your friends can listen to the same tunes, as long as they own a pair of Apple headphones or earbuds. They even support spatial audio, a feature that adjusts sound as you turn your head for maximum surround sound. Plus, even though they’re technically Apple earphones, they’ll function easily with both iOS and Android devices, so they’re an all-around crowd-pleaser when it comes to fit.

Wireless vs. True Wireless Earbuds

Wireless headphones don’t need to be plugged in to anything but still require a headband that sits over your head. Some wireless earbuds, however, are attached to each other with a cord, or come with a neckband that wraps around your neck, to help keep them in place.

True wireless earbuds, however, refer to two earbuds that don’t need to be connected to one another. Instead, they fit snuggly inside your ear, either with adjustable cushioned tips or with a wrap-around hook that slides over your ear. By cutting the cord, you’re less restricted in your movement, letting you easily take your wireless earbuds on a run or hike, without getting tangled up in an annoying cable.

How We Chose the Best True Wireless Earbuds

We picked true wireless earbuds that deliver studio-grade sound in a portable package. Every pair on our list pairs quickly to your device to stream music, has good call quality, all while freeing your hands up from the phone. We emphasized battery life of five hours or more (with ANC on), and earbuds that offered some kind of customizable fit.

True wireless earbuds still work with Bluetooth technology, only the Bluetooth connection is built directly into each earbud as opposed to being built into a wire. Because the earbuds are separated, you can choose to either use each one individually or pair them together for more immersive audio. And when you need to charge the battery, just snap the earbuds into their included charging cases, which power up your buds without needing an outlet.

If you purchase an independently reviewed product or service through a link on our website, Rolling Stone may receive an affiliate commission.

There has never been a better time to go wireless, especially when it comes to your music — and it’s not all AirPods as far as the eye can see.