The best earbuds of 2024: Expert tested and reviewed

These earbuds, according to ZDNET reviewer Jada Jones, cancel out noise like a pair of over-ear headphones. That's a big deal for a small but mighty pair of buds. This improved noise-canceling capability is partly due to the upgraded ear tips Sony included in its most recent iteration. They use polyurethane foam tips, which create a tighter seal in the ear compared to traditional silicon. 

It doesn't hurt that these earbuds are also extremely comfortable; Jones reported that even after a day of deep work or a strenuous workout session with the earbuds in, she didn't feel the need ever to take them out and give her ears a break. Plus, with a battery life of up to 12 hours, you can last the whole workday with these in.

Review: Sony's WF 1000XM5 may be the best premium earbud on the market

With an IPX4 rating (a techy way of saying water-resistant), you can break out these earbuds at the height of the summer running season as you prep for that fall marathon and not worry about water-logging them with sweat or rain. While the earbuds' noise cancellation is not as silencing as the Bose QuietComfort Ultra earbuds, they're still pretty impressive in the ANC arena. 

Reviewers on Reddit say that while the WF-1000XM5 earbuds are a great upgrade from the XM3, upgrading from the XM4 to the XM5 is a harder sell. 

Sony WF 1000XM5 tech specs: Connectivity: Bluetooth 5.3 | Battery life: Up to 12 hours | Frequency range: 2.4 GHz - 2.48 GHz | Noise cancellation: Yes | Waterproof rating: IPX4 (resistant to water splashes)

If you want a reliable pair of earbuds that will knock your socks off when it comes to noise cancellation, go for the Bose QuietComfort Ultra earbuds. When I tested these earbuds out, I thought the noise cancellation was the best on any set of earbuds I had tried yet. "With the strong ANC, I was able to dig into my work by listening to my morning classical playlist and blocking out the noisy office chatter around me," I wrote in my spotlight. 

More: Forget AirPods Pro: These Bose noise-canceling earbuds sound better and feel premium 

On runs, these earbuds stick in my ears, which I can credit to the oval shape of the ear tip as well as the extra grip from the stability band, and music sounds great in them during high-intensity workouts. Another notable feature is Bose's Immersive Audio mode, which brings music to the forefront of your ears and allows music to move with you. It's a great feature, but it does significantly reduce battery life. Speaking of which, the battery life on these isn't the most competitive at only six hours, but I disregard that for how great my music sounds with them in. 

While reviewers on Reddit said that the noise cancellation was the best they had tried, some users mentioned connectivity issues. Initially when I tested these out, I had trouble at times connecting to the earbuds, and sometimes my music would dip in and out. But after many months of using these, I don't have any connectivity issues. 

Bose QuietComfort Ultra earbuds specs: Connectivity: Bluetooth 5.3 | Battery life: 6 hours | Frequency range: NA | Noise cancellation: Yes | Waterproof rating: Water resistant

We get it: Who wants to spend over $100 on a pair of earbuds? If you're looking for a pair of earbuds that boast many luxury features but lack the luxury price tag, look no further than the JLab JBuds ANC 3. They cost less than $60, they have an extensive battery life that makes frequent charging unnecessary, and they have noise cancellation (ANC) that works well. Though it's not always easy to find budget earbuds with real ANC, these are a pair that deliver.

The JLab Jbuds ANC 3 offer three listening modes: ANC, ANC Off, and Be Aware. The ANC mode dims down and distances external sound as I listen to audio, and is competitive with some of the more premium earbuds I've tried, for a fraction of the price. 

Given how lightweight the buds are, they also fit snugly and comfortably in my ears, and, most importantly, stay in them while I exercise. With a long battery life, multipoint Bluetooth for easy audio switching between devices, and great sound, these are an excellent choice for $60 earbuds. Reviewers on Amazon complimented the ANC and the low price for the high value of these earbuds. One reviewer mentioned how these earbuds are great for small ears, too. 

More: You're overpaying for earbuds and this $60 pair proves it

JLab JBuds ANC 3 tech specs: Connectivity: Bluetooth Multipoint | Battery life: 9 hours in the earbuds and 33+ hours in the case | Noise cancellation: Yes | Waterproof? IP55

AirPods Pro (2nd generation) tech specs: Connectivity: Bluetooth | Battery life: 6 hours | Frequency range: NA | Noise cancellation: Yes | Waterproof rating: IPX4

Apple didn't change too much about the AirPods Pro (2nd generation) from last year to this year, with the exception of the new USB-C port. Apple replaced its signature Lightning port with a USB-C port for its newest lineup of iPhones, its AirPods Pro, and Apple Watches. 

Thanks to Apple's new and improved H2 chip, these AirPods have better performance, more immersion via high-band connectivity, and a low-distortion audio driver with a custom amplifier. The technologies combine to ensure clearer audio across various sound frequencies, making them the best-sounding AirPods to date. And most Redditors agree that these are the best AirPods you can buy out of the lineup. 

As far as noise cancellation goes, these AirPods have two times more noise cancellation than the previous version. An upgraded adaptive transparency mode also automatically lowers the volume of harmful noises above the 85dB threshold. Plus, you can personalize your spatial audio settings to create your ideal sound experience (using iOS 16). 

I'd recommend the AirPods Pro to people who are already in the Apple ecosystem, because having that easy connectivity to your laptop, phone, or iPad is the biggest advantage to these earbuds. They aren't the best overall, but the Apple AirPods Pro are the best for Apple users. 

Review: AirPods Pro 2 offer two big upgrades but connectivity remains a problem

AirPods Pro (2nd generation) tech specs: Connectivity: Bluetooth | Battery life: 6 hours | Frequency range: NA | Noise cancellation: Yes | Waterproof rating: IPX4

The Galaxy Buds 3 Pro look like AirPods Pro dupes, but they have some fun features Android users can get excited about. The first being ultra-high audio playback: your music should sound stellar when you play it with the Buds 3 Pro. Another fun feature is the interpreter mode, which can translate conversations in different languages, but only if you own the new Galaxy Z Fold 6 and Z Flip 6 smartphones. 

Samsung pumped Galaxy AI features into these earbuds, which not only made the interpreting mode possible, but also improved active noise cancellation mode and call quality. You're getting seven hours of listening time in the earbud and 30 more in the case with ANC off. 

Also: Galaxy Buds 3 Pro vs AirPods Pro 2: Which premium earbuds should you buy? 

We haven't gotten to test these earbuds out for ourselves yet, given how new they are, but will report back in the coming weeks with a full review. Still, we can easily recommend them from the get-go for Samsung users. 

Galaxy Buds 3 Pro tech specs: Connectivity: Bluetooth 5.4 | Battery life: 7 hours of playback and 30 hours in case with ANC off  | Noise cancellation: Yes | Waterproof rating: IP57

The JBL Tour Pro 2's innovative touchscreen case is so user-friendly and ahead of its time that even Apple is (reportedly) taking notes. Pause or play, reduce or increase the volume, switch from noise-canceling to ambient aware to talk-through mode, accept or reject calls, or even locate that missing left earbud, all through the touchscreen case. 

The first time I wore these earbuds during my morning commute to work, I was surprised while waiting at the subway platform when I looked up from my phone to find the subway had shown up -- I barely heard its arrival. Needless to say: the noise cancelling on the Tour Pro 2s is legit, and the buds deliver clean and crisp sound. 

Review: Forget AirPods: These wireless earbuds offer clever features that Apple doesn't

While exercising with the Tour Pro 2s, I could lightly touch the right earbud to pause or play music and switch between noise canceling (ideal for deep concentration, but not-so-ideal for jogging outside) to ambient aware (great for environmental awareness) with ease. The buds stay in your ears while you're on the go but get a little slippery as you begin to sweat with them (which you can do without any worry of water damage since the earbuds have a water-resistant IPX5 rating). The call and microphone quality isn't as good as other high end earbuds, like Apple's, but the Tour Pro 2s are a little less expensive than other noise-canceling earbud options on this list, and they offer a slate of features that some of the more popular tech brands, like Apple, simply don't have yet. 

One Reddit reviewer said that the noise cancellation is great -- "maybe better than I remember my [first generation] AirPods Pros ever being." Though many reviewers, myself included, say that the transparency mode could be improved. 

JBL Tour Pro 2 tech specs: Connectivity: Bluetooth 5.3 | Battery life: 8 hours with ANC on and 
10 hours with ANC off | Frequency range: 20 Hz - 20 kHz | Noise cancellation: Yes | Waterproof rating: IPX5

As I wrote in my review, the Nothing Ear (a) earbuds "are like the AirPods Pro's funkier younger sister who went to art school, buys gifts for friends through the MOMA Store, and can explain the difference between white and orange wine to you." You're getting the coolest looking earbud on the market with the Nothing Ear (a) for only $100, making them just as much a fashion statement piece as they are a mobile accessory. 

Review: These $99 transparent earbuds make AirPods look and sound boring

The inexpensive price offers premium features however, like bass enhancement, responsive and thoughtful pinch controls, earbud pings for when you need to find them (though the sound is not the loudest), and a high quality build. I comfortably ran ten miles with these in my ears and they did a splendid job of sticking in my sweaty ears, playing gorgeous, bass-heavy music that kept me pounding pavement. 

You'll be hard-pressed to find such an interesting design in the audio space. Just look at the other picks on this best list -- not a color in sight. That's why the Ear (a)s get my vote as the best designed earbuds. 

Nothing Ear (a) tech specs: Connectivity: Bluetooth 5.3 | Battery life: 9.5 hours with ANC off  | Noise cancellation: Yes | Waterproof rating: IP54

Bluetooth earbuds might come with seamless connectivity, noise-canceling capabilities, and voice assistants, but nothing is more reliable than a pair of wired earbuds. Maybe you're a Luddite who doesn't want to keep track of the latest technology but nevertheless wants to hear the strum of your favorite song clearly, or maybe you're tired of recharging your earbuds case and want an unfussy audio option. For all that and more, these earbuds from Sennheiser are great.

A 3.9-inch cable includes a built-in microphone and remote so you can play or pause music and take a call without using your phone. While these earbuds don't have active noise cancellation, they have sound isolation thanks to their in-ear design. These also come with four ear adapter sizes (XS, S, M, and L) and a handy travel pouch. And, since they are wired, you never have to worry about charging them.

Sennheiser CX 300S In-ear Headphones tech specs: Battery life: N/A | Noise cancellation: No—but has sound isolation | Voice assistant: No | Waterproof rating: N/A