The best earbuds under $50: Expert tested and reviewed

The Baseus Bowie 30 earbuds are the ideal earbuds that match quality with value. They sound great with a rich soundstage, a proper blend of bass, mids, and highs, and, according to ZDNET's Jack Wallen, who tested the earbuds out for himself, they offer up substantial noise cancellation. The earbuds are "capable of producing a sound that Bowie himself would approve of. Now, I'm not saying they're audiophile-grade quality, but for the average listener, these babies are outstanding," Wallen writes. 

You're getting 65 hours of playtime with the Bowie 30, six microphones for substantial clarity on calls, and noise cancellation to block out disruptions as you work, exercise, or hang out. As far as budget earbuds go, these fit the bill. 

Also: Baseus Bowie 30 review

Baseus Bowie 30 tech specs: Battery life: 65 hours | Connectivity: Bluetooth 5.3 | Microphones: Six | Noise cancellation? Yes | Water Resistance Level: Waterproof

The JLab JBuds ANC 3 offer a design that is different from some of the other earbuds on this list. If you're in the market for a stemless earbud, these are my favorites. I used them while training for my half-marathon, and they withstood runs in the rain and, most importantly, stayed in my ears for miles. The JBuds ANC 3 have a lightweight fit and nearly two days of battery life. While they retail for $60, you can easily find these on sale for less than $50.

What you're really buying these earbuds for are their noise-canceling capabilities. When I first tried these out, I was astonished by how impressive the noise-canceling was for such an affordable pair. My upstairs neighbor is a DJ who mixes music, and oftentimes, the songs he plays blast through our walls. One afternoon, while I was working from home, I couldn't focus because of the loud music, so I turned on my earbuds' ANC mode. "The irritating noise disappeared completely, so much so that I didn't notice when the upstairs DJ's music stopped playing," I write in my review.  

The 40-plus hour battery life also means that charging is infrequent and a breeze. I can't recommend these enough. 

JLab JBuds ANC 3 tech specs: Battery life: 42 hours | Connectivity: Bluetooth 5.3 | Microphones: Six | Noise cancellation? Yes | Water Resistance Level: IP55

Not everybody wants earbuds that take them out of their environment. At $38, Amazon's Echo Buds are a great choice without a super-tight noise-canceling seal. These are comfortable to wear for long periods of time, ZDNET's Jada Jones wrote in her review, and they sound great. "They don't distort my audio at high volumes, and a 12mm driver helps bass sound deep without getting crunchy. I was impressed with the sound quality and recommend these to anyone looking for the best audio performance in this price range," Jones wrote. 

While calling friends, Jones reported that the mics were clear, and connecting your Buds to your Amazon account for all your voice assistant needs is easy. 

One downside to these, though, is you'll need to download the Alexa app to use them. Another? Given the price point, you aren't getting any noise cancellation, so look elsewhere if this is something you want in your headphones.  

Also: Echo Buds review

Echo Buds tech specs: Battery life: 5 hours in buds, 20 in case | Connectivity: Bluetooth Multipoint | Microphones: Two | Noise cancellation? No | Water Resistance Level: Sweat resistant

ZDNET's Maria Diaz has used these Tozo wireless earbuds for over four years, and calls them the "backups to my backups." They've even survived getting chewed up by her dog. The best part? They're normally on sale for under $30 on Amazon. 

The Tozo T10 earbuds come with Bluetooth 5.3, 10 hours of battery life in the earbuds and a total playtime of 45 hours including the case, and an IPX8 rating waterproof rating (which explains how they endured a dog's mouth). Amazon reviews agree with Diaz's point that the earbuds are made to last. Many reviewers said they've had the earbuds for two- or three-plus years and that the earbuds' battery life lasts the entire workday.  

Given the cheaper price, it's no surprise that the earbuds don't include noise cancellation. But if you're looking for a pair of earbuds that will cost you less than $30 for working out or playing music and podcasts, these fit the bill. 

Tozo T10 earbuds tech specs: Battery life: 45 hours | Connectivity: Bluetooth 5.3  | Microphones: NA | Noise cancellation? No | Water Resistance Level: IPX8

You could say that the ZDNET team has an affinity for these Apple EarPods. As I asked around for budget earbuds recommendations, this pick came up multiple times. These wired USB-C EarPods are the underdog of Apple's audio line, and for good reason: They're cheap ($19, and usually discounted to $17) with an unassumingly amazing microphone. 

The $19 EarPods are ideal for use with the latest iPhones, just about any Android phone, laptops, tablets, and more, ZDNET reviews editor Kerry Wan said. The EarPods don't come with cushioning -- a notable advantage and disadvantage. "While they won't dig into your ear and induce pressure buildup over time, there's a noticeable lack of audio immersion (or passive noise cancellation)," Wan said. 

Also: The best wired earbuds

But you're not really buying these for the best sound performance. Instead, buy them for the ease of use, the perpetual battery life (because, you know, it's wired), and the built-in microphone. They're so spectacular that Wan says he uses it to record his voiceovers for nearly every video he makes for our social platforms. 

"The mic is so good on these that it could pass for a studio microphone, and I've used it as such for voice-overs and in filming short-form videos," ZDNET editor-in-chief Jason Hiner tells me.  

Apple EarPods tech specs: Battery life: NA | Connectivity: Wired | Microphones: One | Noise cancellation? No | Water Resistance Level: No