The best pair of wireless earbuds do more than sound great. They’re supposed to be comfortable, offer intuitive controls that are easy to navigate, sport an efficient mic, and have a battery that lasts sufficiently long. This is just the bare minimum. Features like water and dust resistance, noise cancelation, multi-point connectivity, wireless charging, and mono-listening are also expected on most midrange to high-end buds these days.
Don’t worry if that sounds like a lot to look out for. We’ve compiled a list of the best true wireless earbuds on the market, including something for every user. Whether you’re looking for something for gaming or running, we’ve got you covered.
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The editorial staff of Gizmodo independently tests and reviews each product found in our Buyer’s Guides. If you purchase something using our affiliate links, G/O Media may earn a commission. Affiliate linking does not influence our editorial content.
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Best Overall True Wireless Earbuds — Sony WF-1000XM5
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Sony’s $300—$280 at the time of writing—flagship earbuds, the WF-1000XM5, are some of the best-sounding wireless earbuds we’ve ever tested. Using a new 8.4-millimeter Dynamic Driver X in each bud (the drivers on its predecessors, the WF-1000XM4s, were 6 millimeters in size), the new WF-1000XM5s are a very noticeable step-up in performance, giving your music more presence and oomph, without sounding like the earbuds are being overdriven or pushing the limits of what they’re capable of. Bass hits land harder with more thump in your ear, drums have a more satisfying snap, and all without vocals get lost in the mix. They also offer industry-leading active noise cancellation and impressive adjustable EQ settings. Compared to the WF-1000XM4s, these are “25% smaller and 20% lighter,” which might not sound like much, but at the scale of wireless earbuds, that amount of shrinkage ends up making a world of difference. Read More — Andrew Liszewski
Best Budget True Wireless Earbuds — Samsung Galaxy Buds FE
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These are Samsung’s entry-level $100 buds that I’d recommend for their secure fit, simple controls, powerful ANC, and long battery life. They come docked in a small, inconspicuous 40-gram charging case. With a glossy exterior, the case is thankfully not a magnet for fingerprints. The Galaxy Buds FE fit pretty snugly. I wore these buds outside for quite a while, and despite all the movement that I put them through while doing my laundry and groceries, they stayed glued to my ears throughout. Closely related to their snug fit, and probably a consequence, is the fact that they feature great passive noise isolation with the tight seal they form with your ears.
I used these buds in the noisiest settings I could think of and was pleasantly surprised. They did a fantastic job of muting the Laundromat’s dryers and washers, and I was able to enjoy my music without having to tolerate a constant, annoying buzz. The buds did a scarily good job canceling the extremely loud traffic when I walked to the Laundromat, too. Read More — Dua Rashid
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Another Great Budget True Wireless Earbuds — OnePlus Buds 3
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The OnePlus Buds 3, at $100, check almost all boxes. They’re intuitively designed in terms of controls, offer a battery that lasts longer than a week of typical usage, feature excellent detailed, rich, airy audio, and have the kind of noise cancellation that silences everyone on the Subway. You also get both multi-point connectivity and mono-listening. OnePlus’ newest buds are also IP55 rated against water and dust. This means they are almost completely dustproof and can be exposed to a light shower of water or rain from any angle.
Don’t expect any bells and whistles in terms of design, though. The case is as modest as possible, featuring a plain (boring) fully matte body. The buds are thankfully slightly flashier with a gleaming metallic exterior and long Airpods-style stems. Read More — Dua Rashid
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Best Premium True Wireless Earbuds — Master & Dynamic MW09
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MW09 are Master & Dynamic’s flagship premium buds that cost $349 for the aluminum case and $399 if you opt for the Kevlar fiber case. These buds are so beautiful it hurts. The sapphire glass and aluminum earbud body is well-crafted and robust, offering excellent attention to detail. Navigating the MW09 is also fairly simple, with a big volume rocker on the left bud and a multi-function button on the right that handles everything from playback to calls. The ANC on these buds works well for my daily Subway commute. The loud sound of the engine and the hum of people chit-chatting were all successfully muted. My colleagues chatting right next to me at my workplace were utterly silenced, too.
M&D considerably bumped up the battery life on these buds. We saw 42 hours on the last two models and an impressive 48 hours on these. These are the kind of buds that you get if you have a long commute, travel a lot, or hate being tethered to a socket. For around three to four hours of usage daily, which is pretty standard for most of us, you can easily charge these once every two weeks. You also get wireless charging (yay), which wasn’t offered in its predecessors. Read More — Dua Rashid
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