AirPod Alternatives: The Best True Wireless Earbuds for 2024

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The term "true wireless" might sound like sales jargon, but it's nonetheless what everyone has settled on to describe Bluetooth earphones without a connecting wire. PCMag's audio experts have been independently reviewing such models for around eight years, but the category really took off once phone manufacturers started to ditch the headphone jack. Apple's decision to do so led, of course, to its ubiquitous AirPods lineup, but there are plenty of alternatives worth exploring. After putting hundreds of true wireless earphones through our testing, we've come up with a list that covers a wide range of prices and capabilities. Among our Editors' Choice winners are the Bose QuietComfort Ultra Earbuds for unbeatable active noise cancellation (ANC), the Sony WF-1000XM5 for top-notch audio, and the Jabra Elite 8 Active Gen 2 for the exercise crowd. But each entry deserves a spot on this list, so you should peruse all of our linked, in-depth reviews. Make sure to also read to the end for some additional buying advice.

What Should You Know About Bluetooth Earphones?

True wireless earphones have overcome their shaky beginnings, which were marred by dropped connections, poor audio quality, and short battery life. In fact, many of today's options sound quite good.

Even if you subscribe to a high-res streaming service, your playback device and earphones determine the quality of that stream. All true wireless earphones connect over Bluetooth, which is fundamentally a lossy standard that can't support all of the data in a high-res or lossless stream. Thus, the signal undergoes compression during the transmission process.

Bluetooth codecs determine exactly how that happens. The most basic and universal Bluetooth codec is SBC. It's nearly everywhere, but it's also the lowest quality. Depending on your device, look for earphones that support AptX, AAC, LDAC, or other high-end codecs. We list codec support in each of our reviews, and our guide to Bluetooth codecs helps make the distinctions clearer.

It's also a good idea to stick with models that support Bluetooth 5.2, 5.3, or 5.4 to take advantage of the latest stability and efficiency advances.

Nothing is easier for Bluetooth pairing than connecting AirPods with an iOS device. All of Apple's models (as well as some from Beats) have a special H2 (or older H1 or W1) chip that enables seamless, instantaneous pairing. Other wireless earphones can be relatively simple to connect through your phone's Bluetooth settings menu or the device maker's associated app.

Which Brand Is Best for True Wireless Earbuds?

No one specific brand makes the best (or worst) true wireless earbuds overall, but if there's one complication many models share, it's the on-ear control department. You might often find that it's too easy to accidentally pause music, skip a track, or summon a voice assistant when you merely mean to take an earpiece out or adjust it slightly. There's not a lot of real estate on most of the earpieces we test, so the outer panel area is often touch-sensitive.

Newer models manage to strike a balance between operability and layout. Some use physical buttons to control playback, call management, track navigation, and volume. Others cleverly divide controls between the two earpieces via touch panels—tapping the left earpiece, for instance, skips a track backward, whereas tapping the right one skips forward. Despite needing to do a little more thinking before you tap, eventually, the division of controls between the two earpieces should become intuitive. Look for earphones that let you customize the on-ear controls to your preference.

Do Wireless Earbuds Have Good Battery Life?

Battery life is the Achilles' heel of the true wireless category. It's a miracle that these tiny in-ear devices can contain a battery at all, let alone one large enough to provide hours of entertainment. Typical battery life estimates (and keep in mind your results vary based on typical volume levels) top out around six hours. Such minuscule devices can't provide unending playback time, particularly with power-sapping features such as ANC.

The necessary solution that (nearly) all of these designs share is a charging case. The cases protect the earpieces, keep the earbuds together when you aren't using them, and charge their batteries. Most cases carry at least two extra full charges, so you can recharge your earphones on the go. Therefore, you can get roughly between 20 and 30 hours of battery life without an outlet. We expect battery life to become less of an issue in the future.

What Should You Do If You Lose an Earbud?

Understandably, many potential true wireless users are concerned about this. Allow us to allay your fears—we can say that after many years of testing, you have to try pretty hard to lose one earpiece. First off, just about every model we've tested offers a secure in-ear fit without sacrificing comfort. Most of the earpieces are larger than typical in-ear monitors (IEMs) and aren't likely to fall out even during exercise.

As for simply misplacing an earpiece when it's not in use, this also seems unlikely. The charging case is intrinsically tied to the experience—like hanging up the phone or turning off the TV when you're finished watching—you automatically reach for the case to stow and charge the earphones when you are done using them. You're far more likely to misplace the whole thing—the case with both earpieces inside—than you are to misplace one earpiece.

If you do somehow lose one earpiece only, however, plenty of companies like Apple will gladly sell you an extra one à la carte for less than the price of a new full set. If losing an earpiece still seems like something you can imagine happening to you, it's worth researching whether the model you're interested in offers this option.

If you do lose the entire case, several manufacturers build in either location- or audio-based detection features to help you locate it.

What Are the Best True Wireless Earbuds for Working Out?

Surprisingly, many of these wire-free models are durable enough for the gym—and can get wet—even though each earpiece has an exposed charging contact. The IP rating tells us what to expect. Some workout-friendly earphones have only an IPX4 rating, which means they can withstand sweat but not exposure to faucet pressure for cleaning. Others have an IPX7 (or higher) rating, which means you can rinse or dunk them with no real consequence.

If durability and a true waterproof design are your main priorities, you might have needed to sacrifice some user-friendly features or opt for a traditional neckband-style wireless design in the past, but that's no longer the case. Fully waterproof entries from Jabra and JBL, for instance, even offer ANC.

For more, see the best true wireless earbuds for running.

True Wireless Apps and Noise Cancellation

Many of the models we test come with companion apps that smooth out the setup process and unlock additional settings. For example, some let you set auto-off timers, disable voice prompts, and control playback. Others feature an adjustable EQ and let you toggle ambient listening modes that reveal the world around you.

ANC is an increasingly popular feature. The best noise-cancelling models from Apple, Bose, and Sony tend to cost more than others, though they are still relatively affordable compared with top-notch, over-ear ANC headphones.

What Are the Best Cheap True Wireless Earbuds?

True wireless earphones have all but completely replaced tethered wireless earphones and you can now find a good pair for less than $50 or under $100. Of course, performance improves drastically with our higher-priced recommendations. The very best models here cost $300 and up.

For more, check out five easy tips to extend the life of your headphones and eight ways you're using your headphones wrong.