The 9 best earbuds of 2026, tested by audio experts

Read our full review of the Panasonic Technics EAH-AZ100 earbuds.

Panasonic's Technics EAH-AZ100 wireless earbuds are made for audiophiles. If you want to hear every note in perfect crisp detailed sound, these headphones make music better thanks to their magnetic fluid drivers. Whether you want a fully customizable experience by adjusting your bass and treble, or you just want to pop in your buds and experience delicious spatial audio without the fuss, the Technics offer users both.

Panasonic blew us away with its Technics EAH-AZ100 earbuds. If you've ever thought that earbuds can't deliver the same potent sound quality as over-ear headphones, then let the AZ100s prove you wrong. The buds come with four different ear tips that range from extra small to large, delivering a snug and secure fit suitable for even those with small or narrow ears who struggle to find earbuds that fit. That being said, they aren't the most comfortable headphones we've ever tested (nothing beats the Bose QuietComfort Ultras), as they get uncomfortable after a couple of hours of wear.

However, what you're really after here is the incredible sound quality of the Technics. Music just sounds better on the AZ100 earbuds. The earbuds deliver music as close to the source as possible. While listening to James Brown's "The Boss," the song sounded rich and textured, with layers of horn and deep bass bursting through. Plus, it picks up on the most subtle details, like in "Angel Of My Dreams" by Jade, the soft shuttering of cameras flashing on the backing track rang through in crisp detail.

Plus, these headphones have impressive active noise cancellation. While testing them on a trip to New York, they blocked out the clatter of the subway and ruckus of noisy streets. With such excellent ANC, nothing distracts from the superior audio quality. The three-way multipoint connection is another huge advantage of these headphones. I could seamlessly switch between my iPhone, iPad, and MacBook Pro without having to open the app.

Not to mention, these earbuds have killer battery life. They last for 10 hours with an additional 28 hours available with the charging case.

Read our full review of the Bose QuietComfort Ultra earbuds (2nd gen).

For those who value noise cancellation and all-day wear above all else, the $299 Bose QuietComfort Ultra earbuds (2nd gen) are worth the investment. With spatial audio and some of the best ANC we've encountered, these earbuds deliver immersive sound that envelopes you in your music.

Over-ear headphones are the typical pick for those who want the best noise cancellation, but these days, you're no longer limited if you prefer earbuds but still want top-tier ANC.

Bose's second iteration of its QuietComfort Ultra earbuds doesn't change too much from the original, with the main improvements coming in the form of wireless charging, improved speech clarity on calls, and better adaptive ANC, but we also noticed some minor improvements to the sound profile, which also did a great job of sounding full and resonant right out of the box.

Where these earbuds really shine, however, is in their name: it's their fit and noise cancellation. Though they only have three sizes of ear tips and stability bands, the design of these earbuds allows for a fit that's both secure and comfortable enough to wear for hours on end, which isn't a given with earbuds. The noise cancellation impresses, too, even without any music playing, thanks to the eight microphones packed into these buds. Common household sounds like air conditioning, neighbors, and other people existing in your space all but disappear with the ANC bumped all the way up. If you don't like that much blockage, you can turn on transparency mode or manually adjust the level of ANC.

So what are the downsides? Besides being priced like a premium pair of earbuds (which, to be fair, they are in their performance), the six-hour battery life is starting to lag behind competitors. Plus, the equalizer is less sophisticated than what you'll find on other earbuds, and the touch controls weren't quite as seamless as we want on $300 earbuds. Still, for the combo of noise-cancelling and comfort, we can't choose a better pair of earbuds.

If you don't want to be too precious about your earbuds (there's nothing wrong with being accident-prone) the Anker Soundcore P20i earbuds will be the kindest to your wallet, while still delivering an all-around decent listening experience. If ANC is essential for you though, you'll want to pass on these buds.

We'll be honest: We weren't expecting much from a pair of earbuds that cost less than $40. However, we were shocked to find that these earbuds not only had an impressive array of features, but in some cases also had better features than earbuds that cost hundreds of dollars more.

First, let's start with the sound. Admittedly, we weren't too blown away by how they sounded at first. However, once we played around with the equalizer presets on the companion app, we found the Treble Boost produced the kind of well-rounded sound we expect from pricier earbuds. The app also allowed you to set up to three touch controls on each earbud, which actually worked decently well once we played around with them (the touch controls have just the right level of sensitivity). However, the most exciting feature in the app was the "find device" tab. Unlike Apple AirPods, which only play a sound from the case when you're trying to find your earbuds, the Soundcore earbuds each play a loud tone when you activate this feature, making it easier to locate a single bud.

The P20i buds also best AirPods in battery life. Per charge, we were able to get about nine-and-a-half to 10 hours of battery life. The case overall holds 30 hours of charge total. Admittedly, these earbuds don't have ANC, so that helps, but we were still impressed. (For comparison, the most recent AirPods Pro and standard AirPods without ANC offer six hours per charge).

Obviously, a budget pair of earbuds will have some more noticeable drawbacks. For the P20i, that would be the lack of multipoint pairing. Not only can you not pair more than one device at a time, but we also found that we often had to manually unpair the earbuds from one device before pairing with another. The lack of pairing capability also meant that to use the companion app, you have to be connected to your phone.

Read our full review of the Apple AirPods Pro 3.

Apple device owners will appreciate how easily these earbuds pair with multiple devices, as well as their impressive active noise cancellation and the many ways they can be used.

The AirPods Pro pop up on most best of lists, and though we've always been fans, the third generation takes these earbuds to a new level.

At the most basic level, these earbuds perform well in all the ways you'd want them to: the sound profile is robust and clear, the noise cancellation truly silences the world around you, and they pair easily to Apple devices. With this generation, Apple bumped up these buds' battery life to eight hours per charge, putting them firmly on the higher end of what's available on the market.

Then, there are the extra features. Apple included a built-in heart rate monitor, which can be used when you track your workouts with the Fitness app. How did it perform? "Perfectly," according to Mashable contributor Adam Doud's review. "I checked the heart rate against another device...and in every instance, the heart rate from the AirPods Pro 3 was within a beat or two per minute of the other device, so that speaks very well for its accuracy." Along with the IP57 water- and sweat-resistance and five sizes of ear tips for finding just the right fit, the AirPods Pro have become a much better pair of earbuds for working out this generation.

Finally, the live translation. At the time of writing, it's available in English, French, German, Spanish, Portuguese, and English from the UK. Doud wrote that it worked fairly accurately (as compared to movie subtitles) with a one to two second delay, making the feature viable for real-time use.

At $249, the Apple AirPods Pro 3 are on par (and even cheaper) than other premium competitors. So what's the catch? Well, for anyone looking to fine-tune their own audio experience, there's no companion app or custom equalizer, but for everything else you get, the trade-off may well be worth it.

Read our full review of the Soundcore Sleep A30 Special earbuds.

Within a few months, Soundcore turned around and upgraded its already excellent Sleep A30 earbuds, bringing the Sleep A30 Special earbuds to the scene. For anyone who needs noise cancellation to help them get to sleep, the Sleep A30 Specials are basically your only option — thankfully, they're also one of the best valued options.

The major names in the sleep earbuds space are Ozlo and Soundcore. While Ozlo is known for being made by former Bose engineers, the $349 earbuds come at a huge price point — especially considering their lack of features in comparison to Soundcore's offerings.

Most notably, the Soundcore Sleep A30 Special earbuds offer active noise cancellation, the only sleep earbuds to do that other than their predecessor, the Sleep A30 earbuds. Even better, they do it at a significantly lower price point than the Ozlo buds — just $199. While it's still a decent price to pay for earbuds solely designed for sleep, relatively speaking, A30 Specials offer some of the best value by far due to the feature set.

In addition to the ANC, the companion app offers several white noise options, including customizable soundscapes and Calm app meditations. If you prefer to stream your own audio, Soundcore's Bluetooth streaming with ANC on can last through an entire night of sleep (an upgrade from the regular A30 earbuds). The brand also recently added an update to the app that allows users to toggle on a timed turn-off for their audio, instead of the sleep detection option that existed at the earbuds' release.

These earbuds' case also monitors the environment in real time to provide adaptive snore masking, should the user toggle that option on. Standard features that exist on other earbuds will also be found on these buds, including a built-in alarm, sleep tracking data, and touch controls.

Read our full review of the Beats Powerbeats Pro 2 earbuds.

If you don't want to be bothered by loose or ill-fitting headphones while lifting or on a run, go for a pair that won't budge. The Beats Powerbeats Pro 2 fit snuggly within the ear, but the extra ear hook adds an extra level of security. For iOS users, these connect instantly, but even Android users can benefit from a quick Bluetooth connection, too.

When you're on the go and want to stay hands-free, the Powerbeats Pro 2 have external controls for answering calls or playing music. Plus, the Powerbeats bring crisp sound that helps you block out sound when you'd rather focus on your workout and not the gym crowd around you. Not to mention, the Powerbeats also include a heart rate monitor for real-time readings.

The Powerbeats Pro have earned a permanent spot in my gym bag. They fit snuggly within the ear and with the ear hooks don't budge, no matter how sweaty I get or how I move through my workouts. As an iPhone user, they're a dream to connect, automatically doing so whenever I take them out of the case.

With their noise-cancelling capabilities, they're able to block out the noise of the gym or the outdoors. But if you want to be able to hear the world around you for safety, you can swap into Transparency Mode. The sound is clear and consistent. Is it the best sound quality I've tested? No, but it's still pretty great.

The on-ear earbud controls are great. The Beats Fit Pro suffered from overly sensitive controls, causing me to accidentally end a call or two. But the controls on the Powerbeats Pro 2 don't get set off by accidentally brushing them. The battery life on the Powerbeats Pro 2 is incredible, up to 45 hours with the case. I think I went a full month without charging them — even with daily use.

It actually wasn't love at first wear with the Powerbeats. At first, they're pretty awkward figuring out how to fit the bud in your ear and then hooking them around. Both my colleague, Bethany Allard, and I tested the Powerbeats and struggled with the learning curve of getting them to fit, and it was a bad first impression of the Beats. While I do like how customizable they are with five different ear tips, navigating their fit is difficult at first.

However, after a few months of use, I realized the Powerbeats Pro 2 became my go-to gym earbud. While other earbuds didn't sound as good, started to slip out when things got sweaty, or required frequent charging, I always returned the the Powerbeats Pro 2.

Read our full review of the Bose QuietComfort earbuds.

If you want good-quality sound but don’t want to spend over $200, the Bose QuietComfort is an affordable answer to the brand’s line-up. They’re focused on a great fit, as they not only come with multiple ear tips but multiple bands that can be changed out on the earbuds for a better fit on the crest of your ear. 

The accompanying app lets you adjust audio levels, but you won’t need to, as these earbuds make all your music sound better. They’re reliable, have a long battery life, and are sure to please the pickiest of audiophiles.

I’ve sung the praises of the QuietComfort Ultra, but Bose’s latest earbuds, the entry-level QuietComfort, are also fantastic, especially with their under-$200 price tag. Even after adjusting the ear tips and bands, I didn’t find the fit on these quite as secure as the Ultras. However, my colleague Bethany Allard, who also tested the QuietComfort earbuds, said they were the best earbuds that have ever fit her.

The QuietComfort’s sound quality is just phenomenal. With these earbuds, listening to Ethel Cain’s A House in Nebraska immersed me in the orchestrations. When Brick House by The Commodores came on, the earbuds elevated the snappy drum beats so that I may have been listening live.

The noise cancellation on the QuietComfort earbuds isn’t as sophisticated as the Ultras; I found they had more sound leakage and that classic ANC buzz when I was in noisy environments. However, the ANC on these is still great, especially in quiet spaces. 

One tiny beef I have with the Bose QuietComfort earbuds is that they require a different app than the standard Bose one. This is annoying if you’re an existing Bose user and need to download another app; plus, this earbud app just isn’t as good as Bose’s flagship app.

All in all, these are a solid pair of headphones that, for $179, are an unbeatable value.

Read our full review of the Shokz OpenDots One.

If you plan on using your open earbuds primarily for working out but want the option of a solid pair of earbuds, too, the Shokz OpenDots One provide the best bang for your buck. For those who want open earbuds but don't want to sacrifice audio quality, the OpenDots One do a nice job of combining noise transparency without diminishing their sound output.

Brands tend to market open earbuds to folks who like to exercise, and for good reason: That's where their use case makes the most sense. Priced at $199.95, we find that the Shokz OpenDots One hit the sweet spot between providing some of the best sound you can find on open earbuds, while giving the major fitness features you want, all without breaking the bank.

The clip-on ear design is secure but not too snug, only causing some discomfort after multiple hours of wear (in other words, probably less time than you'll spend working out). The cuff design is helped by a silicone grip on one side of the earbud, which also acts as a touch panel, in addition to the battery barrel.

As great as their design is, Mashable contributor Alex Bracetti found these earbuds really shone in their audio quality, even comparing them to Bose's open earbuds: "Shokz isn’t known for its sound quality, but the OpenDots One leave quite the impression. The 11.8mm drivers deliver crisp and lively sound to keep runners fueled on long runs." Considering these earbuds are $100 less than the Bose Ultra Open, getting comparable sound is no small feat. And if you're not in love with how they sound out of the box, the equalizer settings on the Shokz app allow you to fine-tune your experience.

Where these earbuds definitively beat the Bose Ultra Open is in their battery life, boasting 10 hours per charge to Bose's seven (and four with immersive audio). Their case also holds significantly more charge: 40 hours, to Bose's 19.5.

However, that is where their feature list pretty much ends. It's not necessarily a negative, especially if you prefer buds that do the basics, but do them well.