The sweat-resistant Bose SoundSport Earphones were made for active users. The ear tips come in three sizes so they securely fit into your ear. They're also available at the same price at Amazon.
Wireless headphones free you from the cords that tether you to your music. And now that smartphones are ditching the headphone jack, they're more useful than ever. But with a plethora of Bluetooth headphones available, which are worth a spot on your ears? Is it the Jabra Elite 65t, our current favorite Bluetooth earbuds, the Sony WH-1000XM3 headphones, our choice for best wireless or the Enacfire E18 Earbuds our choice for best truly wireless earbuds for under $60? We tested the most popular and well-known Bluetooth headphones to find the ones that are best for you.
News and Updates (February 2019)
- Thanks to a leaked photo, we've learned that Samsung's new Galaxy Buds might get power by way of reverse charging via the upcoming Galaxy S10 smartphone.
- Jaybird has announced the new Run XT wireless headphones. The truly wireless buds add new colors and full 1PX7 waterproofing. Stay tuned for our review.
- According to numerous reports, Sonos is looking to enter the wireless headphone market sometime next year.
- We just pitted the Sony WH-1000XM3 headphones against the reigning champion Bose QuietComfort 35 IIs in a wireless ANC headphone face-off, find out who won here.
If you're looking for a pair of truly wireless earbuds that are smart, comfortable and durable, with just the right touch of feature customization, the Jabra Elite 65t should be at the top of your list. The buds are sleek and unassuming, deliver great sound and last up to 5 hours on a charge. Thanks to Bluetooth 5.0 technology, the earbuds consume less power or longer battery life, can pair with two separate devices simultaneously and has a signal range up to 800 feet.
Best Truly Wireless Earbuds
Bose has once again raised the bar for headphones by combining its best-in-class active-noise cancellation technology with Google Assistant. The Bose QuietComfort 35 II feature a liberating and comfy wireless design and a dedicated button to summon Google’s A.I. without skimping on the powerful ANC. The volume-optimized EQ feature makes your tunes sound great even when you crank your phone to 11, while the 20 hours of battery life ensures you'll have plenty of juice for a couple of cross-country flights.
Best Active Noise-Cancelling Headphones
The Smartomi Q5 earphones provide responsive bass, clean highs and solid mids typically found in more costly wireless earphones. Battery life came in around 4 hours, making these buds a good choice for anyone who endures long commutes to work or who wants to enjoy extended jam sessions. Phone conversations came through clearly as well, providing limited background noise.
Best Truly Wireless Earphones Under $60
Out of all the wireless earbuds we've tested, the Sol Republic Shadow Wireless Earphones have the best combination of features and style. They offer great audio quality, a super-stylish design and strong battery life. Also, you can connect two devices to these earbuds, letting you seamlessly switch the source of your music. At just $99, you can't go wrong with these earbuds.
Best Wireless Earbuds
Sony definitely upped its game with the WH-1000XM3. The improvements in audio fidelity alone place these headphones on a par with, if not above the Bose QuietComfort 35 II. They deliver a powerful low-end punch suited for their target demographic, bass lovers, and grant listeners a suite of sound-optimizing options accessible through the Connect app. Most music genres are also well-represented, with live recordings shining in Ambient mode. The WH-1000XM3 also supports five codecs for music playback —aptX, aptX HD, AAC, LDAC and SBC — each engineered to maximize sound quality over Bluetooth.
Best Wireless Headphones
You get what you pay for. And in the case of the Bowers & Wilkins PX Wireless headphones, you're paying for quality. They're pricey at $399, but the headphones offer a gorgeous, sturdy design with great audio quality, solid active noise-cancelling technology and long battery life. When the headphones are paired with its free app, listeners have the ability to tweak what they hear and how much so listeners can control how much of the outside world gets in.
Best Design
The Beyerdynamic Aventho Wireless headphones deliver warm, rich audio while keeping the volume at safe levels. Thanks to the companion app, the headphones can adjust the sound profile based on your age or provide an in-depth hearing test for a more personalized listening experience. Outfitted with a capacitive touch controls, the cans provide smooth command inputs and lasts 30 hours on a charge.
Best Hearing Protection
The Jabra Sport Coach isn't just a great pair of wireless workout earbuds -- it also doubles as a personal trainer. Thanks to the Jabra Sport Life app, these earbuds deliver audible workout tips that help you get through a variety of demanding CrossFit activities. On top of its useful coaching features, the Sport Coach offers comfortable ear inserts and enough booming sound to keep you pumped up during any workout. First impressions are everything, and the Microsoft Surface Headphones offer more than enough bells and whistles to capture your interest. One of the most prominent features is the digital assistant integration with Cortana, Siri and Google Assistant. All three operate similarly, though Cortana extends functionality to additional services and skills. Having the ability to get LinkedIn updates, monitor stocks and create voice shortcuts is sweet. In addition, you get adjustable active noise cancelling, fast charging, intuitive touch controls and wide soundstage.
Best Sport Wireless Headphones
Best Digital Assistant Integration
What to Look For
- The most important thing to look for in a pair of Bluetooth headphones is battery life. Most devices have an expected battery life, or the number of hours the company says the device can last on a charge. Most wireless earbuds are rated for 6 to 8 hours, while Bluetooth headphones can last about 25 hours.
- Another important factor is design — depending on how you like to wear them, you may want to go with on-ear, over-ear or in-ear wireless headphones.
- If you're interested in a pair of truly wireless buds, makes sure they come with a charging case. Since they have shorter battery life, there's a great likelihood you'll have to charge them on the go.
How We Test Wireless Headphones and Earbuds
To help you separate the wheat from the chaff when shopping for headphones, Tom's Guide evaluates the following criteria: design, comfort, features, performance and value. We employ a rigorous review process, comparing products with similar fit, features and pricing.
Each pair is worn over the course of a week for 2 hours at a time. During this testing period, the staff is evaluating comfort, ease of use and, of course, audio quality. We listen to several predetermined sample tracks that span a number of genres, including hip-hop, rock, jazz, classical and R&B, and we evaluate the volume, clarity and fullness.
In terms of features, we test the effectiveness of active noise cancelling, Bluetooth range and battery life. For the fitness-focused models, we test to see how they stand up to vigorous workouts, evaluating both how securely they fit while we exercise and how well they handle ambient noise from things like falling weights and gym machines. We test every feature for app-enabled headphones along with ease of setup.
Once we complete our testing, we rate headphones based on our ten-point system (1 = worst, 10 = best). If a product is truly exemplary, it's awarded an Editors' Choice.
And now that more streaming music services are offering high-resolution resolution audio, be sure to read our audio codec FAQ for everything you need to know about FLAC files, MP3s and everything in between.
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Headphones DEALS
Bose SoundSport Earphones
The sweat-resistant Bose SoundSport Earphones were made for active users. The ear tips come in three sizes so they securely fit into your ear. They're also available at the same price at Amazon.
Was: $99 Is Now: $49