I’ve never had much interest in AirPods. Sure, I love listening to music on the go, and I own an iPhone (12 Mini!). In fact, I’m obsessed with jamming out to tunes and often do it for hours on end. Unfortunately, I’m also prone to losing and/or breaking earbuds; blame my aggressive lifestyle of dogwalking and gallivanting about.
With the latest AirPods 4 starting at $129 — $249 for the Pros 3 — the pain of smashing or misplacing a precious bud has always been more than I or my piggybank could bear. I’ve also never been particularly fond of the shape of the OG Apple wired earbuds. Obviously, said design has changed considerably over the years, but trauma is trauma.
Prior to the AirPods Pro 2, I’d been alternating between a lovely pair of Bose QuietComfort Ultra over-ear headphones — which I adore so much, I wish I had a pair of Bose QCs — and a cheapo pair of JLab Air Sport Bluetooth workout earbuds I picked up for $30.
The JLabs are not particularly comfortable and sound only okay, but the battery is decent, and they stay put in my ears. As a result, they’ve remained my go-to for far longer than they deserved. Thankfully, that changed about a month ago.
Tempted by a great deal
With the holiday shopping season in full swing, I was thinking about tech gadget deals. That’s when I stumbled upon this Apple AirPods Pro 2 deals post from my colleague, Erin. At the time, they’d dropped in price from $249 to just $129… still spendy, no doubt, but a tempting bargain to behold.
Of course, the Apple AirPods Pro 3 had just been released a month earlier. Was I a fool for not ponying up the cash for the latest model? No, I ultimately decided, after reading Erin’s equally sound rationale for sticking with the AirPods Pro 2 over the AirPods Pro 3.
Furthermore, as a wearable tech product expert, I tend to have at least one gadget strapped to me at any given time that monitors my heart rate and other holistic metrics; usually one of the best smartwatches or best smart rings.
So, the AirPods Pro 3's holistic features felt redundant. And even though the latest model offers Apple’s best audio experience, the AirPods Pro 2 reportedly sounds great as well. Would I even be able to tell the difference?
AirPods Pro 2 — Dan Bracaglia
Necessary accessory upgrades
Ultimately, I pulled the trigger on a pair of Apple AirPods Pro 2 — along with a hearty protective case — and I can say with full confidence: I’ll never go back to cheapo Bluetooth earbuds again. These things rock.
At first, I wasn’t terribly impressed with the rubber tips Apple includes with the AirPods Pro 2. I know the newer model ships with improved tips that are supposed to be comfier for a wider range of ear shapes, and I’m genuinely curious how they feel, but ce la vie.
No problem. I ended up swapping out the standard tips for a size medium pair of excellent memory foam tips that set me back about $12. Since that upgrade, I’ve had no issues with the AirPods staying put or with comfort.
My favorite AirPods 2 Pro features
Sound quality-wise, the Pros 2 also impress. The noise-cancelling feature isn’t quite as effective as on my Bose headphones — though that is to be expected. That said, I’m using noise-cancelling on the AirPods Pro 2 right now as I write this from a clangerous coffee shop without distraction.
I’m also a huge fan of the Conversation Awareness feature that quiets the music whenever you start talking. The only problem: I frequently sing along to my favorite tunes, which triggers the feature. Dear Apple: Please make my AirPods capable of discerning spoken words from song. Thank you, Dan.
Perhaps my favorite part about upgrading to AirPods Pro 2s is how seamlessly they work with all my other Apple gear. For example, if I’m listening to Yo La Tengo’s seminal album, "And Then Nothing Turned Itself Inside-Out," on my iPhone via Spotify but need to jump into a video call on my Mac Mini, the AirPods automatically switch the input once the meeting begins, unprompted.
Nice.
I love them now... but will they last?
Battery life on the AirPods Pro 2 is decent, at about six hours per charge. In my month of ownership, I’ve only encountered the low-battery warning two times. You also get a lot of power-ups from the case (up to five in my testing), and the earbuds recharge fairly quickly once they're safely inside.
All of this adds up to the Apple AirPods Pro 2 being the best piece of technology I spent my own cashola on in 2025.
Assuming their battery life remains constant — I’m wondering how they’ll perform in the mountain cold of the Pacific Northwest ski slopes — and I don’t accidentally leave one on a city bus or crush it while cycling, I’m beyond happy with this purchase.
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