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15 best wireless earbuds for quality sound and noise cancellation

Headphones that connect to your smartphone or tablet give you the convenience of listening to your music anywhere. But for the greatest freedom, you also need to cut the wire between the phone and the headphones. And for the greatest portability of all, choose in-ear headphones rather than over-ear.

True-wireless earbuds, as they’re called when they don’t have any wires at all, are lightweight and often offer great comfort.

Some fit so snugly into your ears that they keep the outside world out by a process of noise isolation. Others build on this with electronic help, called active noise cancellation or ANC.

Yet more have extra features, such as built-in voice assistants that can answer your questions, send messages and turn up the volume.

You’re most likely to use wireless earbuds with your phone, computer or tablet, and some earbuds are smart enough to switch seamlessly between devices as you need them to.

How we tested

We’ve tested for sound quality (above all), comfort, battery life, ease of set up and simplicity of use. We’ve also rated each model according to extra features and, of course, value for money.

The best wireless earbuds for 2022 are:

  • Best overall wireless earbuds – Sony WF-1000XM4 wireless earbuds: £199, Johnlewis.com

  • Best noise-cancelling wireless earbuds – Apple AirPods pro 1st gen wireless earbuds: £189, Amazon.co.uk

  • Best luxury wireless earbuds – Bowers & Wilkins Pi7 wireless earbuds: £270.92, Amazon.co.uk

  • Best wireless earbuds for running – Beats powerbeats pro wireless earbuds: £201.72, Amazon.co.uk

  • Best wireless earbuds for sound quality – Bose quietcomfort wireless earbuds: £229.95, Bose.co.uk

  • Best wireless earbuds for comfort – Samsung Galaxy buds2 wireless earbuds: £139, Samsung.com

  • Best wireless earbuds for iPhone – Apple AirPods 2nd gen wireless earbuds: £139, Apple.com

  • Best wireless earbuds for battery life – Sennheiser momentum true wireless 2 earbuds: £231, Amazon.co.uk

  • Best value wireless earbuds – Beats studio buds wireless earbuds: £159.99, Apple.com

  • Best wireless earbuds for Android – Google pixel buds A-series wireless earbuds: £99.99, Google.com

  • Best wireless earbuds for design – Nothing ear (1) wireless earbuds: £149, Nothing.tech

  • Best wireless earbuds for Dolby Atmos – OnePlus buds pro wireless earbuds: £109, Oneplus.com

  • Best wireless earbuds for working out – Grado GT 220 wireless earbuds: £179.95, Amazon.co.uk

  • Best wireless earbuds for budget noise cancellation – Panasonic RZ-S500W wireless earbuds: £99.99, Amazon.co.uk

  • Best wireless earbuds for your own sound profile – NuraTrue wireless earbuds: £199.99, Nuraphone.com

Sony WF-1000XM4 wireless earbuds

Sony’s latest in-ears are the company’s best yet. And that’s saying something since the previous versions – the WF-1000XM3s – were already sensational. The new model is completely redesigned with a distinctive look. The noise cancelling here is subtle but effective – Sony says the quiet it produces should be alive, like the silence between movements in a concert hall. Done badly, noise-cancelling can make the ears feel under pressure, but there’s little of that here.

Although these are small, light earbuds, they manage significant bass as well as great, precise clarity in higher notes. At once delicate and powerful, these earbuds have some of the best audio of any wireless headphones.

Read the full Sony WF-1000XM4 wireless earbuds review

Buy now £199.00, Johnlewis.com

Apple AirPods pro 1st gen wireless earbuds

Apple’s noise-cancelling technology is amazing, and special vents mean the pressure on the ear is just right. There are three sizes of earbuds to provide the perfect fit for the best noise isolation. This being Apple, there’s even an onscreen tutorial to make sure you pick the right ones. There are multiple microphones to make sure the noise cancelling is good, and also to ensure hands-free calls work well. Although AirPods pro and AirPods work with any phone, pairing with the iPhone is near-instant and seamless: open the case next to the iPhone and you’re done. Apple’s system is also easy when it comes to working with more than one device. If you have an iPad or Mac which is tied to your Apple ID, then as you pick up the iPad and put down the iPhone, the AirPods are smart enough to be able to switch devices automatically. Like some other headphones here, there’s a setting that lets in outside sound so you can easily have conversations with people.

AirPods pro also have spatial audio, which brilliantly creates a surround-sound effect. With suitable video content on an iPad, for instance, if you turn your head it adjusts the audio to lock it to where the tablet is. It’s so convincing you may need to remove the earbuds to check you’re not playing the sound through the iPad’s speakers.

Read the full Apple AirPods pro review

Buy now £189.00, Amazon.co.uk

Bowers & Wilkins Pi7 wireless earbuds

The elegant Pi7 earbuds look spectacular, with gold details and a striking, premium finish. There are three different sizes of ear tips supplied and the buds are comfortable in the ear as you twist them into position. Though the battery life isn’t huge at just four hours, there are another four full charges in the case and a quick charge of 10 minutes is enough for two hours of playback. There’s also a cool extra feature with these earbuds: the case works as a device to retransmit audio. You plug one of the supplied cables into your music source – your laptop, say – and the other into the case, and the audio plays wirelessly from the case to the earbuds. The audio quality is really terrific, with deft clarity and solid power. At this price, we should hope so.

Read the full Bowers & Wilkins PI7 true wireless earbuds review

Buy now £270.92, Amazon.co.uk

Beats powerbeats pro wireless earbuds

Beats powerbeats pro are highly unlikely to fall out of your ears, even when you’re running full pelt. That’s down to the over-ear hooks, which are secure and comfortable. Although there’s no noise cancellation, the audio here is excellent, partly down to the four different ear-tip sizes that help create a tight seal in the ear. The Beats logo is a button to control music playback or take calls. Beats is known for its proficiency with bass and that’s certainly the case here, though the earbuds are still capable of some subtlety and range. Beats, which is part of Apple, makes the powerbeats pro in six colours: glacier blue, navy, ivory, cloud pink, lava red and black.

Read the full Beats powerbeats pro review

Buy now £201.72, Amazon.co.uk

Bose quietcomfort wireless earbuds

Bose makes headphones with exceptional noise cancelling. These earbuds live up to both the quiet and comfort parts of their name, with three pairs of ear tips allowing you to choose the best fit. Battery life is fine, but unexceptional compared to some here.

Bose noise cancelling is very detailed, with 10 settings to choose from, which you can adjust on the smartphone app, or set three favourite levels to use directly on the earbuds. Some earbuds automatically pause the music if you take one out of your ears, but Bose also cuts the noise cancelling to the earbud that remains in place. The audio is outstanding: rich, lively and full of detail, they’re arguably the best on test.

Buy now £229.95, Bose.co.uk

Samsung Galaxy buds2 wireless earbuds

The neat little Galaxy buds2 are light, making them very comfortable to wear. They’ll work in conjunction with any phone but have the best compatibility with Samsung Galaxy devices – and they’ll switch easily between them. Audio is good, with strong bass in evidence, though not quite on a par with the best here. Samsung has come up with an appealing design, including snazzy colours such as lavender, that make these earbuds stand out from their rivals. There’s also graphite, white and olive finishes.

Read the full Samsung Galaxy buds 2 review

Buy now £139.00, Samsung.com

Apple AirPods 2nd gen wireless earbuds

Apple’s original earbuds continue to be hugely popular, as they have been since their first release. The current version is the second edition, which means that while the design is unchanged there are improved electronics, so you can wake Apple’s virtual assistant with the words “Hey, Siri”. Unlike the pricier pro model, there’s no noise cancelling here. Even so, they sound great and fit the ear well, even though there’s no choice of ear-tip sizes. The charging case comes in two versions, with the basic one charged by cable and the fancier one being wirelessly chargeable and costing £40 more.

Read the full AirPods review

Buy now £139.00, Apple.com

Sennheiser momentum true wireless 2 earbuds

There are cheaper earbuds than these on test, but the sound quality is tremendous, with great fidelity and versatility. There is bass on display but it doesn’t drown out other notes. These earphones are also great if you’re listening to video on a tablet, for instance, with commendable voice track clarity. The noise cancellation is also excellent, similar to the leaders in this group. There are four ear-tip sizes to choose from to ensure a snug fit, and battery life is outstanding, with 28 hours across the earbuds and case combined.

Buy now £231.00, Amazon.co.uk

Beats studio buds wireless earbuds

The studio buds are remarkable value, offering excellent noise cancellation for little more than half the price of Apple’s other brand, the AirPods pro. Though there are some features missing (take an earbud out and music just keeps playing) there are useful and effective extras such as compatibility with spatial audio effects. Beats is known for its predilection for bass, but this is far from overwhelming here, and there’s much to like in the boisterous but defined sound. The buds themselves are tiny, allowing for long-wearing comfort. And, unlike the AirPods, they pair as easily with Android phones as they do with iPhones. Choose from black, white and the trademark Beats red finishes.

Buy now £159.99, Apple.com

Google Pixel buds A-series wireless earbuds

Google’s latest in-ears offer great value and strong sound that’s easy to listen to. Though there’s no active noise cancelling, the tight fit isolates the ears pretty well. That said, there is some venting that prevents the claustrophobic feeling some earbuds cause, so some outside noise seeps in. The fit is helped by small fins that hold the buds in place well. These headphones do work for Apple iPhone users but the set-up is most seamless when used with an Android phone, where integration with Google Assistant is flawless.

Read the full Google Pixel buds A-series review

Buy now £99.99, Google.com

Nothing ear (1) wireless earbuds

Nothing is the interestingly named brand from Carl Pei, co-founder of popular phone company OnePlus. The ear (1) is its first product. There’s no skimping on build quality or neat design, even down to the see-through charging case which can be powered up wirelessly. There are even cute colour-coded dots on each bud and in the case, so it would be difficult to put the buds in the wrong way round. The transparent nature of the design continues into the earbuds, which have clear stalks, showing the mechanics inside. Battery life is especially strong and a 10-minute charge promises eight hours of playback time. Overall, the sound is decent but not as good as the best here, though the noise cancelling is high quality and effective.

Since we first reviewed these earbuds, Nothing has increased the price by 50 per cent, making them less affordable than their previous £99 price tag. The company has since released the Nothing ear (stick), which takes the ear (1)’s place as the new, cheaper £99 model.

Read the full Nothing ear (1) review

Buy now £149.00, Nothing.tech

OnePlus buds pro wireless earbuds

Just as AirPods work best with Apple devices, so these headphones from phone manufacturer OnePlus have extra features when connected to one of the company’s handsets. The noise cancelling is good, with three levels of sound reduction to choose from: max cancellation is especially effective. Audio overall is great, especially if you have the right content and the right OnePlus phone, where Dolby Atmos fidelity comes into play.

But the headline here is the battery life, which is remarkable. Not only do they play for up to 38 hours (without noise cancelling), they recharge quickly, with 10 minutes of cable-based charge offering almost 10 hours of playback.

Buy now £109.00, Oneplus.com

Grado GT 220 wireless earbuds

The simple twist-to-fit design of Grado’s first true-wireless in-ears means they are secure and ideal for working out. Controls are through a touch surface on each of the buds, which are versatile and easy to use. Grado is known for its open-backed headphones, but these are closed, perhaps because the need for sound isolation meant open wasn’t an option. Even without noise cancelling, though, the audio here is tremendous, with punchy sound that’s detailed and accurate. Though they lack the bass of some, there’s a lot to like here.

Buy now £179.95, Amazon.co.uk

Panasonic RZ-S500W wireless earbuds

When Panasonic’s earbuds first launched they were strong value, and they’re now a lot cheaper. They offer noise cancelling at a keen price, and it’s very good, not least because much of the technology comes from the sister brand Technics, which is rather pricier. The design is elegant and simple, and because there are five different sizes of ear tips to choose from, you can be sure of the perfect fit. The audio quality is strong with a powerful, direct sound. There’s a good amount of bass but it’s not overpowering and you can adjust that in the smartphone app. Battery life is decent and call quality is strong, making these headphones a great all-around choice at a low price.

Read the full Panasonic RZ-S500W review

Buy now £99.99, Amazon.co.uk

NuraTrue wireless earbuds

NuraTrue assesses your hearing by playing music and measuring feedback from internal microphones. This tells the headphones whether you have more sensitivity to mid-tones or trouble hearing lower notes. It then adjusts the sound as it creates your audio profile, showing a colourful pattern on the smartphone app that’s unique to you. The difference in the sound quality is remarkable and the noise-cancelling here is excellent. It also has what it calls social mode, which reduces the music volume to let the outside world in a bit. That’s similar to Apple’s transparency mode on the AirPods pro.

Buy now £199.99, Nuraphone.com

Wireless earbud FAQs

Is it worth buying wireless earbuds?

Yes. Wireless earbuds are a huge improvement over traditional wired earphones, eradicating cables and allowing for greater freedom of movement with no compromise in sound quality. Not only do fewer and fewer phones have a 3.5mm audio jack to plug earphones into, but better earbud designs and adjustable silicon tips allow for a secure fit to ensure your new earphones won’t fall out and go missing.

Should I buy wireless earbuds or headphones?

That depends on how you want to use them. For runners, earbuds have an advantage over headphones as they’re less bulky and won’t slide off your head as you start to sweat.

Some true wireless earbuds like the Beats powerbeats pro (£189, Johnlewis.com) have flexible winged hooks to secure them to your ears during intense workouts, but you could also consider sporty earbuds connected by a single wire that goes across the back of your neck. These allow you to remove your earbuds without having to pocket them or put them in their case.

What should I look for when buying wireless earbuds?

Battery life is an important factor to consider when buying wireless earbuds. The charging case might have a large battery capacity, but make sure the earbuds themselves can last a day.

If you commute or live in a busy part of town, you’ll want noise-cancelling earbuds. Some earbuds market themselves as noise-isolating, which simply means they form a tight seal in your ears to block some sound. The best noise-cancelling is active noise-cancelling, which uses the microphone on the earbuds to listen to external noise as it enters the ear and uses that information to actively disrupt the soundwaves and reduce noise.

What’s the difference between wireless and true wireless earbuds?

True wireless headphones do not have a cable or connector between the two earbuds at all, while wireless headphones are still connected in some way, for example, via an over-ear band or around the back of your neck, but don’t require access to a phone jack.

Do wireless earbuds have microphones to take calls on the go?

True wireless earbuds have a microphone in the casing, with most models containing one mic in each earbud. As for wireless headphones, they usually feature a mic in the connector band, so you can easily take calls on the go.

The verdict: Wireless earbuds

Sony’s WF-1000XM4s triumphed over all rivals with exceptional audio, stunning noise cancellation and great design. But there are other great earbuds here, especially Bose’s quietcomfort buds and Apple’s first-generation AirPods pro.

More headphone recommendations:

Ditch the fussy wires but keep the headband with the best wireless headphones, from Bose to JBL