Best True Wireless Earbuds iMore 2021

True wireless earbuds remain all the rage as the new year begins as they are the pinnacle of wireless headphone innovation. Packing great sound quality, exceptional battery life, and a charging case in a super portable case is an incredible engineering feat. Apple/Beats headphones take it a step further, though, especially when pairing with an iOS device. This is thanks to the H1/W1 chip, which allows for one-click pairing, seamless switching between devices, and system-level integration on iOS.

Best Overall: AirPods Pro

Staff Pick

The AirPods Pro is the pinnacle of truly wireless earbuds if you own an iPhone. They feature fantastic ANC performance, great sound, and a super comfortable fit. They also work with many of the hottest wireless chargers on the market. The AirPods Pro is the best true wireless earbuds right now.

Runner Up: AirPods (2nd generation)

The biggest difference between AirPods and AirPods Pro is that the Pro feature ANC. If you don't care about that, save your money and get the 2nd generation AirPods. They feature a one size fits all design, good sound, solid battery life, and a super-compact design.

Long battery life: Powerbeats Pro

At the expense of a much larger charging case, the Powerbeats Pro features up to nine hours of battery life on the side of the buds, nearly doubling that of AirPods. The Powerbeats Pro uses a hook design that goes around your outer ear, which equates to a super secure fit.

ANC all day: Sony WF-1000XM3

The Sony WF-1000XM3 is a great alternative to the AirPods Pro. They feature up to 6 hours of battery life on a single charge (vs. 4.5 hours on AirPods Pro) with ANC enabled. However, both the earbuds and the charging case are much larger with the WF-1000XM3 compared to AirPods Pro.

Awesome sound: Sennheiser Momentum True Wireless 2

Sennheiser is known for having truly exceptional sound across all of their products, and the Momentum True Wireless 2 keeps that tradition going. However, that does come at the expense of a bigger earbud size and slightly shorter battery life.

Workout buds: Jaybird Vista

The Jaybird Vista feature IPX7 water resistance. They'll withstand nearly all types of exercise (sans swimming). The Vista is also super comfortable, features great sound, and a relatively small charging case.

Great value: Tranya Rimor

These low-cost earbuds give you five hours of continuous music per charge and 25 hours overall with the charging case. With stereo, mono, and sharing mode, the Tranya Rimor is sure to please.

$30 at Amazon

Sweet alternative: Anker SoundCore Liberty Air 2

The Liberty Air 2 aren't necessarily the cheapest true wireless earbuds around but are incredibly valuable. For their price, the Liberty Air 2 feature the best combination of sound quality, battery life, comfort, and portability.

Colorful choice: Urbanears Alby

Available in multiple colors, the Urbanears Alby provides up to 15 hours of total playtime — three hours of non-stop listening per charge plus 4x additional on-the-go charges with the USB-C charging case.

$61 at Amazon

The verdict is in

It shouldn't surprise anyone, but the AirPods Pro are the best true wireless earbuds. They feature active noise cancelation, great comfort with multiple ear tip sizes, decent battery life with up to 4.5 hours on the side of the earbuds with ANC enabled, and a compact wireless charging case. Honestly, outside of battery life, the AirPods Pro will be tough to beat when it comes to true wireless earbuds.

Our runner up the AirPods (2nd generation) and Powerbeats Pro aren't surprising either as they share the same H1 chip found in the AirPods Pro that lets you switch between your Apple devices super effortlessly. All three sets of earbuds charge over Lightning, and the AirPods Pro and AirPods (2nd generation) are even more effortless thanks to their wireless charging cases.

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