The Best Wireless Earbuds

When it comes to convenience, it’s hard to beat a good pair of wireless earbuds. Whether you’re working out or just doing chores around the house, you’ll avoid the inconvenience of needing your phone within reach. And, you won’t need to deal with removing that pesky wire that seems to get caught on everything.

But if you’ve ever tried to find a good pair of earbuds of any type, you know how challenging it can be. You’ll need for the earpieces to fit snugly and comfortably into your outer ear. Ears are, of course, shaped differently from one person to another, which only adds to that challenge. However, there are some wireless earbuds on the market that are built to compensate for those shape differences, conforming perfectly to the contours of most ears.

Comfortable fit goes beyond simply letting you wear your earbuds for hours without fatigue. Well-made earbuds also fit in a way that keeps outside noise out, which is especially important if you listen in crowded areas, like gyms. Chances are, though, you’re most concerned about audio quality, especially if you’re a music lover. Some earbuds provide better sound than others, especially for sophisticated listeners who look for features like bass response.

With wireless earbuds, there are a couple of extra elements you’ll need to consider. One is battery life since you’ll have to put your earbuds on a charger when you aren’t using them. If you leave the house with your earbuds and use them throughout the day, you may find you run out of juice with some earbuds.

The other consideration with wireless earbuds is pairing. Instead of plugging a cord into the jack of your smartphone, you’ll have to connect using Bluetooth technology, and some earbuds handle this task better than others. Ideally, once you’ve connected, you’ll stay that way throughout the day. But some earbuds will lose connectivity intermittently, forcing you to repeat the process of manually pairing them.

• Sound quality can be a subjective thing, but Bose has developed a reputation for its superior audio. The Bose SoundSport Wireless Headphones offer some of the best sound quality you’ll find in wireless earbuds, but you also can’t go wrong with Jabra Elite 65t Wireless Earbuds.
• Audio doesn’t just matter when you’re enjoying your favorite tunes. Jabra Elite 65t Wireless Earbuds use four microphones and audio stability to ensure your phone calls go as smoothly as possible.
• As valuable as crystal-clear audio performance is, though, it won’t mean anything if you’re miserable while wearing your earbuds. Bose SoundSport Wireless Headphones are designed with winged tips to help keep them in your ears. You’ll also get three sizes of StayHear+ Sport tips to ensure you find the fit that’s right for you. The Treblab Elite Sports Bluetooth Earbuds give you six different options of ear tips, while Jabra Elite 65t Wireless Earbuds and Senso Bluetooth Headphones also come with three tips – sized small, medium and large.
• One pitfall of wireless earbuds is that, unlike their wired counterparts, you have to charge them after a certain number of hours of use. You’ll get the longest battery life with the Treblab Elite Sports Bluetooth Earbuds and Senso Bluetooth Headphones, which promise up to eight hours of use on a charge. The Bose SoundSport Wireless Headphones max out at six hours, while the Jabra Elite 65t Wireless Earbuds have the most disappointing battery life, at five hours.
• If you’re concerned with connection issues, you may want to stick with Bose SoundSport Wireless Headphones, which rarely drop the Bluetooth connection. You may find pairing is on the challenging side with the Senso Bluetooth Headphones.
• Sometimes it isn’t necessarily the audio you’re getting from your earbuds, but the extent to which it masks the noise around you. The silicone tips that ship with Jabra Elite 65t Wireless Earbuds provide a sealing effect that that offers good noise-isolating functionality. Senso Bluetooth Headphones pack in CVC 6.0 noise suppression to keep those outside sounds out. However, if you prefer to keep an ear on what’s going on around you, Bose SoundSport Wireless Headphones tend to let quite a bit of outside noise in.
• When it’s time to switch songs or adjust the volume, it can be annoying to go back to your device. Jabra Elite 65t Wireless Earbuds have onboard volume, track and digital assistant controls to let you leave your device in your pocket or workout bag while you’re listening.
• Moisture is always a concern with electronics, and it can be tough to keep earbuds dry. This is especially true if you wear your earbuds while exercising. Senso Bluetooth Headphones are both water and sweat-resistant, although you shouldn’t swim or shower in them like you would a waterproof pair.
• If the high price of wireless earbuds has kept you away, you may be excited to know that both Treblab Elite Sports Bluetooth Earbuds and Senso Bluetooth Headphones sell for less than $50. Jabra Elite 65t Wireless Earbuds and Bose SoundSport Wireless Headphones sell in the $100-$200 range.
• Although Jabra Elite 65t Wireless Earbuds have many benefits, their case is difficult to open. Bose SoundSport Wireless Headphones, on the other hand, come with a zippered carrying case that can attach to a keychain. Both Treblab Elite Sports Bluetooth Earbuds and Senso Bluetooth Headphones come with zippered cases, as well.
• If you’re looking for a pair of earbuds that you can wear without people noticing, you might want to steer clear of the Bose SoundSport Wireless Headphones, which have earpieces that protrude quite a bit. Senso Bluetooth Headphones are also a bit on the bulky side.