15 best wireless earbuds 2026: Our tech expert put Sony, Beats, Bose and more to the test

The latest version of AirPods Pro is Apple’s best yet. The design is only gently tweaked from the previous version, but the result is all-new. An improved material in the ear tip gives a better, snugger fit, which helps sound isolation. Then, enhanced active noise cancellation adds a noticeable upgrade: these earbuds are effective enough to be used on a plane.

There’s the addition of live translation, which works in conjunction with the paired iPhone. When someone’s talking to you in another tongue, the earbuds listen and then speak the words in your language in your ear. When you talk back, the other person sees what you’ve said translated on your phone screen.

Meanwhile, a heart-rate sensor in each earbud can track your heartbeat during selected workouts, such as running, so you can exercise without your Apple Watch or iPhone nearby.

Battery life for the repub is also up, from six hours to eight hours, when listening with noise-cancelling turned on.

Read my full Apple AirPods Pro 3 review

Sony’s earbuds can be expensive but are often great. While it would be understandable to expect less stellar results from this budget pair, in fact, the WF-C700N are so good you might wonder if it’s worth spending more. After all, these earbuds include active noise cancelling, which is still rare at this price point.

The earbuds are small and light and come in a charging case that snaps the buds magnetically back in place when you’re done listening. There’s no wireless charging for this case, mind. Also missing are advanced audio codecs for higher-quality sound. Still, these buds sound excellent, with plenty of power matched with subtlety and detail. The noise-cancelling is good, though not as good as the pricier models here.

Sony’s in-ears are astonishingly good. The latest buds somehow manage to outdo the already splendid WF-1000XM4 (which are now discontinued). The newer headphones are 25 per cent smaller and 20 per cent lighter than their predecessors, though the driver is quite a bit bigger, which helps with audio quality.

In terms of looks, the design is as slick and premium as before. A bone conductor sensor knows when you are talking, and can pause the audio as a result – which is great unless you’re singing along to your music, in which case you need to turn off this ‘speak to talk’ feature. Meanwhile new touch controls mean it’s easy to change volume, noise cancellation and more with simple gestures and touches.

What really stands out, though, is the sound quality, with a level of deft clarity and forensic detail that makes every part of the music soar, from vocals to mid-range and bass. However, there are other earbuds here with more bass, if that’s your thing. The audio sounds even better with noise-cancelling off, but Sony’s ANC is exceptional, so you’ll probably want to keep it on most of the time.

The latest Bose in-ears have great audio and they’re also good-looking and comfortable. The comfy fit is partly down to the ridges (which Bose calls stability bands) that sit at the top of the bud. These work well, so that you can feel confident that they will stay in place on a run, for instance.

Bose has its own take on spatial audio, called Immersive Audio, which creates a more spacious effect – though it does reduce the battery life. Bose has always had exceptional noise-cancelling and that’s true here, too, coming close to the Sony WF-1000XM5. New this time, Bose says, is better reduction of sudden noises such as sirens. This noise-cancelling also works well for voice calls, managing to reduce background noise effectively.

And this contributes to the overall sound quality, which is rich and detailed for everything from bass to high-end. Like the first-gen model, there’s no wirelessly chargeable case for the earbuds here, though you can buy one separately.

These earbuds from Bowers and Wilkins are stylish and slim, unlike the previous-generation model, which were chunkier. Audio is excellent, with an open soundstage, good bass and strong presence, and the earbuds’ drivers are made with material used in the company’s over-ear headphones.

Unlike many earbuds, these are made for iPhone-certified, which means they can work seamlessly with Apple devices, though pairing is not as straightforward as with AirPods, for instance.

One neat feature is the transmitter built into the charging case. This means you can plug the case into an inflight entertainment system, say, connecting a cable to the USB-C socket, and the case will transmit the audio to the earbuds. There are four pairs of silicone eartips provided so you can pick the best size. Choose from four colours: midnight blue, anthracite black, dove white and jade green, the last of which is the most eye-catching.

Beats is Apple’s other headphones brand, and it’s known for a bass-heavy sound. While the latest earbuds are subtler than some earlier Beats cans, there’s still plenty of bass here. Unlike AirPods, Beats Studio Buds+ are designed to have more advanced features that are compatible with both iPhone and Android, rather than favouring Apple products. These include quick pairing and auto-switching between devices.

The first thing that stands out here is the design. Although it’s not worlds away from earlier Beats in-ears, it adds a head-turning transparent version, which is splendid. Other colours are available, including ivory, black/gold, cosmic silver and cosmic pink. The design updates include new acoustic vents to reduce pressure on the ears so they can be worn more comfortably for longer. The resulting sound is big and emphatic, rather than gentle or neutral. Overall, they certainly pack a punch. A five-minute charge gives an hour of playback, too.

These buds offer strong noise-cancellation at a relatively low price. In fact, the price is all the more appealing given that these earbuds include spatial audio capabilities and decent dust- and water-resistance. The design is similar to the pricier earlier model, the Google Pixel Buds 2 Pro, and this means the same effective fit is achieved with the twist-to-fit movement the previous earbuds delivered. These earbuds also have a raised area that offers a stabilising feel.

Though more affordable than the Pixel Buds 2 Pro, the newer model has the same processor on board, which is key to the noise-cancelling and powers AI features using Google Gemini. However, the new model lacks the simplicity of volume control by swiping the earbud, found on the Pixel Buds 2 Pro. Instead, you need to control the volume on your paired phone or via voice command.

The latest Sennheiser earbuds are the brand’s best yet, with better performance, features and fit than the last pair. They are not cheap, and the design is almost unchanged from previous versions apart from new colours: silver, graphite and black copper. However, inside, the design changes include improvements to audio stability, better antennas and better audio drivers. Using Qualcomm chips means there’s greater access to lossless streaming, which sounds terrific. New ear tips which are washable have also been added, and, like the Apple AirPods Pro, there’s an audio test to check you have the best fit. There’s a rich and present quality to the sound that’s highly attractive.

The white finish to these earbuds (also available in silver) may make you think for a second that you’re looking at AirPods, but while the look is similar, there are key design distinctions, such as the sharp-edged “blade” fins instead of Apple’s rounded ones – and there’s even a white light on the edge of the fin, though you can turn this off. This also works if you use the Find My system, when the lights will flash as the earbuds cheep at you.

Active noise-cancelling is excellent, though outdone by the AirPods Pro and Bose QuietComfort Ultra. There are three sets of ear tips included to ensure decent noise isolation. Although they work both with Android and iPhones, features such as automatic pairing and switching between devices are for Samsung owners only. Voice calls are very good, reducing background noise significantly. There are helpful colour-coded marks on the stems and case to make it easy to put them back the right way round.

London tech company Nothing’s latest in-ear earbuds have strong sound, ceramic drivers and a wireless-chargeable case. The buds use Nothing’s trademark transparent finish, which continues to look classy and premium, despite the relatively low price.

The buds have an advanced processor that lifts the audio quality – they sound good and have strong noise-cancellation.

There’s also a great alternative, the Nothing Ear (a) (£89, Amazon.co.uk), which comes in a funky yellow colour, has better battery life but not quite as good sound. Still, for £89, they are worth considering.

The new AirPods come in two versions, one without active noise-cancelling, one with. There’s a £50 premium for the ANC, though you also get a wireless-chargeable case, which has a speaker so it can make a sound if you’re looking for it.

Because these are open earbuds, you remain connected to the outside world a bit more, even with the ANC model. Sound is excellent throughout both versions, and the new earbud design is especially comfortable. Noise-cancelling is also strong, on a par with the original AirPods Pro rather than the exceptional AirPods Pro 2. Both versions of AirPods 4 are significantly better than the AirPods they replace, for about the same prices as before (they’re £10 more than the previous earbuds). The pricier model also includes Conversation Awareness, where the AirPods sense that you’re talking and reduce the volume of the music while enhancing the voice in front of you.

These 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 setup is most seamless when used with an Android phone, where integration with Google Assistant is flawless.

Open earbuds can make for more comfortable wearing, especially if you like to feel connected to the environment around you or dislike the pressurised feel that can come with noise isolation. The fit in the ear is comfortable because of the open design and is enhanced by a hook design that holds them in place securely. This is great if you’re working out, but note that the waterproofing is decent rather than outstanding.

The design is flexible enough to adapt to fit different ear shapes. The audio quality is very enjoyable with much richer bass than expected. A problem with open earbuds can be sound leakage but Nothing has kept this to a minimum. It has also kept its attractive see-through design to the fore and the slender case, though it lacks wireless charging.

If you’ve ever seen someone pop just one earbud out of their ear to have a conversation, you’ll understand the purpose of the ultra open earbuds. The open design means you can hear the world around you as well as your music. A silicone arm connects the speaker to the battery and it clips around your ear securely. An auto volume feature means the earbuds compensate if the noise around you gets louder, maintaining the same listening volume and edging the level back to where it was when you’ve stepped out of the noisy store or away from the gusty wind buffeting your ears.

The earbuds also have Bose immersive audio, which cleverly makes the sound seem to come from ahead and all around you. They come in two colours, black and white smoke, and are comfortable enough to wear all day.

These earbuds come from audio masters Denon and they offer the option for audio personalised to your hearing by way of a listening profile test where the earbuds measure the sensitivity of your ears. Turning the personalised profile off and on reveals a big difference: overall the sound is more focused and appealing.

The large size means they can look a bit daunting, and they’re heavier than many other earbuds reviewed here. There’s excellent noise-cancelling, though not quite matching that of the best on test. The bass is decent but can be boosted in an immersion mode if that’s your taste. Overall sound is tremendous, and spatial audio sounds especially good. The touch controls make the most of the large flat surfaces and can be customised to your liking.