In 2021, the finest wireless earbuds will be

The finest wireless earbuds are the best examples of a still-new form factor for headphones. In some ways, that makes them even more impressive: the Apple AirPods may have established truly wireless earbuds, but the variants on our list have gone their own way and are as deserving of your money. If not even more so.

Because this is a broad church, we've included our favourite mid-range and inexpensive earbuds in addition to top-of-the-line earbuds with active noise reduction and spatial audio capabilities. All of this is, of course, based on our usual testing. Continue reading through our list of the best wireless earphones to find a pair that's right for you.

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What are the best wireless earbuds?

Editor's Note: The Tom's Guide Audio Awards 2021 have been revealed, and the Jabra Elite 85t has been named Best Wireless Earbuds! Go to the audio awards website to see all of the winners and runners-up.

Wireless earbuds' technology has advanced significantly, and they are now as common as wired headphones. The finest wireless earbuds have a long battery life, superb sound and call quality, some noise cancellation, and are water- and sweat-resistant, so you can use them while working out without fear. And the finest wireless earbuds are those that fit comfortably in your ears and don't budge while you're jogging or working out.

The Sony WF-1000XM4 is ranked third due to its excellent sound and ANC. If you're looking for something less expensive, consider the OnePlus Buds Pro, which provide surprisingly decent sound and ANC for the price.

The best wireless earbuds to buy now

1) Jabra Elite Active 75t

SPECIFICATIONS

0.8 x 0.7 x 0.6 inches in size

Weight: 0.2 oz (per bud)

7.5 hours of rated battery life; 28 hours of actual battery life (with charging case)

The Bluetooth range is 30 feet (9 meters)

Highlights include: Active and passive noise suppression, adjustable EQ, and complete waterproofing

REASONS TO BUY

+Crisp and well-balanced audio

+Sleek, water-resistant design

+Long battery life

+Active and passive noise cancellation

The finest wireless earbuds (and best athletic headphones) on the market just got better, due to a free over-the-air ANC update that incorporates active noise cancelling. Don't expect Bose-level results or anything near to what the more expensive Elite 85t offers, but Jabra did an excellent job of fine-tuning its algorithm to filter out a significant amount of extraneous noise.

Even before the addition of ANC, the Elite Active 75t established itself as the model to beat, outperforming its main rival, the AirPods Pro, in terms of battery life, durability, sound, and unique features. The design is still elegant, but it is more robust this time around, with IP57 certification providing waterproof protection as well as dust and perspiration resistance. The sound is dynamic and can be modified with the Jabra Sound+ app, which has presets and other innovative features that improve both sound and call quality.

For the time of writing, you can acquire the Jabra Elite Active 75t at a discounted price in these Black Friday Amazon offers in the United States and the United Kingdom.

2. Apple AirPods Pro

SPECIFICATIONS

Dimensions: 1.2 x 0.9 x 0.9 in.

Weight: 0.2 oz (per bud)

4.5 hours of rated battery life; 24 hours of actual battery life (with charging case)

The Bluetooth range is 800 feet.

Highlights include: Active noise cancellation, "Hey Siri" functionality, and spatial audio are all included.

REASONS TO PURCHASE

+Excellent active noise cancellation

+Easy-to-use controls

+Comfortable fit

+Excellent sound

It's fairly impressive how Apple keeps improving the performance of its noise-cancelling earphones with software upgrades, and if it keeps up the excellent job, the AirPods Pro might return to the top of our best wireless earbuds list. Spatial audio is a fantastic feature that produces a 3D-like soundscape, allowing you to enjoy movies and video games even more. Even minor but useful additions such as auto-switching make a considerable difference in operation, allowing users to swiftly switch between iDevices that are linked to the same iCloud account.

The good news is that even without the most recent iOS upgrades, the AirPods Pro continue to perform admirably, owing to increased sound, robust ANC, a more ergonomic design for greater comfort and fit, and all of the benefits that come with the H1 processor. If there is one issue, it is the same one that every Apple fan has had since the first-generation AirPods entered the market: the poor battery life.

It's also worth noting that Apple has just released the AirPods 3. These are a cross between the AirPods Pro and the second-generation Apple AirPods, combining the Pro's shorter-stem design and sweat/water resistance with Spatial Audio capability and a 6-hour battery life. There is no ANC, but they are $179 less expensive than the AirPods Pro. We'll go through them soon.

3. Sony WF-1000XM4

SPECIFICATIONS

Dimensions: 1 x 0.8 x 0.8 in.

Weight: 0.2 oz (per bud)

Battery life (rated): 8 hours with ANC on, 12 hours without ANC, 24 hours with charging case, 35 hours without charging case (with charging case and ANC off)

The Bluetooth range is 30 feet (9 meters)

Active noise cancellation, transparency mode, Speak-to-Chat, configurable EQ, 360 Reality Audio, DSEE Extreme upscaling, LDAC, Bluetooth 5.2, tri-digital assistant compatibility (Alexa, Google Assistant, and Siri), rapid charging, and wireless charging are all included.

REASONS TO BUY

+Large yet balanced sound

+Excellent ANC efficacy

+Improved battery life

The Sony WF-1000XM4 improves on almost every aspect of the previous WF-1000XM4, from the design to the enhancement of ANC and the altering of the sound signature for greater frequency balance. All of this comes at a greater cost, but the WF-1000XM4 sounds nice enough to justify it.

This is also a very feature-rich pair of wireless earphones. LDAC support for higher-quality music, a highly configurable ambient listening mode, support for all three major digital assistants, and complete EQ adjustment are all included. Do you want to recreate the WF-1000XM4's bass-heavy sound? Not an issue.

4. OnePlus Buds Pro

SPECIFICATIONS

1.25 x 0.9 inches (each blossom), 2.3 x 1.9 x 0.9 inches (total) (charging case)

1.83 ounces (per bud), 0.15 ounces (charging case)

Battery life (rated): 5 hours with ANC on, 7 hours without ANC, 28 hours with charging case and ANC, 38 hours without ANC (with charging case, ANC off)

Bluetooth range is around 40 feet (12 meters)

Highlights include: Active noise cancellation, rapid charging, configurable ambient mode, IP55 water resistance, and voice assistant compatibility are all features of this device.

REASONS TO BUY

+Rich, well-balanced sound

+Strong ANC

+Handsome, luxury style

+Ridiculously powerful charging technology

+Unique audio features

We knew OnePlus could make a good set of wireless earphones after testing the greatest OnePlus smartphones throughout the years. The original OnePlus Buds were a solid attempt, but the Buds Pro exceeds all expectations. It has a stylish style that goes well with any OnePlus smartphone, as well as amazing sound and some of the finest ANC in the market. OnePlus customers enjoy the best of both worlds, with access to exclusive features like low latency mode for mobile gaming and Fast Pair for fast networking with brand devices.

There's also Warp Charge, the most powerful charging technology we've seen, capable of providing 10 hours of use on a 10-minute charge.

You'll need it since ANC playtime is as limited as the AirPods Pro (4.5 hours).

At the very least, you know it won't take long to get these buds energised before dashing out the door.

5. AirPods 3

SPECIFICATIONS

Dimensions: 1.21 x 0.72 x 0.76 inches

Weight: 0.15 oz (per bud)

rated battery life: 6 hours, 30 hours (with charging case)

Bluetooth range is around 40 feet (12 meters)

Adaptive EQ, Spatial Audio, and Mag Safe Charging are among the extras.

REASONS TO PURCHASE

+Adjustable EQ for a well-balanced sound

+Support for spatial audio

+Improved ergonomics

+Top-of-the-line controls

We knew what the AirPods 3 would look like based on expert forecasts and leaks, but we never expected Apple's third-generation model to be this good. With the exception of the eartips and noise cancellation, these buds are nearly identical to the AirPods Pro, sharing many of the same capabilities while adding new ones to the line. MagSafe wireless charging is one among them, as are skin-detect sensors that identify when the buds are in your ears and enable auto-pause/play.

With Apple's exclusive technologies like Adaptive EQ and Spatial Audio at the helm, music and movies sound fantastic. We appreciate the addition of the popular Force Sensor for smooth functioning. Best of all, Apple boosted battery life to 6 hours, which is 1 hour more than any previous AirPods model, with a total of 30 hours through charging case. Simply put, the AirPods 3 are the improvement that iPhone owners have been waiting for, at least those who aren't interested in the AirPods Pro.

6. Master & Dynamic MW08

SPECIFICATIONS

Dimensions: 0.8 x 0.8 x 1 inch

Weight: 0.2 oz (per bud)

Battery life (rated): 10 hours with ANC on, 12 hours with ANC off, 42 hours with ANC off (with charging case)

The Bluetooth range is 30 feet (9 meters)

Hybrid active noise cancellation, two-level ambient listening mode, Bluetooth 5.2, variable fit, and smart controls are among the special features.

REASONS TO BUY

+Stylish, long-lasting design

+Excellent sound

+Active noise cancellation

+Adequate battery life

The Master & Dynamic will entice you with its appearance and hold your attention with its performance. ANC and its "Awareness" ambient mode perform well, the battery life is adequate even with noise cancellation, and the sound quality is among the finest in its class.

The MW08 is, however, a pricey option: it's currently more expensive than the AirPods Pro. However, you do receive a considerably superior design in exchange, with earphones made of ceramic, aluminium, and stainless steel rather than plastic. The black colour choice is quite modest, but if you really want to stand out, try with the white or blue variations.

7. Jabra Elite 85t

SPECIFICATIONS

Dimensions: 0.9 x 0.8 x 0.6 inches

0.3 ounces in weight (per bud)

Battery life (rated): 5.5 hours (ANC on), 7.5 hours (ANC off), 24 hours (with charging case and ANC on), 28 hours (with charging case and ANC off) (with charging case and ANC off)

The Bluetooth range is 35 feet (10 meters)

Highlights include: Wireless charging, adjustable ANC, and customisable EQ

REASONS TO BUY

+Strong active noise suppression

+Lots of customisation options through companion app

+Detailed specification sheet

The successor to our favourite wireless earbuds is a sonic beast with 12mm drivers that provide powerful, well-balanced audio and some of the best noise cancellation we've heard in the category. Jabra's ANC technology can filter out 90 percent of extraneous sounds, allowing for uninterrupted listening and audible calls. The Elite 85t links to the Sound+ app to increase functionality, providing a slew of extras like as adjustable noise reduction and personalised settings. Connectivity is also reliable, due to Bluetooth 5.0 and Qualcomm's powerful CPU.

We believe Jabra should have done more to extend playtimes, since the Elite 85t falls just in between the AirPods Pro (4.5 hours) and the Bose QuietComfort Earbuds (4.5 hours) (6 hours). The buds, on the other hand, feature excellent battery management that extracts every last minute from the battery. It's also nice to see wireless charging included.

8. Cambridge Audio Melomania 1 Plus

SPECIFICATIONS

Dimensions: 1.1 x 0.6 x 0.6 in.

Weight: 0.2 oz (per bud)

Battery life (rated): 7 hours in High Performance Mode, 9 hours in Low Power Mode, 45 hours in Standby Mode (with charging case)

The Bluetooth range is 30 feet (9 meters)

High Performance mode, EQ customization, IPX5 water resistance, and voice assistant support are among the special features.

REASONS TO PURCHASE

+Excellent audio quality

+Long battery life

+Elegant, splash-proof design

In a sector crowded with superb AirPods alternatives, the Cambridge Audio Melomania 1 Plus stands out. While it lacks ANC, this elegant pair of wireless earbuds has a lot to offer, not least the great sound quality.. If you activate the buds' High Performance mode, you'll get a boost from the same amplification technology that Cambridge Audio employs in their CX hi-fi stereo amplifiers.

Water resistance, complete EQ adjustment, and highly dependable voice assistant assistance are also included, all for less than the price of a pair of the most basic AirPods. Battery life is also worth mentioning: with High Performance mode on, you can expect 6 to 7 hours of uptime, which increases to 7 to 8 hours with the Low Power profile.

9. Amazfit PowerBuds Pro

REASONS TO PURCHASE

+Rich sound

+Effective noise suppression

+Does double duty as a fitness tracker

+Feature-packed

The Amazfit Powerbuds Pro is more than simply one of the best athletic headphones on the market. Its dramatic sound performance, effective ANC, and unique features also make it one of the best wireless earbuds in general, as well as a pair that is affordable. While the Powerbuds Pro sound fantastic right out of the box, you can download the Zepp app to access many presets that allow you to tailor music and enable unique modes such as Motion Beat, which automatically enhances bass levels to give a more lively soundtrack.

It's also great that the Powerbuds Pro can function as an activity tracker and heart-rate monitor, though we wouldn't depend on the recorded metrics too much because they won't be as exact as what your Apple Watch 5 records. Nonetheless, they're great for gauging your workout progress when you forget to charge your go-to fitness tracker.

10. Beats Fit Pro

SPECIFICATIONS

Size: 0.75 x 1.18 x 0.94 in, weight: 0.2 oz.

Battery life (rated): 6 hours with ANC on, 7 hours with ANC off, 27 hours with ANC on and charging case, 30 hours with ANC off (ANC off with charging case)

Bluetooth range is around 40 feet (12 meters)

Active noise cancellation, adaptive EQ, and Hey Siri capabilities are among the extras.

REASONS TO BUY

+Efficient ANC and Transparency modes

+Dynamic soundstage with Spatial Audio support

+Respectable battery life

+Comfortable, secure fit

The Fit Pro is a synthesis of Apple and Beats' best achievements, combining AirPods Pro-like performance with an updated Studio Beats design. The sound quality is fantastic, thanks to a unique transducer that keeps the bass powerful while also balancing frequencies so that you can hear clear mids and detailed highs. Spatial Audio has also been included for immersive 3D sound, making this the first Beats product to include the technology. Popular features associated with the H1 processor are accessible, such as automatic switching between Apple devices and FindMy to assist in the recovery of missing buds. We especially like the incorporated wingtips, which maintain the buds in place throughout strenuous exercises.

The acoustic enhancements are available to Android users, but all other iOS-related features are only available to iPhone and iPad users. Because the Android app lacks functionality, the Fit Pro's performance on Google's mobile platform is limited.

Written : RP-Article