The best budget wireless earbuds 2024, chosen by our reviewers | TechRadar

Cheaper earbuds from Sony, Nothing, EarFun, JLab and more

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The best budget wireless earbuds can offer great performance without a hefty price tag. The buds we’ve chosen in this guide bring you impressive audio, handy features and comfortable fits. Some even rival more expensive wireless earbuds in terms of performance.

However, to keep costs down, even the best budget options come with some trade-offs. You may notice a lack of ANC or less refined sound compared to the premium models featured in our best earbuds and best wireless earbuds guides. In audio gear, price often correlates with quality, but for those on a budget, there are still plenty of earbuds that deliver essential features and good sound without costing a fortune.

This guide highlights the top wireless earbuds under $100 / £100 / AU$130. With years of expertise testing hundreds of earbuds, we know what makes a budget pair stand out. Our picks include excellent options from both smaller companies and well-known brands, like Sony.

Keen to cut straight to the best bit – ie. which budget earbuds are the best? We get you. Below, you’ll find a roundup of our choices. You can also jump to a more detailed review of every top pick, plus our price comparison tool to help you find the best deals.

Best overall

The best budget wireless earbuds overall

Sony has taken hit features from its higher-end buds and shrunk them into this smaller, cheaper package. At this price, the sonic performance can't be beaten.

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Best super cheap

The best super cheap wireless earbuds

An incredibly cheap pair of buds with lots of features, energetic sound and a comfortable fit. It's rate you'd find buds this budget with ANC, but it's solid here.

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Best mid-range

The best mid-range cheap wireless earbuds

They may look a tad commonplace, but these EarFun buds are packed with high-end features, including ANC and multipoint pairing. Battery life is excellent, and the sound is very good.

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Best top-end budget

The best top-end budget earbuds

Right at the top of our price range, but their value can't be beaten. They're comfortable, stylish, sound great and ANC is excellent. A no-brainer if your budget can stretch a little.

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Best for design

The best budget wireless earbuds for design

A quirky pair of buds that come in a range of colors. We can't get enough of this refreshing design from Audio-Technica. They also sound great, but there's no ANC here.

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Best for battery life

The best budget earbuds for battery life

Although these are equally fantastic all-rounders, the battery life here is the true highlight at a whopping 80 hours from the charging case. We also highly rate the sound quality.

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Best neckbuds

The best neckband cheap earbuds

If you don't want to go truly wireless, SoundMAGIC's E11BT is our top budget semi-wired pick thanks to a comfortable design that fits around your neck and fantastic audio quality.

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Best without ANC

The best cheap wireless buds without ANC

There's no ANC here, but everything else about these low-cost buds shines, including energetic sound, 360 Reality Audio support and solid in-bud battery life.

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I've reviewed over 150 audio products since becoming a tech journalist, ranging from super-budget earbuds to high-end Hi-Res Audio music players. Before joining TechRadar, I spent three years at What Hi-Fi? testing everything the world of audio had to offer; before that, I was a professional dancer. My love of music ties it all together.

Why you can trust TechRadar We spend hours testing every product or service we review, so you can be sure you’re buying the best. Find out more about how we test.

Our expert review:

✅ You have a smaller ear: They're some of the most secure and comfortable we've tested in this category for the bijou-eared. ✅ You want the best in budget sound-per-pound value: you're getting effective ANC alongside the most zealous and fun audio at this level.

❌ You want the track to switch off when you remove them: It isn't a feature of the WF-C700N. Small gripe for some, potential game-changer for others. ❌ Your ears are on the large side: There's a chance these lovely little driver housings might even be too small for you.

Simply put, the Sony WF-C700N earbuds are our go-to if you're looking for budget buds that tick all of the boxes. You'll find better noise-cancelling earbuds out there, but none will be as affordable as these.

Before we get too excited, the audio here doesn't approach class-leading territory, but what the Sony WF-C700N can offer above the competition is effective ANC alongside the most energetic and fun audio at the level. Sony's proprietary 360 Reality Audio is also on the spec sheet, so those with a Tidal account are basically sorted, and you also get Sony's standard DSEE audio 'upscaling' engine (note: not the top-tier upscaler but still a neat inclusion), so your even your lowly Spotify tracks are going to get a bit of help too. Other notable features not always seen at the level include handy multi-point connectivity and adaptive sound control.

As if that wasn't enough, these are some of the most secure and comfortable buds we've tested (especially for smaller ears) with an unmistakably Sony classy build and finish – plus they're 38% smaller and 37% lighter than Sony's WF-1000XM4 buds.

It's hard to fault them at this level – their sub-$100/£100 price tag makes it nigh on impossible. They're smaller, they're cheaper, but they still boast many of the features that made their flagship siblings class-leaders. Highly recommended.

Read our full Sony WF-C700N review

Our expert review:

✅ You want small buds: They're tiny and as light as a feather, which makes these buds compact and comfortable.✅ You want ANC on a budget: It's rare you'd get such cheap buds with ANC built-in, which works well here.

❌ You want excellent sound quality: The audio is great for the price, but it won't impress audiophiles who want best-in-class quality.❌ You care about style: It's not that these buds look bad, but they're not as stylish as other options in this guide.

If you're after budget-friendly earbuds that aren't just cheap but are incredibly cheap yet still deliver solid performance across the board, the JLab Go Pop ANC are our top pick. In our review, we noted that these buds "have all the hallmarks of an instant budget favorite," offering good sound, a comfortable design, essential features, and ANC – all for an impressive $29.99 / £29.99 / AU$69.99.

These earbuds are packed with features you wouldn't typically expect at this price point, the standout being ANC. While the ANC here won't give you the near-silent experience of premium buds, it’s surprisingly effective, reducing a significant amount of external noise. You can even adjust the ANC strength through the JLab app. The app also offers customizable touch controls and multiple EQ options, including presets like Bass Boost, Music, and Movie modes. Battery life is solid, too, with 7 hours of playback on the buds (with ANC on) and about 24 hours in total when including the charging case.

Sound quality is another area where the Go Pop ANC shine. While the soundstage is a bit narrow and there are no 'lossless' codecs for audiophiles, the audio quality still impresses. As we mentioned in our review, "bass was surprisingly impactful and treble was sharp enough to add some flair to the overall listening experience."

If there's one downside, it's the design. The JLab Go Pop ANC earbuds have a somewhat plasticky, cheap look. However, considering the price, it's a minor complaint. Despite their modest appearance, they are lightweight, comfortable for extended wear, and boast an IP55 waterproof rating. The compact charging case is also a plus, featuring a foldable USB-C cable built into the base for easy charging on the go.

These earbuds won’t compete with top-tier models, but for the price, they offer exceptional value. If you're looking for a budget option that delivers solid sound, useful features, and even ANC for less than the cost of a night out, the JLab Go Pop ANC buds are hard to beat.

Read our full JLab Go Pop ANC review

Our expert review:

✅ You need solid all-rounder buds for less: Few buds tick all the boxes in terms of comortf, good ANC, solid sound and top battery life for under $100/£100. ✅ You won’t want to have to charge them all the time:There are several great features here, but practically speaking, battery life is arguably the best.

❌ You need ANC that puts you in a cocoon of silence:ANC is good here, but it doesn’t deliver that almost eerie bubble of silence you get from higher end buds.❌ You want class-leading sound: We enjoyed listening to music with the EarFun Air Pro 3, but they're not at the top of the pile for neutrality, expanse or dynamic clarity.

The EarFun Air Pro 3 buds don't look particularly special, but they're a really great pair of all-rounder earbuds. As well as bringing you an excellent nine hours of battery life (with an additional 36 from the case), there's also multipoint pairing and some next-gen features that may soon make these buds even more special, including support for the hotly-anticipated Bluetooth LE Audio – and Auracast.

The ANC from the EarFun Air Pro 3 aren't on a par with the best noise-cancelling earbuds you can buy today, but they cost less than half the price of many of those rivals and the level of noise-nixing is good enough for focusing at work and diminishing most extraneous low-level sounds while travelling.

Audio-wise, the EarFun Air Pro 3 buds are powerful and punchy from the get-go. During our testing, we listened to Stevie Nicks' Edge of Seventeen and the signature sound was bang on, with big, booming vocals and oodles of energy. Through the lower registers, things can get a little muddied and cluttered, particularly through heavier tracks, but it's a relatively minor issue at this level.

At 52g they're lovely and light and although the units do feel a bit plasticky, they're incredibly comfortable.

The EarFun Air Pro 3 earbuds deliver a generous dollop of everything most people will need from a pair of true wireless earbuds today, and they do it all for well under $100/£100.

Read our full Earfun Air Pro 3 review

Our expert review:

✅ You want affordable ANC: These buds deliver some of the best inexpensive noise-cancellation we've tested.

✅ You care about style: We got so many compliments when we were trialling these – it's easy to see why.

❌ You want spatial audio: You won't find it here. Look at the Sony WF-C700N or Bose QuietComfort Ultra Earbuds.

❌ You have very small ears: The design worked well during testing and there are small tips to choose from, but they won't suit the smallest of ears.

The Nothing Ear (a) are our top high-end budget pick. They cost $99 / £99 / around AU$192, which means we can still call them budget at a pinch. And they're well worth including if you want affordable buds that are impeccably good value.

They're packed with features, including in-ear detection, multipoint to two devices, an ear tip fit test and a Find My Earbuds feature. You can also toggle on low lag for gaming and there's Bluetooth v5.3 here, as well as LDAC support for hi-res audio.

Both call quality and ANC have been massively improved over Nothing buds that came before them. During our testing, we were blown away by the noise-cancelling power on offer here, although did comment that we can see why battery life takes such a hit when it's on – it's really that good.

How do they sound? Great, especially for the price. In our review, we said the sound is fun and energetic. We wrote: "There's so much here to celebrate sonically that I cannot pick fault."

Design-wise, expect the cool, transparent and minimal aesthetic Nothing has become known for. And not only do they look fantastic, but the case has been upgraded and is now small and more pocketable and the fit is extremely comfort for all-day listening.

We know it's tempting to go for the cheapest buds you can find. But if you want a reliable pair that represent excellent value in terms of design, comfort, sound and features, the Nothing Ear (a) are a very impressive set of buds and a choice that won't disappoint.

Read our full Nothing Ear (a) review

Our expert review:

✅ You want the best-sounding true wireless buds for $79: This incredibly affordable proposition boasts sonic chops no other solution has managed at this level. ✅ You like to look good (and a little bit alternative): Are these the coolest little earbuds on the planet? Hard to say.

❌ ANC is top of your list: There's no active noise cancellation here, sadly, although the hear-through feature works beautifully to stay aware.❌ You really want app support: These buds do well without a companion app, but if you prefer a visual cue you won't find it here.

The Audio-Technica ATH-SQ1TW earbuds are one of our favorite pairs of budget buds because they're packed with more features than you'd expect for the price, including on-ear controls that work well (including volume) plus a low-latency mode and a hear-through function. You're also getting Bluetooth 5.0 and an impressive 20 hours of battery. They lack a companion app and there's no active noise cancellation here, but during our testing we were wiling to let these specs slide for everything else you get here.

These aren't the best-sounding buds you can buy, but for the price we were impressed. Stream Perfume Genius' On the Floor on Tidal and the complex intro comes through with such detail that we're noting treble elements in our right ear we never picked up before. A female backing vocal is easily perceptible and impactful – delivered with the kind of insight that lesser earbuds at this money cannot begin to dish up.

These buds sound good, but it's the design that we really want to shout about. They have a cubist and cool aesthetic that's refreshingly different in a sea of similar-looking buds. They're also available in six delicious-sounding colorways (Caramel, Popsicle, Cupcake, Blueberry, Liquorice and Popcorn). Not only do they look good, they feel good too and fit comfortably for hours.

These inexpensive earbuds should be on your list – and not on looks alone. These buds sound more expansive and are generally better than anything else you can buy for this money.

Read our full Audio-Technica ATH-SQ1TW review

Our expert review:

✅ You value audio quality: These buds sound superb out of the box, especially at this price point. The LDX Audio mode gives them an optionally-beefier sound too.✅ You don’t want to keep reaching for a charger: Battery life from the PurePlay Z3 2.0 is so good you’ll find yourself surprised when you eventually need to recharge its capacious power case.

❌ You need noise cancellation: It’s the one area where the budget nature of the earbuds becomes clear – premium noise cancelling features are absent.❌ Hear-through and ambient modes are crucial: Though the PurePlay Z3 2.0 claims to have listening modes that give you a better feel for your surroundings, they didn’t prove very useful in our testing.

The LyperTek PurePlay Z3 2.0 are the successors to the original Lypertek PurePlay Z3, which we loved. They're a little older now but still hold their own in the game, boasting great features for the price, including wireless charging, a powerful LDX Audio mode and an improved companion app. Perhaps the best feature here is battery life though, which is a massive 80 hours with the charging case and 10 hours from the buds on their own. Know many other buds that can do that? Neither do we…

Sound quality is also good – it's a detailed, integrated, balanced, agile hi-fi sound. They boast a novel LDX Audio mode, which during our testing was "like hitting an overdrive button – raising the volume of less-present frequencies (particularly bass tones), widening the soundstage." The result is a more energetic, dynamic delivery, and whether you love it forever or use it sporadically at best, it certainly adds value in this budget realm.

They're not the nicest-looking proposition, but they're gloriously light and comfortable even for long listening sessions and we are big fans of the physical buttons. They come with small, medium or large silicone ear tips, and even a Flexifit foam tip that expands slightly in the ear for a tighter seal and better passive noise cancellation – yes, for this money!

These budget buds are a few years old now, but that means they're often around at even lower prices – and that killer battery life alone makes them a great buy if you can find them. At the time of writing, the Lypertek PurePlay Z3 2.0 earbuds are sold out in the UK. As a result, we recommend considering the Soundpeats Air4 Pro as an alternative – although it only offers up to 26 hours of battery life.

Read our full Lypertek PurePlay Z3 2.0 review

Our expert review:

✅ You want a neckband: If you don't want to go fully wireless, these are a top alternative, keeping each bud anchored without the annoying wire to your source device.✅ You want cheap gym earbuds: These are some of our top picks for budget workout buds; the neckband keeps them in place, plus there's a splash-proof IPX4 rating.

❌ You want truly wireless earbuds: If you want a little case where your two learpieces go to roost, you'll feel short-changed here❌ You want ANC: Passive noise isolation is good here, but you won't have total immersion.

The SoundMagic E11BT buds aren't packed with features (there's no ANC whatsoever), but they remain our top pick for budget 'buds if you prefer a neckband-style design. They boast good connectivity, control via an inline remote and continuous playback for up to 20 hours, provided you don't max out the volume during your workout.

Largely speaking, the audio quality provided by the E11BTs is very good indeed, with an impressive amount of oomph and drive for such small earbuds. Vocals are clear and smooth thanks to their custom-tuned drivers and there's good bass depth and clout too.

Overall, the E11BTs are comfortable to wear thanks to ergonomically-designed eartips and a flat neckband that shouldn’t irritate you while running or working out. With an IPX4 rating, they'll also withstand even super-sweaty training sessions.

The SoundMagic E11BTs are an extremely capable pair of wireless in-ear earphones and given their low price they're fantastic value. Aside from an occasionally overstated treble (but we're really nitpicking here) we found it difficult to fault them. This particular model is seeing limited stock in the UK at the moment, so we recommend checking out the 1More Penta Driver P50 wired earbuds as an optional alternative.

Read our full SoundMAGIC E11BT review

Our expert review:

✅ You like clear and forward sound: Bass here is lacking a little, but for detailed vocals and treble-first sound, these buds sound excellent.

✅ You want affordable Sony buds: There are other Sonys here, but these are the cheapest yet still packed with everything that makes the brand great.

❌ You need ANC: If you're used to ANC, choosing buds without it might be hard to get used to – especially if you spend time commuting or in a busy office.❌ You want them for long trips: So, the battery in the buds is great. The charge in the case isn't. They'll last for long trips, but not for days without power.

Many people look for ANC to block out noise during commutes, busy offices, or flights, but not everyone needs it. Sometimes, it's useful to stay aware of your surroundings, and some find ANC’s silence unsettling. If you don't need noise-cancelling, there are still plenty of earbuds that offer great sound, a comfortable fit, and solid features – often at a lower price. Our top pick for budget earbuds without ANC is the Sony WF-C510, showing that Sony can excel at budget options just as well as high-end ones. They’re similar to the WF-C700Ns but nearly half the price.

Let's start with the sound. While you won’t get audiophile-level quality or deep bass, these buds still offer a highly enjoyable listening experience. This is partly due to Sony’s DSEE (Digital Sound Enhancement Engine), which restores the range of compressed audio from streaming services. It gives the WF-C510 an edge over other budget options, as long as you remember to activate it in the app.

We praised the design in our review, calling it "stellar," noting: "the buds stuck in my ears like the Abba songs they played stayed stuck in my head." This secure fit is thanks to the "grippy" material on the tips and the lightweight build – just 5g per bud. They stayed put during workouts and cycling, so no worries about them falling out. The case is also compact and lightweight, though it only offers one extra charge, which is disappointing compared to rivals that offer two or three. Still, with 11 hours of battery life on a single charge, the buds are great for long journeys – just don’t count on the case for extended trips without a power source.

Feature-wise, you get the basics. There’s no ANC, wear detection, low-latency mode, or 'find my' locators – features you'd find in pricier models. But overall, the WF-C510 buds offer excellent value, packing many of the things we love about Sony into a budget-friendly package.

Read our full Sony WF-C510 review

Apple AirPods 4: The new Apple AirPods 4 are finally here and we rated them for their fun, dynamic sound and spatial audio – the fit is also surprisingly good to say there are no tips. However, there are ultimately much better options for your money. But if you're a die-hard Apple fan, take a closer look at our Apple AirPods 4 review and have at them.

Xiaomi Buds 5: Read our Xiaomi Buds 5 review and you'll see that these buds offer good, cheap sound. But there are issues here, including poor ear grip, a so-so battery life and an app that disappoints.

JBL Tour Pro 3: These earbuds are good, but they're far too expensive for this guide and the cheaper JBL Live Beam 3 are better. Still, if you're in the market for a pair of feature-filled buds with head-tracked spatial audio, take a look at our JBL Tour Pro 3 review.

OnePlus Buds Pro 3: We rated the amazing sound and impressive battery life these buds had to offer in our OnePlus Buds Pro 3 review. But although they're great for those with more money to spend, they're not budget buds and are too pricey for this guide.

B&W Pi8: We've recently published our B&W Pi8 review, rating these buds for their breath-taking levels of detail and dynamism, as well as their accomplished ANC. But at $399 / £349 / AU$599 they're too expensive for this guide – then again, if you can afford them and justify a price bump, you won't be disappointed.

Google Pixel Buds Pro 2: Read our Google Pixel Buds Pro 2 review and you'll discover these buds were disappointing all round. We liked the noise-cancelling modes and solid battery life, but there are much better options for less.

Earfun Air Pro 4: Take a look at our Earfun Air Pro 4 review for a pair of buds that we ultimately thought were good but were let down by a cluttered user experience with an overwhelming number of options.

Buying a pair of the best budget earbuds can be a challenge. You might uncover a real gem or land yourself with a pair or buds that barely work, let alone sound good. All of the the affordable earbuds in this list come with our recommendation.

But often you do get what you pay for in terms of connectivity, build and noise cancellation. In fact, ANC is the first thing to be omitted from the spec sheet in the budget realm. For example, you need to be looking at models such as the EarFun Air Pro 3 and Sony WF-C700N as opposed to Audio-Technica's ATH-SQ1TW or Lypertek's PurePlay Z3 2.0 if you want active noise cancellation in your budget buy. If that's not an essential feature for you, then it's even worth looking at cheaper models in a brand's lineup. For example, the Earfun Air 2 is a more stripped back version of the Air Pro 3 that offers great money for value.

Before you add the earbuds to your online shopping cart, it's also worth having an idea of what kind of earbuds you need. There are two kinds of wireless earbuds: neckbuds that have a cable connecting each earbud but connect via Bluetooth to your phone, and true wireless earbuds that have no cables at all. The former is a dying breed but still, certain active users and athletes prefer it.

If you intend to workout with your earbuds, then you'll need buds that will stay put, so look out for interchangeable eartips and fins to hold them in place. Check out our guides for the best running headphones and best workout headphones, or even the best bone conduction headphones for more inspiration.

If you're all about the sound quality, look for earbuds that support hi-res audio and low latency codecs like aptX Adaptive and aptX Lossless. Or, if you want cheap earbuds that will get your through a week's worth of commuting, you'll want to look out for long battery lives – think 25 hours and above.

☑️ More than 3,000 headphones reviewed☑️ 15 years of product testing☑️ Over 16,000 products reviewed in total☑️ Nearly 200,000 hours testing tech

We're constantly testing the best cheap wireless earbuds to determine which can be included in this list. But to make the cut, we need them to tick a number of boxes. We have a more detailed breakdown of how we test earbuds at TechRadar but we've outlined a brief summary of the methodology below.

The biggest consideration we make when determining if a pair of earbuds makes our list is pricing. Being available for under £100/$100/AU$150 is what we determine to be relatively cheap. This is closely followed by how solid the sound quality is, which features a pair of earbuds offers (such as decent battery life or mic quality) and the level of comfort they deliver .

We always test earbuds in a number of different sound environments across a vast selection of musical genres with a wide-range of connectivities (mainly wired and Bluetooth). We listened to podcasts and albums in both quiet rooms and busy aeroplanes, to ensure we knew how they'd handle varying levels of noise too. We also wore them while walking and, often, working out, which meant we could speak to their comfort levels, ANC if available, and how secure they are in your ear.

We also put those battery claims to the test, making sure we got a sense of how quickly the juice drains from the buds and the case itself during both extensive listening sessions and shorter ones.

Of course, these earbuds aren't going to compare with the high-end buds that you'll find our best wireless earbuds guide, which are double – or even triple – the price, but our testing is independent, which means we can assure you that you're getting the best sound-per-pound experience.

October 16, 2024Added the Sony WF-C510 as 'best wireless earbuds without ANC' to offer a cheap set for people who don't require noise cancellation. Rewrote the intro and itemised our 'also consider' section. September 16, 2024Rewrote the introduction. Switched the JLab JBuds Mini for the JLab Go Air Pop ANC as our 'best super cheap' pick. Added the Sony WF-C510 as our new 'best cheap wireless earbuds without ANC' choice. Refreshed our 'also consider' section with several new buds we've recently reviewed, including the Apple AirPods 4 and Xiaomi Buds 5.

September 12, 2024Rewrote the introduction. Added the JLab Go Air Pop ANC to our 'also consider' section, along with details of our upcoming Apple AirPods 4 reviews.

August 16, 2024Rewrote the introduction. Added a selection of new wireless earbuds we’ve recently tested into our ‘also consider’ advice, including the Earfun Air Pro 4, LG Tone Free T90S and Beats Solo Buds.