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A compact, comfortable pair of wireless earbuds is non-negotiable for red-eye flights, workspace concentration, or gym workouts. I have a hard time in crowded places, and I rarely leave my house without a pair of earbuds tossed in my bag, whether I’m heading to a coffee shop, on a long train ride, or hitting the gym. I’ve been testing wireless earbuds pretty consistently for the past five years to find the pairs with the best combination of battery life, comfort, sound quality, and water resistance.
I have different pairs for different uses, and I’ve tested several earbuds on this list, including the Ozlo Sleepbuds, Apple AirPods, and Anker Soundcore Space A40. A few of my favorites didn’t make the cut, like Skullcandy’s Method 360 and Raycon’s tiny-yet-powerful Fitness Earbuds. This year, the Bose QuietComfort Ultra Earbuds took the top spot with the team’s tested earbuds thanks to their incredible sound quality, world-class noise canceling, and comfort during long wear. Read on for the rest of our top picks.
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Bose is consistently our top choice for both comfort and sound quality, and their QuietComfort Ultra Earbuds took yet another top slot this year. These earbuds are supremely comfortable for extended wear, and we felt no pressure or aches even with all-day wear. Setup isn’t quite as simple as pairing AirPods with an iPhone, but it was easier than others we tested, with the QR code taking us right to the Bose app for syncing. The earbud controls are fairly straightforward, and you can even adjust for sound levels without using the app. These are both comfortable and secure, with four eartips and additional stability bands that kept these in place on rushed commutes and during sweaty workouts.
The sound quality is what we’d expect from Bose, with dynamically placed speakers that allow for a fully immersive music experience as well as crisp podcast and audiobook dialogue. The active noise-canceling did an impressive job blocking distractions while the transparency mode was perfect for hearing what we needed to without turning off our music. The only issue we ran into with these earbuds was the confusing call mode. The incoming call volume was much lower than our music, and the person on the other end was able to hear our surroundings, and we had trouble overall with the quality of calls.
The Details: ANC, transparency | 10-meter Bluetooth range | 3 mics per earbud | | Up to 6-hour battery life | 2-hour charge time | USB-C charging | 3 ear tips and 3 stability bands | 5.3 grams per earbud | Water-resistant | Compatible with Bose app
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While Apple’s original AirPods didn’t have the best noise-cancellation qualities, we have been impressed by the ANC in the fourth generation. These connected easily to our Apple products, including laptops and iPhones, and the setup was seamless. The sound quality is clear and more defined than in previous models, and the spatial audio and head tracking (while a bit odd at first) works well for dynamic interactions and changing surroundings.
The sound was “very clear, strong and vibrant whether I’m listening to music, a podcast, an audiobook, or a phone call,” said Travel + Leisure senior writer Merrell Readman, though the updated control functions did take some time to get used to. Instead of tapping the earbud to change the song or pause, the AirPods 4 are controlled by squeezing the stem to activate the noise cancellation or control the music. The reliable noise-cancellation made up for this though, and we were even able to use them as earplugs when working in loud spaces. The transparency mode is also impressive, letting in surrounding noise for easy conversation without taking the earbuds out. It’s worth noting that you can buy Apple’s AirPods 4 without ANC for $60 less, but we found the ANC mode to be worth the extra spend.
The Details: ANC, transparency | 10-meter Bluetooth range | 3 mics per earbud | Up to 5-hour battery life | 2-hour charge time| USB-C and wireless charging | 5.2 grams per earbud | Water-resistant | Compatible with Apple products
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Google’s Pixel Buds Pro are the Android’s answer to Apple’s AirPods, and the tiny, lightweight, Pro 2 is a noticeable upgrade from the first iteration. The gesture and touch controls are almost the same as the Pixel Buds 1, but we found the new model to respond more reliably. The soft silicone ear tips are also more comfortable than the previous version. With the PB2, we could wear these indefinitely, and did not experience any discomfort thanks to the slimmer profile that reduces pressure without losing stability.
We used these earbuds for everything imaginable during the test period, including gym workouts, commutes, and walks along busy streets, appreciating the strong noise cancellation that made even the nearby train station almost unnoticeable. The app has decent features for sound customization without going overboard, though Apple users won’t get the full feature set, and even Android users might want more options.
The Details: ANC and transparency modes | 10-meter Bluetooth range | 3 mics per earbud | | Up to 8-hour battery life | 2-hour charge time | USB-C and wireless charging | 4 ear tips | 3.9 grams per earbud | Water-resistant | Compatible with Android products
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The Bang & Olufsen Beoplay EX earbuds have been our top pick this year (and last year) for tossing in our gym bag. Similar to our top Bose pick, the sound quality was impressive for everything from nuanced instrumentals to clear dialogue while listening to audiobooks, and T+L senior editor Lydia Price had no trouble watching movies with complex sound design.
The four sizes of eartips made it easy to get a comfortable, custom-feeling fit, and the waterproofing eased any stress of damaging the (expensive) earbuds during humid runs or getting caught outside in the rain. Like the rest of our most comfortable picks, there were no sore spots or pressure points during long-term wear, and the phone audio was clear on both ends of the line. The neutral and transparency mode worked well, and while the noise cancelling was sufficient, these aren’t quite up to par with number one Bose earbuds or Apple’s AirPods 4 noise-cancelling model.
The Details:Transparency, neutral, ANC modes | 10-meter Bluetooth range | 3 mics per earbud | Up to 8-hour battery life | 1.5-hour charge time | USB-C case | 4 ear tips | 5.9 grams per earbud | Waterproof | Compatible with Bang & Olufsen app
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One of the main issues I’ve run into with the original AirPods are the non-silicone buds, which fall out of my ears and I can never quite seem to get the correct fit for the speakers. The AirPods Pro and Pro 2 took care of this, offering Apple’s simple setup and reliable connectivity in a model that comes with silicone ear tips. T+L editor Taylor Fox agreed, saying “I was surprised at how they instantly cancel out any noise, and the fitted silicone tips help make sure the sound isn’t going outside of the ear.”
Like Apple’s other updated AirPod models, the Pro 2 come with spatial adjustment, responding when we turn our heads and allowing us to hear from different directions. The on-bud controls are also still intuitive, with buttons changing the mode between ANC and pass-through. This is an upgrade from the previous model, and we prefer the discreet button over squeezing the AirPod stem in the AirPod 4s. These worked well for taking and making calls on busy streets, and they also stayed in place well during workouts. The four eartips allow for easy, comfortable fit, and they feel like next-to-nothing in our ears, even during all-day use at work.
The Details: ANC and transparency modes | 10-meter Bluetooth range | 3 mics per earbud | | Up to 6-hour battery life | 2-hour charge time | USB-C and wireless charging | 4 ear tips | 5.3 grams per earbud | Water-resistant | Compatible with Apple products
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I am a nightmare both when I don’t get enough sleep and when I’m jet lagged, which means getting enough sleep on international red-eye flights is necessary for the sanity of my travel companions. Ozlo’s Sleepbuds were the perfect solution this past year, with the softest eartips and most secure design of any sleep-oriented earbud I’ve tested. The app offers myriad noise options from brown and white-noise tones to nature sounds like rainfall and thunderstorms.
Even without the noise playing, these fit snugly (and comfortably) enough to block out noise. This is a good thing, since the big detractor from the Sleepbuds is the fact that they straight-up die in their case within a few days of not being used. Almost every other pair of earbuds we tested is ready to go after being in storage, holding a charge both in the buds and in the charging case. Not the case with these, as we’ve pulled them out for an international flight after charging the case a few days before to find them fully dead. We also had trouble getting them set up in the app, and it took several tries to connect to the app, phone, and earbuds. Lastly, it’s important to note that while you can play music from other apps and utilize the Ozlo app, these are not microphone enabled or phone-combatible, so you can’t conduct calls with them. For their intended purpose, they’re fantastic, and we don’t travel without them anymore.
The Details: Passive noise cancellation | 10-meter Bluetooth range | 0 microphones| Up to 10-hour battery life | 3-hour charging time | USB-C charging | 4 ear tips included | 3 grams per earbud | Water resistant | Compatible with Ozlo app
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I packed the Soundcore Space A40 on my 500-mile thru-hike of the Colorado Trail, where battery life and space-saving are of paramount importance. These headphones came through brilliantly, with the most impressive battery power in my collection of wireless earbuds and a charging case that can be abandoned for months at a time and still hold plenty of life. These earbuds aren’t the cheapest on the market, but what you get for $150 (and often found on sale) is an incredible value in sound quality, durability, and battery life.
The case fully charges for up to 50 hours of listening time in just two hours, and you can also do a fast-charge, which provides four hours of listening with just 10 minutes of charge time. Our tester wore these regularly for nine days at a time, and the earbuds were still fully charged afterwards, with 25 percent power still left in the case. They come with four silicone eartips for a comfortable fit, and didn’t press in our ears uncomfortably but still felt secure while walking around and running errands. Aside from my Colorado Trail hike, these were tested for everything from Zoom meetings to calls on commutes and full workday sessions, and we came away impressed in every scenario.
The Details: Adaptive noise cancelling | 10-meter Bluetooth range | 3 mics per earbud | | Up to 15-hour battery life | 2-hour charge time | USB-C and wireless charging | 4 ear tips | 8.5 grams per earbud | Water-resistant
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It can be hard to get the nuanced sound in an open-ear style, but the Bose Ultra Open Earbuds are as close as we’ve gotten. These are designed to help you stay aware of your surroundings without losing all quality in the audio, and I’ve used this style for cycling, road running, and hiking in grizzly bear country. We also recommend these for people who have sensitivities to pressure inside their ear, and want to listen to music without pressure around or in their ear.
You won’t get active noise cancellation with an open-earbud design, but we were still impressed with the layered sound quality during testing. These use the same Bose app as our top pick, and they were similarly easy to pair. The on-bud controls are located on the part of the earbud that wraps around the back of our ear, and they are easy to access. We did have some trouble getting the controls to work, and some actions worked better than others. Going back a full song was a lot harder to get to work compared to starting a song over, and pausing was easier than getting a song to play. We still highly recommend these as a comfortable option for people who don’t want devices in their ears, and who might need more spatial awareness when wearing headphones.
The Details: Stereo, spatial modes | 10-meter Bluetooth range | 3 mics per earbud | Up to 7-hour battery life | 1-hour charge time | USB-C case | 0 ear tips | 6.4 grams per earbud | Water-resistant | Compatible with Bose app
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These high-end earbuds from Bowers & Wilkins have some of the best customization we’ve seen on an in-ear design, including settings that can adjust noise cancellation, activate voice assistant, and control volume and levels and balance. For music aficionados, this is a huge bonus. We found the controls easy to use and reliable, not encountering any glitches or lags regardless of what controls we used.
The different modes are clearly defined, and toggling between ANC and pass-through creates a noticeable difference. T+L senior testing editor Jackie Cucco was impressed by both the in-ear stability and sound quality, telling us “you can hear voices, beats, and instruments crisply and distinctly,” and mentioning how they stayed securely in her ears even when running. The noise cancellation is top-notch, creating peace and easy listening even on crowded NYC subways and busy streets. These are some of the largest earbuds on this list, and some people with smaller ears might find them uncomfortable after a while.
The Details: ANC and pass-through modes | 10-meter Bluetooth range | 3 mics per earbud | | Up to 6.5-hour battery life | 2-hour charge time | USB-C and wireless charging | 4 ear tips | 7 grams per earbud | Water-resistant | Compatible with Bowers & Wilkins app
Our Testing Process
To find the best pairs of earbuds for work, commuting, travel, and sleeping, I and several T+L team members tested dozens of pairs of earbuds over the past year, with three weeks of note-taking specific to this story, where testers recorded their impressions and results. These included all listening mode options, and feedback on how well both transparency mode and noise cancelling worked. We noted our initial impressions and ease of setup, as well as compatibility with different tech and apps. Comfort was paramount here, and we recorded how long these were worn for and in what capacity, then how comfortable they felt for varying lengths of time.
As always, we had our testers list who they thought each pair would be best for, and in what scenario. Some earbuds are better for high-energy gym workouts, and some are better for redeye flights and long commutes. We also noted sound quality in different categories, including nuances in music, dialogue in audiobooks and podcasts, and varying elements for watching movies. We rated each category and gave detailed insights, only recommending the headphones that hit top marks while noting where each set fell short. We will continue testing these headphones and providing feedback, and will update this guide after more long-term testing.
Travel + Leisure
Tips for Buying Earbud
Prioritize a Comfortable Fit
Since ear buds sit inside your ear, it’s important to get a soft, comfortable pair that doesn’t put undue pressure on the edge of your ear canal, and fits the specific shape of your ear. Look for a model with multiple customization options (like most on our list) and has soft materials for the eartips and any other silicone stability wings.
I usually experiment with a few different sizes of eartips before committing to each one. Make sure they provide a good seal for sound quality and stability, but don’t feel uncomfortable after at least an hour of use. Finally, check the weight. I look for earbuds that weigh six grams or less for each one.
Assess the Battery Life
The battery life on our top earbuds runs the gamut from five hours to more than 15 hours of play time. Choose the earbuds that best match what you need them for. If you’re going to use them for a full night of sleep, choose a pair that lasts at least eight hours. If you prioritize excellent noise cancellation and more active modes for calls, your battery won’t last as long, but you probably won’t be using them for as long either.
Each case supposedly holds two or three full charges as well, so check the retailer pages to see how much full battery life you’ll be getting from each case charge. If you’re taking them to travel, you’ll have fewer chances to charge in between, so prioritize cases with fast charging and more stored battery life.
Make Sure They’re Compatible With Current Tech Devices
Tech obsolescence is a real thing, and while we appreciate the latest and greatest devices and apps, it can be frustrating when your accessories don’t work with your current technology. If you have a much older iPhone for instance, there’s a chance the latest AirPods won’t pair, or if you don’t have any storage left on your phone, you might not be able to download the Ozlo app for your Sleepbuds. Make sure your phone is updated before pairing wireless earbuds, and be aware that some Apple features won’t work on Android devices, and vice versa.
Frequently Asked Questions
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What’s the best way to clean wireless earbuds?
To clean your wireless earbuds, make sure you remove any silicone eartips and stability wings. Then, take a clean, lint-free cloth and wipe down the body of the earbuds and the case where they sit to charge. I use a dry cloth for this, but if it’s super grimy, the cloth can be slightly damp. To clean the tiny speakers, take a Q-tip or soft toothbrush and clean the mesh and connectivity points on the bud and case. You can clean your tips by soaking them in warm water and unscented dish soap. Set everything out to dry and make sure it’s entirely dry before charging.
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How do you connect wireless earbuds to your phone?
To connect wireless earbuds to your phone, you’ll need to enable Bluetooth, have the case open or in pairing mode, then search for the earbuds on your Bluetooth dropdown menu. This can be a little finicky, and since wireless earbud cases don’t have a screen, you’ll be relying on a button or mode to get them to pair. This can mean holding down the power button, or opening the case and pressing a low-profile button to pair. I often have trouble getting this to work at first, and recommend reading the instructions. Some earbuds, like Bose models, come with a simple QR code that you can scan and will take you directly to the app which can speed up the process.
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Are wireless earbuds best to bring on flights?
Wireless earbuds aren’t my first choice to bring on flights, but I do pack several pairs of headphones when I travel so that I have a few options. If you plan to watch in-flight movies and don’t want to mess with a finicky (or non-existent) Bluetooth connection on your seatback screen, I recommend bringing a wired pair of headphones, or an over-the-ear wireless pair that has an AUX cord. That said, since earbuds are so compact, I’m able to pack a few pairs, and I always bring a reliable pair of wireless buds along with my wired pair. That way I can go cordless and listen to my own music or audiobooks when I don’t want to watch seatback movies.
Why Trust Travel + Leisure
Maggie Slepian is an avid traveler who spends a significant portion of the year either abroad or traveling domestically on road trips during backcountry travel. She always packs a pair (or two) of wireless earbuds whether she’s hitting the gym, the local trail system, a red-eye flight, or trying to sleep in a noisy budget motel on the beach. She also frequently works from loud coffee shops, where noise-cancelling, comfortable earbuds are a must. Maggie put this buyer’s guide together using the tested input from the T+L team as well as her own experience.
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