By Matt Breen

Published: Friday, 17 December 2021 at 12:00 am


Since the demise of the headphone jack, earbuds have been the must-have tech accessory. We’ve catered to every budget in this round-up of the very best earbuds with offerings from Sony, Apple, Earfun and more.

Compact and convenient, earbuds have enjoyed a boom in popularity in the last few years. And while devices like Apple’s Airpods have dominated the market in terms of exposure, you’ll find a staggering range of earbuds out there. Most major tech brands have at least one set of signature earbuds out there, including Apple, Samsung and Huawei. Meanwhile, veteran audio brands like Sennheiser, Bose and Skullcandy also all have their own earbud ranges.

Indeed, the sheer choice of earbuds can make purchasing a pair feel intimidating – especially since there’s also a dizzying range of prices too. So which pair of wireless earbuds is best for you? And how much should you spend on a reliable pair of earbuds? And will you accidentally throw them into the washing machine at some point?

We cant help you on that final point, but otherwise, we’ve got it covered. Our experts have put a wide range of earbuds to the test: some brilliant, some bad, and many somewhere in-between. In our round-up below, you’ll find only the very best wireless earbuds – each inclusion in our list has been tried and tested and put through the same rigorous testing criteria.

How to choose the best wireless earbuds

Best wireless earbuds at a glance

Here’s our pick of the best wireless earbuds. Read on for a more in-depth look at each of these excellent-quality devices.

The best wireless earbuds in 2021

Here’s our pick of the best wireless earbuds, which we’ve arranged in price order. Each of the products in the list below has been put to the test by our team of experts.

Sony WF1000-XM4

Best all-round earbuds

"Sony

Pros:

Cons: 

The Sony WF1000-XM4 are a seriously impressive set of earbuds from Sony, building on the success of their predecessors, the XM3 earbuds.

They’re expensive but deliver top-notch sound quality, a great fit and impressive noise cancellation. They also pack a fantastic battery, an IPX4 rating and — ultimately — they’re a top-notch product, built to a high standard. We loved testing them and recommend them highly if they’re not out of your price bracket.

Read our full Sony WF1000-XM4 review.