Engadget · Feb 12, 2026 · Collected from RSS
Wireless earbuds are now the default option for everyday listening, whether you’re heading out for a commute, fitting in a workout or just watching videos at home. The best wireless earbuds combine reliable connectivity, comfortable fits and sound quality that holds up across music, calls and podcasts, all without the hassle of cables. Most are small enough to disappear into a pocket and pair quickly with phones, tablets and laptops. What sets one pair apart from another often comes down to priorities. Some earbuds lean heavily on active noise cancellation, while others focus on long battery life, compact charging cases or lower prices. Features like water resistance, customizable controls and app support can also make a real difference day to day. This guide breaks down the best wireless earbuds available now to help you find the right match for how you listen. Best wireless earbuds of 2026 What to look for in the best wireless earbuds When it comes to shopping for earphones, the first thing to consider is design or wear style. Do you prefer a semi-open fit like AirPods or do you want something that completely closes off your ears? If you’re shopping for earbuds with active noise cancellation, you'll want the latter, but a case can be made for the former if you want to wear them all day or frequent places where you need to be tuned in to the ambient sounds. The overall shape of earbuds can determine whether you get a comfortable fit, so can the size and weight, so you’ll want to consider all that before deciding. And remember: audio companies aren’t perfect, so despite lots of research, the earbud shape they decided on may not fit you well. Don’t be afraid to return ill-fitting earbuds for something that’s more comfortable. As wireless earbuds have become the norm, they’re now more reliable for basic things like consistent Bluetooth connectivity. Companies are still in a race to pack as much as they can into incr
Wireless earbuds are now the default option for everyday listening, whether you’re heading out for a commute, fitting in a workout or just watching videos at home. The best wireless earbuds combine reliable connectivity, comfortable fits and sound quality that holds up across music, calls and podcasts, all without the hassle of cables. Most are small enough to disappear into a pocket and pair quickly with phones, tablets and laptops.What sets one pair apart from another often comes down to priorities. Some earbuds lean heavily on active noise cancellation, while others focus on long battery life, compact charging cases or lower prices. Features like water resistance, customizable controls and app support can also make a real difference day to day. This guide breaks down the best wireless earbuds available now to help you find the right match for how you listen.Quick OverviewBest wireless earbuds of 2026Max battery life: 6 hours | Water resistance: IPX4 | Noise cancellation: Yes | Multipoint: Yes | Included charging case: Yes | Waterproof: Yes (IPX4) | Driver size: Not specified Read our full Bose QuietComfort Ultra Earbuds (2nd gen) review Bose’s Immersive Audio feature may be the headline grabber on its QuietComfort Ultra Earbuds, but these also come with the company’s stellar noise-canceling abilities. This model is especially adept at battling airplane noise during a flight, a task I typically rely on over-ear headphones for. The second-gen QC Ultra Earbuds are effective with human voices too, blocking that distraction better than much of the competition. But with any kind of constant roar, and many irregular sounds, these earbuds will serve you well. Plus, Bose’s CustomTune tool analyzes the shape of your ears and personalizes both sound and ANC. All of this combined pushes the latest QC Ultra Earbuds to the top of our list, unseating longtime champ Sony. While the QC Ultra Earbuds offer the best pure noise-blocking performance on this list, the extra audio features mean they have less battery life than the rest of our picks. It lasts six hours with ANC on and Immersive Audio off, but turn on the latter and that number dips to four hours. And although Bose’s take on spatial audio yields mixed results at times, the stock tuning is an improvement over the company’s last flagship model. Thanks to small tuning tweaks, the overall sound profile is more balanced on the second-gen version as well. ProsStronger ANC filters out more distractionsEnhanced call qualityConsBattery life isn’t improvedBulky design is unchangedRead our full Technics AZ100 review Max battery life: 12 hours, up to 29 hours with charging case | Water resistance: IPX4 | Noise cancellation: Yes | Multipoint: Yes | Included charging case: Yes | Waterproof: Yes (IPX4) | Driver size: 10mm For a long while Bowers & Wilkins was my pick for best overall sound quality. But, as Dylan sang, “the times they are a-changin’.” Technics borrowed magnetic fluid driver tech from its in-ear monitors (IEMs) to improve the sound quality on the AZ100. The result is deeper, more immersive bass that’s complemented by detailed highs and ample mid-range tone. There are also a lot of features on the AZ100, including multipoint Bluetooth for up to three devices. Sony’s LDAC codec is also supported, as are Dolby Atmos and Dolby’s dynamic head tracking. ProsExcellent sound qualityTons of options in the appSmall size means comfy fitThree-device multipoint BluetoothConsANC lags behind the bestNone of today’s “smart” featuresSpatial audio doesn’t improve default tuningRead our full Apple AirPods Pro 3 review Max battery life: 8 hours, up to 24 hours with charging case | Water resistance: IP57 | Noise cancellation: Yes | Multipoint: Yes | Included charging case: Yes | Waterproof: Yes (IP57) | Driver size: Not specified Apple’s latest AirPods Pro offer the company’s most robust set of features ever. Live Translation and hear-rate sensing get top billing, but improvements to ANC and sound quality are significant as well. Plus, Apple’s existing hearing health and other advanced earbuds features are available here as well. And the company managed to do all of this without raising the price. ProsImpressive ANC updatesImproved sound qualityLive Translation finally arrivesExtended battery life on a single chargeConsNew fit takes some getting used toTotal battery life is actually less than beforeLive Translation languages are limited at launchRead our full Google Pixel Buds Pro 2 review Max battery life: 8 hours, up to 30 hours with charging case (ANC on) | Water resistance: IP54 | Noise cancellation: Yes | Multipoint: Yes | Included charging case: Yes | Waterproof: Yes (IPX4 for earbuds, IPX2 for case) | Driver size: 11mm The Pixel Buds Pro 2 may be Google’s priciest earbuds, but they’re also its best. A complete redesign resulted in significantly smaller earbuds that fit more comfortably and securely. The company has also packed in a Tensor chip for the first time to handle audio and ANC signal processing. As you might expect, these earbuds offer a hands-free channel to Gemini AI, although they’re not required to use the voice assistant. Google also revised the acoustics and drivers on the Pixel Buds Pro 2, delivering ample low-end tone when it’s needed. There are plenty of handy features too, like Conversation Detection, Hearing Wellness and Find My Device. Spatial Audio is available at launch this time, but you can only use it with compatible video streaming apps. ProsTiny, comfy designPunchy bass, full mids, crisp highsSlightly longer battery life than predecessorConsPrice went up againSpatial audio is limited to video appsSmaller touch panel requires precisionRead our full Samsung Galaxy Buds 3 Pro review Max battery life: 6 hours, up to 26 hours with charging case | Water resistance: IP57 | Noise cancellation: Yes | Multipoint: Yes | Included charging case: Yes | Waterproof: Yes (IP68) | Driver size: Dual drivers (woofer and tweeter); specific sizes not disclosed The Galaxy Buds 3 Pro borrow heavily from Apple’s AirPods Pro in both looks and features, and build upon the foundation of the Samsung Galaxy Buds 2 Pro. However, Samsung did well to make things like Adaptive ANC and voice commands work well. Some features like Voice Detect could still use some fine tuning, but there’s a lot to like here beyond the basic functionality. The truly surprising thing about the Galaxy Buds 3 Pro is the sound quality. There is some thick, boomy bass when you need it with plenty of crisp detail to complement it. This model really shines when you pair it with a Samsung device to unlock 24-bit HiFi streaming. There’s also a natural-sounding transparency mode that keeps you from feeling shouty during calls. ProsGreat sound qualityLoads of handy featuresComfy fitNatural ambient soundConsBattery life is shorter than some rivalsThe best features require a recent Samsung deviceCopycat designBlade lights are a gimmickMax battery life: 10 hours, up to 50 hours with charging case | Water resistance: IPX4 | Noise cancellation: Yes | Multipoint: Yes | Included charging case: Yes | Waterproof: Not specified | Driver size: Not specified The Anker Soundcore Space A40 offer the kind of features you’d expect from wireless earbuds that cost twice as much: ANC, multi-device pairing, wireless charging, IPX4 water resistance, a transparency mode, eight to ten hours of battery life and LDAC support. When we tested them, we found their warm sound to be pleasing right out of the box, but Anker’s companion app makes it easy to customize the EQ curve if needed. And while their ANC isn’t quite as effective at reducing background noise as our top picks, it’s still effective for a noisy office or long flight. For $80 or so, this is a superb value. – Jeff Dunn, Senior Commerce Writer ProsAffordableGood battery lifeMultipoint connectivityTransparency ModeConsANC isn't as strong as competitorsRead our full Noble Audio FoKus Rex5 review Max battery life: 5 hours (ANC on), up to 45 hours with charging case | Water resistance: N/A | Noise cancellation: Yes | Multipoint: Yes | Included charging case: Yes | Waterproof: Not specified | Driver size: Not specified If you want the best sound quality, you’ll have to pay for it. The FoKus Rex5 are an eyewatering $449, and easily the most expensive wireless earbuds I’ve tested. However, Noble Audio’s five-driver setup is more robust than the competition where one or two drivers is typically the norm. There’s a level of pristine detail and sonic separation I haven’t heard on other earbuds. For example, characteristics of the guitars, including the individual nuances of multiple players on a track, contribute to a wider soundstage and more immersion than you’ll encounter elsewhere. These are far from a complete package in terms of features, but the audio prowess is unmatched. ProsDetailed, immersive soundCustom audio profiles are saved on the budsComfortable fitConsVery expensiveJust one color and it’s not for everyoneSubpar ANC performanceRead our full Beats Powerbeats Fit review Max battery life: 6 hours, up to 24 hours with charging case | Water resistance: IPX4 | Noise cancellation: Yes | Multipoint: Yes | Included charging case: Yes | Waterproof: Yes (IPX4) | Driver size: Not specified With a few key tweaks, Beats make a more polished version of the Fit Pro earbuds in the Powerbeats Fit. The company didn't reinvent the wheel here, but this is one of the rare instances where that was for the best. The new buds have 20 percent more flexible wingtips and the charging case is 17 percent more compact than that of the Beats Fit Pro. Both of those adjustments make for a more comfortable, more portable pair of buds. Once you pick from the four eartips included in the box, you can pretty much pop the Powerbeats Fit in your ears and get going — no constant readjustments needed. And, blessedly, the charging case more easily slips into a back pocket now (it was a bit of a chonkster before). S