The 10 Best Bluetooth Earbuds

The Sony WF-1000XM6 suits anyone who wants one pair that does everything, whatever phone they carry. Eight microphones keep noise down and your voice clear on calls, and a charge lasts close to 10 hours with noise cancelling on. Android owners get higher-quality wireless sound, and the buds stay linked to a phone and a laptop at once. Sweat and rain are fine, but a dunk isn't. The price is steep, and the sound shifts with noise cancelling off.

For iPhone owners, the Apple AirPods Pro 3 are the no-fuss choice. They block most noise, run close to nine hours a charge, and both buds and case survive a dunk. A heart-rate sensor feeds workout apps, and a hearing aid mode is meant to help adults with mild to moderate hearing loss. On Android they play music and take calls, but settings and updates need an iPhone or iPad. The sound can seem bassy and bright at first.

The Soundcore Liberty 4 NC brings big-name features down to a modest price. Its noise cancelling adapts to your surroundings, a charge runs nearly 10 hours, and the case holds about 50 more. Android phones get hi-res streaming, the case charges on a pad, and the buds can juggle a phone and a laptop. The case is chunky, the sound presets lean heavy on bass, and the buds handle sweat and splashes, not a soak.

Deep quiet and a soft, secure fit make the Bose QuietComfort Ultra Earbuds (2nd Gen) a natural pick for travelers. Compatible Android phones stream at better quality, the buds connect to two devices at once, and the case charges on a wireless pad. Battery life is the weak spot, at about five and a half hours a charge, short for the price. The equalizer is basic, and a sweaty workout is fine but a swim is not.

Pixel phone owners get the most out of the Google Pixel Buds Pro 2. The buds are small, and a little twist-to-adjust fin locks them in place. Expect close to eight hours a charge with noise cancelling on, and the case charges by cable or on a wireless pad. Dust and splashes don't bother them. Some features work only with Pixel phones, there's no hi-res mode for Android, and on an iPhone they lose much of their appeal.

If sound matters most and your phone runs Android, look at the Sennheiser Momentum True Wireless 5. Compatible phones get CD-quality audio, and the noise cancelling holds its own. Rare for buds, you can buy and swap in new batteries for buds and case, though a careless swap can break the water seal. A charge lasts about six hours with noise cancelling on, well short of the claim. There's no stabilizer fin, and the treble can sound uneven.

Pair the Samsung Galaxy Buds4 Pro with a Galaxy phone and they switch to Samsung's own hi-fi audio format and unlock every control. They sound good, the noise cancelling is strong, and they're sealed well enough against dust and water to survive a dunk. Battery life is middling at about six hours a charge. On other phones many extras go missing. Only a few ear-tip sizes come in the box, and they can't stay connected to two devices at once.

Runners and lifters get flexible ear hooks on the Beats Powerbeats Pro 2, so the buds stay put through sprints and heavy sets. Built-in heart-rate sensing feeds fitness apps on iPhone and Android alike. They're rated for up to eight hours a charge, or 45 with the case and noise cancelling off. Sweat won't hurt the buds, but the bulky case isn't protected. They can't link to a phone and laptop together, and the sound slips with noise cancelling off.

Sound fans on a tight budget get a lot of features in the EarFun Air Pro 4+. Nearly any Android phone can use one of its hi-res formats, it switches between your phone and laptop without re-pairing, and the app has a detailed equalizer. Sweat and rain aren't a worry. EarFun promises 12 hours a charge, but SoundGuys measured closer to six with noise cancelling on. The noise cancelling is decent rather than strong, a drawback for frequent flyers.

Made by CMF, the lower-priced brand of phone maker Nothing, the CMF Buds 2 Plus deliver strong noise cancelling for little money. A charge lasts about 10 hours with noise cancelling off, and the case stretches that to around 60. The app can switch on a sharper-sounding mode for Android, and pairing takes a tap. The buds handle sweat and rain, but the case doesn't. There's no wireless charging, and the noise cancelling falls short of the maker's claim.