The 8 Best Mini Wireless Earbuds

Editor's Notes

April 05, 2021:

Few wireless earbuds are actually large, but a lot of users feel more comfortable with something lighter and less cumbersome in their ear, and many TWS earbuds today don't fit all that well in small ears. This round, we've removed the Jabra Elite 75t and Samsung Galaxy Buds because, while they're great headphones in their own rights, they're not actually very small, and in the case of the Samsungs, are actually pretty bulky. On the other hand, we want to continue recommending the Apple AirPods Pro, because while they are definitely visible while you wear them, they're among the few choices on the market to offer active noise cancellation that can fit in some of the smallest ears.

At any rate, aside from removing those two overly large models, we haven't otherwise changed our recommendations. This is a somewhat unconventional category for headphones, though, because most big-name manufacturers shy away from designing ultra-compact earbuds, in favor of larger, more feature-rich, more expensive designs. For that reason, you'll see a few brands on our list that you might not recognize, like the GoNovate Demi and TrebLab xFit. The Cambridge Melomania 1 come from a relatively more well-known name, and their sound quality is legitimately impressive, given their small size.

January 24, 2020:

This time around we wanted to focus specifically on the "mini" aspect of today's best earbuds. As such, we got rid of a handful of models, like some by Bose and Beats, that, while excellent headphones in their own right, can't really be considered small by any means. We also want to take the time to mention that if you have small ears but aren't terribly concerned with wireless functionality, consider picking up a pair in-ear stage monitors, which are generally engineered to fit in ears of all sizes, and they often come with a larger variety of tips than standard consumer earbuds.

Anyhow, after focusing on small options, we ended up with GoNovate Demi, for starters; while you probably haven't heard of GoNovate before, they specialize in extremely small earbuds. The Demi are a very interesting set of true wireless earbuds because they're small, affordable, and the support the aptX codec. Of similar price and size are the Avantree TWS110, and the slightly larger Skullcandy Sesh, both of which do a decent job at blocking external noise to help keep you focused on what you're doing. And while they're a touch more expensive than some, the TrebLab XFit strike an excellent balance between affordability, light weight, and sound quality.

There are also a handful of great options from better-known brands, and they do tend to offer increased sound quality as well as more high-end features. The Samsung Galaxy Buds and Jabra Elite 75t are hard to beat when it comes to customization options; the only pair that will routinely outperform them is the Apple AirPods Pro, but only if you're an Apple user. For that matter, the new AirPods are just about the most compact set of noise-cancelling earbuds available. As far as price vs. performance goes, though, you'll be hard-pressed to beat the Cambridge Melomania 1, which are a relatively new release that leverages parts of the Bluetooth 5.0 specification to provide a robust connection, in addition to advanced engineering that promises excellent audio.

And at the clear opposite end of the spectrum are the reasonably priced JBL E25BT and the Skullcandy Jib Plus, which don't have the absolute most clarity, but are still an excellent value.

January 21, 2020:

Earbuds fit us like our personalities, and each of us have specific needs when it comes to what we look for and find important in a good pair of headphones. Maybe you have a few pair of cheap airplane headphones, or even a more expensive pair of over ear noise cancelling, but now you're looking for the right pair of earbuds to carry with you in your pocket every day. We made our picks by looking at many overall factors including sound quality, voice-call quality, noise cancellation, battery life, water resistance, price, and more.

Battery life was one area where there is a wide range across our picks. Generally, this comes down to cost, however, models that focus on sports often focus on battery life as well. We paid attention to two areas of battery life, both how long a pair could go on a single charge (before the earbuds had to be put back in their case), and how long a pair had in overall power before the set had to be charged again. The Jabra Elite 75t has the longest overall battery life, with 28 hours, while the Powerbeats Pro has the best single-charge battery life at 9 hours.

While the Apple AirPods Pro was one of our top picks, we did struggle with excluding original Airpods. They are great in many ways, however, since they were introduced, so many of our picks now surpass them in most categories. So, we'd recommend other options unless your primary concerns are convenience as an Apple user, but a lower price model than the Apple AirPods Pro.

If overall music quality is your priority, the Sony WF-1000XM3 is our recommendation. Whereas if you are looking for best-in-class noise cancellation we would recommend the Apple AirPods Pro.

If you need the absolute best pair to work out in, then we have to recommend the Powerbeats Pro.

And while it is a lesser known option, if you're not looking to spend much, you can't go wrong with the Skullcandy Sesh. This set delivers an impressive amount of value and style.