The Best Wireless Earbuds of 2020

Our former pick for the Best Active Noise Canceling earbuds, Sony’s WF-1000XM3 are among the best wireless earbuds you can buy, full stop. Like their over-ear siblings the WH-1000XM3 and the newer WH-1000XM4, these fully wireless earbuds are loaded with tech, offer impressive sound, and have the ability to whisk away the outside world with some of the most powerful noise cancellation around.

While their lack of water resistance make them a tough sell for gym rats, anyone who wants great sound and serious noise cancellation to complement the sheer convenience of fully wireless earbuds should consider these. Along with whisper-quiet noise canceling, the WH-1000XM3 offer solid battery life at 6 hours per charge with noise cancellation engaged, and 8 hours without it, with an extra three charges in the charging case for up to 24 hours total.

In addition, Sony's powerful Headphones Connect app lets you customize a carousel of settings to make things just right for your listening habits. Perhaps best of all to value hunters, as they've hung around on the market, you can often find them on sale at a great price.

With their impressive collection of features and stellar performance, the WF-1000XM3 are a fantastic option, packed with value. If you’re looking for the same mix of gorgeous sound, great features, and class-leading active noise cancellation (ANC) offered by Sony's stellar over-ear models—but in a tiny, wireless form factor—these are the earbuds for you.

The winning follow-up to Samsung's original Galaxy Buds, the 2020 Samsung Galaxy Buds+ check off a lot of the right boxes where true wireless headphones are concerned, starting with their light and comfy design.

While they don't sound as good as the Apple AirPods Pro, the Galaxy Buds+ still sound plenty good, and also offer a heap of great features for as much as $100 less. Key Galaxy Buds+ features include their own version of transparency mode called Ambient Sound, basic water resistance, and a whopping 11 hours of max playback per charge (and up to 22 hours total with the case). That's double the playback of the AirPods Pro, though you'll have to give up any form of noise cancellation in the bargain.

Along with their stocked feature set, we also really enjoy the Galaxy Buds+'s simple and comfortable form factor and compact charging case, available in multiple colors.

This is the hill we're prepared to die on: these will be a better choice for many folks than the classic AirPods, especially if you use them alongside the minimalist and intuitive Samsung Wearables app. The only major drawback is that they don't work with older phones, so check those requirements before you pull the trigger.

Sennheiser’s new-and-improved Momentum, the Momentum 2 True Wireless offer the best sound in the category, though their amazing performance comes with a hefty price tag.

First, the good stuff: The Momentum True Wireless 2 serve up a rich, dynamic listening experience regardless of genre, thanks in part to their mild (but relatively effective) active noise cancellation.

In fact, they sound so good that you might find yourself discovering sonic details in songs you thought you knew like the back of your hand. Listening to music on the Momentum 2 is an altogether inviting experience, and you’d be hard-pressed to find a better sounding pair of wireless earbuds of any kind in 2020. They also offer desirable features like transparency mode for environmental awareness alongside their basic active noise cancellation.

Compared to the original Sennheiser Momentum, the Momentum 2 offer a vastly improved selection of touch controls on the outside of each earbud. And as a bonus, Sennheiser’s Smart Control app has also improved, making the customization experience painless and surprisingly granular, allowing you to change up the controls in any configuration. With Bluetooth 5.0, they also offer a better wireless connection overall.

There are a few drawbacks should you decide to shell out the dough for a pair. For one thing, while the Momentum 2 True Wireless offer better battery life than their predecessor, they top out at around seven hours (or a little over five with noise cancellation enabled), which is better than Apple's AirPods Pro, but less than we'd like for their $300 price point.

In addition, the Momentum 2 aren’t quite as durable as some of the more affordable true wireless earbuds we’ve tested, and while they're relatively easy to use, the interface isn't quite as dead-simple as Apple's AirPods Pro.

Still, if you value high-quality sound first and foremost, and you've got the means, Sennheiser's Momentum 2 are a fantastic pick. They’re better than their predecessor and stand toe-to-toe with Apple’s AirPods Pro in a wide range of categories.

Panasonic's RZ-S500W won our favor with a brilliant combination of great sound and top-notch noise canceling at a price that easily undercuts Sony and Apple. Honestly, we utilize noise canceling more than any other true wireless feature as we're often wearing them for tasks like vacuuming or lawn mowing, which is why we're so taken with these relatively affordable buds.

Whereas most wireless earbuds offer noise canceling as something of an afterthought, the RZ-S500W serve up powerful cancellation across frequencies for a comforting realm of sanctity from barking dogs, yelling kids, and much more.

As noted, sound is also impressive, with a clear and mostly flat sound signature that offers quality listening across musical genres, podcasts, and more. Panasonic’s app adds to the fun, letting you adjust everything from EQ to noise cancellation and transparency mode (AKA ambient sound mode, hearthrough mode, etc.) so you can choose exactly how much environmental sound you let in or keep out. Just about the only feature the S500W don’t have is auto-pause, which is pretty handy for moments when you want to take a quick break, but definitely not a deal breaker.

With around 6 hours of playback per charge, the RZ-S500W sit directly between their two biggest competitors in the ANC earbuds space, the AirPods Pro and Sony WF-1000XM3, but at a much lower price.

That said, they do have a few drawbacks. For one thing, their charging case only holds two charges, meaning you’ll have to top it off more frequently than most rivals. On top of that, while we found the RZ-S500W quite comfortable, fit can be tricky due to their somewhat bulky design. Even when they're properly sealed, they tend to jostle during rigorous activities, making them a much better fit for your office (home or otherwise) than your daily jog.

On the other hand, unlike Sony’s WF-1000XM3, the RZ-S500W offer IPX4 water resistance, allowing you to easily combat the elements. Add in their other generous features and the Panasonic RZ-S500W earbuds sit among our favorite earbuds to come out in 2020.

Sony has been on a roll in the true wireless space lately. Whether it's the company’s value-packed WF-XB700, which has quickly become one of our favorite options under $100, or the class-leading, noise-squashing WF-1000XM3, Sony has proven its formula is working.

The WF-SP800N join this growing collection of formidable earbuds, offering an embarrassment of features for their price point, along with impressive sound, a strong and stable connection, and a sporty, water-resistant design—something the flagship WF-1000XM3 buds don’t have.

Packing everything from noise cancellation and transparency mode to automatic audio adjustment and Bluetooth 5.0, the SP800N are impressively well-appointed for their price point—especially since you can often find them on sale. They're also highly adjustable thanks to Sony's Headphones Connect app, including a five-band EQ with a separate bass control so you can easily pull back (or ramp up) their booming "Extra Bass" feature.

As for negatives, the SP800N’s noise cancelation is just OK, the buds are fairly bulky, and the charging case stores only one extra charge. In addition, we found a tear in one of the silicone ear fins after just a few days (though, as we've yet to hear about other reviewers running into this issue, we're hoping it was just a rogue bad fin). Because of their fins, it can also be a pain to put them in and take them out.

Their incredible playback time of 9 hours on a single charge with noise cancellation—and a whopping 13 hours without it—helps make up for their charging case's shortcomings. Add in their wealth of other features and the SP800N are steeped with value, making them one of our favorite new pairs of sports buds on the market.

For more info, check out our full review of the WF-SP800N.

Klipsch’s second generation of true wireless earbuds are just as stylish as the company’s first pair, the original T5, but with some impressive upgrades. What hasn’t changed here is the sound, which is among the best in the category. The T5 II offer clear, detailed sound that’s as dynamic as it is engaging, alongside crystal clear phone calls.

The new buds offer plenty of handy features such as comprehensive controls (including onboard volume control), a light and comfy fit, upgraded dust and water resistance (IP67), and a Zippo-like metallic case that's as robust as they come but still fits perfectly in your pocket.

There are a few downsides, of course (otherwise they’d be our top pick, right?). Those include a lack of some sought after features like active noise cancellation and a wireless charging case. In addition, the controls can be finicky, and most vexing, the Transparency Mode induced some odd stereo swapping in testing on occasion.

That said, these earbuds won our hearts with a simple and stylish design that's easy to take along, and some of the best sound in the genre. If sound is your top concern, and you don’t want to spring for the much pricier Sennheiser Momentum 2, you’ll want to give the T5 II a long look.

Priced similarly to Apple's AirPods Pro, the Beats Powerbeats Pro are impressive true wireless earphones in their own right thanks to their high playback time per charge, great sound, and durable, sporty design. They're relatively stylish (as you might expect from Beats), available in ivory, black, navy, or moss colors, and feature adjustable ear hooks to help keep them in your ears during just about any workout.

They offer vastly improved sound quality over previous Beats earbuds, making them a good choice for general use, though their ear-hook design can get uncomfortable over time. Like most true wireless earphones, they come with a pocketable charging case (thanks to their ear hooks, it’s larger than most), but their impressive 9 hours of battery life per charge allows you to leave the case behind.

Like other Beats headphones, their sound profile is still bass-forward, but it’s thankfully restrained here for excellent clarity. As you’d expect for fitness headphones, the Powerbeats Pro are also sweat- and water-resistant so you won’t have to worry about going for the gusto, while a three-button control system present on both earbuds makes it easy to use them with just one earbud at a time.

The Powerbeats Pro are less minimalist than Apple's AirPods, and come at a premium price point—especially for headphones that don’t include active noise cancellation or transparency mode—but their price point has also dropped a fair bit over time. if you’re looking for fitness first, the top Beats earbuds are a fine choice, especially if you can find them on sale. In addition, if you can't deal with the price—but you can deal with a wire between them—the non "pro" Powerbeats are a great alternative.

The 4th-gen Beats Powerbeats are basically the same headphones as the Powerbeats Pro—they simply aren't "true wireless," featuring a small cable that runs between the two buds and behind your neck.

However, what you're sacrificing by way of true wireless freedom, you're making up for in price. People love the Powerbeats Pro, but they're often just too darn expensive (at full price anyway) for many budgets. The Powerbeats are a great stand-in, priced well below the Powerbeats Pro's suggested retail price, and their price tag is only falling.

Outside of the wire situation, Powerbeats fans will be very glad to know that the connected Powerbeats sound just as good as the "Pro" model, and offer similar levels of flexibility and style (i.e., they come in a bunch of colors). They also offer shockingly good connection quality that outdoes their siblings, as well as any other true wireless earbuds we've ever tried. Seriously, they've got such good range you may actually forget where you put your phone.

These are an excellent addition if you've been after the workout-ready, sound-forward style of the original Powerbeats Pro but don't want to shell out that much cash. Heck, if you don't mind the addition of one little wire, there's really no reason not to buy these instead.

Google’s first Pixel Buds were kind of a mess. They were tethered by an odd cable, packed in a terrible case, and had a fit as awkward as their sound. With a full overhaul for 2020, the new Pixel Buds are leaps and bounds above their predecessor, and that starts with their new minimalist design. Nimble, and bearing a built-in rubberized wing to keep them in place and flush with your ears, the 2020 Pixel Buds are both comfy and stylish.

The egg-shaped charging case is equally stylish, with a pocket-ready form factor, wireless charging, and a unique look that takes cues from Apple’s AirPods and AirPods Pro, yet stands on its own. The Pixel Buds also offer impressively clear sound—though the midrange and bass could definitely use some more oomph—and features like Find My Earbuds via the app, and even voice wake up for Google Assistant.

There are reasons the Pixel Buds aren’t higher on this list, however. While the feature set isn’t exactly austere, the Buds leave out desirable features like Active Noise Cancellation and Transparency Mode, instead going with Adaptive Sound, Google’s answer to noise control. Designed to turn the earbuds up when you’re in a busy area, Adaptive Sound didn't impress in testing, offering modest adjustment that was only noticeable when blasting extremely loud noises nearby.

The earbuds also have some bugs, including spotty call quality, occasional swapping of the stereo image and, reported connectivity troubles. This latter issue may be due to the Pixel Buds’ small size (and therefore small antennas) but it’s not something we expect in earbuds at this price point. Not for nothing, while their 5 hours of battery playback (plus 20 in the case) is fine, it’s also exactly what Apple offered in its original AirPods four years ago, and nearly all newer buds at this price offer more playback time.

That said, if you love the Pixel Buds’ design (which we do) and don’t mind throwing the dice on some occasional bugs and connectivity issues, they’re a stylish and comfortable way to go, and still offer better sound and features than Apple’s standard Airpods.

Samsung’s Galaxy Buds Live have gotten plenty of headlines for their design, and rightfully so. Whether you think they look fantastic, or utterly bizarre, there’s no question these earbuds make a serious impression. The Live are easily among the most intriguing earbuds to come out in 2020 thanks to their metallic-colored, kidney-bean shape that’s designed to fit and cover the entire interior of your ear.

It’s a very cool idea, but it’s also that odd fit that keeps us from loving these buds nearly as much as the simpler, cheaper, and much more versatile Galaxy Buds Plus.

For one thing, while sound is clear and competitive, the open-ear design keeps the buds from exposing as much detail or amplifying bass as much as earbuds that fit snuggly in your ear canal. For another, without a traditional ear tip—just two sizes of rubberized pads that fit over the magnetic chargers—it’s tough to get a comfy fit. In fact, we simply never did.

The earbuds offer some cool features, including a touch of noise cancellation that helps kill some of the ambient noise, wireless charging for the case, always-on Bixby, and Find My Earbuds for the app, as well as 8 hours of playback time (without noise cancellation). On the other hand, the touch controls along their oddly shaped exteriors are spotty and water resistance of just IPX2 means these aren’t really made for workouts. With no ear fins or added support, they’re liable to fall out if you get too sweaty, anyway.

We commend Samsung for going bold with the Galaxy Buds Live, and if you can get the right fit, they’re a stylish way to break the mold of traditional true wireless earbuds with ample features and solid sound. But for most people, these aren’t going to be among the most logical investments on our list.

New for 2020, Sony's WF-XB700 are among the best true wireless options for under $100. They're very affordable, but still designed to meet Sony's high-quality standards for sound profile and materials. If you like a lot of bass in your music, and you want the freedom that only tiny, untethered true wireless earbuds deliver, the Sony WF-XB700 deliver.

The WF-XB700 aren't perfect, of course, and certainly aren't as well kitted-out as the beloved Sony WF-1000XM3. You aren't getting sought-after features like noise canceling in any form here, and they also aren't compatible with Sony's robust audio apps (for iPhone/Android), so if you love Sony for its customizability options, you're out of luck here.

Fortunately, these are a solid choice for bringing along to the gym: they're splash-proof and offer a great fit/seal despite their bulky size, meaning you can work out with them worry free.

The WF-XB700 may not be for everyone, but they are a really good choice for a lot of people. If you've been wanting true wireless earphones but don't want to pay an arm and a leg, these name-brand budget buds may just be the model you've been waiting for.

If you're buying wireless headphones, you're likely doing it for the convenience above all. Like the AirPods Pro, Apple's standard AirPods excel at that, with connection quality that’s as good as any true wireless earbuds we've tested.

These earbuds have good range, a small but powerful charging case for 24 hours of listening time in total, and they are incredibly easy to pair with Apple devices, though they work well with Android and Windows devices, too.

As the years go by, however, the AirPods' drawbacks become more pronounced. One such drawback is that they are still designed like the solid plastic earbuds Apple has included with its products for years, meaning there are not ear tips so fit can be finicky. Sound quality is also merely so-so (in part because of their lack of a tight seal in your ears) and they don't offer water resistance, transparency mode, or other desirable features many of their peers provide. For their feature set, they're just plain overpriced.

Still, their intuitive usability makes them a go-to choice for Apple fans, as does their combination of dependability, connectivity, and convenience. If you like the sound of all that, and don't mind sacrificing some key features, these are still a viable option for novice users. Otherwise, we suggest stepping up to the pricier Apple AirPods Pro, or picking another option on our list.