Buying guide for best wireless headphones
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Wireless headphones have become some of the most popular types of headphones around. You can connect them to smartphones, tablets, computers and more without the bother of a cable, plugs, connectors or tangled cords. The best wireless headphones offer sound quality that’s difficult to distinguish from wired models, with far more convenience and plenty of top features.
The BestReviews Testing Lab has tested numerous models of wireless headphones, evaluating them on sound quality, battery life, connection stability, wireless type and noise cancellation when applicable. We believe the Sony WH-1000XM5 Full-Size Noise-Canceling Headphones, which we consider the best headphones available overall, are also the best wireless headphones around.
Our top picks
Product Specifications
Type: Over-ear | Sensitivity: 4 Hz to 44,000 Hz | Noise Cancellation: Active | Connectivity: Bluetooth, audio cable, USB-C | Battery Life: 35 hours (tested)
Our pick for the best headphones of any type available right now, the Sony WH-1000XM5 are also our top choice among wireless headphones. They met or exceeded all our criteria when we recently tested them, providing excellent sound quality and powerful active noise cancellation.
We tested these on a wide variety of genres of music, including classical, opera, jazz, hip-hop, rock, pop, R&B and EDM, and they performed impressively in all of them, with a powerful bass punch and plenty of clarity and spaciousness in the mids and highs. They also offered some of the most effective active noise cancellation in our tests as well, silencing traffic noise, yard equipment, kitchen vents and the chatter and background music of a crowded cafe.
The XM5s offer Bluetooth 5.2 wireless connections that support AAC (advanced audio codec) and lossless play for compatible Android and Windows machines over AptX. They can also be used over the included audio cable and even USB-C audio. We liked their touch controls and high-end styling, although the Sony app was so full of options it felt a little confusing. Excelling in sound quality and noise cancellation, we give the Sony WH-1000XM5 wireless noise-canceling headphones 10 out of 10 and recommend them as our top pick among wireless headphones and headphones overall.
Best budget wireless headphones
Product Specifications
Type: Over-ear | Sensitivity: 16 Hz to 40,000 Hz | Noise Cancellation: Active | Connectivity: Bluetooth, audio cable | Battery Life: 40 hours (estimated)
We recommend the Soundcore Life Q20 wireless headphones as the best budget headphones that we’ve tested overall, and we think that also makes them the best budget wireless headphones you can buy, with solid sound quality and noise cancellation and excellent battery life.
In our tests, we appreciated the Life Q20s for their spacious sound and solid bass performance, noting that they were good enough to make us think twice about a jump to a more expensive model. While not spectacular, the noise cancellation did exactly what it’s meant to do, making these headphones a great buy at their price point.
We also noted the Life Q20s for their comfort even after hours of wear, and we appreciated their long-lasting battery life. We rated the Soundcore by Anker Life Q20 wireless noise-canceling headphones 8 out of 10 for their overall value.
Product SpecificationsType: Earbuds | Sensitivity: NA | Noise Cancellation: Active | Connectivity: Bluetooth | Battery Life: 6 hours (tested)
The Apple AirPods Pro have been around since 2019 and have maintained their popularity as some of the best wireless options for Apple devices. Our testing of the second-generation AirPods Pro confirms that they remain the best wireless earbuds overall.
The AirPods Pro provided us with a solid six hours of battery life without needing to top them off from their charging case, enough for a coast-to-coast U.S. flight. Their wireless Bluetooth connection was rock solid and never gave out even from across several rooms and through a closed door. Switching between audio sources was instantaneous as long as our devices were all made by Apple, but the AirPods also connected relatively easily with a test Android device.
Bass quality and overall audio was surprisingly high quality for earbuds. The flexible ear tips were much more comfortable than we expected and produced a good seal for bass and noise cancellation. Noise cancellation was top-notch in all our test situations, and we appreciated the intelligence of the spatial-awareness feature when we were out and about. The Apple AirPods Pro (2nd generation) earn a grade of 8 out of 10 from us as the best wireless earbuds for most people.
Best wireless headphones for music
Product Specifications
Type: Over-ear | Sensitivity: 16 Hz to 22,000 Hz | Noise Cancellation: Active | Connectivity: Bluetooth, audio cable, USB-C | Battery Life: 60 hours 30 minutes (tested)
The Sennheiser Momentum 4 wireless headphones are the top wireless noise-canceling models from legendary audio brand Sennheiser, and they wowed us in testing with the outstanding musicality and enjoyability of their sound.
Their tone was mellow yet precise in all the genres of music we tested, with a touch of emphasis in the low end that gave everything from classical to jazz to EDM a warm, well-defined punch. Customizing equalizer settings to our taste was easy as well with guided options offered in the Sennheiser app. They paired and maintained wireless connections with two audio sources at a time, switching between them intelligently with no trouble. They also maintained connection over more than 30 feet with walls and doors in between.
Battery life surpassed all our expectations at over 60 hours of listening time even with noise cancellation turned on. The noise cancellation was not the strongest compared to other models we tried, but it did an acceptable job with traffic noise, household noise and airplane engines. The Momentums were also comfortable, allowing us to wear them for four hours straight without discomfort. With their wonderful sound quality and battery life, we rate the Sennheiser Momentum 4 wireless noise-canceling headphones 8 out of 10.
Best wireless earbuds for working out
Product Specifications
Type: Earbuds | Sensitivity: NA | Noise Cancellation: Passive | Connectivity: Bluetooth | Battery Life: 9 hours (estimated)
Workout headphones have a couple of extra considerations compared to other headphones, namely sweat resistance and stability in intense activities. The Powerbeats Pro wireless earbuds from Beats rated highly in both those qualities, as well as several others, when we tested them.
The Powerbeats Pro provided full, premium-sounding audio during our testing, suitable for sessions at the gym or on the trail. While they lack active noise cancellation, their in-ear design and comfortable ear tips passively blocked a large amount of external noise. We had no problems either with their connectivity, range or battery life.
They offer IPX4 water resistance that lets them stand up to sweat thanks to their reinforced design. Our favorite element of the Powerbeats Pro are their flexible and adjustable ear hooks that kept them in place throughout various activities. We give the Beats Powerbeats Pro wireless earbuds a score of 8 out of 10 as comfortable, secure workout companions.
Best wireless headphones for Apple devices
Product Specifications
Type: Over-ear | Sensitivity: NA | Noise Cancellation: Active | Connectivity: Bluetooth, audio cable | Battery Life: 20 hours (estimated)
Apple’s AirPods Max full-sized over-ear headphones offer some of the best audio quality we’ve ever listened to along with powerful noise cancellation. While large and expensive, they’re designed to deliver excellent wireless performance, especially with Apple devices.
During our testing, the large aluminum earcups of the AirPods Max enveloped our ears and gave us the impression of being in the room with the musicians we were listening to, with amazing clarity and dimensionality. As for noise cancellation, it could mute conversations in the same room, not just low-end background noise.
The AirPods Max connected automatically to Apple devices and maintained their wireless connection even two rooms away in our tests. Like other headphones with Apple’s wireless W1 and H1 chips, the AirPods Max can switch automatically between different Apple devices with the same Apple ID account. They’re also some of the best-looking headphones we’ve tested and were surprisingly comfortable despite their size and aluminum build. We gave them a 9 out of 10 for audio quality, build quality and design.
Best wireless headphones for noise cancellation
Product Specifications
Type: Over-ear | Sensitivity: NA | Noise Cancellation: Active | Connectivity: Bluetooth, audio cable | Battery Life: 20 hours (estimated)
The Bose Noise-Canceling Headphones 700 are not the newest models in Bose’s famed arsenal of noise-canceling headphones, but they are some of the best-loved and best-reviewed. When we tested them, we found them to be just as excellent as promised, with spacious, high-end audio and powerful noise cancellation.
With elegant stems on their headband, the Bose 700s look almost too delicate for regular use, but they held up well during our testing. They had a spacious, chamber-like music quality that appealed to us, and their 11-level noise cancellation, powered by six sampling mics, paved the way for other high-end headphones to do the same.
Battery life was excellent, and we enjoyed how well they did with both music and spoken-word audio like podcasts. They weren’t the most portable or easy-to-store headphones we’ve tested, but we liked how they could reveal details in audio we’d never noticed before. We gave them an 8 out of 10 for noise cancellation, audio quality and intuitive controls.
Key wireless headphone features
Wireless technology
Wireless headphones may use one of three different types of wireless technology to connect to audio sources: Bluetooth, RF and infrared.
- Bluetooth has become the most popular way for wireless headphones to connect to audio sources like smartphones and computers. Bluetooth is designed for short-range communication at distances of around 30 feet and specifically has protocols for audio and music. Bluetooth has become virtually universal among smartphones, tablets and computers.
- RF connections use non-Bluetooth radio frequencies, including the 802.11 frequencies used by Wi-Fi. They offer performance over longer distances than Bluetooth, more than 300 feet. RF headphones usually include a transmitter of some kind, such as a mast plugged into the audio jack of a TV or a dongle plugged into a computer’s USB port. Their lack of lag makes them ideal for gaming headsets.
- Infrared (IR) connections use light to transmit and receive data. They’re free of the kind of interference that can affect radio-based connections like Bluetooth or RF, but they require a clear and direct line of sight between the source and the receiver.
Bluetooth codecs
Wireless Bluetooth headphones use algorithms called codecs for audio data. What codecs they support may vary, and some codecs claim to offer superior audio quality compared to others. Common codecs you may find in wireless headphones are SBC, universal to all Bluetooth devices; AAC, most popularly used by Apple in its Music store and streaming app; AptX and its variants, commonly found in Android devices; and LDAC, from Sony, that offers high audio quality.
Battery life
Wireless headphones generally require power to maintain their connections, usually batteries. The battery life of wireless Bluetooth headphones will tell you how many hours of listening you can expect from them over a wireless connection. You should also note how long it will take them to recharge, so you’re not caught without working wireless headphones due to low battery.
Noise cancellation
Many wireless headphones and earbuds offer active noise cancellation or ANC. They use mics to sense external noise, which they then cancel out by emitting an opposing soundwave. ANC is great for loud environments like plane flights, commuting and crowded rooms. The quality of ANC depends on the number of mics the headphones have to detect outside noise and how effectively they create the contrasting soundwave.
Active noise cancellation is different from noise isolation or “passive noise cancellation,” where headphones or earbuds physically block out external sound. Noise isolation doesn’t need power like ANC does and can be effective to a certain degree. Being able to cover the ears or ear canals was the only noise-control feature headphones and earbuds had until ANC became widely available.
Wireless headphone styles
Most wireless headphones fall into one of three form factors: over-the-ear, on-ear and earbuds.
Earbuds
Earbuds fit inside your ear, nestling either in your outer ear or inserted in your ear canal. They’re the smallest and most portable of headphones, yet they may offer audio quality that equals that of larger types. Earbuds meant to be inserted partially or completely into the ear canal are called in-ears or in-ear monitors (IEM) and usually offer flexible ear tips, made of silicone or similar material, that forms a seal for lower external noise and better bass response. Wireless earbuds may connect to each other via a band or cord, or be “true wireless” earbuds, that are physically independent.
Over-the-ear wireless headphones
Connected by a band that goes over the head, over-the-ear wireless headphones cover the entire ear. These models deliver a premium audio experience, but their size makes them less portable and not as suited for activities like working out. If you want wireless headphones strictly for music listening, or if you don’t expect to exercise while wearing them, a set of over-the-ear wireless headphones can be ideal.
On-ear wireless headphones
On-ear headphones have earcups that rest on the outer ear rather than envelop them. They’re usually smaller and lighter than over-the ear headphones. Some people find the pressure on their ears from on-ear headphones to be uncomfortable over time.
Wireless headphone prices
Wireless headphones can vary greatly in price. Essentially, you’ll get what you pay for, but you may find that your needs are met by models that are hundreds of dollars cheaper than high-end choices.
Between $25 and $75
Wireless headphones in this price range can vary widely in audio quality and battery life. Models below $30 won’t last long, and their audio quality in general leaves a lot to be desired. At around the $40-to-$50 range, you’ll start finding earbuds and headphones of solid everyday quality that may last a couple of years or more, including some with active noise cancellation.
Between $75 and $250
In the midrange of wireless headphone prices, you’ll find some of the best wireless earbuds, with or without noise cancellation, as well as solid over-ear and on-ear wireless headphones with excellent sound and features. This price range offers some of the best price and performance values among wireless headphones.
Between $250 and $500
The top tier of wireless headphones showcase the best and most capable models around, flagship headphones with outstanding audio quality, comfort, workmanship and noise cancellation. At this price range, expect and demand the best features and performance from whichever wireless headphones you buy.
Tips
- If you’re using in-ear earbuds, make sure they form a tight seal inside your ears. This helps ensure a good audio experience.
- If your earbuds don’t sound as good as you think they should, try using earbud tips of a different size. Many wireless earbuds include several different sizes. It could be that you need a better fit.
- To avoid damaging your hearing, play audio in your wireless headphones at a reasonable volume. OSHA, the U.S. Occupational Safety and Health Administration, recommends headphone volume not exceed 90 decibels over eight hours. Many smartphones and some wireless headphone apps allow you to set a maximum loudness level in decibels, and some wireless headphones and earbuds can help detect loudness levels and warn you if you’re exceeding safe volume.
- Keep your wireless earbuds in their charging case when you’re not using them. This keeps them topped up with power and ready for use. The charging cases themselves, though, need to be recharged once in a while, so don’t forget to check their charge level from time to time to avoid dead earbuds.
How we tested and analyzed the best wireless headphones
We used our own findings from hands-on testing to fill out most of our choices for the best wireless headphones. When we didn’t test a model ourselves, we relied on product research both from the manufacturer and other sources, paying attention to professional and customer reviews.
We tested wireless headphones on ease of setup, build quality and comfort, connecting them to different audio sources including more than one wireless source at a time, and wearing them for at least three hours without interruption to note any stress points or friction points on the head and ears.
We created a playlist of songs from multiple major genres, including classical, opera, jazz, hip-hop, rock, pop, folk and EDM, and listened closely to how well each pair of headphones performed. We noted their strengths or weaknesses and whether there was any listening fatigue over multiple hours of listening. We also tested the headphones on movie and TV show audio as well as podcasts and other spoken-word content.
To test noise cancellation, we wore the headphones in different environments, including a quiet office, a crowded cafe and a busy street. We also noted what kinds of noises the headphones were best at muting and what kinds they struggled with.
We also installed any smartphone apps and evaluated them on utility and ease of use. We made phone calls to test audio quality on both the sending and receiving end. And we tested wireless range, moving as far away from audio sources as we could, and wireless connection stability through walls and closed doors. We noted what Bluetooth codecs the headphones supported. Finally, we tested battery life, using the headphones until they ran down and then testing how fast they recharged.
FAQ
Q. Which is better, wired or wireless headphones?
A. Wired headphones can support higher-quality audio than wireless headphones. The metal wires, usually copper of one type or another, conduct the electrical signals that headphones use to produce sound without any need of encoding or decoding. Wireless headphones, however, free you from long or cumbersome cables, and Bluetooth codecs have become so good it’s hard for many people to discern any practical quality difference between wired and wireless audio.
Q. Are wireless headphones good for gaming?
A. Wireless headphones that use Bluetooth are not the best choices for gaming due to their lag or latency. Bluetooth takes milliseconds to handle data, but even these tiny delays can affect fast-paced gameplay. Gamers usually use wired headphones or wireless headphones that use RF connections that have no lag. Some wireless gaming headsets come with USB transmitters you plug into your gaming rig for a low-latency wireless connection.
Q. Do wireless headphones need Wi-Fi?
A. Wireless headphones don't need Wi-Fi. Wireless headphones use Bluetooth or another connection method that doesn’t require them to connect to a Wi-Fi network.
Q. Are wireless earbuds worth the money?
A. Wired earbuds tend to have thin cords that may be prone to tangling, twisting and damage from use, making these cords a source of frustration and annoyance. Wireless headphones, especially true wireless earbuds, do away with cords, making tangles and damaged jacks a thing of the past. However, wireless earbuds are usually more expensive and offer challenges of their own, such as pairing and charging needs.
Q. How long does it usually take to charge a pair of wireless headphones?
A. In our tests, we discovered most current wireless headphones need between one and three hours to charge fully from empty or near empty. Many contemporary models offer some form of fast charging, allowing them to charge as much as 85% in much less than an hour. Fast charging is ideal for situations where you only have a short time to charge your wireless headphones, such as when you’re racing between flights.
Our expertise
Jmar Gambol has written for BestReviews since 2020. He has been an avid audio enthusiast for over 30 years and has used wireless headphones since 2017, including both true wireless earbuds, on-ear wireless headphones and multiple brands of wireless noise-canceling headphones from Bose, Sony, Beats and Sennheiser. He personally tested three of the top five picks in this buying guide.
