The 5 best budget wireless earbuds vetted by our headphones experts

Earbuds under $100? That's music to our ears.
By Samantha Mangino  on 
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Overview

Best for noise cancellation

Anker Soundcore Life P3i earbuds

Jump to Details
Best eco-friendly choice

Skullcandy EcoBuds

Jump to Details

Table of Contents

Even when you're running out the door, you need the essentials: phone, keys, wallet, and of course, earbuds. They're a modern-day necessity, as you can pop them in to take a call (farewell, Bluetooth headsets) or listen to music on your commute. Plus, they're compact compared to over-the-ear headphones, which are bulky and can't just slide into your pocket.

But for such a small product, they seriously add up. Apple AirPods Pro costs $249.95, and Bose QuietComfort Ultra earbuds come in at $299. But you don't need to spend nearly $300 for a solid pair of earbuds; you don't even need to pay $100. Among all the earbuds we've tested — which is an extensive list — we have a few favorite budget-friendly picks.

What's considered budget?

Budget is a relative term, so for this list, we're looking at earbuds under $100. Our top pick here is the Apple AirPods (2nd generation), which technically have an MSRP of $129, but we have yet to see them at that price on Amazon since before March. Usually, you can find them hovering between $89 and $99.

While those top our list, most of the headphones in this guide cost around $50. Going the budget route might mean making compromises but not sacrifices. For under $100, you can still get active noise cancellation and self-charging cases.

Our Pick

Read Mashable's full review of the Apple AirPods (2nd generation).

Who it's for:

Apple AirPods are by far the most intuitive and compact earbuds out there. While there are four different AirPod models to choose from, we suggest the 2nd generation model for those on a budget. Android and iOS users can both use the Apple AirPods, which easily connect via Bluetooth. If you want good-quality sound, easy setup, and a reliable case for recharging, these are your best bet.

Why we picked this:

As mentioned above, there are lots of different AirPods to choose from these days. We chose the second generation of AirPods because they're the most affordable of the bunch, with an MSRP of $129. However, we rarely see them for more than $100 on Amazon. Setup is easy, and best of all, it doesn't require you to download an additional app, whether you're an iOS user or not.

Plus, while other headphones only allow you to listen one at a time, you can connect up to two AirPods on your Apple devices (RIP headphone splitters).

The Good

The Bad

Details

Who it's for:

If noise cancellation is a must, your best bet on a budget is the Anker Soundcore Life P3i earbuds. They're affordable at $50 and have battery life to get you through an eight-hour workday. While it might not be the best ANC you've ever experienced, we still think they're the best budget option with ANC.

Why we picked this:

The $50 price tag, good audio quality, and active noise cancellation earn these earbuds a spot on this list. You can customize touch controls and adjust audio presets if you're picky about audio.

The biggest miss with these headphones is the lack of a multi-point connection. This means you must completely disconnect from one device before reconnecting to another. This could be a dealbreaker if you constantly need to switch between your phone and laptop.

Otherwise, they're a decent pair of headphones, that you really can't beat for $50.

The Good

The Bad

Details

Read Mashable's full review of the JBL Vibe Beam wireless earbuds.

Who it's for:

If you like the stick design of AirPods and are enticed by fun colors, the JBL Vibe Beam wireless earbuds are a suitable $50 or less pick. If you're not picky about sound quality because these have some faults, but you want the ease of multi-point connection, these earbuds check those boxes. If you need a casual pair to accompany you on errands to listen to your favorite podcasts and music, you'll enjoy the JBL Vibe Beam earbuds.

Why we picked this:

JBL Vibe Beam earbuds have an excellent design. Rather than your traditional choices of black or white, they also come in pinky beige, pastel blue, and vibrant mint for a more playful look. At just under $50 (but they're often on sale for even less), we're pleased with the decent sound quality. Unfortunately, JBL hyped up the audio on these earbuds, which, during testing, we found to be good but could have done better on high pitches.

They don't have active noise cancellation like the Soundcore Life P3i, but they do offer multi-point connection, and smoothly transitioned between devices during our tests.

Despite the good but not stellar audio, the JBLs' battery life really makes them stand out. On a single charge, they run for eight hours with up to 24 more hours with the charging case. Plus, just 10 minutes of charging in the case gives you two hours of playback.

The Good

The Bad

Details

Who it's for:

The Anker Soundcore P20i earbuds prove you can still get a solid pair for under $25. If you're accident-prone or tend to lose track of belongings, you don't want to be too precious about your earbuds — but the P20i are excellent quality, not just a throwaway pair.

Why we picked this:

A pair of wireless headphones for $25? Surely they'll be barebones with tinny sound, right? Nope! The Anker Soundcore P20i earbuds come with everything you expect in wireless earbuds: customizable audio and a charging case. However, some things are missing. You won't find active noise cancellation or multi-point connection here.

Otherwise, these have well-rounded sound, especially when you add Treble Boost, which provides the audio we expect from high-end earbuds. The battery life on these is killer: nearly 10 hours, and the charging case provides 30 hours of playback.

Plus, for the forgetful among us, these Soundcore earbuds offer a find my device feature, which delivers a loud tone to point you in the right direction.

The Good

The Bad

Details

A pair of Skullcandy Ecobuds next to a cactus and bowl of crystals

Skullcandy EcoBuds

Best eco-friendly choice

Read Mashable's full review of the Skullcandy EcoBuds.

Who it's for:

If you're environmentally conscious, then buying tech is a constant dilemma. While the most sustainable tech will always be what you already have, if you've run your earbuds into the ground, turn to Skullcandy EcoBuds. The brand reduced its product's usual carbon footprint by 50 percent, using less plastic and metal. Despite that, the buds bring crisp audio for vibrant music listening.

Why we picked this:

The Skullcandy EcoBuds are an interesting competitor in the earbud market. The buds are made of 65 percent recycled plastic and contain fewer metals, so they lack some features.

All of the other earbuds on this list have charging cases that hold enough power to recharge the buds. However, there's no battery in this case. Instead, there's a built-in USB-C charger to plug into your computer, smartphone, or the wall. So, despite not being able to charge on its own, the built-in charger makes up for it somewhat. There's also no lid to the case, which means the buds tend to fall out easily—not great for the clumsy.

These earbuds have audio performance that shines. In our tests, we were impressed with how they picked up the beat of pop songs and the nuances of live performance recordings. However, they don't have ANC, so you'll have to crank up the volume to drown out the world.

The Good

The Bad

Details

How we tested

Mashable writers and editors or contributors tested every product on this list. We pulled from our extensive reviews and roundups to find a selection of products that strike the right balance of performance and price.

When testing earbuds, we consider criteria such as:

  • Price: The selections on this lift were driven first by price, as we wanted the options here to be truly affordable. The products on this list are under $100.

  • Sound quality: We tested these earbuds with various songs, from live performances to bass-heavy electronic music, R&B, rock, and folksy guitar songs. We evaluated how they sounded out of the box, along with any EQ presets or custom controls.

  • Comfort: Though this category can be subjective, we made sure each of our selections had at least several different ear tip sizes and was comfortable to wear for three hours or more.

  • Microphone quality: Realistically, you'll make calls when using your earbuds, which is why we put each of these earbuds through a call test, making sure the person on the other end of the phone could hear us clearly and consistently.

portrait of a woman wearing glasses
Samantha Mangino
Shopping Reporter

Boston-based Shopping Reporter, Samantha Mangino, covers all things tech at Mashable, rounding up the best products and deals. She’s covered commerce for three years, spending extensive time testing and reviewing all things home, including couches, steam irons, and washing machines. She thoroughly vets products and internet trends, finding out if those cozy gamer chairs are really as comfortable as TikTok claims.

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