6 Bargain-Bin Truly Wireless Earbuds That Actually Sound Good

You don’t have to blow your savings on wireless earbuds. Cheaper pairs are better than ever—as long as you know what features you want. Here are some of our favorites, and they’re all under $80.

What to Look for In Wireless Earbuds

You might think cheap earbuds would all look and act the same, but they offer a diverse set of perks and quirks.

Before you buy the pair that looks the coolest, think about some of these key features of wireless earbuds, and decide which are more important to you:

• Sound quality: Cheap wireless earbuds don’t sound as bad as they used to. Look for features like bass boost and noise isolation to get the biggest bang for your buck.
• Controls and connectivity: The earbuds on this list automatically disconnect from, and reconnect to, your phone whenever you move them in or out of their charging cases. However, make sure the earbuds you buy have onboard controls you’re comfortable with; otherwise, you’ll have to control them from your phone.
• Durability and sweat: If you plan to use your earbuds while you perform intense physical labor or workouts, you might want to buy a pair with an IPX7 (or better) water-resistance rating. This certifies your earbuds will resist sweat, dust, and mild physical abuse.
• Battery life: Get a set of earbuds with a battery life that works for you. For reference, the Apple AirPods last about four-and-a-half hours before they need a charge, and the case lasts about 20 hours.
• Portability: Most of the wireless earbuds in this article have charging cases that are around 3.5-inches long by 1.5-inches tall. That’s a great size for your bag or pocket. We’ll note any exceptions (which are usually the result of larger internal batteries).
• Comfort: If you have a lot of trouble with earbuds—if they always fall out, or your ears are too small, and so on—we suggest you get a pair designed for sports as they usually provide a better fit.

Now that you know what you’re looking for, it’s time to get down to the nitty-gritty!

Best Overall: EarFun Wireless Earbuds

For the price, the EarFun Wireless Earbuds are very exciting and impressive. They’re built with bass boost technology, have a small, sporty form factor, a six-hour runtime, and an IPX7 water-resistance rating. The latter means they can withstand up to 3.28 feet (or one meter) of water or sweat.

The EarFun’s tiny charging case gives you an extra 26-hours of runtime. You charge it via a USB-C cable or wireless charger. The case has four LEDs that indicate battery life (a feature surprisingly rare at this price point).

These earbuds have built-in buttons to pause or skip tracks or bring up your phone’s voice assistant. Sadly, they don’t have onboard volume controls—you’ll have to do that from your phone (or through your voice assistant, if you’re adventurous).

Another Favorite: Avantree TWS115 True Wireless Earbuds with Mic

The Avantree TWS115 True Wireless Earbuds with Mic, while not as fully-featured as the EarFuns, are a solid pair of earbuds. They’re lightweight, they have a bass-heavy sound, and their four-hour runtime is great at this price.

As for the charging case, it gives you an additional 32 hours of runtime and charges via Micro USB. It even works with wireless chargers—a feature usually reserved for much more expensive earbuds.

There are a few things to be aware of with the TWS115 earbuds. For example, they don’t have an IPX water-resistance rating, so they’re not great for the gym. Also, as we noted in our full review, they lack onboard volume or smart assistant controls. The controls to pause or skip tracks are uncomfortable to use.

Best Premium: Creative Outlier Air True Wireless Earphones

The Creative Outlier Airs aren’t super-cheap, but they’re the best wireless earbuds we’ve seen for under $100. They offer balanced sound with good bass response, and they have an IPX5 water-resistance rating (sweat- and splash-proof), and a 10-hour battery life. Yeah, these buds can go up to 10 hours without a charge. The charging case holds an extra 20 hours of juice, and you charge it via USB-C cable.

That’s not to say these earbuds are perfect. As we mentioned in our full review, the Creative Outlier Air charging case is rectangular, about four inches long, and not incredibly portable. The onboard buttons are also a bit stiff, but they do offer volume and smart assistant controls alongside those for track skipping and pausing.

Best for Workouts: Anker Soundcore Liberty Neo Earbuds

Anker sells affordable power banks, cables, and sound bars, so it’s no surprise the company has made its way to earbuds, as well. The Anker Soundcore Liberty Neo is an impressive pair of sporty wireless earbuds. They feature bass boost technology, noise isolation, and an IPX7 water-resistance rating (they can endure up to 3.28 feet of water). They also come with an array of ear accessories (including ear hooks), so you can get the perfect fit.

The Liberty Neo earbuds have a five-hour bud and 15-hour case life. You charge this case via micro USB, so it’s slightly smaller than the others on our list in this article—most are 3.5-inches long, while the Liberty Neo case is only 3-inches long.

Keep in mind, these earbuds don’t have volume or smart assistant controls.

Best AirPods Clone: Anker Soundcore Life P2 Earbuds

Budget earbuds are nice and all, but what if you want something more like Apple AirPods, you should check out the Anker Soundcore Life P2s. These awesome, AirPod-style earbuds have serious bass response, noise-reduction technology, a seven-hour bud and 33-hour case life, and an IPX7 water-resistance rating (they’ll survive up to 3.28 feet of water).

Like the AirPods, the Soundcore Life P2s feature fast charging (10 minutes get you one hour of runtime). However, unlike AirPods, the Soundcore Life P2s don’t have touch controls. Instead, they have hard button controls for pausing, skipping tracks, or activating your smart assistant.

Sadly, these earbuds don’t have onboard volume controls.

Best Battery Life on a Budget: FALWEDI 40-Hour Earbuds

Need a pair of earbuds that can make it through your entire work week? The FALWEDI True Wireless Earbuds have a seven-hour bud and 33-hour case life, which is identical to the Anker Soundcore Life P2s, but at around half the price.

The FALWEDI earbuds have an IPX5 water-resistance rating (sweat- and splash-proof), and you charge them via micro USB cable. They don’t have onboard volume controls, but they do have controls to pause or skip tracks and activate your smart assistant.