Upgrade Your Earbuds To Wireless Ones and You’ll Never Go Back
Wireless earbuds are a giant leap forward, with Bluetooth connectivity, waterproofing, noise cancelling features, and more that will keep your listening easy.
Photo Illustration by The Daily Beast/Scouted/Vendors
I’m a big fan of over ear headphones. They are great for drowning out the world around you and enveloping you in the sounds of your choice. But that doesn’t mean I don’t love earbuds, too. They just have different uses. Headphones, when I choose to put them on, feel like more of a commitment, whereas earbuds, I can be more flippant with. My head gets less hot in earbuds, so they’re great for summer, and I usually take phone calls on them, exercise wearing them, or listen to podcasts on them, too. In short, earbuds are great, and if you don’t have a pair, you should. Here are some great options to choose from.
Best Overall: Airpods
Best for Workouts: Sony WF-1000XM3
Best for Commuting: Master & Dynamic MW08
Best for Work: Jabra Elite Active 65t Earbuds
Best for Audiophiles: Sennheiser Momentum True Wireless 2
Best Overall: AirPods
You can’t go wrong with AirPods, that’s for sure. They’re not noise cancelling, but that’s ok. These are super sleek, and great for phone calls, which if you’re on the phone a ton, is a big benefit.
Best Feature: We love the fit, the sleek design, and the ability to take calls on these. They are pretty much perfect.
Best for Workouts: Sony WF-1000XM3
These earbuds can do it all. Not only are they noise cancelling, they have a battery life of 24 hours, Alexa capabilities built in, and have adaptive sound control.
Best Feature: They are water resistant meaning you can enjoy great sound quality while you're working out, too.
Best for Commuting: Master & Dynamic MW08
If you’re looking for a pair of earbuds that not only sound great, but look great as well, Master & Dynamic has you covered. Not only do these buds fit well in my ear, they have active noise cancelling technology—so you can listen to your podcasts or music with minimal distractions.
Best Feature: They come in a beautiful stainless steel case, are quality made and look as good as they sound.
Best for Work: Jabra Elite Active 65t Earbuds
Scouted Editor Jillian Lucas wears these earbuds every day for taking calls and listening to ambient music. They have noise cancelling technology and can last for five hours on a single charge. Best of all, she no longer has to yell through her computer mic (which is great for me, too).
Best Feature: They sound great on work calls, and not like you're drowning in the ocean.
Best for Audiophiles: Sennheiser Momentum True Wireless 2
Down from $300
These true wireless in ear headphones are built with 7mm drivers for impressive sound in such a small package. The ergonomic design makes wearing them a pleasure, and they boast active noise cancellation, too.
Best Feature: Not only do they sound the best of any we've tried, the ergonomic shape makes wearing them enjoyable.
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