The best wireless earphones and earbuds

In the world of today's tech, there are so many music and sound products on the market. From waterproof headphones to voice-controlled speakers and smart home technology, it's easy to get stuck in.

Wireless earphones have been around for a while now and they can come in handy if you're looking to work out or listen to music without the faff of wires hanging around.

If you're not too sure on whether you really want to invest in some wireless earphones, we've broken down all the features and factors you'll need to think about right here.

How do wireless earphones work?

It can be confusing to know whether to invest in wired or wireless. Firstly, when you're choosing a wireless pair, it just means that the sound connects without wires - usually, through Bluetooth connection, whereas wired earphones attach via an aux cord that you plug in. Simple.

In terms of features, some 'wireless' headphones do also come with detachable wires so that you can use them if the sound runs out or if you want the option. They'll usually also come with a little box to charge and store your wireless earphones in. That way, you'll never lose your earphones even when you're not using them.

Should I buy wired or wireless earphones?

It's really down to personal preference., but wireless earphones are great if you're moving around a lot and don't want to have to keep attached to your laptop, phone or any other bit of tech. They allow you to keep listening to your music and podcasts without any interruptions from working, to working out or even when you're just busy doing errands around the house.

There are some features you may want to make sure you're looking for in terms of the type of earphone you can buy.

In-ear: Probably most common of earphones, you'll usually find these with plastic buds on the end to fit your ear. They can be fiddly but they'll work perfectly for a full audio experience. These can come as classic earphones like the original Apple earphones, or as earbuds that go into your ear canal.

Over-ear: If you're moving around a lot or don't like the style of in-ear earphones, you can go for an over-ear option, which usually has an ear hook that you can put on your ear for extra security.

On-ear headphones: You won't be able to get on-ear earphones, but these come as headphones and may be slightly more comfortable if you get earache with smaller buds.

The best wireless earphones UK 2024

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Apple is a huge industry leader and AirPods jumped onto the scene back in 2016. Since then, there are three different styles to choose from: these classic AirPods, AirPods Pro as well as the over-ear AirPods Max.

We've picked out these Apple Airpods as our top Apple wireless earbuds because they're of great quality with up to 24 hours of battery life and five hours of listening time. If you're an avid Apple fan, these connect up with your Apple products via voice-activated Siri too.

Features to consider: Automatic on/off, Siri connectivity, H1 Apple chip

Battery life: 24 hours (5 hours listening time)

Style: In-ear

Spare wire? No

Control: Voice control and touch control

Review: “These have been a game-changer. They connect to everything super quick. The pods work seamlessly with iOS but since moving to Android it has also worked really well with my Android devices. I love how long the battery lasts and sometimes I don't even charge it and when the pods run out of juice just pop them back in the case and your good to go again after 15 min. These are ideal for literally anything... Buy them now... You need them!!! They're so convenient.”

The JLab JBuds ANC 3 are a great choice when it comes to investing in a good pair of wireless earphones and it was tested by Akhila Thomas, Digital Writer for Yours.co.uk. If you are looking to relieve yourself from the task of untangling messy wired every time you need to attend a call or find yourself struggling to hear the other person or any music, film or radio over the background noise, then these earphones are sure to solve all your troubles.

With Smart Active Noise Cancelation that listens and adjusts the level of noise cancellation according to your environment, there are three noise control modes to choose from - ANC On, ANC Off and Be Aware. I can confirm that the noise cancellation with these earphones is much better than that of several other brands I have used.

You get 42+ total hours of playtime and it also charges up very quickly. It allows you to connect to multiple devices at the same time so you can go from listening to music on your phone to watching a movie on the laptop without any hassle of reconnecting to new devices.

However, I felt the noise-cancellation feature of the mic could be improved as people I spoke to shared that it was picking up lots of background noise while on call. But overall it is a good pair of earphones to use in the gym, while walking or travelling as it’s got good grip, efficient noise-cancellation and a long playtime.

Features to consider: 3 noise control modes with Smart Active Noise Cancelation, Connects to multiple devices, Google Fast Pair for Android devices

Battery life: 42+ Hours Bluetooth playtime

Style: In-ear

Spare wire? No

Control: Touch/button control

A top Amazon Choice for wireless earphones, these Anker Soundcore earphones are our pick for the best all-around.

They have comfortable ear-tip designs, are a great value price and are even waterproof (because accidents happen!). You will get noise-reduction with these for a great listening experience and has over 40 hours of playtime with a fast charge.

Features to consider: IPX7 Waterproof, cVc 8.0 noise reduction technology, BassUp technology

Battery life: 40 hours (7 hours listening time)

Style: In-ear

Spare wire? No

Control: Touch/button control

Review: “Incredible earbuds for the price. I’ve been putting off buying a pair of truly wireless earbuds, hoping the technology would improve. I caved when I saw the price and the reviews for these. The audio quality is great. The bass is very prominent but the mids and treble are decent, especially if you play with the eq settings on your device. I chose ‘spoken word’ on my iPhone which restores some clarity to the vocals and high end.”

As seen above, these Beats Studio Buds work well for their music quality, acoustics and Active Noise Cancellation (ANC).

It's not often you get earbuds that are noise cancelling, but these Beats buds give you the option to restrict outside noise to give you fuller listening and acoustics. You can also adjust the ear tip size for a perfect fit as well as IPX4 sweat and water resistance.

Features to consider: IPX4 sweat and waterproof, Active Noise Cancellation (ANC)

Battery life: 24 hours (8 hours listening time)

Style: In-ear

Spare wire? No

Control: Touch/button control

Review: “These are great value for the money. They fit very nicely and are very comfy to use. The sound quality is just great, moved from old AirPods and these are so much better. So if the AirPods Pro are too expensive for you definitely go for these Beats.”

Another great Beats choice, these Powerbeats Pro are our top over-ear wireless earphone option. If your earphones tend to fall out or you're doing some heavier moving like during exercise, then the ear hooks make for better security.

As well as this, these earphones have high-performance audio and are sweat-proof for resistant design.

Features to consider: Secure ear hooks for comfort, sweat and waterproof, dual audio control, Siri voice activation

Battery life: 9 hours listening time

Style: Over-ear

Spare wire? No

Control: Button control and voice control

Review: “No wires, intuitive controls and AMAZING sound. Being a musician and somewhat of an audiophile, I do like a high sound quality running through my ears, these don’t disappoint. Perfect for the gym, travelling, moving and just listening in general. If you like Beats or want a fun, excitable sound with a dead secure fit, these are for you.”

If you're not looking to spend more than £20 on a pair of earphones, these LUECNG wireless earbuds are top-rated on Amazon and have great reviews for a small price. They're waterproof, meaning they'll stand in all environments and are simple but efficient if you need a pair quickly and easily.

Features to consider: Waterproof, Noise cancellation, Sound sharing option

Battery life: 24 hours (4 hours listening time)

Style: In-ear

Spare wire? No

Control: Button control

Review: “I don’t normally do reviews like this but these are amazing - battery good - pairing great - works a long distance from my phone.”

Reviewers love these Jabra Elite earphones for the ultimate comfort of their in-ear cushion and sleek charging box. They also come packed with audio quality, having active noise-cancellation and a built-in mic for answering calls. They’re compact for efficiency and you can use your smartphone's voice control to control them.

Features to consider: Active Noise Cancellation, voice control, additional Jabra Sound+ app

Battery life: 24 hours

Style: In-ear

Spare wire? No

Control: Button control and voice control

Review: “I purchased these earbuds to use for movies and music. They produce an excellent crisp base note. The fit is very comfortable and the hear through comes in very handy when the wife wants to talk to me.”

Google also have their own brand of wireless earphones, and these are stylish but efficient. You can pair them up to your Pixel phone with a tap and also have intuitive Adaptive Sound so you don’t have to adjust the volume. A built-in mic allows for hands-free calling and you can control them with Google Assistant. Easy and efficient.

Features to consider: Adaptive sound, 12mm dynamic drivers, built-in mic control, IPX4 sweat & water resistance, 10m wireless range

Battery life: 24 hours (5 hours listening time)

Style: In-ear

Spare wire? No

Control: Button control and voice control

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