Apple AirPods are trendy wireless earbuds that offer some great features, but as with most things Apple makes, they are a bit pricey. The good news is that there are plenty of great alternatives that won’t cost you as much and offer most of the features you want in a pair of wireless headphones. Whether you’re looking for something priced less than regular AirPods or the Pro version, here are ten excellent wireless earbuds cheaper than Apple AirPods.
Spending money on AirPods isn’t necessary
While there’s no question AirPods can be fantastic for Apple users, they typically aren’t so great for Android users; however, they also aren’t great for people looking to save some money. With the regular AirPods being $180 and the AirPods Pro retailing for about $260, there are a ton of different options out there that can accomplish much of the same results for a lot less.
Jabra makes some truly wonderful headphones, and it’s hard to beat the package the Jabra Elite 5 gives you for $150. The active noise cancellation (ANC) works well, the 7-hour battery life gives you ample listening time, and the earbuds support the AAC, SBC, and Qualcomm’s aptX codecs, so you can listen to some high-quality music if you’re so inclined.
The Beats Studio Buds have some great microphones that help you sound crystal clear when taking calls, which means they work well in the office. Especially since they have ANC, which is good enough to deal with those low annoying sounds like the hum of the office air conditioner. The design of Beats Studio Buds also do a great job actually staying in your ears — perfect for the gym, as the earbud’s IPX4 rating will allow them to survive a little sweat from your workout.
Lastly, regarding the value, we like the Google Pixel Buds A-Series because they offer solid all-around performance. The sound is decent and will likely work with any style of music you like. Also, they pair super fast, thanks to Google Fast-Pair, and cost under $100. They may not excel when it comes to battery life (only about five hours on the buds themselves), but the charging case carries up to 24 hours, and they can charge decently quickly, meaning it’s easy to top up when you need.
As evidenced by the list above, true wireless earbuds don’t have to be Apple AirPods to offer you all that fast pairing goodness that Apple likes to talk about. Plus, when it comes to battery life and sound, there are many options to choose from.
