Three best wireless earbuds of 2021

Apple may have ushered in the wire-free craze with its now-ubiquitous AirPods, but these days, there seems to be an endless influx of wireless earbuds looking to help you cut the cord. Amazon has Echo Buds; Samsung has Galaxy Buds; Google has Pixel Buds; Beat has Powerbeats Pro. The list goes on and on… With so many options out there, we set out to find the best, much like we’ve done with on-ear, over-ear and ANC headphones. Following the beat of our own testing, we discovered the best true wireless earbuds out there.

Apple’s AirPods Pro 

($219, originally $249; amazon.com) hit all the marks, especially for those in the Apple ecosystem. They deliver a wide soundstage, thanks to on-the-fly equalizing tech that produces playback that seemingly brings you inside the studio with the artist. They have the best noise-canceling ability of all the earbuds we tested, which, aside from stiff-arming distractions, creates a truly immersive experience. And they play especially nice with iPhones, iPads and Macs, with instantaneous pairing and the ability to switch between Apple devices without missing a beat.

Samsung’s Galaxy Buds Pro 

($199; samsung.com) are among the best in their class. These earbuds offer up a ton of great software features that let Android users fine-tune the audio and customize the controls, and deliver some very solid noise cancellation in addition to a fantastic Ambient Sound mode that lets in the outside world when you need it.

EarFun Air 

($59.99; amazon.com) are the best budget earbuds we’ve tested. These buds can rival the AirPods Pro on sound quality in the right environment and have a reliable microphone for taking important work calls. Factor in a waterproof design and long battery life, and they’re a ridiculous value. These buds have been selling out fast as of late, but if you’re looking to save big, they’re worth waiting for.