Dont break the bank: The best budget earbuds, tested by our audio experts

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The 5 best budget earbuds of 2025, tested by audio experts

Overview

Table of Contents

We spend a lot of time fawning over the latest tech here at Mashable, and as much as we love nerding out over the latest Sony headphones drop, we know that's not always relatable. New tech is often expensive tech, and a nearly $500 pair of headphones is certainly not always in the budget. That's why we're here to talk about the best budget earbuds.

A pair of cheap earbuds is a compact alternative to over-the-ear headphones, but let's be clear, just because these earbuds are affordable, doesn't mean they skimp on features. Two of the best earbuds we've tested are nearly $300 — Apple AirPods Pro costs $249.95, and Bose QuietComfort Ultra earbuds come in at $299 — but we've found models for even less. You don't need to spend $300 on a pair of great earbuds; in fact, you don't even need to spend $100.

Plus, with Amazon Prime Day running from July 8 to 11, there's an opportunity for even more savings. We've already spotted some early deals on earbuds and headphones, including wireless models. Our top pick, the EarFun Air Pro 4, are already down to $62.99 ahead of Prime Day.

So if you're ready to save on already budget-friendly earbuds, these are the best.

Our Pick

A pair of EarFun Air Pro 4 earbuds

The Good & The Bad

  • Some of the best noise-cancelling you can get under $100
  • Different levels of noise cancellation available
  • App offers similar customization to earbuds at higher price point
  • Great EQ functions
  • Functional multipoint pairing
  • Great battery life
  • Touch controls are just OK
  • Case is on the bulky side

Who it's for

The EarFun Air Pro 4 earbuds may not come from one of the more well-known audio brands, but they have some of the best battery life and noise cancellation we've experienced on any earbuds, not just those in the budget price range. Plus at their $79.99, they're the true embodiment of not sacrificing features while still remaining affordable.

Why we like it

Frankly, these earbuds have no business offering as many features as they do while costing less than $100 — that's why they're our top pick.

While it is possible to use them straight out of the box, with the app, these earbuds offer more, including five different levels of noise cancellation. While the differences between some modes were negligible, the "strong ANC" setting didn't mess around (even if it did have the slightest detectable hiss without music), and the "wind noise cancellation" setting actually diminished the sound of a bathroom fan and hair dryer even more than the standard ANC. Basically, the noise cancellation worked and felt on par with headphones and earbuds that cost double their price. Plus, having different levels of ANC isn't a common feature on cheaper or more expensive earbuds — neither the Apple AirPods line nor Bose QuietComfort lines offer these features.

Along with the impressive ANC, these earbuds fit comfortably, staying in place even during runs (which isn't always a given for earbuds without stems). The battery life lasted an impressive amount of time, leaving us only recharging the case once after a week of regular use. A light indicator on the case also easily shows you how much juice you have left. While waiting for these earbuds to start showing their price point, we thought they might struggle with their multipoint connection, but they easily connected and switched between two devices, and toggled easily between two selected devices with the help of the app. Oh, and they sounded great, with the app offering a custom and preset equalizer (which is, again, very much not a given feature at this price point, or price points $50 higher).

So were there any downsides? The case was a little bulky, and the touch controls remained finicky, even after we got used to how they worked (but you can toggle them off). If EarFun switched to a button for on-ear controls instead, these might just be perfect earbuds, but as they stand at their price now, we're really not complaining.

Without a doubt, these are the best budget earbuds you can find.

Details

A pair of Bose QuietComfort earbuds next to a laptop

The Good & The Bad

  • Amazing sound quality
  • Solid noise cancellation
  • Comfortable, secure fit
  • Affordable
  • App UX could use some improvement

Our review

Read our full review of the Bose QuietComfort earbuds.

Who it's for

If you want good-quality sound but don’t want to spend over $200, the Bose QuietComfort is an affordable answer to the brand’s lineup. They’re focused on a great fit, as they not only come with multiple ear tips but multiple bands that can be changed out on the earbuds for a better fit on the crest of your ear. 

The accompanying app lets you adjust audio levels, but you won’t need to, as these earbuds make all your music sound better. They’re reliable, have a long battery life, and are sure to please the pickiest of audiophiles.

Why we like it

I’ve sung the praises of the QuietComfort Ultra, but Bose’s latest earbuds, the entry-level QuietComfort, are also fantastic, especially with their under-$200 price tag. Even after adjusting the ear tips and bands, I didn’t find the fit on these quite as secure as the Ultras. However, my colleague Bethany Allard, who also tested the QuietComfort earbuds, said they were the best earbuds that have ever fit her.

The QuietComfort’s sound quality is just phenomenal. With these earbuds, listening to Ethel Cain’s "A House in Nebraska" immersed me in the orchestrations. When "Brick House" by The Commodores came on, the earbuds elevated the snappy drum beats so that I may have been listening live.

The noise cancellation on the QuietComfort earbuds isn’t as sophisticated as the Ultras; I found they had more sound leakage and that classic ANC buzz when I was in noisy environments. However, the ANC on these is still great, especially in quiet spaces. 

One tiny beef I have with the Bose QuietComfort earbuds is that they require a different app than the standard Bose one. This is annoying if you’re an existing Bose user and need to download another app; plus, this earbud app just isn’t as good as Bose’s flagship app.

All in all, these are a solid pair of budget earbuds that, for $179, are an unbeatable value.

Details

A pair of Anker Soundcore Like P3i on a table.

The Good & The Bad

  • Long battery life
  • Comfortable wear
  • Customizable controls
  • No multi-point connection

Who it's for

If you really want to stay on a tight budget but don't want to sacrifice features, your best bet is the Anker Soundcore Life P3i earbuds. They're affordable at $50 and have battery life to get you through an eight-hour workday. While it might not be the best ANC you've ever experienced, we still think they're a great value at $50.

Why we like it

The $50 price tag, good sound quality, and active noise cancellation earn these earbuds a spot on this list. You can customize touch controls and adjust audio presets if you're picky about sound quality.

The biggest miss with these headphones is the lack of a multi-point connection. This means you must completely disconnect from one device before reconnecting to another. This could be a dealbreaker if you constantly need to switch between your phone and laptop.

Otherwise, they're a decent pair of headphones that you really can't beat for $50. Plus, they're often on sale for even less, and active noise cancellation for $35 is an even sweeter deal.

Details

A pair of Skullcandy Ecobuds next to a cactus and bowl of crystals

The Good & The Bad

  • Made with recycled plastic
  • Easy pairing
  • Can charge on phones with USB-C
  • Long battery life
  • Built-in charging cord
  • Case doesn't charge headphones
  • Buds come out of case easily
  • No noise cancellation

Our review

Read our full review of the Skullcandy EcoBuds.

Who it's for

If you're environmentally conscious, then buying tech is a constant dilemma. While the most sustainable tech will always be what you already have, if you've run your earbuds into the ground, turn to Skullcandy EcoBuds. The brand reduced its product's usual carbon footprint by 50 percent, using less plastic and metal. While this has scaled back on some features we like in wireless earbuds like ANC or a self-charging case, these buds still bring crisp audio for vibrant music listening.

Why we like it

The Skullcandy EcoBuds are an interesting competitor in the earbud market. The buds are made of 65 percent recycled plastic and contain fewer metals, so they lack some features. But if you don't need a lot of flair in a pair of earbuds, these ones are a steal.

All of the other earbuds on this list have charging cases that hold enough power to recharge the buds. However, there's no battery in this case. Instead, there's a built-in USB-C charger to plug into your computer, smartphone, or the wall. So, despite not being able to charge on its own, the built-in charger makes up for that. There's also no lid to the case, which means the buds tend to fall out easily — not great for the clumsy.

These earbuds have audio performance that shines. In our tests, we were impressed with how they picked up the beat of pop songs and the nuances of live performance recordings. However, they don't have ANC, so you'll have to crank up the volume to drown out the world.

All this to say, at $39.99, these Skullcandy Ecobuds are totally affordable, especially when they're on sale for even less.

Details

A pair of Apple AirPods 4 on a table outside

The Good & The Bad

  • Great sound quality
  • Portable self-charging case
  • One-size-fits-most design
  • Head gestures for rejecting/accepting calls
  • Some ear fatigue

Our review

Read our full review of the Apple AirPods 4.

Who it's for

If you're committed to the iOS ecosystem, you can still join the budget earbuds club. Apple's AirPods come in different price tiers so if you want the most affordable option, go for the Apple AirPods 4. They start at $129 and deliver five hours of battery life and smooth sound quality. Plus, they don't skimp on AirPods easy iOS connectivity, just open the case and they'll connect to your iPhone.

Why we like it

Apple AirPods are the go-to earbuds for iPhone users. With seamless connectivity between multiple devices, they're ideal for working, commuting, or relaxing on any iOS device. In 2024, the base pair of AirPods got an upgrade to the 4th generation model, delivering incredible sound quality. The AirPods 4 now come at two different price points: without noise cancellation, they're $129 and with, they're $179.

Mashable's former tech editor Kimberly Gedeon took them on a cross country flight, and these budget earbuds kept airplane noise at bay. But even if you go for the pair without ANC, you'll save $50 and still enjoy the multi-dimensional audio that the AirPods can provide. Not to mention, the microphone is crisp and clear on the AirPods 4 so you can take calls on them without a problem.

For a pair of affordable earbuds, they also come with specialized features including the ability to answer calls with the nod of your head. So if you're looking for a pair of cheap AirPods, go for the AirPods 4.

Details

Mashable writers and editors or contributors tested every product on this list. We pulled from our extensive reviews and roundups to find a selection of products that strike the right balance of performance and price.

When testing earbuds, we consider criteria such as:

  • Price: The selections on this lift were driven first by price, as we wanted the options here to be truly affordable. The products on this list are under $200, with a focus on models that are mostly under $100.

  • Sound quality: We tested these earbuds with various songs, from live performances to bass-heavy electronic music, R&B, rock, and folksy guitar songs. We evaluated how they sounded out of the box, along with any EQ presets or custom controls.

  • Comfort: Though this category can be subjective, we made sure each of our selections had at least several different ear tip sizes and was comfortable to wear for three hours or more.

  • Microphone quality: Realistically, you'll make calls when using your earbuds, which is why we put each of these earbuds through a call test, making sure the person on the other end of the phone could hear us clearly and consistently.

What's considered budget?

Budget is a relative term, so for this list, we're looking at earbuds under $200 but mostly under $100. Our top pick is the EarFun Air Pro 4, which have a list price of $79.99, which have the noise-cancellation of a much more expensive pair of earbuds. Going the budget route might mean making compromises but not sacrifices. For under $100, you can still get active noise cancellation and self-charging cases.

Other models we've tested

The models on this list are pulled from our extensive testing here at Mashable. Our previous top pick on this list was the Apple AirPods 3; however, the AirPods 4 have replaced them, making them more expensive, plus they don't have great Android compatibility.

Another pair of headphones we considered for this list were the Skullcandy Method 360 ANC earbuds with sound by Bose. My colleague Bethany Allard tested these buds, and while they're pretty good for $100, they have a bad case design and just aren't that comfortable compared to other models on this list — plus, the $100 introductory price is expected to go up to $129.99.

Mashable Image

Bethany Allard is a Los Angeles-based shopping reporter at Mashable covering beauty tech, dating, sex and relationships, and headphones. That basically means she puts her hair through a lot, scrolls through a lot of dating apps, and rotates through a lot of different headphones. In addition to testing out and rounding up the best products, she also covers deals for Mashable, paying an especially obsessive amount of attention to Apple deals and prices. That knowledge comes in handy when she's covering shopping holidays like Prime Day and Black Friday, which she's now done for three years at Mashable.

portrait of a woman wearing glasses

Boston-based Shopping Reporter, Samantha Mangino, covers all things tech at Mashable, rounding up the best products and deals. She’s covered commerce for three years, spending extensive time testing and reviewing all things home, including couches, steam irons, and washing machines. She thoroughly vets products and internet trends, finding out if those cozy gamer chairs are really as comfortable as TikTok claims.

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