Best wireless earbuds for 2025: lab tested reviews

Wireless earbuds (also known as wireless in-ear headphones) are the most portable type of headphones you can buy, but it's important to choose carefully.

You can find a superb pair of truly wireless earbuds with useful features such as active noise cancelling for as affordable a price as £50.

However, you can also spend hundreds of pounds on wireless in-ear headphones that sound as unappealing as the price tag you'll pay. 

Read on to discover the best wireless earbuds based on our in-depth tests.

Go straight to our wireless earbuds reviews to see all the models we've tested.

Best wireless earbuds for 2025

The table below shows our pick of the very best wireless earbuds. These are the models that aced our in-depth lab tests, so you can be sure they'll provide excellent sound quality, be comfortable and come with some of the best features.

Only logged-in members can see our full list of the best headphones in the tables below. Join Which? to get instant access to our expert reviews and discover the models to buy and those to avoid.

Headphone reviews by type

• Wireless in-ear headphones
• Noise-cancelling headphones

Wireless earbuds by price

• Earbuds under £50
• Earbuds under £100
• Earbuds under £300

Why you should trust our wireless earbud reviews

When looking for the best wireless earbuds, we put them trough a range of independent lab tests. We also test each model with our expert listening panel, who listen to a variety of music genres, as well as podcasts, to accurately rate audio quality, noise-cancelling performance and more. Read more in our guide to how we test headphones.

 If you're looking for wireless on-ear or over-ear headphones, check out our guide to the best wireless headphones.

Popular wireless earbuds to consider

Looking for some inspiration? Although they're not necessarily the best wireless earbuds, the models below all scored reasonably well in our tests. Each set has its own pros and cons, so be sure to click through to the full reviews.

Bose QuietComfort Earbuds

• Truly wireless earbuds
• Active noise cancelling
• Available in black, white and blue

We like: Stability bands

We don't like: Cheap feeling charging case

The QuietComfort Earbuds II come with stability bands that help prevent them falling out (a common problem with some wireless earbuds) along with a range of other features. They're also rated rated IPX4 water and sweat resistant. Our expert tests did reveal a few concerns, though.

Are they the best wireless earbuds? Read our full Bose QuietComfort Earbuds review to find out.

Apple AirPods Pro (2nd Generation)

• Truly wireless earbuds
• Active noise cancelling
• IPX4 rating for water resistance

We like: Very comfortable

We didn’t like: More limited when used on Android devices

The AirPods Pro are Apple's current flagship wireless earbuds and come loaded with features. Naturally, they're best suited to iPhone/iPad owners, but are they worth the extra money over the original (and cheaper) AirPods?

Read our full Apple AirPods Pro (2nd Generation).

Samsung Galaxy Buds 2

• Truly wireless earbuds
• Active noise cancelling
• Additional features with the Galaxy Wearables app

We like: Good build quality

We don’t like: Poor microphone

These stylish wireless earbuds are light and comfortable to wear, and benefit from a range of noise-cancelling modes. However, our in-depth testing did identify a lack of bass in the sound quality.

Read our full Samsung Galaxy Buds 2 review.

What type of earbuds should I buy?

There are three main types of earbuds to choose from:

• Truly wireless earbuds, like the Apple AirPods Pro (2nd Generation). These come with hard charging cases for the earbuds, allowing you to recharge them on the go.
• Corded wireless earbuds, like the Sony WI-C100, which have a wire attaching the two earpieces together.
• Wired earbuds. These are more traditional in-ear headphones that connect physically to your device.

Need advice on which brand to buy? Read our guide to the most reliable wireless headphone brands.

Soft-tipped earpieces

Most wireless earbuds, such as the Sony WF-1000XM5, come with different sizes of detachable, flexible eartips that you can swap around to fit your ear size. This gives the headphones an acoustic seal, reducing sound leakage and the amount of background noise you hear. Typically you receive three different sizes, but some models offer as many as four or five.

Other models, such as as Bose's QuietComfort Earbuds II, also supply detachable stability bands that are designed to provide a more secure fit, which may make them better for use while exercising or playing sports. 

Looking for headphones designed especially for running, walking or cycling? See our top picks of the best bone conduction headphones.

Hard plastic earpieces

Some headphones have hard plastic earpieces. This one-size-fits-all approach is simpler, but without an acoustic seal, so there's more chance those around you will hear your music if you play it at higher volumes.

If you're looking for an Apple laptop to pair with your AirPods, consult our guide on the best MacBooks.

Whether you're after the best wireless earbuds or the best over-ear and on-ear headphones, check out our guide to the best headphones

Wireless earbud FAQs

Do wireless earbuds work with any phone? 

Yes, as wireless earbuds generally use Bluetooth connection technology, they should work with any smartphone. 

You can even use Apple AirPods with a Samsung Galaxy Android phone if you like, albeit with one caveat. 

Brands that make both smartphones and earbuds tend to lock certain functionality to their device – so, some specific features on Apple AirPods, for example, will only work if you have an iPhone. 

Another example is Beats – some functions work seamlessly with an iPhone (Apple owns Beats) but you'll need to download an app if you want to use them on an Android device. 

Do you need wi-fi to use wireless earbuds?

No. The technology uses Bluetooth to connect to your smartphone, so the earbuds don't need wi-fi to work. 

However, if you're streaming music you will obviously need internet connectivity on your smartphone or other devices to play the music to the buds in the first place. 

Can I use a single earbud?

Potentially. If you've got what is called 'truly wireless' earbuds, this means that they operate without a wired connection to your smartphone, but also to each other. 

This means that if one falls out, then the other should still maintain the connection and continue to play music. 

Good earbuds should manage this transition seamlessly, although some stutter or even stop if one bud drops out. 

Why is my Bluetooth connection dropping?

Bluetooth range is typically 10 metres, so if you've wandered too far away from your phone or speaker, the connection will stutter and eventually stop. 

There could be other reasons for interference, such as something blocking the signal or a problem with the earbuds themselves. 

If you're consistently having problems, you could try unpairing the earbuds and repairing them to see if that corrects the issue. 

How should I clean my wireless earbuds?

Regularly use a soft, dry cloth to wipe down the earbuds and ensure that they are clean and clear. 

Remove the eartips and clean out any earwax or other debris – this is not only good for cleaning but can also remove any blockages to clear sound. 

Some earbuds have fancy designs that look nice, but can be pain to clean. Try to avoid ones with grooved or ridged plastic as this is a magnet for dirt and grime.