Best: Overall

Rating: 10/10

• Battery life, earbuds: 8 hours
• Battery life, charging case: 16 hours
• Noise cancellation? Yes
• Closed or open design? Closed
• Earbud weight: 5.7g
• Wireless-chargeable case? Yes

Sony’s latest in-ears are the company’s best yet. And that’s saying something, since the previous versions – the WF-1000XM3s – were already sensational. The new model is completely redesigned with a distinctive look. The noise cancelling here is subtle but effective – Sony says the quiet it produces should be alive, like the silence between movements in a concert hall. Done badly, noise-cancelling can make the ears feel under pressure, but there’s little of that here.

Although these are small, light earbuds, they manage significant bass as well as great, precise clarity in higher notes. At once delicate and powerful, these earbuds have some of the best audio of any wireless headphones.

Read the full Sony WF-1000XM4 wireless earbuds review

Best: Noise-cancelling earbuds

Rating: 10/10

• Battery life, earbuds: 4 hours 30 minutes
• Battery life, charging case: 19 hours
• Noise cancellation: Yes
• Closed or open design? Closed
• Earbud weight: 5.4g
• Wireless-chargeable case? Yes

Apple’s noise-cancelling technology is amazing, and special vents mean the pressure on the ear is just right. There are three sizes of earbuds to provide the perfect fit for the best noise isolation. This being Apple, there’s even an onscreen tutorial to make sure you pick the right ones. There are multiple microphones to make sure the noise cancelling is good, and also to ensure hands-free calls work well. Although AirPods pro and AirPods work with any phone, pairing with the iPhone is near-instant and seamless: open the case next to the iPhone and you’re done. Apple’s system is also easy when it comes to working with more than one device. If you have an iPad or Mac which is tied to your Apple ID, then as you pick up the iPad and put down the iPhone, the AirPods are smart enough to be able to switch devices automatically. Like some other headphones here, there’s a setting that lets in outside sound so you can easily have conversations with people.

AirPods pro also have spatial audio, which brilliantly creates a surround-sound effect. With suitable video content on an iPad, for instance, if you turn your head it adjusts the audio to lock it to where the tablet is. It’s so convincing you may need to remove the earbuds to check you’re not playing the sound through the iPad’s speakers.

Read the full Apple AirPods pro review

Best: Luxury headphones

Rating: 8/10

• Battery life, earbuds: 4 hours
• Battery life, charging case: 16 hours
• Noise cancellation? Yes
• Closed or open design? Closed
• Earbud weight: 8g
• Wireless-chargeable case? Yes

The elegant Pi7 earbuds look spectacular, with gold details and a striking, premium finish. There are three different sizes of ear tip supplied and the buds are comfortable in the ear as you twist them into position. Though the battery life isn’t huge at just four hours, there are another four full charges in the case and a quick charge of 10 minutes is enough for two hours’ playback. There’s also a cool extra feature with these earbuds: the case works as a device to retransmit audio. You plug one of the supplied cables into your music source – your laptop, say – and the other into the case, and the audio plays wirelessly from the case to the earbuds. The audio quality is really terrific, with deft clarity and solid power. At this price, we should hope so.

Read the full Bowers & Wilkins PI7 true wireless earbuds review

Best: For your own sound profile

Rating: 8/10

• Battery life, earbuds: 6 hours
• Battery life, charging case: 18 hours
• Noise cancellation? Yes
• Closed or open design? Closed
• Earbud weight: 7.4g
• Wireless-chargeable case? No

NuraTrue assesses your hearing by playing music and measuring feedback from internal microphones. This tells the headphones whether you have more sensitivity to mid-tones or trouble hearing lower notes. It then adjusts the sound as it creates your audio profile, showing a colourful pattern on the smartphone app that’s unique to you. The difference in the sound quality is remarkable and the noise-cancelling here is excellent. It also has what it calls social mode, which reduces the music volume to let the outside world in a bit. That’s similar to Apple’s transparency mode on the AirPods pro.

Best: Wireless earphones for running

Rating: 7/10

• Battery life, earbuds: 9 hours
• Battery life, charging case: 15 hours
• Noise cancellation? No
• Closed or open design? Closed
• Earbud weight: 11.2g
• Wireless-chargeable case? No

Beats powerbeats pro are highly unlikely to fall out of your ears, even when you’re running full pelt. That’s down to the over-ear hooks which are secure and comfortable. Although there’s no noise cancellation, the audio here is excellent, partly down to the four different ear-tip sizes which help create a tight seal in the ear. The Beats logo is a button to control music playback or to take calls. Beats is known for its proficiency with bass and that’s certainly the case here, though the earbuds are still capable of some subtlety and range. Beats, which is part of Apple, makes the powerbeats pro in six colours – “glacier blue”, navy, ivory, “cloud pink”, “lava red” and black.

Read the full Beats powerbeats pro review

Best: Sound quality

Rating: 9/10

• Battery life, earbuds: 6 hours
• Battery life, charging case: 12 hours
• Noise cancellation? Yes
• Closed or open design? Closed
• Earbud weight: 8.5g
• Wireless-chargeable case? Yes

Bose makes headphones with exceptional noise cancelling. These earbuds live up to both the quiet and comfort parts of their name, with three pairs of ear tips allowing you to choose the best fit. Battery life is fine, but unexceptional compared to some here.

Bose noise cancelling is very detailed, with 10 settings to choose from, which you can adjust on the smartphone app, or set three favourite levels to use directly on the earbuds. Some earbuds automatically pause the music if you take one out of your ears, but Bose also cuts the noise cancelling to the earbud that remains in place. The audio is outstanding: rich, lively and full of detail, they’re arguably the best on test.

Best: For comfort

Rating: 7/10

• Battery life, earbuds: 5 hours
• Battery life, charging case: 15 hours
• Noise cancellation? Yes
• Closed or open design? Closed
• Earbud weight: 5g
• Wireless-chargeable case? Yes

The neat little Galaxy buds2 are light, making them very comfortable to wear. They’ll work in conjunction with any phone but have the best compatibility with Samsung Galaxy devices – and they’ll switch easily between them. Audio is good, with strong bass in evidence, though not quite on a par with the best here. Samsung has come up with an appealing design, including snazzy colours such as lavender, that make these earbuds stand out from their rivals. There’s also graphite, white and olive finishes.

Read the full Samsung Galaxy buds 2 review

Best: For iPhone

Rating: 7/10

• Battery life, earbuds: 5 hours
• Battery life, charging case: 19 hours
• Noise cancellation? No
• Closed or open design? Closed
• Earbud weight: 4g
• Wireless-chargeable case? Optional

Apple’s original earbuds continue to be hugely popular, as they have been since their first release. The current version is the second edition, which means that while the design is unchanged there are improved electronics, so you can wake Apple’s virtual assistant with the words “Hey, Siri”. Unlike the pricier pro model, there’s no noise cancelling here. Even so, they sound great and fit the ear well, even though there’s no choice of ear-tip sizes. The charging case comes in two versions, with the basic one charged by cable and the fancier one being wireless chargeable and costing £40 more.

Read the full AirPods review

Best: Battery life

Rating: 8/10

• Battery life, earbuds: 7 hours
• Battery life, charging case: 21 hours
• Noise cancellation? Yes
• Closed or open design? Closed
• Earbud weight: 6g
• Wireless-chargeable case? No

There are cheaper earbuds than these on test, but the sound quality is tremendous, with great fidelity and versatility. There is bass on display but it doesn’t drown other notes out. These earphones are also great if you’re listening to video on a tablet, for instance, with commendable voice track clarity. The noise cancellation is also excellent, similar to the leaders in this group. There are four ear-tip sizes to choose from to ensure a snug fit, and battery life is tremendous, with 28 hours across the earbuds and case combined.

Best: Value earbuds

Rating: 8/10

• Battery life, earbuds: 8 hours
• Battery life, charging case: 16 hours
• Noise cancellation? Yes
• Closed or open design? Closed
• Earbud weight: 5g
• Wireless-chargeable case? No

The studio buds are remarkable value, offering excellent noise cancellation for little more than half the price of Apple’s other brand, the AirPods pro. Though there are some features missing (take an earbud out and music just keeps playing) there are useful and effective extras such as compatibility with spatial audio effects. Beats is known for its predilection for bass, but this is far from overwhelming here, and there’s much to like in the boisterous but defined sound. The buds themselves are tiny, allowing for long-wearing comfort. And, unlike the AirPods, they pair as easily with Android phones as they do with iPhones. Choose from black, white and the trademark “Beats red” finishes.

Best: For Android

Rating: 7/10

• Battery life, earbuds: 5 hours
• Battery life, charging case: 20 hours
• Noise cancellation? No
• Closed or open design? Closed
• Earbud weight: 5g
• Wireless-chargeable case? No

Google’s latest in-ears offer great value and strong sound that’s easy to listen to. Though there’s no active noise cancelling, the tight fit isolates the ears pretty well. That said, there is some venting that prevents the claustrophobic feeling some earbuds cause, so some outside noise seeps in. The fit is helped by small fins which hold the buds in place well. These headphones do work for Apple iPhone users but the set up is most seamless when used with an Android phone, where integration with Google Assistant is flawless.

Read the full Google Pixel buds A-series review

Best: Design

Rating: 6/10

• Battery life, earbuds: 6 hours
• Battery life, charging case: 28 hours
• Noise cancellation? Yes
• Closed or open design? Closed
• Earbud weight: 4.7g
• Wireless-chargeable case? Yes

Nothing is the interestingly named brand from Carl Pei, co-founder of popular phone company OnePlus. The ear (1) is its first product and is a highly affordable pair of headphones with noise-cancelling capabilities on board. There’s no skimping on build quality or neat design, even down to the see-through charging case which, surprisingly for the price, can be powered up wirelessly. There are even cute colour-coded dots on each bud and in the case, so it would be difficult to put the buds in the wrong way round. The transparent nature of the design continues into the earbuds, which have clear stalks, showing the mechanics inside. Battery life is especially strong and a 10-minute charge promises eight hours of playback time. Overall, the sound is decent but not as good as the best here, though the noise cancelling is of a high quality and very effective.

Read the full Nothing ear (1) review

Best: For battery life

Rating: 8/10

• Battery life, earbuds: 7 hours
• Battery life, charging case: 31 hours
• Noise cancellation? Yes
• Closed or open design? Closed
• Earbud weight: 4.35g
• Wireless-chargeable case? Yes

Just as AirPods work best with Apple devices, so these headphones from phone manufacturer OnePlus have extra features when connected to one of the company’s handsets. The noise cancelling is good, with three levels of sound reduction to choose from: max cancellation is especially effective. Audio overall is great, especially if you have the right content and the right OnePlus phone, where Dolby Atmos fidelity comes into play.

But the headline here is the battery life, which is remarkable. Not only do they play for up to 38 hours (without noise cancelling), they recharge quickly, with 10 minutes of cable-based charge offering almost 10 hours of playback.

Best for: Working out

Rating: 8/10

• Battery life, earbuds: 6 hours
• Battery life, charging case: 30 hours
• Noise cancellation? No
• Closed or open design? Closed
• Earbud weight: 5g
• Wireless-chargeable case? Yes

The simple twist-to-fit design of Grado’s first true-wireless in-ears means they are secure and ideal for working out. Controls are through a touch surface on each of the buds, which are versatile and easy to use. Grado is known for its open-backed headphones, but these are closed, perhaps because the need for sound isolation meant open wasn’t an option. Even without noise cancelling, though, the audio here is tremendous, with punchy sound that’s detailed and accurate. Though they lack the bass of some, there’s a lot to like here.

Best: For budget noise cancellation

Rating: 9/10

• Battery life, earbuds: 6 hours 30 minutes
• Battery life, charging case: 13 hours
• Noise cancellation? Yes
• Closed or open design? Closed
• Earbud weight: 7g
• Wireless-chargeable case? No

When Panasonic’s earbuds first launched they were strong value, and they’re now a lot cheaper. They offer noise cancelling at a very keen price, and it’s very good, not least because much of the technology comes from the sister brand Technics, which is rather pricier. The design is elegant and simple, and because there are five different sizes of ear tip to choose from, you can be sure of the perfect fit. Audio quality is strong with a powerful, direct sound. There’s a good amount of bass but it’s not overpowering and you can adjust that in the smartphone app. Battery life is decent and call quality is very strong, making these headphones a great all-around choice at a low price.

Read the full Panasonic RZ-S500W review