Tested: The Best Budget Wireless Earbuds- All Under $100

No other style of headphones lends themselves to EDC quite like earbuds. Super compact, lightweight, and ultra-pocketable, earbuds allow you to never be without your tunes. Whether you’re looking to drown out annoying background sounds, liven up your morning, or bestow your workout or commute with a soundtrack, earbuds provide a convenient means of mobile listening. But sometimes, the price of certain options can turn people away, which is why we’ve decided to test out the cheapest options available, with a $100 cap, to find out which ones are the best.

How We Tested

This sometimes ridiculous market for headphones can make shopping and buying a quality, well-priced unit a little difficult. Separating the earbuds that’ll give you quality sound from those with a lot of flashes requires a technical process that the average buyer doesn’t have time to do. That’s why we simplified matters for you in this guide, looking at all models under $100. What we sought for this list was companies that could take one of two approaches. Paying extra attention to our favorite brands in the space, we started with designers who didn’t add a lot of frills and unneeded features and instead focused on great sound. Then, we looked at companies who had made earphones with a solid sound that managed to cram in features and Easter egg extras without jacking up the cost.

After compiling our shortlist, we got hands-on with each and every pair of earbuds, focusing on how they looked, felt, and sounded, listening to an array of songs across all genres, as well as podcasts. If there was an accompanying app, we looked at how the apps affected the audio quality. Other things we looked at were ANC effectiveness, comfort, loudness, and how versatile the audio was. Were they worth more than premium earbuds or did they at least have special value at such a low cost? Our favorites made the cut, with our experience detailed below.

What to Look For

Sound: The sound quality of headphones in this price range has significantly improved over the last decade, and honestly, if you’re not an audiophile and are just interested in getting from audio point A to B, then $100 is enough. Most of them will have clear, balanced sound, but they won’t be as crisp or come with special features like spatial audio.

Battery: Battery life in this budget is also comparable to that of higher-end picks, with ~9 hours being the norm on a single charge. This is plenty for daily activities, and some options may even crack 11 to 12 hours, or more.

Case Battery: Thankfully, charging cases have also become standard in this price range, and should yield around ~30 to 40 hours total of listening time. The listed time will usually include the initial charge of the earbuds on their own.

Brand: Though there are outliers, buying from a respected and reputable usually does come with at least some added assurance of quality. And while buying from a big-name brand has this clear benefit, it also comes at a premium in terms of cost — not unlike when buying a car. Frequently you’ll find that by forgoing items from big-name brands, you can save a significant amount of cash. If you’re willing to do your homework, however, you’ll often find that lesser-known companies will often offer products that are comparable to that of the industry leaders, at a markedly lower price.

Noise Cancellation: ANC (Active Noise Cancellation, which utilizes microphones to produce a frequency that cancels ambient sound) is the standard in quality noise-cancelling headphones. Unfortunately, many of the options in this range won’t have it, but there are plenty with passive noise cancellation (which uses the shape of the headphones to cancel noise), which can still be useful.

Water Resistance: It’s not uncommon for budget earbuds to come with sweat, water, and dust resistance now. If you plan on working out, you’ll want a pair with at least an IPX4 rating, and that’s thankfully not a big ask in this budget as many options feature it.

Features: Speaking of features, gone are the days of cheap options with little in the way of extras; earbuds in this price range often come with EQ settings, touch controls, and LED displays that are commonly found in premium headphones.

JLab Go Pop+

Best Ultra-Cheap Earbuds: For the best balance of comfort and quality sound for less than a sawbuck, you’re just not going to find anything that can top these comfort-oriented budget earbuds from JLab. Not only that, but these earbuds have a really impressive battery life for the price, with 9 hours on a single charge and 35 total provided by the charging case. You’re getting IPX4 water resistance, so these are definitely equipped for a workout, and the ability to use the earbuds independently to customize your listening/talking. They come with three tips so you can get the fit right, touch controls that allow you to control music and accept calls, and even EQ settings to enhance your listening experience.

The Sound

If you expect these to be as refined as more expensive models, you shouldn’t hold your breath. Regardless of genre, the audio is rather restrained, lacking fullness and brightness. However, this can be tinkered with a bit in the app’s surprisingly sophisticated EQ controls (although I can do without the lady alerting me every time I try out a new preset). However, these will serve just fine with podcasts and the like.

While there’s no ANC on the Pop+ (although there is an ANC-equipped version for a few dollars more), there’s an Aware mode, which lets you have some transparency when you’re listening to your buds. You can adjust the level of this in the app. What I thought was really cool was how you could assign the earbuds touch controls in the app as well, from single to triple taps, and also long press. You could do this for both left and right ears. I’ve honestly never seen this before.

The Look and Feel

What JLab’s Go Pop+ excels best at is its look. These earbuds sport a very low-profile appearance with a sleek, blacked-out colorway (although there are other colors available). Likewise, they don’t make themselves known too much in your ears. However, with that low profile comes a more persnickety fit. Even with swapping out the ear tips, these had a difficult time staying in my ears, even falling out a couple of times. Likewise, the matte material lacked a certain grip on the outside, making these slippery in my hand and difficult to get out of the case if my own hands were too dry.

The Case

I’m a big fan of the case size for the JLab earbuds, which is highly compact and doesn’t take up any extra room. While it certainly feels a bit cheaper than higher-end models, which is perfectly fine, it still feels rather durable and there are some bonus features that leveled it up. First of all, I love the built-in USB-C cable, which prevents you from needing to search for a spare cable or have one handy at all times. It is also short and can be tucked into the bottom of the case without dangling.

However, my major complaint here, and it’s small, is that the lid closes very loudly. Like, you almost can’t close it quietly if you wanted to. And since the lid doesn’t open up far enough, I kept accidentally closing it, which I got self-conscious about in public. I should also mention that pairing the earbuds was a bit of a hassle. It took me a few tries to get them to pair, plus the buds have a picadillo about how quickly you pair them after removing them from the case. At one point, only the right earbud was playing music for some reason.

Verdict: As the lowest-end earbuds on this guide, you shouldn’t expect much from JLab’s Go Pop+. However, the earbuds still deliver on several levels, including EQ options, case features, and looks. We weren’t huge fans of how these fit into the ear (they kept falling out) and could do without the finicky case lid but the audio wasn’t bad enough to not consider these $25 earbuds.

JBL Vibe Beam

Best Sub-$50 Earbuds: If you want to level up from the JLab’s above, check out these JBL Vibe Beam earbuds, a definite improvement in terms of sound design, comfort, and fit. This is another example of premium levels of sound quality being made possible by higher-end existing technology trickling down to more accessibly-priced offerings. The Vibe Beam sees the American company’s hallmark JBL Signature Sound made available in a bare-bones earbuds model. No active noise canceling, just pure, rich sound, sold at a fair MSRP. Currently available in black or white, the earbuds consist of 8mm drivers held inside the closed housing helps with a wider range of frequencies. The ergonomic fit can be customized with the three ear tips included, and the earbuds are IP54 water-resistant. This is a stellar choice for general day-to-day use, and even travel — an area furthered by the model’s ergonomic fit and awareness modes.

The Sound

The audio quality of the JBL Vibe Beam is quite impressive. On a default level, you won’t get much from any specific music genre, but the magic is delivered through the EQ settings in the app. For rock music with less bass, I opted for the “Extreme Bass” setting which would be kryptonite for any other earbuds. However, this certainly rounded out the sound for a fuller profile. However, bassier genres like rap or techno struggled slightly more, although weren’t terrible despite the EQ settings. The drivers here just simply can’t handle the more nuanced production.

The touch controls are very responsive here as well, while they can be blanket customized in the app (i.e., the entire right or left side can be tailored towards a certain purpose like Playback Control, Volume Control, or Ambient Sound Control). It’s not as delineated as with the JLab earbuds above, but what I found really interesting was the ability to turn off touch controls entirely, say, if you’re annoyed that they keep inadvertently interfering with your experience.

There are also two different ambient noise modes. One is your standard transparency mode, but the other, called TalkThru, essentially turns down your audio to a barely audible level so you can hear the world around you. I’m not sure who would keep this on for longer than a single conversation; you’d be better off just pausing your music.

The Look and Feel

Shaped very similarly to the Apple AirPods, with a hanging stick, the Vibe Beam does function a bit differently in terms of touch controls. I didn’t have a problem with these falling out of my ears or readjusting too much throughout the day. Looks-wise, these have a strange flat edge facing outwards and I’m not sure I love the blend of gloss and matte on the exterior but they certainly give off a unique flair for those who are into it. Nevertheless, $50 is hard to complain about, especially if they’re this comfortable.

The Case

The case on the JBL earbuds is very similar in look and size to the JLab. However, this improves on the design with much more robust materials that feel sturdier. Plus, the lid on the case isn’t annoying and doesn’t get in the way. There’s no built-in charging cord but that would just have been a luxury. I also noticed the magnet that keeps the lid closed is quite strong, which made me more at ease when storing these in my pocket. They never opened on their own.

Verdict: Better than some earbuds double the price, the JBL Vibe Beam is comfortable and durable, and sounds great, especially once you get your hands on the app’s EQ controls. We loved how you could customize the touch controls (to a degree) and how durable the charging case is. On the other hand, we found the visual appeal of the earbuds to be a step down from the competition. Nevertheless, we’ll take the bad with the good any day since these were such a joy to spend time with.

Sony WF-C510

Best for Music: Budget earbuds aren’t always great for listening to music, but modern-day advancements in technology have made this more possible. Leave it to Sony to be at the forefront, just like they are here with the WF-C510, offering a rich, symphonic experience with a dense, weighty beat on their back end thanks to the 6mm drivers inside. They’re comfortable to wear and don’t feel weighty as you move your head, with an IPX4 resistance rating, making them worthy workout choices. Tonal quality and sound staging are impressive, with vocals and instrumentals placed precisely for a complex, immersive audio experience. Battery life is solid, with 11 hours on a single charge and 22 with the case, along with a 5-minute quick charge for an extra hour.

The Sound

In terms of audio quality, the WF-C510 was excellent, and the only earbuds worth listening to if you can’t get to the app’s EQ settings. Its default setting was surprisingly full. One time, I forgot that I had EQ turned off and didn’t even notice. Again, these won’t be as impressive as your higher-end models, even from Sony, but for a $60 pair, you seriously can’t beat them. In the EQ controls, I opted out of the custom settings and went for the many preset options –– there are nearly a dozen to choose from. Also, I particularly liked how good podcast voices sounded with these too. Whereas, with other models, I could take it or leave it.

The earbuds utilize a push-button function on each side, with the left corresponding to the Ambient Sound feature and the right corresponding to playback, but can also activate your voice assistant when held down. I liked the button function over the touch function because oftentimes with the latter, you can accidentally select options. Here that wasn’t an issue. It’s important to note that there’s no volume control on the buds themselves, which I was perfectly fine with. In fact, it spares the units from any sort of confusion. Also, the Ambient Sound feature wasn’t really a factor for me and I couldn’t even tell when it was on most of the time unless I was paying really close attention.

The Look and Feel

If you’re looking for a pair of earbuds with minimal branding and a refreshing minimalism, yet a design that feels distinct and stylish, the Sony WF-C510s are a great choice, and look like they’d cost way more than they do. Despite never feeling snug in my ear holes, these earbuds never popped loose or fell out entirely. However, I did find myself adjusting them a lot, perhaps needlessly so. They just kept sounding like they could be louder when I was listening to music.

The Case

While slimmer than the compact cases for the JBL and JLab units above, the Sony WF-C510 case is almost too small. It gripped in my hand well but I found it difficult to open up with my fat fingers. Nevertheless, it’s designed with a durable plastic material with a lid that doesn’t get in the way of taking the earbuds in and out.

Also, the earbuds were a bit finicky with connectivity at first. I had to play around with the buds and the case until I got them to pop up on my phone’s Bluetooth list. However, once I had them set up the first time, I didn’t have any issues.

Verdict: Boasting Sony’s perennial audio expertise, the WF-C510 earbuds sound very good, even without the EQ settings. Head into the app and you can maximize the sound quality or tailor it to your own liking. Minimalist in appearance, the earbuds are more stylish than earbuds twice the price.

Beats Flex

Best Tethered Earbuds: A major criticism of wireless earbuds is just how easy it is to lose them. After all, not everyone is equipped to handle transporting tiny objects everywhere. That’s where Beats’ Flex earbuds come in. Great for running and working out, they’re truly wireless yet are tethered together so they can hang around your neck when you take them out of your ears. If that’s not enough, the buds themselves have built-in magnets that allow them to connect for even more security. This type of convenience is, of course, backed up by Beats’ superb audio quality and durability.

The Sound

In terms of audio, the Beats Flex performed exactly how I expected, with an even audio sound profile, regardless if I was listening to rock, hip hop, or any other genre in between. The bass was well integrated into the rest of the mix and, likewise, it wasn’t too tinny. An interesting thing I’ve noticed with my past experience with Beats products is there are no EQ controls in the app. Luckily, the default setting is more than enough.

There’s no transparency mode (or noise cancellation for that matter) but the audio was never so aggressively loud that I felt totally unaware of what was going on around me. While this could be a downside for those who want to get immersed in what they’re listening to, I found this to be a good thing. I should also mention the voice assistant capability, which can be accessed by holding down the power button.

The Look and Feel

While not the most attractive earbuds on the market, there has been a sort of normalization of these types of tethered earbuds at the gym. However, using them outside of the gym might not be the desired look for everyone. Even when I wear a pair of wired earbuds (i.e., the kind that everyone had ten years ago), I get strange looks. Nevertheless, if you’re into the tethered look, the Beats have four colorways to choose from. Likewise, the Beats branding is such a respected stamp that merely wearing these will up the appeal a bit.

I should also mention that these aren’t the easiest to keep in your ears. They lack a distinct “L” and “R” designation (it’s on the control panel below), so it’s easy to get them switched around. Even still, the buds don’t seem designed to fit easily in your ear. Perhaps a more workout-friendly construction would befit the tethered pretext a bit better. Also, the stick controls take a bit of getting used to; the buds tended to fall out of my ear when going to play or pause the music. There’s also no water/sweat resistance to speak of, significantly reducing the durability of these earbuds during workouts.

One last thing I noticed is that the tether itself would tickle my face pretty aggressively whenever I looked down at my phone. I can’t say I really got used to this but I might be in the minority here.

The Case

Unlike the other earbuds on this list, the Beats Flex does not come with a case outside of the box they arrive in. This might be an issue for some people. However, unlike corded earbuds, the silicone tether on these buds won’t tangle in your pocket. Likewise, the unit is durable enough to withstand being tossed in your gym bag and the like. However, while it didn’t happen for me, the ear tips could possibly pop off in your pocket or bag, making for an awkward experience when it comes time to use them.

The lack of case also reduces the battery life significantly, topping this thing out at just 12 hours, which is still pretty good compared to the others sans case. On the other hand, it’s incredibly convenient that the earbuds can charge directly from the cord control itself. Essentially, I appreciated that the lack of a case meant that there was one less thing I had to keep track of.

Verdict: Certainly rare in the realm of wireless earbuds, these tethered Flex buds from Beats offer a unique proposition, allowing you to have your wireless earbuds without fear of losing them. We didn’t love how difficult it was to operate the on-board controls when wearing the earbuds but we appreciated the nifty magnets at the backs of the buds that helped keep them together when running or working out. While there’s no case or the battery charging that comes with it, the earbuds sounded excellent and still felt durable.

Soundcore Sport X20

Best Workout Earbuds: Anker is truly a leader in the audio technology space, and even the company’s budget options are equipped with premium features and top-notch sound quality. Soundcore is one of Anker’s sub-labels, and the brand’s Sport X20 earbuds are affordable, yet capable. Inside, you’ll get the brand’s BassUp technology, giving you some extra bass and oomph when listening to your music. Upgrading its Sport X10, the Sport X20 now features larger 11m drivers, improved waterproofing, and actually has some ANC to boot –– all for around the same price as the outgoing model. Designed for working out with its unique over-ear hooks, the unit is also IP68-rated for waterproofing and features Soundcore’s SweatGuard protection to prevent corrosion built up from sweat over time. Also, unlike most options on this list, you’ll get adaptive noise cancellation with the Sport X20, along with up to 48 hours of charge with the charging case.

The Sound

Featuring terrific volume range, letting you really fine-tune how loud or soft you want to listen to these, especially in a crowded gym, the Sport X20 won’t be the best for audio quality when it comes to music, in terms of both balance and consistency. With rap music, the bass feels like it’s not as clear, serving as an underlying current rather than a pronounced instrument, while vocals get buried in the rock-based genres. However, like Soundcore’s speakers, these earbuds do perform well when it comes to delivering lifelike talking voices; these have become my go-to for listening to podcasts.

Whether you’re looking at budget-friendly or pricey earbuds, the Soundcore app is one of the best, maximizing your enjoyment of the monitors. Here, you can activate and adjust its noise cancellation and even customize the wind noise reduction. There’s also a very intricate EQ control feature, which is among the best I’ve seen from any brand, increasing the blend of the audio where the default settings can’t. I opted for the 3D Surround Sound feature, which totally optimizes quality here. There’s also a really cool HearID Sound feature that creates a personalized audio profile, putting you through a thorough hearing test and a series of sound preference tests to figure out how you like your music EQed. At the end of it all, I’m not sure I preferred the HearID Sound results over the default settings with 3D Surround Sound, but nevertheless, I was highly impressed with how thoughtful these features were.

The Look and Feel

Working as designed, the ear hooks on the Sport X20 felt really good around the ear and prevented the buds from moving around, even during vigorous activity. Likewise, the hooks are adjustable, which is pretty awesome, albeit difficult to adjust without inadvertently pressing the select buttons. Luckily, the button is located on the side, so this was easy to get used to. Like the Sony buds above, these eschew the typical touch control, which can be annoying with other monitors. Lightweight and flexible, the X20 does fit a bit differently when I had my sunglasses on, which might be an issue for those wanting to use these outside.

One facet of the X20s that got frustrating was the feature that automatically reverts to the last-used audio mode setting when you take them out of the case. For instance, if you have just one earbud in your ear, the noise cancellation might automatically turn on when the 2nd bud is taken out of the case later. And admittedly, there’s a bit of confusion between different modes and sometimes I wasn’t sure how to get to my desired option. It’s also important to note that the “L” and “R” indications aren’t easy to see, especially in low light.

The Case

Sporting a stone-like aesthetic, the case for the Sport X20 has a really attractive design with a button for opening the case. There’s also a light on this button, albeit a superfluous one. I also loved how you could open the case without the button as well, a failsafe in case it ever gets jammed.

On the other hand, the case could have used some sort of charging status light so you can know if it’s effectively being charged or not. Likewise, it could be frustrating to situate these buds in the case properly for charging.

Verdict: Ultimately, Soundcore knows how to deliver budget-friendly audio tech. Don’t let the low price tag fool you, the X20 will challenge the best earbuds on this list, simply for its intuitive app and one of the best EQ functions we’ve ever seen in any personal audio device. Favorable for calls and podcasts, the headphones won’t give you the best default audio for music but that can be adjusted. Very similar to the brand’s Liberty 4, which we admittedly prefer more for everyday use, the X20 is still a better option for going to the gym, albeit with a higher price tag.

Nothing Ear (a)

Most Stylish: One of the most intriguing tech brands of the past couple of years is Nothing, makers of forward-thinking, minimalist yet sleek products like smartphones and earbuds that intend to push the envelope while offering modest price tags. The entry-level version of its regular Ear earbuds is the Ear (a), which drops the price by $50 and swaps the ceramic drivers of the former for PMI and TPU ones –– all while keeping the same noise cancellation tech. However, unlike other low-end counterparts to pricier models that remain inferior in every way, the Ear (a) finds ways to make these better in some regard. For instance, the battery life is much better here, improving by a couple of hours (from 40.5 to 42.5) with the case.

The Sound

Despite ostensibly downgrading the audio drivers this time around, the Nothing Ear (a) hardly sounds much worse than the regular Ear model. Like the latter, the Ear (a) handles rock genres excellently, with superb blend and fullness. However, what surprised me the most was how much bass-heavy genres like rap actually sounded better with the cheaper Ear (a) over the more expensive Nothing earbuds. They handled the complexities of highly-produced tunes. Likewise, even the voices on podcasts sounded a smidge less distant than they did on the regular Ear.

On the other hand, if the default audio signature isn’t up to snuff for you, you can easily have some fun with the app-based EQ controls, which are quite intricate and use a more visualized graph rather than your standard EQ board. If you do have problems with the bass levels or balance, the EQing will actually be some of the most effective of the earbuds here. However, unlike the Ear, you won’t get the wide-ranging sound profiles or hearing test, which I loved about the pricier model.

The Look and Feel

Fitting better than any earbuds on this list, besides the ear-hooked Soundcore above, the Nothing Ear (a) has an excellent 50-degree shape to match up with the average ear opening, and it pays dividends here. I essentially never needed to work very hard to get these in my ear, and subsequently hardly ever needed to adjust them thereafter.

Also, the look of the Ear (a) speaks for itself, with the now-hallmark design ethos of Nothing, with the transparent stems and pebble-shaped bud up top. On the other hand, I wasn’t a fan of the touch-based operations and found them too ambitious and, therefore, finicky. Just like the Ear model, they utilize a pinching method that prevents you from incidentally altering what the earbuds are doing, but that ends up happening regardless. Albeit, I did love that you can customize these in-app for each ear. And at least the pinch sensors are at the stems of the earbuds, which made it easier to adjust the buds without accidentally touching these sensors.

The Case

For the case, Nothing doesn’t simply copy the construction for the very similar Ear model. Instead, it ditches the edged square design and goes for a style that blends your standard pebble-shaped case with pinched edges that allow it to stand out in your pocket. The looks of Nothing’s cases are always my favorite, and this one’s no different, mimicking the transparency of the earbuds, the cover of the case is also see-through, while the strong magnet on the lid prevents it from accidentally opening in your pocket. However, at times, it was almost too difficult to open quickly. Though strangely, it seems more equipped to handle single-hand opening rather than two-hand opening, which I realized I did more often anyway.

Verdict: Easily the most stylish earbuds on this guide, the Nothing Ear (a) won’t have all the in-app features as the brand’s more expensive counterpart but we found it to actually be an improvement in terms of audio design, with much more versatility. The case design was expectedly intuitive and attractive, while the touch-based controls were just as finicky as other Nothing earbuds. Either way, these are superb budget earbuds for those wanting to maximize their budget, while still getting great ANC in the process.

Cheap Earbuds Comparison Chart

Are Earbuds under $100 worth buying?

Back in the day, those cheap Skullcandy earbuds may have gotten the job done, but we all remember that one pair that we needed to hold just right to be able to hear anything. Thankfully, with advancements in tech and the audio industry, headphones with a more affordable price point (in this case, under $100 dollars for our guide) are much better than they used to be. There are even some options that include noise canceling, which wasn’t very common not too long ago. Cheaper earbuds may not offer the same audio quality as more expensive options, and the durability may not be as reliable either, but modern headphones in this price range are improving every year. So if you’re a casual music/podcast listener who just needs an easy, affordable pair of earbuds, there’s nothing wrong with grabbing a pair in this price range. However, any serious audiophiles or professionals should look to more premium options, as clarity and EQ settings aren’t as reliable/common in cheaper headphones.

Honorable Mentions

Compatible with Android phones, these Google Pixel Buds A-Series are very well-reviewed and have some cool features for budget earbuds, like real-time translation and adaptive audio. Unfortunately, we weren’t able to get hands-on with a pair for testing.

Jabra is another high-end budget brand to pay attention to, and their Elite 4 wireless earbuds have a 28-hour battery life that makes them great for long road trips or flights.

If you’re looking for incredibly cheap earbuds with decent features, check out the EarFun Free S2, with passive noise cancelation. On the other hand, we didn’t love the look of these enough for them to make the cut.

We certainly like the Wyze Buds for their Alexa compatibility and customizable EQ but they seem to be getting phased out and are currently unavailable on the brand’s site.

Tested: The Best Workout Headphones

If you’re looking for a pair of monitors to help you with your fitness goals, check out our recent guide where we reviewed the best workout headphones.