Best Wireless Headphones (2026): I Compare Bose, Apple, Sony and More | WIRED
Overview
Whether you're listening to the latest episode of a podcast or jumping on a transatlantic flight, or hitting the trail with Taylor Swift on repeat, the best wireless headphones can make your day. The only problem is that there are so many to choose from, with more arriving almost daily. I am constantly testing new models, with hundreds in our wake over the years. These are the best wireless headphones I've found.
Be sure to check out all our audio buying guides, like the Best Wireless Earbuds, Best Workout Headphones, Best Noise-Canceling Headphones, Best Open Earbuds, and Best Cheap Headphones. Want to check out our latest headphone coverage and reviews? As always, check out our Headphones page.
Details
Updated February 2026: We've added the Bowers & Wilkins Px 7 S3, Google Pixel Buds 2a, and the Sony Linkbuds Clip.
Best Wireless Headphones Photograph: Ryan Waniata Save to wishlist Save to wishlist Sony WH-1000XM6
Sony's latest flagship headphones are an easy choice to top my list. The WH-1000XM6 have seven times the processing power of Sony's previous XM5 model, providing the best noise reduction on Earth. Couple that with 30 hours of battery life, multipoint Bluetooth pairing, and a brand-new set of dynamic drivers with bold and joyous tuning, and these are the best wireless headphones we've ever tested overall.
The latest model features a new, smaller case and folding ear cups, which makes them even better for travel, and the replaceable faux leather earpads are very comfortable, thanks to a liberal use of memory foam.
Best Earbuds for i Phones Photograph: Parker Hall Review: Apple Air Pods Pro 3 Review: Apple Air Pods Pro 3 Chevron Chevron Save to wishlist Save to wishlist Apple Air Pods Pro 3
The Air Pods Pro 3 reaffirm their position as the top-tier headphones for i Phone users. While the familiar design sees only minor tweaks, the fit is improved with new foam-lined ear tips and a wider range of sizes, enhancing comfort for more ears.
The most welcome upgrade to long-term users is the extended battery life, now offering eight hours with active noise canceling on. The noise cancellation itself is excellent, muffling everything from office chatter to simulated airplane cabin roar. New health and connectivity features, like real-time translation and a surprisingly accurate heart rate monitor, add significant value through Apple's robust software support.
While the sound profile is distinctly bass-forward—perfect for pop and hip-hop—and competitors like Bose and Sony have their merits, the Air Pods Pro 3 deliver an unrivaled, seamless experience within the Apple ecosystem. For i OS users seeking the best combination of fit, features, and usability, they are the definitive choice and a compelling upgrade. —Parker Hall
Best Earbuds for Android Photograph: Parker Hall Photograph: Parker Hall Photograph: Parker Hall Chevron Chevron Save to wishlist Save to wishlist Google Pixel Buds 2a
Google’s plucky Pixel Buds 2a offer everything you need from modern wireless earbuds in a light and affordable package. You’ll get solid noise canceling, a clear and expansive soundstage with great stereo spacing, instant pairing with Android phones, and seamless access to advanced features like Google Translate and Gemini AI.
While they’re made for Android first, they even work reasonably well with i Phones. Their intuitive design blends slick ergonomics and good weatherproofing with responsive (if basic) controls. You could pay nearly twice as much for flagship buds, but as Parker Hall noted in his Pixel Buds 2a review, these get you nearly all the good stuff at a great price.
Best Travel Headphones Photograph: Ryan Waniata Photograph: Ryan Waniata Photograph: Ryan Waniata Photograph: Ryan Waniata Chevron Chevron Save to wishlist Save to wishlist Bose Quiet Comfort Ultra 2
If you’re going to make iterative upgrades to a current model, the Bose Quiet Comfort Ultra is a great pair to build on. The Quiet Comfort Ultra 2 headphones offer the same baseline design as the original, including posh comfort, vibrant sound, and noise canceling within a hair of Sony’s WH-1000XM6. The added features are subtle but significant, including the ability to lay them flat to unpair from your phone and put them on to wake them, letting you skip the power button for seriously convenient control.
Other new features include lossless audio support over USB-C playback, a new Cinema mode to bring dialog more forward in the mix, and subtle tweaks to the ambient sound modes that make them easier to control and more natural to use than ever. They remain among the most comfortable headphones for long-term wear I’ve put on, and a slight battery boost means you can ditch outlets for longer. It’s a slick package for a minor price rise, making the Ultra 2 another winner from the brand that wrote the book on noise canceling.
Bluetooth 5.4, USB-C lossless audio, 3.5mm to 2.5mm headphone jack
Best Budget Wireless Earbuds Photograph: Ryan Waniata Photograph: Ryan Waniata Chevron Chevron Save to wishlist Save to wishlist JLab Audio Go Pop ANC
Jlab upgraded its shockingly affordable Go Air Pop headphones by adding a pair with modest noise canceling and transparency mode for essentially the same price (or less). It’s one of those deals that’s hard to believe, but they actually sound decent, work well, and offer advanced features like multipoint pairing and solid battery life. They even provide water resistance for workouts. I experienced a couple of localized connection glitches in testing, but otherwise, no complaints over several days. I don’t know how JLab does it, but at this price, I’m not asking too many questions.
Best Noise-Canceling Earbuds Photograph: Parker Hall Photograph: Parker Hall Photograph: Parker Hall Chevron Chevron Save to wishlist Save to wishlist Bose Quiet Comfort Ultra 2 Earbuds
For cutting annoying outside noise, no brand has silenced more decibels than Bose. While challenged by Sony and Apple, Bose retains its noise-canceling crown, a title powerfully defended by the new Quiet Comfort Ultra 2. Building on an already excellent foundation of ergonomic fit and bold sound, this iteration introduces welcome refinements like wireless charging, more customizable sound, and improved immersive audio.
The noise reduction is phenomenally good, besting even the previous model by taming everything from keyboard clicks to low-frequency rumbles. While using the same drivers, enhanced processing delivers an immersive and detailed soundscape, revealing subtle nuances in music without overcompression. Combined with a comfortable, familiar design and effective features like a voice-calibrating Aware mode, the QC Ultra 2s are arguably the perfect everyday buds. For business travelers or anyone seeking a compact pair that truly removes the world’s clamor, these remain the best you can buy. —Parker Hall
Best Headphones for i Phone Photograph: Brenda Stolyar Save to wishlist Save to wishlist Apple Air Pods Max (USB-C)
They're still among the most expensive wireless headphones, but Apple's Air Pods Max will reward you with fantastic sound. They have rich bass, a massive soundstage, and excellent noise cancelation. My favorite part? The large Apple Watch–like knob atop the right ear cup, which lets you easily adjust the volume. Apple users will love how well they integrate with i OS devices, and especially how well they handle video. When watching via certain apps (Max, for example), they can track your head to simulate full object-based surround sound. Apple has also updated the Max's feature set over time, including adding lossless audio support over USB-C connection to the latest version and less input lag for audio production with Apple's Logic Pro software. —Parker Hall
Best Open Earbuds Photograph: Ryan Waniata Save to wishlist Save to wishlist Soundcore by Anker Aeroclip
The Soundcore Aeroclip have held the title as the best open earbuds we've tested since their debut, offering a great mix of comfort, sound quality, usability, and value. Like all open earbuds, the Aeroclip keep your ear canals clear, so you're naturally aware of your environment you as you rock out. That means these will not be a good option for noisy environments, and you won't get hefty bass, but as I've found over months of testing, they're brilliant in all sorts of situations.
They shine in outdoor activities where you want to stay in touch with the world, like hiking, biking, or your daily dog walk, but they're also excellent in a host of other micro scenarios. I love them for everything from cooking dinner while listening for our newborn's cries, to watching sports on my phone at the bar, at a friend's barbecue, or even while side-watching a movie or show with others.
Surprisingly full and detailed sound and responsive controls built into their maleable connection loops make this pair a joy to use. You can get slightly better sound if you spend up on Bose's Ultra Open Earbuds, but if you're looking for a top option in both value and performance, these are the open earbuds to grab.
Best Headphones for Audiophiles Photograph: Ryan Waniata Photograph: Ryan Waniata Photograph: Ryan Waniata Photograph: Ryan Waniata Chevron Chevron Save to wishlist Save to wishlist Bowers & Wilkins Px 7 S3
Bowers & Wilkins has always done things differently, and the brand’s latest wireless headphones once again stand out. The Px 7 S3 blend robust build quality and luxurious style with specialized bio-cellulose drivers for a deep dive into your favorite tracks. While their noise canceling is decidedly middle-class, their fit and finish are anything but, outclassing plastic-laden competitors from Bose, Sony, and others.
Their potent bass can sometimes get overly assertive, but it’s easily tamed in the B&W app, and their mix of stark clarity and articulate definition immerses you in your music like nothing I’ve heard in their price class. If you’re looking for headphones that pair class, quality, and clarity in equal measure, the Px 7 S3 delivers.
Best Gaming Headset Photograph: Eric Ravenscraft Save to wishlist Save to wishlist Logitech Pro X 2
The Logitech G Pro X 2 adds Bluetooth to the older Pro X model, making them now our favorite wireless gaming headphones as well as our favorite gaming headphones overall. That's great for you: These over-ear headphones use Logitech's Lightspeed wireless connection to maintain ultrafast, low-latency audio, but you can also pair via Bluetooth. They also have the option for a 3.5-mm wired connection. This makes it truly excellent with PC, consoles, and even your cell phone.
This headset comes with a 7.1 surround soundstage, Logitech software for customizing your microphone quality, and memory foam earpads that remain soft all day. Logitech-owned Blue (of Blue Yeti fame) contributed to the microphone, so you'll sound great.
Best for Kids Courtesy of Belkin Save to wishlist Save to wishlist Belkin Soundform Mini
They come in pink! According to WIRED reviews editor Adrienne So, this is an all-important option for many an 8-year-old. The build quality is sturdy, and we like that the ear cups have decent padding. Volume is limited to the OSHA-recommended 85 decibels, so your kiddos can't accidentally damage their ears. They're rated for ages 2+, but So was able to get her head in her daughter's pair (albeit with a tight fit), so these should last growing kids for a while with proper treatment.
Check out our Best Kids Headphones guide for more picks.
Wireless headphones are the default these days, and there are roughly 1 gazillion of them (and counting). We do our best to test them all, but not everything we test can make the big list. Here are some other good options worth trying.
Sony Linkbuds Clip for $230: Sony’s new clip-on open earbuds are solid performers at a premium price. While I found their call quality subpar, they provide clear and accessible audio playback, good controls, and features like a 10-band EQ and audio presets to tailor your experience. Their full price is a tall ask for earbuds you can't use in loud environments, but they're otherwise a good addition to this rapidly growing segment.
JBL Tour One M3 Smart TX for $350-450: JBL’s Tour One M3 headphones are its best yet, offering a brilliant mix of comfort, style, convenience, and an almost overwhelming number of features. The latest is the Smart Tx transmitter, which acts as a handheld controller but also lets you connect to wired audio sources and transmit them to the headphones and/or any Auracast device wirelessly. Though their sound quality falls below our top picks, their sterling call quality and comfy fit make up some ground for a great option on sale.
Status Audio Pro X for $249: The Status Audio Pro X are an excellent pair of earbuds that are slightly overshadowed by their mainstream competitors when it comes to daily use. That said, these buds look and sound awesome, with a triple driver array (one dynamic for bass, two Knowles balanced armatures for mid and high end), which allows them to stand above many other earbuds.
Nothing Headphone (1) for $239: The Nothing Headphone (1) have a cool see-through design and some of the best physical controls I've ever used. Their 40mm dynamic drivers, designed in collaboration with KEF Audio, provide great sound. They even have good noise canceling for the money, providing a solid midrange option for aesthetically minded shoppers.
Sony WH-1000XM5 for $398: Sony's XM5 remain a top headphone, even after being supplanted by the fancier XM6. For a fairly sizable price reduction, you'll get still-fabulous noise-canceling tech, great sound, and luxe comfort in a supremely portable package.
Beyerdynamic Amiron 300 for
Bowers & Wilkins Pi 8 Earbuds for $500: Bowers & Wilkins brings its speaker prowess into the world if high-end earbuds. The Pi 8 provide a premium and stylish build, excellent sound quality, and solid noise canceling, albeit at a very high price point. Like other earbuds we've tested lately, one of the Pi 8's coolest features is the ability to stream audio from wired audio sources via the charging case, which can really come in handy on long flights.
Edifier Stax Spirit S5 for $500: These high-flying headphones lack noise-canceling, but make up for it with fantastically clear sound from their advanced planar magnetic drivers that use specialized magnet tech for vividly clear delivery. If you can afford their high price, they're a fun investment that digs into the meat of your music like few headphones in their class.
Soundcore Space A40 for $45: Even though they've moved off our main list, the Space A40 are still among the best earbuds you'll find for the money. Their stylish, premium-looking design is bolstered by solid features, clear and detailed sound, and excellent noise canceling for the price.
Sonos Ace for $399: The Sonos Ace are a pricey but impressive first effort from Sonos, with fantastic noise canceling, great sound, and one of the comfiest designs (if not the comfiest) you'll find in the game. A few initial software bugs hindered their performance upon release, including trouble with the TV Swap feature that lets you pass sound from a Sonos soundbar to the Ace, but that seems to be fixed, making these an excellent choice—especially for those already invested in the Sonos way.
Beats Solo 4 for
Technics EAH-A100 for $298: The EAH-A100 improve on the sound quality of the already excellent AZ80. The resulting performance is among the best you'll find in the space, while keeping cool features like the ability to pair to three devices at once. Meanwhile, the AZ80 got a steep discount, so you've got great options either way.
Beats Studio Pro for
Sony WH-CH720N for $150: These Sony cans may have a silly name, but their sheer value makes up for it. They're not as pliable as top options and don't come with a case, but their sound quality and noise-canceling are excellent for the money. They are also built to last and have battery life that goes on and on, making them a great option for prudent shoppers.
Master & Dynamic MH40 for $399: M&D's second-gen MH40 pack gorgeous sound into an equally gorgeous design, with luxurious trappings like lambskin leather and metal parts in place of plastic. Their lack of advanced features, excluding even noise canceling, makes them a pricey portal to minimalism, but they've got style for days.
Audio Technica ATH-M50x BT for $219: The original ATH-M50X provide balanced sound and great durability, making them ubiquitous in music and film studios. But what if you want to take them with you between takes? Enter the ATH-M50XBT, which partner a wired studio connection with Bluetooth for wireless freedom. They don't offer noise canceling or other advanced features but they're great for melding art and play.
Sony Linkbuds Open: The Linkbuds Open have a neat trick: speakers with holes in the middle that let in the world around you for environmental awareness. They're not so hot for noisy environments, limiting their use cases, but they're a unique option in the growing open-earbuds segment.
If you're new to wireless headphones or need a refresher, here are some helpful pointers to know before you buy.
Noise canceling is a technology that employs exterior microphones and digital processing to take in the sounds around you and flip their frequency polarity, essentially canceling them at rapid speeds to create an impression of silence.
Transparency mode, aka "hear-through" or “ambient” sound mode, is the opposite of noise canceling, using your headphones' exterior microphones to bring in the sound around you. This can keep you aware of your surroundings, especially helpful when working out, walking in high-traffic areas, or just having a quick conversation.
Bluetooth is the wireless format used by all portable wireless headphones to connect to and play sound from devices like a phone, computer, or tablet.
Bluetooth multipoint connection allows Bluetooth headphones to connect to more than one source device (like a phone or computer) at a time. This helpful feature lets you seamlessly switch between your connected devices to do things like take phone or video calls or watch a video on your computer between Spotify sessions on your phone.
Find My is an Apple feature that lets you track down devices like your Air Pods from the web. Many non-Apple wireless headphones also have some form of Find My feature, though it's usually reserved for earbuds due to their small size.
IP ratings are used to certify electronics are dust and water-resistant. Generally, the higher the IP rating a device has, the better the dust and water resistance. You can learn more in our IP-ratings explainer.
EQ stands for equalization, which in the case of wireless headphones, uses digital processing to adjust parameters like bass, midrange, and treble. EQ presets are most common, but multi-band EQs are better for those who want advanced control over each sound register.
Charging cases are included with virtually all fully wireless earbuds, letting you set the buds in the case for recharging on the go. Most charging cases offer two or more charges, and to recharge the case itself, you can usually use a USB-C cable or a wireless charger.
We test headphones and earbuds the way that we live. We take them to the gym, wear them around offices, travel with them, and generally try to use them as we anticipate potential buyers will use them. If a pair advertises dust or water resistance, we test that. We drop test cases, test cables, charging times, and battery life, and note everything we find exceptional to our readers.
While we do not typically use a set playlist of music to test each pair, we aim to test acoustic, rock, hip-hop, pop, country, and a variety of other genres with every pair of headphones, ensuring offer a good perspective on sound signature across genres and volumes. For noise reduction, we test the headphones in real-world environments and note our findings. When possible, we attempt to have headphones worn by a variety of people with different head and ear shapes, to ensure we're thinking about the widest audience possible.
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Key Takeaways
- Whether you're listening to the latest episode of a podcast or jumping on a transatlantic flight, or hitting the trail with Taylor Swift on repeat, the best wireless headphones can make your day
- Be sure to check out all our audio buying guides, like the Best Wireless Earbuds, Best Workout Headphones, Best Noise-Canceling Headphones, Best Open Earbuds, and Best Cheap Headphones
- Updated February 2026: We've added the Bowers & Wilkins Px 7 S3, Google Pixel Buds 2a, and the Sony Linkbuds Clip
- Best Wireless Headphones Photograph: Ryan Waniata Save to wishlist Save to wishlist Sony WH-1000XM6458 Best Buy368 (20% off) Walmart Sony's latest flagship headphones are an easy choice to top my list
- Sony's latest flagship headphones are an easy choice to top my list
