Top 8 best true wireless earbuds of 2026
Find out which wireless earbuds are the best. We've tested more than a hundred pairs, and this list shows you which in-ear Bluetooth earbuds are worth buying.
In this article
Best wireless earbuds 2026
These are the best wireless earbuds in our tests:
- DunRock Bubble
(Best earbuds in our tests) - OneMelon Sky
(Best earbuds under €100) - SoundPEATS Truengine 3 SE
(Best earbuds under €50) - Jabra Elite 85t
(Best earbuds with ANC) - pocobob SP
(Best sport earbuds) - MPOW X3
(Best earbuds with a microphone) - DR Semi in ear
(Best AirPods alternative) - AirPods Pro
(Best Apple earbuds)
We've worn and tested every pair of earbuds in this review. We also took all the photos ourselves.
Wireless earbud test results
A few pairs stood head and shoulders above the rest in our wireless earbud tests. The 8 best earbuds have earned a spot on our list.
Best wireless earbuds tested in 2026
These are our picks for the best wireless earbuds you can buy right now. We keep this list up to date. Price changes or new releases can change the rankings.
1. DunRock Bubble (Pro)
Exceptional value | Good ANC | Balanced sound | Mic with noise filtering
- Price: ~60 or (~100 Pro)
These are currently the best earbuds for value. Well-balanced sound, effective noise canceling, a microphone with noise filtering (ENC), Bluetooth 5.3.
As a tester for Eardopes, I even got to take them on a flight to Spain. I have to say, they made the flight much more pleasant.
It's in an environment like this that you really hear how well noise canceling works. Press the right earbud to turn it on and "fffffttt": that annoying engine rumble simply disappears. Lovely.
As for the sound: it's excellent. The best way to describe it is balanced. No excessive bass or harsh highs. Everything is there: mids, highs and lows. None of that cheap subwoofer sound that gets annoying after an hour, as you often find at this price. You hear the hi-hat and guitar strings, but also the bass guitar and kick drum. In short: earbuds for audiophiles. Oh, and they have the latest Bluetooth 5.3, too.
1b. OneMelon Drops
Compact fit | Beautifully balanced sound | ANC | Sleep mode
- Price: ~90
These are the best wireless earbuds of 2026. They're compact and deliver beautiful sound. They also have an excellent microphone that filters out background noise (ENC). You get ANC, transparency mode and sleep mode.
The earbuds are compact and light at 3.2 grams. They also feel premium, with a soft matte finish.
Sleep mode is a great addition, especially if you like falling asleep to music or a podcast. Put the earbuds in and tap 3 times to turn on sleep mode. After 30 min., the earbuds turn off and disconnect. From then on, they simply block out noise passively. They're fully switched off. A genuinely useful feature.
Best wireless earbuds under €100
1. OneMelon Sky
Best ANC in our tests | Good app | Stylish design
- Price: 80
Euro for euro, these are by far the best earbuds with ANC. Did I say active noise cancelling? I meant hybrid active noise cancelling. That's a step up from regular ANC. The sound is also phenomenal, and you can adjust everything to your liking in the OneMelon App. Are they better than the number 1 on this list? Yes, but their price is a little closer to €100, so we think this is the perfect spot for them.
Best wireless earbuds under €50
3. SoundPEATS Truengine 3 SE
Well-balanced sound | Good mic | ANC: no | Great value
- Price: 49.95
We thoroughly tested the SoundPEATS Truengine 3 SE, and the quality at this price impressed us across the board. The balanced sound in particular is worth more than you pay. The microphone is the best we've tested so far, thanks to the 2 microphone openings on each earbud.
Best wireless earbuds with ANC
Active noise cancelling is becoming more popular, and for good reason. Noise reduction, known in Dutch as "ruisonderdrukking," helps you block out even more of the outside world.
4. Jabra Elite 85t
Best ANC in our tests | Useful app | Updates for optimal performance
- Price: 190
Best earbuds for workouts
When you work out, you need earbuds that stay put. Especially for running or other high-intensity sports. Even if you only plan to use them at the gym, choosing earbuds designed for exercise makes sense.
5. pocobob SP
Ear hooks | Best sound among sport earbuds | Good value
- Price: 49
The pocobob SP are perfect for workouts. The fit is excellent, with ear hooks that wrap comfortably around your ears. The sound is surprisingly good, with more bass and mids than we expected. The case is much smaller than those of other running earbuds, another big plus. All in all, these are very good running earbuds at a good price.
Best wireless earbuds with a microphone
A good microphone is an essential feature that's often overlooked when buying earbuds. For our reviews, we always record a sample using the earbuds' microphone. Naturally, the best microphone in our tests deserves a spot on our list of the best Bluetooth earbuds. The Eardopes B6 Pro has the best microphone we've tested, but we've already given it a spot on this list.
6. MPOW X3
Rich sound | Very good mic | ANC: yes | Solid build
- Price: 69
The MPOW X3 wireless earbuds with ANC are very good for the price. The sound is rich, and the microphone exceeds expectations. ANC is a particular highlight.
Best AirPods alternative
It's easy to focus only on Apple's AirPods. But an alternative is always cheaper and sometimes even better. Check out our article on the best AirPods alternatives. And don't miss our top pick below.
7. DR Semi In-Ear
Beautiful sound | Solid build | ANC: yes | Very good mic
- Price: 70
The DR Semi earbuds are "semi-in-ear" earbuds. That means they don't have rubber, or more accurately silicone, ear tips. Just like AirPods 1, 2 and AirPods 4. If you like that fit and want to spend less than you would on AirPods, these are a clear choice. The DR Semi sound better than AirPods.
Best Apple earbuds
Lots of people love Apple's AirPods. But which AirPods should you choose? The days of having just 1 model to choose from are over.
8. AirPods Pro
Powerful sound | ANC: yes | Good fit | Extra iPhone features
- Price: 190
If you want Apple earbuds, we'd choose the AirPods Pro. They're in-ear earbuds with ANC and slightly better sound than the first version. You're also paying for the sleek design and extra iPhone compatibility.
- Those were the 8 best wireless earbuds in our tests. Keep going for more information, or head back to the list of the 8 best wireless earbuds.
All about wireless earbuds
Wireless earbuds are becoming more popular, but quality and prices vary widely. Before you buy, it's important to think about how you'll use them.
Will you use them for workouts or for online work meetings at home? Those two uses call for completely different earbuds. That's why we've gathered the information you need about Bluetooth earbuds below.
In-ear or semi-in-ear earbuds?
The difference between in-ear and half in-ear earbuds is the part that touches your ear or ear canal. Semi-in-ear earbuds, also called half in-ear earbuds, have a hard shell that rests against the opening of your ear canal, like the original AirPods. In-ear earbuds have a silicone ear tip that goes into your ear canal.
In-ear earbuds
In-ear earbuds have a silicone ear tip that goes into your ear canal. The ear tips on in-ear Bluetooth earbuds are soft and flexible. In-ear earbuds sit deeper in your ears than half in-ear earbuds and deliver bass more effectively.
Half in-ear earbuds
Half in-ear earbuds, or semi-in-ear earbuds, have a hard plastic shell that sits in your ear. They don't adapt to the shape of your ear. They rest close to the opening of your ear canal. Apple's earbuds are the best-known example, but there are plenty of better alternatives.
Want to know more about the difference between in-ear and half in-ear? Check out our article on in-ear and half in-ear earbuds.
What is ANC?
Active noise cancelling is technology used in earbuds, including wireless models, to reduce the background noise you hear. It works digitally: sound picked up by the earbuds' microphones is neutralized by an opposing sound played into your ears. That's why it's called "active" noise cancelling.
There's also passive noise canceling. In that case, the ear tip alone blocks background noise from entering your ear. So look closely when a product page says "noise canceling: yes." It often means passive noise canceling, not active noise cancelling. The latter technology is much more expensive.
Wireless earbud deals
You'll sometimes find earbuds on sale. But you're better off researching which budget earbuds are best. You really can get good earbuds on a very small budget.
We've written a buying guide for earbuds under €50. You can also buy a pair through AliExpress. Just allow for a longer shipping time. Since July 2021, you also pay 21% tax on all products arriving from outside the EU. Only fair.
Be sure to explore our selection, too. You'll always find good earbuds at a fair price at Eardopes. And every pair has been thoroughly tested and judged good enough to make the cut.
Earbuds for iPhone
If you're a proud iPhone owner, you may like using Apple earbuds too. But you don't have to.
You can use any Bluetooth earbuds with an iPhone. That's not the case with wired earbuds, because an iPhone has a different audio port: Lightning. So you can't just plug in an audio cable. With wireless earbuds, that doesn't matter. They're all compatible with an iPhone, so you can choose any wireless earbuds you like.
AirPods and AirPods Pro do offer extra features when you use an iPhone. One example is the neatly designed pop-up that appears on your iPhone when you open the charging case.
The pop-up looks something like this. We've just renamed our AirPods "Aircoods" here.
Another extra feature when using AirPods with an iPhone is seeing where your AirPods last connected to your phone. That's handy if you lose your earbuds: a map in the app shows exactly where your AirPods were last detected.
Those are useful features, but many other brands offer them too, including QCY and Jabra.
Wireless earbuds with multipoint
Multipoint lets wireless earbuds connect to several devices, such as your phone and laptop, over Bluetooth. That convenience makes multipoint very popular.
For example, you can listen to music from your laptop over Bluetooth. When someone calls, the earbuds switch to the Bluetooth connection with your phone. You can then answer and take the call using the same earbuds.
Multipoint makes your earbuds easier to use by letting you connect to multiple devices at once.
Did you know there's an easy workaround that works much like multipoint? Connect your earbuds to your phone and open Spotify on the laptop you're working on. You can then control all your Spotify playback from your computer. Choose the next track on your laptop, and your earbuds play it without being connected to your laptop. If someone calls your phone, you can answer and use your earbuds for the call. That gives you a kind of multipoint function, even if your earbuds don't support it.
Earbuds that stay put
One of the biggest frustrations with earbuds is that they can fall out. You want to use them without constantly worrying about whether they'll stay in place.
Fortunately, some earbuds go a little further with their fit to make sure they stay in your ears. If your earbuds often fall out and you don't take fit into account, you're likely to choose the wrong pair.
Two features help keep your earbuds from falling out:
- Ear hooks
- Ear fins
Earbuds with ear hooks wrap around your outer ear. They provide so much support that it's almost impossible for them to fall out. Here's an example:
Another option is earbuds with ear fins. These are rubber extensions that tuck into your outer ear. That might sound uncomfortable, but with a good design and the right material, it really isn't. Here's an example of an earbud with an ear fin:
JBL wireless earbuds
JBL keeps releasing new wireless earbuds, and they're growing in popularity. You can roughly divide JBL earbuds into two types: JBL's take on AirPods, though of course that's not their name, and in-ear JBL earbuds. The best-known semi-in-ear, AirPods-style model is the JBL Tune 225tws.
Earbuds and your laptop
Connecting wireless earbuds to your laptop is handy when you work from home. You can use them for Teams meetings or other online meeting apps. At least you aren't stuck in front of your screen the whole time. You can hang up the laundry while your colleague drones on with an update.
But which earbuds work well with a laptop?
Wired earbuds always work with a laptop. With wireless earbuds, it's not quite as straightforward.
There are two sets of requirements for a good connection:
- Laptop requirements
- Earbud requirements
Laptop requirements
Your laptop needs a reliable, fast Bluetooth connection and a good sound card. Without those, using your earbuds becomes frustrating. The sound cuts out or comes through in poor quality. People struggle to hear you in meetings, even though everything works fine when you connect to your phone.
Earbud requirements
A good chipset is essential for connecting earbuds to your laptop. Some chipsets are more powerful and process data faster. That's crucial when your earbuds need to play your colleague's voice during a meeting while recording yours through the microphone and sending it back to your laptop.
We've tested enough earbuds to know which chipsets work well with laptops and which don't. But that's a little too detailed for this article. If your earbuds have Bluetooth 5+, you can generally expect them to work well with a laptop, provided the laptop has a suitable Bluetooth connection.
Compact earbuds
If there's little room in your ears, only a small number of earbuds will fit. Many models are too big.
Fortunately, there are plenty of earbuds suited to your ears. OneMelon earbuds, for example, are much smaller than other models.
Others also viewed:
- Explore all our articles on wireless earbuds
- These are the best earbuds under €50
- These are the earbuds with the best microphone
- Explore our in-depth article on QCY earbuds
- Also check out our article on AirPods alternatives
- Explore the 3 best earbuds for running
- Also check out our hands-on look at the Eardopes B6 pro.
