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Nov 13, 2024

The Best Wireless Earbuds Under $50 of 2024 | GearJunkie Tested

We like to think we’re fairly easy on our electronics. But when it comes to reviews, there’s a certain perverse pleasure in seeing just how much abuse a piece of gear can take. Especially cheaper

We like to think we’re fairly easy on our electronics. But when it comes to reviews, there’s a certain perverse pleasure in seeing just how much abuse a piece of gear can take. Especially cheaper items, which can be pushed to the limits without sweating your wallet.

And speaking of sweat and punishment, perhaps no tool in our kits has a more thankless job than earbuds. Rather than suffering in silence, we expect Bluetooth earbuds to perform on command. Whether it’s phone calls and voice chats for work, a bicycle session, or a gym trip, we rely on these little marvels to keep the world out and our sanity in.

And with so many options available, we could think of no better way to honor these lifesavers than with an old-fashioned budget battle.

Scroll down for the best affordable earbuds of 2024. To expedite your search, jump ahead to our price & value section, comparison table, and buyer’s guide.

Editor’s Note: For our November 11, 2024, update, we updated our links and added a Price & Value section to show what buyers get with different price points.

The addition of hybrid active noise canceling (ANC) in the Anker Soundcore Life A3i Earbuds ($50) was easily the deciding factor in landing these quality headphones at the top of the heap. There are simply few sub-$50 earbuds that can tout the technology, and the A3i buds have the audio quality and fit to back it up.

Anker built upon its successes with the Life A1 and A2 NC earbuds to churn out the A3i, and it appears they took lessons from both those models to refine the A3i. The buds themselves are minimal units that fit well in our ears, and like the rest of our Anker audio kit, also connect to the Anker Soundcore app, which offers up additional audio EQ settings.

The drivers are 10mm units that provide a surprising amount of bass, and we heard few complaints from testers who used them for everything from working out to commuting. And when not in use, they nest into a compact charging case that gets its power from a USB-C port. Smart.

Two buttons on both buds can be used to control your tunes, although it can be a bit much to remember all of the button press patterns at first. Thankfully, for those who are sensitive to pushing anything into their ears, the buttons are along the top edges, meaning you instead press down instead of in to activate them.

These buds also boast “AI-enhanced” calling functionality, which while we’re not exactly sure how that might work, did yield clear audio during phone calls.

In order to get here, the A3i buds have had to shed some functionality in the process, and compared to their Life A1 counterparts that comes in the form of lesser water resistance (IPX5 from IPX7), and the loss of wireless charging. The A3i earbuds have also done away with the small rubber wings that help to lock them in place, and while for some, this won’t amount to much, for others, it may mean the difference between fitting and not.

For the money, the Anker Soundcore Life A3i Earbuds impressed us at just how un-budget these budget earbuds could be. For anyone looking for the most for their dollars, the A3i buds are it.

Read Review: $50 Noise-Canceling Wireless Earbuds: Soundcore Life A3i Review

At this rock-bottom price point, the JLab Go Air True Wireless Earbuds ($30) offer relatively respectable sound quality. They possess three Equalizer (EQ) modes, along with a nice little voice to let you know which one you’re switching to.

Despite having the most intuitive controls (one tap for volume adjustment, two to pause, three for EQ changes, and hold to skip track), the JLab’s finicky touch interface made them somewhat difficult to operate compared to other options on this list. Still, they rode very comfortably in the ears. They’re light and smoothly designed, in spite of a somewhat cheap overall feel.

Built around 8mm drivers, we were pleasantly surprised with the audio quality the Go Airs were able to provide. They can’t quite match the bass output that the Anker Life A3i buds were able to muster, but for everyday listening they certainly get the job done.

For $30, it’s hard to find fault with the JLabs. They were comfortable, not bad sounding, and offered a satisfactory interface with three EQ modes. We’re not a big fan of the case, which relies on magnets to hold the earbuds in, but again, we’re looking at a decidedly budget option here.

SoundPEATS makes numerous models of affordable wireless earbuds, but the Air3 Deluxe HS for $50 is a personal favorite of ours. These buds are simple, comfortable, and easy to control through a straightforward user-touch interface.

When one of the Air3 Deluxe HS buds is removed, the connected media automatically pauses. On phone calls, sound quality is loud and clear for all parties. The 14.2 mm audio drivers lead the pack when compared to the field of earbuds we tested, and pump out the high-quality sound to prove it.

Most impressive of all, however, may be the inclusion of LDAC technology in these budget buds. Without diving too far into the weeds, know that Bluetooth headphones typically suffer from audio-quality loss due to the limit of data transfer the wireless tech has baked in.

LDAC is a technology that jams much more ‘information’ into the available bandwidth, which makes for a much more high-fidelity sound compared to lesser Bluetooth ‘codecs’. This may make more sense to the audiophiles among us, but it’s music to everyone’s ears.

Gamers will also appreciate the SoundPEATS Air3 Deluxe HS’s “Game Mode,” which minimizes delay to ensure real-time synchronization between the audio and what’s happening on your screen. These earbuds put up a strong front against our overall award winner, the Soundcore Life A3i’s, and only the absence of noise cancellation kept them from the top spot. If the loss isn’t anything to cry over for you, these are some killer earbuds.

You may need to check your Jabra Elite 3 ($50) earbuds against some much more spendy varieties to make sure it’s a budget option. One of the best sound quality options in the under-$50 list, the Jabra Elite 3 not only powers with impressive sound quality, but also customizes the experience for users and offers ways to both block out the outside and let it in.

With six audio EQ presets built into the app, users can really choose what fits their listening needs by cycling through them — we recommend the “bass boost” when listening to music. The 6 mm drivers push the audio well.

The Jabra design fits nicely in the ear and is relatively comfortable and intuitive to wear. We also like that they come in four color options for the buds. When playing music, the buds easily cancel the outside noise, while the Hear Through option also removes the noise canceling with a simple touch if you want to be more aware of your surroundings. With four mics, the buds were ideal for switching between calls, audio, and noise canceling.

The physical button on both buds allows for easy movement through the features, whether activating the voice assistant on the phone, playing and pausing music, handling calls, or skipping tracks. Much easier than the touch controls of some buds, such as the Tozo T6, users can quickly adjust volume up and down in short increments or rapidly by simply holding the button down. We liked this feature better than quite a few on the list.

Requiring the app to pair the buds and get started was a small hurdle, but once going the earbuds continually paired quickly — we appreciated the simple chime to let us know we were connected — and the app proved useful to show everything from charge percentage of each bud to cycling through audio presets.

The case is compact and has a nice feel. Included in the box is also a charging cord and three earpiece fits. The seven hours of charge in the buds and a total of 28 hours with the case isn’t the longest you’ll find in this guide but was plenty strong for our needs.

The Jabra Elite 3 offers easy-to-use features without having to reach for the app that gives an even more robust suite of options. And it all comes in a comfortable Danish design that impresses with audio.

When taken for its audio value alone, the JBL Vibe Buds ($50) were in the upper echelon of budget earbuds, right up with the SoundPEATS Air3 Deluxe and Jabra Elite 3. The 8 mm dynamic drivers help deliver a bass that is powerful, helping create a full sound.

Out of the box, the JBL Vibes are easy to pair immediately and the optional use of the app offers the ability to activate Ambient Aware and Talk Thru modes. Within the app you can also riffle through the four EQ options for personalization.

Where the personalization really shines in the app is with the customization of the touch buttons. While we found the buttons tricky to master, that may be a personal preference. We didn’t love how the volume was one tap for up and two taps for down, sometimes confusing the two if trying to adjust the volume more than one notch. But customization of gestures in the app amplifies the touch-feel options on the buds.

The JBL Vibe Buds don’t have a strong noise-canceling option, which can make them less desirable than buds like the Jabra buds in a more crowded environment. Lasting 8 hours on a charge with a total of 24 hours of battery life with the case — we did like the 10-minute charge boosting an extra two hours — was on par with what is expected from earbuds in this range.

Within the box comes a charging cord and three earpiece options, but our biggest concern was with the topless charging case that doesn’t fully enclose the buds. And while removing the lid does speed entry to the buds, it also leaves them susceptible when not in use. And despite the lack of a lid, the case was still bulky for what you’d expect from a streamlined effort.

Overall, we had a few qualms with the JBL Vibe Buds in small areas, from the charging case to the buttons, but were impressed with the sound quality.

You may not find better sound quality for $30 than the Skullcandy Dime 3 Earbuds ($30). While not at the same level as the top-flight options on this list, it sits near the top with them and impresses for the money spent.

The 6 mm drivers help push the bass, and the three preset EQ modes help give a slight personalization of sound coming through some of the more comfortable earbuds on this list.

When it comes to navigation, we enjoy the physical buttons on the Skullcandy Dime 3, making it easy to tell what you’re doing when you’re changing the volume or activating the voice assistant. You better like the buttons, though, because without an app to dive into to make basic changes, sometimes it can get a bit cumbersome to change many settings at once with all the button press-and-hold combinations needed to make it happen.

The Dime 3 has arguably the most unique charging case on this list, and we found quite a bit to like there. Compact and with a closed lid, the lid has openings to reveal if the buds are inside — a nice feature to remind yourself if you’ve put them away properly. It does take two hands to unclip the lid, however. On the plus side, the case does come with a unique lanyard attachment, which could be a pro or con, depending on how you use your earbuds.

One of the biggest issues we found with the Skullcandy Dime 3 was the inability to pair and stay connected for repeated uses. We routinely had to re-pair the buds after they’d been charging, and not only did we have trouble with just one of the buds pairing and not the other (come on, left bud, what’s your issue?) we didn’t love having to open the Bluetooth app as much as we did just to listen to Spotify.

Issues with pairing and button navigation aside, the inexpensive Skullcandy Dime 3s offered up truly impressive sound for the money.

If you want to cut away the outside environment and focus just on your audio, the Tozo T6 ($50) does a commendable job of noise canceling. But we can’t say it is in the upper crust of sound quality across the range of budget earbuds.

The audio range from the 6mm drivers has a slightly emptier bass sound than we are used to with drivers of that size and the entire sound quality has a somewhat hollow sound compared to some of the best audio options on the list. That said, the noise canceling is impressive and a definite plus for the earbuds.

The 10 hours of battery life is also impressive, which hits a total of 50 hours when paired with the easy-to-use charging case. We liked the feel of the case, with a simple snap-close lid akin to some popular expensive bud models.

Along with the buds and case, the Tozo T6 comes with five earpiece sizes — although we found the fit of the bud to be less than desirable — and a charging cord. A nice feature of the case is that it also includes the option for wireless charging, a bonus not often found at this price point.

The buttons on the buds are touch control, a pro for some and a negative for others. We found them difficult to adjust, especially when we simply wanted to tweak the sound. That said, some of the functions were easier to use and the controls allowed users to skip songs, play and pause, take calls, and quite easily activate voice assistant. Keep in mind that with no app, you’ll need to master the touch controls.

While we struggled with the sound quality, bud fit, and button navigation, we appreciated the battery life, noise canceling, and impressive IPX8 waterproofing rating on the Tozo T6 buds.

The Tribit FlyBuds 3 Wireless Earbuds ($40) seem quiet at first, but they really come to life once the volume is pumped up. There’s only one sound mode to be had on this model, but it’s a good one.

Unlike most wireless earbuds, these come with a power bank case that can be used to charge a phone or other devices. They also boast the most reliable tap-touch setup and controls of any model we tested. They ride close in the ear and are almost effortless to wear.

The FlyBuds 3’s comfort and audio (once they’re cranked up) are excellent, and they’re onto something with the highly useful power bank case. We’d love to check out some of Tribit’s other options, and recommend you do the same.

The GearJunkie testing system uses a mix of staffers and contributors to put the buds through their paces. Before we select which buds make our list to try, we sift through the industry to explore any newcomers into the space, watch for trends from key manufacturers, and then gather the latest in the world of budget wireless earbuds. Once all the buds are gathered, we get to the real work.

National journalist Tim Newcomb is on the wireless earbuds beat, having covered sports gear for over two decades for the likes of Sports Illustrated, TIME, Wired, Popular Mechanics and Forbes. His testing scenarios included everything from a ride down a Pacific Northwest singletrack and a running trail to plowing through an urban city street and a crowded gym.

We hit varying weather — Newcomb living in the Pacific Northwest ensures there’s ample time to test gear in the rain — and will even create scenarios to ensure the buds do what they say they do. We’ve been known to drop buds from second-story windows, hit the showers with them, and even toss them in the freezer for hours.

All of these have real-world applications, especially if you live in a harsher climate. Over several days’ worth of ear time across a range of activities, we got a pretty clear idea of their strengths and weaknesses.

But since these are earbuds, sound quality matters too. We run them all through the same series of audio files gauging their clarity, bass response, and general audio quality. Armed with a range of songs recommended by Spotify for testing sound on headphones, we put every headphone through the paces to ensure the audio discussion comes from the same starting point.

Testing the best budget wireless earbuds is a combination of all these metrics. How does the audio perform? How do the materials hold up? What’s the fit and comfort like? How easy are they to use? They all add up to give us our range of the best options available.

If you’re searching for a pair of reliable headphones for less than $50, there are a handful of key variables to keep in mind. Ultimately, you aren’t going to find high-performance options in this price range. Still, if you understand the basics of sound quality, battery life, and waterproofing, you can make an informed purchase and get the best bang for your buck.

Like full-size speakers, earbuds distort different parts of the audio spectrum. No two pairs of earbuds will sound the same. While there are several objective factors that separate high-quality and low-quality sound, personal preference is perhaps the most important consideration. Some folks like a bassy sound balance, while others prefer a heavier treble.

Most of the earbuds on this list aren’t truly noise-canceling, save for the Anker Soundcore Life A3i Earbuds, which are certainly an outlier at this price point, and effective noise cancellation is typically a feature of more expensive options.

Still, many users prefer to be able to hear their surroundings while listening to music or podcasts. Some earbuds on this list will simply muffle — but not cancel — outside noise, which comes in handy — especially in loud environments.

Ultimately, many users find that they do not need everyday earbuds with elite sound quality. For most users, a few sonic flaws are reasonable — especially if you want to spend $50 or less.

You’ll want to get to know coils when understanding the types of drivers used, especially in earbuds. A driver is basically the component that drives air. Listeners need the air to create pressure waves that can be heard by the human ear. Basically, a driver is the speaker function of a headphone or earbud. And like most technology, drivers come in different shapes, sizes, and styles.

The most common driver type is the dynamic driver. This style uses a coil and a magnet to turn electric current into air through a diaphragm. The idea is that as the electric current flows, the magnet allows the coil to regulate the diaphragm and move the air toward the ear.

A dynamic driver is the most basic design, so it is often the least expensive, and does a good job of moving quite a bit of air, which can help produce good bass. It may distort at higher volumes, but choosing quality materials in construction can limit that downside.

A balanced armature driver is also sometimes used in small devices, most commonly hearing aids, but also earbuds. The armature is basically a tiny arm positioned between two magnets. When the electric current charges the magnets it moves the arm toward the diaphragm.

That, in turn, produces the air movement and sound. The big advantage of this type of driver is the small size, but that also limits bass abilities, so isn’t as popular in earbuds as it is in hearing aids.

An EQ profile — EQ really just stands for equalization — offers up a way to personalize the way you hear your music. Equalization gives each user the chance to tweak the frequency ranges of the audio output, allowing the user to adjust these ranges to fit their personal desires.

Typically found within the app functionality of a Bluetooth earbud, companies tout the EQ options to better individualize the sound experience. You’ll want to personalize your EQ settings based on the type of music you enjoy — or if you just like certain ranges of sound. Each app will have its own way of allowing you to adjust, but typically you can bolster the low end to accentuate bass, the high end for the melody, and the mid-range for the vocals.

You may want to think about if you’re heavy on techno music — boost the low and high ends for a good balance — or typically are listening to movies or other audio heavy on vocals — for that you’ll want a heavy dose of the mid-range.

You can’t listen to music if your wireless earbuds can’t connect. Not only does the driver control the sound quality and the EQ profile differentiate your listening preferences, but Bluetooth codecs define how well your earbuds perform.

Bluetooth is the way your wireless earbuds receive data from your mobile device. The better the Bluetooth quality, the quicker the earbud receives and processes data for a fuller audio experience. Typically, the SBC is the basic version of a codec, with the lowest rate of data transfer. That translates into basic sound quality. AAC for Apple and AptX on Android offer more data transferred, which equates to better sound quality.

Like all wireless devices, earbuds need to be charged from time to time. When you’re in the middle of a flight or bike ride, you certainly don’t want your headphones to suddenly die. For this reason, it’s worth seeking headphones with reasonable battery life and a quality charging case.

The battery life of headphones depends on various factors including surrounding air temperature and audio volume. To get the maximum life out of your fully charged headphones, keep the volume in the low to mid-range.

In 2024, a good pair of affordable earbuds may last up to 5 or 6 hours on a single charge. In our experience, earbuds tend to die a little sooner than the manufacturer claims. Most pairs come with a nifty charging case that allows you to juice up the headphones on the go. Most fully charged cases will charge the earbuds 2-5 times before they need to be plugged into an outlet.

Buttons matter. But it can be a touchy subject. Earbuds have limited real estate in which to work, forcing companies to think about how much functionality they want multi-function buttons to play on an earbud. But first, they must decide if they are going to include a physical button or a capacitive touch-only button.

The physical button is more basic and offers key elements, such as a clear response on whether it has been pressed and the ability to press it with gloves on or if hands are sweaty, dirty, or wet. Some folks may not like the force a physical button on an earbud requires as it may press the bud deeper into the ear. Plus, the mechanical clicking noise a pressed button makes isn’t for everyone. But on the upside, you know what you’re getting each time.

The touch-style button generally brings in more features, allowing users to swipe for differing actions. For example, users may swipe in varying directions to control volume and then in another direction to enable other features. But the touch-style button has a learning curve and does require a clean finger.

Deciding on the type of button may dictate what features are available via the earbud without having to reach for the phone. Even with the physical touch button, you can get differing actions by adding multiple button presses, whether on the same earbud or having buttons on the right and the left. Companies also tend to make the buttons multi-functional, meaning the number of rapid clicks each serves a different function.

How much control you want from your earbud alone is dictated by how the manufacturer approaches button navigation.

Most high-quality workout headphones are able to accept and manage quick phone calls. A built-in microphone, user-friendly controls, and decent sound quality are essential for taking calls via your headphones.

These days, dual and quad mic technology has dramatically improved call quality — even on cheap earbuds.

However, if you plan to use your ‘buds for long work calls, a $20 pair might not be the best choice.

If you’re going to be wearing earbuds while working out, durability and a reasonable degree of water resistance are crucial. If your exercise regimen includes outdoor activities such as running, cycling, or rowing, we recommend earbuds with a solid waterproof rating. Even if you don’t plan on being out in the rain, it’s wise to be prepared.

Though all of the headphones on this list are fairly durable, some will withstand wear and tear better than others. Though cheap earbuds are easy on the wallet, there is certainly a relationship between price and build quality.

In order to handle the inevitable perspiration that occurs during exercise, earbuds need to be reasonably water-resistant. Many options come with a water resistance IP rating that serves as a helpful guide.

Basically, headphones exist on a spectrum from IPX1 to IPX9. IPX1 headphones should be able to handle sweat and occasional small drops of light rain. IPX9 headphones can withstand a direct stream of hot water from a pressure nozzle. The IPX rating system can feel a little confusing, and we recommend you don’t think too hard about it.

Simply put, headphones with any IPX rating should be able to handle the demands of any dry-land form of exercise. If you plan to use your earbuds in wet environments — like a scullboat or a paddleboard — we recommend a higher IPX rating.

When your price point for wireless earbuds is under $50, it’s safe to say that you’re shopping entirely in the budget category. But as we tested, we found that wireless earbuds below $50 do have some differences. The least expensive buds that we could find that were worth a damn were the JLab Go Air True Wireless Earbuds ($30) and the Skullcandy Dime 3 Earbuds ($30). These buds both put out respectable sound quality, came with their own charging cases, and the Go Air even has different EQ Modes.

These don’t have the sound quality of $40 or $50 earbuds, and they occasionally had trouble connecting to our phones’ Bluetooth, but for $30, you could do a lot worse.

For an extra $10, you can Tribit FlyBuds 3 Wireless Earbuds ($40), which offers excellent audio when you crank up the volume and comes with the most reliable tap-touch setup that we tested. As a bonus, the case doubles as a power bank, which is a fun feature that we didn’t expect to see in this price range.

Most of the earbuds we tested sat at the very top of our price range with $50 price tags. For the extra money, you get consistently good sound, a more secure and comfortable fit, and, in the case of the Anker Soundcore Life A3i Earbuds ($50), functional active noise canceling, which was a very pleasant surprise in a $50 pair of earbuds.

Though we recommend all of the earbuds on this list, the Soundcore Life A3i earbuds are our pick for the best overall set for $50 or less.

Not all earbuds are waterproof, and some are more water-resistant than others.

Most bluetooth earbuds come with a water-resistance rating from IPX1 to IPX9. IPX1 earbuds can generally withstand moisture from sweat but not much more. If you’re going to be exposing your earbuds to wet and rainy conditions, look for a pair with a strong rating of around IPX4 or higher.

Runners need earbuds that fit well and don’t fall out. Because people have different ear shapes, the process of identifying a good pair may require some trial and error.

If you plan to run on the streets or in a public setting, we recommend a pair of streamlined earbuds that won’t stick out and still allow you to maintain situational awareness.

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