Apple makes some of the best wireless earbuds and headphones on the market -- and that includes models from Beats, which Apple acquired several years ago. Most recently, it introduced two new AirPods 4 earbuds, one with surprisingly effective active noise canceling for an open-ear design. While we're impressed with the AirPods 4 ANC in particular, the AirPods Pro 2 are arguably the best Apple AirPods you can buy if you don't mind having silicone ear tips jammed in your ears. I've tested and fully reviewed all of Apple's headphones and earbuds that are on this list. We also keep a close eye on their prices so we can bring you the best deals on every AirPods model.
Our Picks
Best Apple AirPods for 2025
- Lightweight design, now with USB-C charging
- Excellent sound and noise canceling
- Powered by Apple's H2 chip
- Strong voice-calling performance
- Support for 20-bit/48 kHz Lossless Audio with Apple's Vision Pro headset
- No support for high-resolution audio with other Apple devices (except headset)
- No XL eartips included
Apple not only swapped in USB-C for Lightning connectivity in its new iPhone 15 models, but it made the switch with the AirPods Pro (2nd generation). The new AirPods Pro 2 with MagSafe (USB-C) are nearly identical to their Lightning predecessor, delivering the same excellent sound, noise canceling and voice-calling performance. That said, they offer some other small upgrades, including additional dust resistance and a new acoustic architecture that allows for Lossless Audio with the Vision Pro as well as the novel hearing aid mode to better hear the sound around you.
Nevertheless, the AirPods Pro 2 (USB-C) are easy to recommend to Apple users despite their high price. Pro tip: Don't pay more than $190 for these, which is the online sale price at which they're now frequently available.
- Same H2 chip found in AirPods Pro 2
- More compact design
- Active noise canceling that works
- Improved sound
- Excellent voice-calling performance
- Personalized spatial audio
- Case has wireless charging and speaker for Find My
- Battery life could be a little better
- Noise-canceling isn't as good as AirPods Pro 2's
If you're looking for basic AirPods, the standard AirPods 4 ($129) certainly have their appeal and should cost closer to $100 during flash sales. They may not be quite as cheap or as small as the AirPods 2, but they sound a lot better and have more features.
Ultimately, however, the AirPods 4 With Active Noise Cancellation are simply more special. They're the first open buds I've tried to have active noise canceling that actually works. That makes them the first noise-canceling earbuds for people who don't like having ear tips jammed in their ears. That's pretty cool and worth the extra $50 if you can afford it.
- Lightweight design with integrated wingtip that fits securely
- Very good sound and noise canceling
- Powered by Apple's H1 chip
- No wireless charging
- No enhanced My Find with proximity view (only standard Find My)
While the Beats Fit Pro technically aren't AirPods, they're built on the same tech platform as the AirPods Pro (yes, Apple owns Beats). Unlike Beats' earlier and less expensive Studio Buds and new-for-2023 Studio Buds Plus, the Beats Fit Pro includes Apple's H1 chip and has most of the AirPods Pro's features, including active noise canceling, spatial audio and Adaptive EQ. I'd venture to call them the sports AirPods you've always wanted.
- Surprisingly comfortable for their weight
- Impressive sound and build-quality
- Adaptive noise canceling is top-notch and so is transparency mode
- Good headset performance for calls
- Expensive
- Equipped with Apple's H1 chip, not the newer H2
- No cable included for wired use
Yes, they're expensive, but the AirPods Max delivers richer, more detailed sound than lower-priced competitors from Bose and Sony. They also feature arguably the best noise canceling on the market along with premium build quality and Apple's virtual surround spatial audio feature for video watching. While they're heavy, they manage to be surprisingly comfortable, although I did have to adjust the mesh canopy headband to sit a little more forward on my head to get a comfortable secure fit when I was out walking with them. They should fit most heads well, but there will be exceptions.
- Lightweight and discrete, they fit comfortably with upgraded performance all-around (voice-calling is excellent now)
- Android friendly (iOS users get hands-free Siri)
- Improved battery life
- No wireless charging capabilities
- Missing spatial audio
- No head tracking or in-ear detection sensor
Compared to the original Beats Studio Buds, which remain on the market, the newer Studio Buds Plus buds are significantly improved, with better sound, noise canceling and battery life. Additionally, they now deliver top-notch voice-calling performance.
The transparent version got a lot of attention at launch (who doesn't like transparent electronics?), but the big changes are on the inside. Beats says 95% of the components are new and improved, and the buds' "acoustic architecture" has been revised. The speaker drivers remain the same, but the Studio Buds Plus are powered by a new, more powerful custom chipset and have three new microphones in each bud, which are three times larger and more sensitive than the ones found in the Beats Studio Buds.
- Improved sound quality, noise canceling and ear pad design
- Very good voice-calling performance
- Spatial audio with head tracking for Apple users
- USB-C audio
- No Apple H2 chip
- No ear-detection sensors
- No major design changes except for case
Love 'em or hate 'em, Beats Studio headphones are among the most popular headphones of all time, launching as wired headphones back in 2008. This is the fourth generation of them, and they carry the same list price as their predecessor and look very similar on the outside but have some big changes on the inside that make them significantly better headphones. I'm tempted to describe them as more affordable plastic versions of the AirPods Max. However, that's not quite accurate due to a choice in chipsets and one notable missing feature. But read our full review to find out what makes these very good headphones, albeit with some caveats.
- Affordable
- Lightweight and comfortable
- Very compact case
- Good sound and voice-calling performance
- Strong battery life
- Few features
- No battery or LED charging indicator in charging case
Available in four color options, the Solo Buds are missing some key features found in more premium buds, including a battery in their very compact charging case, ear-detection sensors and active noise canceling. But they get the fundamentals right. They're lightweight and not only offer decent sound quality and strong battery life but very good voice-calling performance that rivals what you get with the company's more expensive Studio Buds Plus.
Factors to consider when choosing AirPods
Design
The AirPods come in three styles: open earbuds (AirPods 3 and AiPods 4), noise-isolating earbuds with noise canceling (AirPods Pro 2) and over-ear headphones (AirPods Max). Some people like the standard AirPods because they have an open design and don't require you to jam silicone ear tips into your ears. Note that the discontinued AirPods 2, which are based on the original AirPods design, have longer stems and slightly smaller buds than the AirPods 3. The new AirPods 4 are slightly more compact than the AirPods 3 but slightly larger than the AirPods 2. Meanwhile, the Beats Fit Pro has built-in wingtips that may help you get a more secure fit. Newer models also feature USB-C charging ports to better align with the rest of Apple's new charging ecosystem, replacing the long-used Lightning port.
Budget
Before anything else, you'll want to figure out how much you're willing to spend on new AirPods. The quality of value-priced AirPods continues to improve as more models release, so you can often find good affordable AirPods on sale for less than $100. The premium models, which offer better build quality and performance, tend to cost $300 or more -- sometimes much more in the case of the AirPod Max.
Fit
It's key that the AirPods you buy fit your head well. They should offer a comfortable fit that's snug yet not too snug. Ideally, you want headphones you can wear throughout the day with minimal breaks. Consider the differences between in-ear and over-ear AirPods before buying.
Durability
You want headphones that hold up well over time, so look for AirPods models that we note have sturdy build quality.
AirPods or Beats earbuds and headphones?
Because Apple owns Beats, the various AirPods models and Beats models can share similar components and features. Beats products tend to be geared to both Apple and Android users, while the AirPods tend to be focused more toward Apple users (they have more exclusive features for Apple users), although they can be paired with Android devices.
Return policy
Because the fit of your earbuds is so important, it's critical to buy your buds at a retailer that has a good return policy, in case the buds aren't a good match for your ears.
AirPods price comparison
Comparisons for the prices of each AirPods model on this list
| Model | Apple store price | Best price right now | Best all-time price |
|---|---|---|---|
| AirPods 4 | $129 | $119 | $119 |
| AirPods Pro 2 | $249 | $189 | $169 |
| Beats Fit Pro | $200 | $159 | $159 |
| AirPods Max | $549 | $449 | $395 |
| Beats Studio Buds Plus | $170 | $100 | $100 |
| Beats Studio Pro | $350 | $136 | $136 |
| Beats Solo Buds | $80 | $80 | $80 |
How we test wireless Apple AirPods
Along with all of our wireless headphones and earbuds, we test Apple AirPods based on six key criteria: design, sound quality, noise-canceling performance, voice-calling performance, features and value.
Design
We assess not only how comfortably the AirPods fit (their ergonomics) but also their build quality and how well the controls are implemented. With wireless headphones and earbuds, we'll note if they're water-resistant, but only a few full-size headphones have water- and dust-resistance ratings, which is especially important for workout headphones you may take to the gym or on a run.
Sound quality
We evaluate sound quality by listening to a set playlist of music tracks and comparing headphones to top competing products in their price range. Sonic traits such as bass definition, clarity, dynamic range and how natural the headphones sound are key factors in our assessment.
Noise-canceling performance
If the AirPods we're testing feature active noise canceling, we evaluate ANC performance by wearing the headphones in the same spot indoors near a noisy HVAC unit to see how well they do at muffling lower frequencies. Then we head out onto city streets to test the headphones in a real-world environment where we see how they do at muffling not only street noise but also people's voices. Those that are able to reduce the most amount of ambient noise are noted and rated highly on this list.
Extra features
Some great-sounding AirPods aren't loaded with features, but we do take into account what extra features are on board. These include everything from quick-access awareness through a double tap to transparency modes (your music pauses and the headphones open up to the outside world so you can have a conversation) to special sound modes to ear-detection sensors that automatically pause your music when you take the headphones off your ears. The newest models even incorporate hearing health metrics with hearing tests and a new hearing aid mode. We also take a look at the companion app for the AirPods if there is one and how user-friendly it is and wireless charging capabilities.
Voice-calling
When we test voice-calling performance, we make phone calls on noisy city streets and evaluate how well the AirPods reduce background noise and how clearly callers can hear our voices. Call quality is a key metric in today's work-from-home world, so we're sure to assess this feature in several fields.
Value
We determine value after considering the strength of the AirPods against all these criteria and what they're able to deliver compared with other models in their price class. Some models require additional purchases, like a wireless charging case, to get the most out of their features, so we take those needs into account, too.
Other AirPods we tested
AirPods 3: With the arrival of the AirPods 4, Apple is phasing out both the AirPods 3 and AirPods 2. As a result, you may see some nice discounts on the third-generation AirPods as they exit the market. Slightly larger than the AirPods 4, they have better battery life than their successor and their case has wireless charging (only the step-up AirPods 4 With Active Noise Cancellation have wireless charging). But with improved sound quality and Apple's more advanced H2 chip, the AirPods 4 -- even the entry-level model -- is superior to the third-generation AirPods.
Beats Studio Buds: The Beats Studio earbuds often sell for $150 and offer decent sound and performance. The new Studio Buds Plus is a significant upgrade, with better sound, noise canceling and voice-calling performance, so we recommend users buy those instead.
AirPods 2: The AirPods 2 are an incremental upgrade to an already excellent, fully wireless headphone, but sound quality, design and fit are basically the same. Such incremental upgrades tend to be a little boring. And on the surface anyway, the new AirPods aren't exciting. However, thanks to those updated components on the inside, including a new H1 chip that supports Bluetooth 5.0, improved audio synchronization and always-on Siri, they're definitely better in small ways that a lot of people will appreciate.
Beats Flex: Yes, these are "wired wireless" earbuds -- with a cable connecting the left and right earbud, but they're also the most affordable wireless Apple headphones you can buy (Beats is a subsidiary of Apple). Equipped with Apple's older W1 chip, not the H1 found in the AirPods 3rd Generation, AirPods Pro and Beats Fit Pro, they don't have such extra features as spatial audio. However, they sound good and work well for making voice calls.