Buds on a budget.
The best cheap wireless earbuds under $200
There are so many wireless earbuds to pick from these days, to the point where there's almost an overwhelming amount of choices. It doesn't help that many of the best earbuds tend to be a fairly pricey proposition. If you're not looking at spending AirPods Pro money on your latest pair, we've rounded up our favourite options under $200.
- : Best cheap earbuds
- : Runner up
- : Runner up
- : Runner up
Best Cheap Earuds
Jabra Elite 3 wireless earbuds
Retailing for under $120, the Jabra Elite 3s are the best value earbuds we've tested. They won't break the bank, and they sound way better than you'd expect.
Sure, you're not going to get the same kind of sound quality as you would on the category-leading Sony WF-1000XM4s, but you're spending almost one-third as much.
When you factor in the lightweight design, and reliable battery, the Jabra Elite 3s are easy to recommend to anyone look for cheap wireless earbuds.
Runner Up 1
Google Pixel Buds A-Series
The Pixel Buds A-Series are a touch more expensive than the Jabra Elite 3s thanks to the $159 price tag, but we still love them as an affordable pair.
Once again, we were impressed by just how good they sounded for the price. They almost go toe-to-toe with the AirPods Pro and Galaxy Buds Pro, making them a good upgrade pick if you're a bit more serious about sound.
As with the Jabra Elite 3s, the Pixel Buds A miss out on noise cancellation.
Runner Up 3
Beats Studio Buds
Beats Studio Buds are a great option if you're looking for a cheap AirPods alternative. While they may not feature the H1 chip found in most other Apple-made headphones, a firmware update released at the start of the year gives them instant pairing via iCloud. This means they work exactly like AirPods, and can instantly connect to any iPhone, iPad, Mac, Apple Watch, or Apple TV you're signed into.
In addition, the Beats Studio Buds are still a good pick for Android users, thanks to USB-C charging and Google Fast Pair.
How we review wireless earbuds
When we review earbuds, broadly speaking, we're looking at five main considerations:
- Sound: Obviously. Do they sound good?
- Comfort & Design: Are they nice to wear?
- Features: Is the battery good? Is the connectivity reliable? What's the noise-cancelling like?
- Vibe: What's the overall experience like?
- Value: Are they good for the money?
While audio products can be quite subjective for many reasons, we have standardised testing procedures across the team designed to help us look at the category in a consistent way. You can read more about how we review wireless earbuds here.