Best AirPods in 2024

With the release of the first AirPods (and the cold-blooded murder of the headphone jack with the iPhone 7), Apple ushered in a new age of Bluetooth headphones. Ever since, the company has been at the top of its game with every subsequent model and generation, offering some of the best wireless earbuds on the market.

Even though Apple’s Bluetooth headphones started very simple, with only one model, the company’s portfolio has expanded over the years. Nowadays, when you go on Apple’s website, you can buy four different models of AirPods, each with its own set of great reasons to get them.

However, even though being spoiled for choice is a great thing overall, it might also be a bit difficult to decide which model is the right one for you. We’ve gone ahead and sifted through the pros of every available model to check out who they’re good for and why you should choose each of them. We’ve even dug up a fifth, bonus contender if you want to be even more savvy about your purchase.

Best AirPods: Our top picks

Apple AirPods Pro 2

1. Best airpods overall

Sound quality and features galore

The AirPods Pro 2 strike the best balance between portability, features, sound quality and price. They excel at casual listening while on the go, and can even hold their own when listening a bit more carefully thanks to their pleasant, natural sound profile. They are on the pricy side, but they justify that price extremely well.

Pros

• Excellent sound quality
• Nifty software features
• Excellent noise cancelling and transparency mode

Cons

• Small update over the Lightning version
• Android support is superficial
• Pricier than the competition from other brands

Ever since their release in 2022, the AirPods Pro Gen 2 have been the go-to choice for everyone looking to get a pair of great-sounding and feature-packed earbuds from Apple. With the updated charging case with an included USB-C charging port, and some additional features that come with it, they are an even better (and finally modernized) choice.

Read our review

Apple AirPods Pro 2nd Generation (USB-C): Do you need to upgrade?

The AirPods Pro 2nd Generation now have a MagSafe and USB-C case, plus some other improvements, but should you buy them? Here’s my review.

When it comes to sound quality, the AirPods Pro Gen 2 offer a surprisingly neutral sound profile, with both deep bass, and detailed and pronounced trebles. With the flat sound profile, they are a great choice for most types of music, from classical to drum and bass. That being said, it’s not a typical “fun” sound profile with a strongly emphasized V-shaped sound – AirPods Pro are more detailed and natural-sounding.

Adding to their great sound, the AirPods Pro Gen 2 also features the signature software trickery from Apple. Thanks to the integrated next-gen H2 chip, they offer not only exceptional active noise-canceling and adaptive transparency mode. You also get Spatial Audio, which (provided compatible tracks) gives you spatial sound similar to open-back headphones. If you have an iPhone (or other Apple devices), they connect in a blink of an eye with each of them, giving you the trademark Apple magic experience.

Apple AirPods 3

2. Best value AirPods

They fit well, and sound even better

The AirPods 3 are a great choice if you’re looking for a pair of wireless earbuds that sound like a dream, with the addition of amazing software features such as Spatial Audio and magical connectivity with other Apple devices. They might lack the ANC grunt of the Pro line, but instead come without the silicone tips, which is another boon for some users.

Pros

• Snug, comfortable fit without the silicone tips
• Excellent sound quality
• Apple’s software trickery

Cons

• Lacks ANC and transparency mode
• Might not fit everyone
• No battery life improvements over the AirPods 2

With the first generation of AirPods, Apple managed to change the landscape of personal audio. However, the first generation had quite a lot of kinks to smooth out. The second generation managed to iron out a few of them, but it was only with the release of the third generation of AirPods that the earbuds really spread their wings.

Read our review

Apple AirPods (3rd generation): Third time’s a charm

Should you opt for the middle-of-the-range AirPods (3rd generation) over their predecessors or top-of-the-range AirPods Pro? Here’s our review.

The AirPods 3 were a complete overhaul of the form factor. They brought about not only a different design, reminiscent of the Pro version but without the silicone tips, but also much-improved sound and ergonomics.

The AirPods 3 sound significantly better than the last generation, taking a lot of inspiration from the Pro line in this field as well. Of course, as they do not have the silicone tips that isolate your ears from the outside, the sound is not as pronounced as with the AirPods Pro, but in return, you get much better spatial awareness.

With the new design, the newest AirBuds are significantly more comfortable and stable in your ear. Unfortunately, with the improvements in sound and design, there did not really come significant upgrades to the feature set, as the AirPods 3 still do not come with ANC, even though a lot of even more budget-friendly competition offers noise-canceling. That doesn’t mean they lack cool features though, you still get Spatial Audio with the third-gen AirPods, so you won’t be missing out on the — arguably — best feature of Apple earbuds.

Apple AirPods Pro (1st Generation)

3. Best renewed AirPods

Renewed balling

Even though the AirPods Pro (1st gen) were released four years ago, they’re still going strong and provide great sound quality along with excellent software features, with impressive ANC playing the main part. They fit very well, pair magically with your Apple products, and you can now get them renewed for much less than they used to cost.

Pros

• Still impressive sound quality
• ANC works perfectly
• Features are still its strong suit

Cons

• No adaptive transparency mode
• Battery life suffers with ANC on
• Could use better Android support

Even the AirPods models that are no longer available straight from Apple are still an excellent choice — the AirPods Pro (1st generation) are the best proof of that. Released in 2019 and discontinued in 2022 with the release of the second generation, they are still an excellent choice if you manage to snatch a good, renewed pair.

Read our review

Apple AirPods Pro: Silence is golden

Apple’s AirPods Pro completely redesigns the in-ear experience. We’ve been using them since their release in 2019 – here are our full impressions.

The AirPods Pro 1st gen brought about the signature, great and neutral sound that was then refined with the second generation. This doesn’t mean that the first gen sounds bad — on the contrary. Its sound is also very balanced and neutral, detailed along the whole spectrum. There is no overwhelming bass or harsh trebles — the AirPods Pro 1st Gen sound great.

They also offer the good, old APple software support that you’d expect from the previous flagship. They do lack some of the conveniences of the new generation, as they are only equipped with the H1 chip, but you still get the excellent ANC (although without the adaptive transparency option of the second-gen), and all the connectivity conveniences that you’d expect.

You can even expect to snatch quite a great deal on the last-gen flagship when shopping for a renewed option, so snatching the AirPods Pro 1 could be a boon both for your ears, and for your wallet. Going for around $150-170, they heavily encroach on the AirPods 3 space but offer some distinctive improvements over the newest regular AirPods.

Apple AirPods 2

4. Best budget AirPods

Get listening Apple-style

$99 $129 Save $30

Even though the AirPods 2 might be a bit long in the tooth now, they are still a great choice if you’re looking for a way to enter the Apple ecosystem on a bit of a budget. They still offer the signature seamless connectivity with Apple devices and intuitive controls, and they sound fine, with a balanced sound profile. There are better choices if you want something more feature-rich or better sounding, but as entry-level Apple earbuds still work really well.

Pros

• Connecting to all your Apple devices has never been this easy
• Intuitive touch controls
• Excellent, portable form factor

Cons

• Battery life isn’t the best
• Microphone can struggle sometimes
• The fit is not for everyone

Even though Apple released AirPods 2 almost five years ago now, the cheapest wireless earbuds in the company’s portfolio are still going strong after all this time. Even though other models have surpassed them both in the feature set and the sound quality, it’s still the cheapest way to enter the world of Apple audio with all the convenience that it brings about for Apple users.

Read our review

Apple AirPods 2: Small improvements spell second-gen success?

The 2nd generation AirPods add wireless charging to the case. But with a divisive design and high price point are these the wireless in-ears to buy?

When they were released, the AirPods 2 impressed with their sound quality. However, with each coming year, the competition (both outside Apple, and the other models made by the company) steadily leveled the playing field. That doesn’t mean the AirPods 2 sound bad – they are still a great choice with quite a neutral sound, they are just not at the top of the wireless pack anymore.

Nowadays, their strength lies in two other fields. The first is the ease of use for Apple users. AirPods 2 are a great choice because of all the software and connectivity magic that’s baked into them thanks to the inclusion of the H1 chip.

They magically connect to your Apple devices, and with their second strength — being the cheapest Apple earbuds available — they are a great choice for people who just want to get into the Apple ecosystem, with all the conveniences that it brings with it. Plus, its charging case is arguably the most portable out of all the Apple offerings, so if you need something as small and portable as possible, that’s the best choice as well.

Apple AirPods Max

5. Best sound quality AirPods

Fashion and sound forward

$450 $549 Save $99

The AirPods Max are the only over-ear headphones available straight from Apple, and the company threw all its sound design grunt into them. They come with a marvelous, natural sound with great software tricks, such as Spatial Audio, as a cherry on top. The ANC might be a bit weaker than some competitors, and the price is still eye-watering, but for their sound (and looks) they are an essential part of every Apple-enthusiast’s repertoire.

Pros

• Great, fashionable look
• Extremely easy to connect and use (with Apple devices)
• Amazing, natural sound with various software tricks

Cons

• Extremely expensive
• No way to connect it with a headphone jack
• Competition offers better ANC at lower price points

From the bottom of the price ladder to the top now, if you want the absolute best sound quality that Apple has to offer, the AirPods Max are the choice for you. It’s quite a different device, as the AirPods Max are not earbuds — they are over-ear headphones. They do not only offer exceptional sound quality, though, they are also a fashion statement.

Read our review

I bought the AirPods Max to see if they’re still worth the hype 3 years later

Apple’s over-ear headphones have achieved iconic fashion status, but are the AirPods Max still worth the steep price? We took a another listen.

Even though at first the look of the AirPods Max was quite divisive because of the weird carrying case and rather hard headband, as with many Apple products, it quickly reached the status of a fashion piece. Certainly, the quality of manufacturing, along with great-looking metal cups helped with it, as the headphones, despite some utility problems, look great.

That being said, the question remains: do they sound great? To cut to the chase — yes, they do. As with all Apple headphones, here you get a surprisingly neutral, balanced sound. That means that neither bass is overblown, nor trebles are harsh – the sound profile is very pleasant and fits almost every kind of music. Surprisingly, you also get a lot of natural soundstage, because of the deep earcups that Apple used.

All of that is only amplified with all the software goodies, such as great ANC, adaptive transparency mode, Spatial Audio, and other Apple goodies. Of course, it has to be said that the headphones themselves are really expensive (and you can get wireless headphones of similar quality for much less), but the combination of amazing sound, handy software features, and the Apple spin on all of these things still makes them worth considering.

Bottom line: What is the best AirPods model?

If you’re shopping for the best combination of sound quality, features and portability, the AirPods Pro Gen 2 are the best overall choice out of all the headphones offered by Apple. They offer significantly improved sound over the rest of the lineup (except the AirPods Max), great battery life, useful features such as Spatial Audio and amazing ANC, and do all of that in a comfortable, easy-to-use form factor.

However, if you do not feel like you need all the software bells and whistles, or simply do not like the idea of active noise-canceling, the AirPods 3 are arguably the best value out of the whole lineup. They feature much improved sound quality from the previous generation, along with better fit and ergonomics. There is another interesting advantage to the regular AirPods. They still come without the silicone tips, which is a great boon for some people who hate the feel of in-ear earbuds.

What are the best AirPods features?

Even though AirPods in general offer excellent sound quality, it’s mostly software features and compatibility with Apple products that draw people to them. The excellent — magical, as Apple would say — compatibility with your iPhone, your MacBook or your Mac is one of them, letting you seamlessly connect and switch between them, but that’s not all that they have going for them.

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AirPods Pro and AirPods Max are equipped with the magical powers of ANC. It allows you to mute out the noises from the outside, letting you just get lost in the music — to simply sit in silence wherever you are. You also get transparency mode, which lets the outside noises in for a change, giving you much better spatial awareness and even allowing you to talk with others without taking your headphones off.

One of the best features music-wise is Spatial Audio. It works with a few models of AirPods: AirPods 3, AirPods Pro 1st and 2nd Gen, and AirPods Max, and essentially transforms compatible music from traditional stereo sound into a much more immersive, 360-degree spatial experience. It’s an interesting thing to listen to, allowing you to position the instruments and vocals in the space around you and giving you the concert experience everywhere you go.

How did I choose the best AirPods?

With quite a few AirPods now readily available, choosing between them is not easy, and picking the best was quite a task. Finally, I’ve settled on the AirPods Pro 2 as the best choice overall, as both in our review, and spec-wise, they simply offer the best possible experience for a still-reasonable price.

When choosing the best AirPods (or any wireless headphones for that matter), you should consider a few things. Keep in mind that the order here is extremely subjective, because everyone uses their headphones differently, and likes different things about their music. Here are some of the most important ones to keep in mind:

• Sound quality: The first, quite obvious one, is how your headphones sound. Keep in mind that the objective sound quality is one thing, but there is also a very important subjective component here — you might like music with a lot of bass, so headphones with detailed trebles and not a lot of bass might sound harsh to you, even if they objectively sound great. If you have a chance, try listening to some of your favorite tunes on new headphones before committing to the purchase.
• Convenience: If your headphones sound great, but using them is extremely inconvenient, they are no good. By ease of use we mean things like playback controls — touch or otherwise. These are also the connectivity options and how easy it is to start playing on a new device, or how easy it is to find it if it gets lost somewhere.
• Additional features and software: Even though Bluetooth headphones are, first and foremost, a device to listen to music on, nowadays, they also come with a lot of other, handy features. We’re talking Spatial Audio, active noise-canceling or transparency mode. Keep in mind that it’s one thing to have all these baked in, but you should also check how well they work — not every ANC implementation is equal.
• Battery life: Battery life is quite straightforward — generally, the longer, the better. Remember to check out not only how long the batteries in the headphones last, but if you’re looking at wireless earbuds, look at the battery in the charging case as well to get the whole picture.
• Fit and portability: Last but not least, you should check how well your headphones of choice fit you and how portable they are. All ears are different, and even headphones generally considered to be extremely comfortable might not be for you, and listening for extended periods of time could even cause you a lot of pain. It’s also important to look at the carrying case or the charging case — is it slim and easily portable, or bulky and prone to getting lost somewhere?