Priced at just $21 after you click an instant $9 discount coupon on Amazon, the Baseus Bowie MA10 delivers surprisingly good sound along with active noise canceling for its low price (you just don’t see too many active noise canceling earbuds at this price). They’re IPX6 water-resistant (meaning they can withstand a strong spray of water) and also have multipoint Bluetooth pairing and connect to a companion app. They stick out of your ears a bit but they did fit my ears comfortably.

The earbuds deliver impressive battery life, offering up to 8 hours on a single charger at moderate volume levels with an extra 132 hours in the charging case. Yes, you read right: 132 hours! However, the one big downside to these buds is that their charging case is rather large and bulky. If you can live with that, these are a nice bargain.

Jabra has replaced its entry-level Elite 3 buds with the new-for-2023 Elite 4, which offer active noise canceling and multipoint Bluetooth pairing. And right now, you can save $40 on the slightly more ruggedized version — the Elite 4 Active — at Amazon.

The lightweight Elite 4 Active fit my ears comfortably and offer good, well-balanced sound with punchy bass and decent clarity. They support Qualcomm’s aptX audio codec (for Android and other devices that support aptX) but only the SBC codec for iPhones (no AAC support). The Elite 4 Active are missing more-premium features like ear detection sensors and have a four-microphone array for noise canceling and voice calls (voice-calling performance is good but not exceptionally good). Battery life is rated at up to 7 hours at moderate volume levels and the buds have an IP57 water-resistance rating, which means they can take a sustained spray of water and are also dust-resistant (the Elite 4 has an IP55 rating). As with a lot of other new buds, you can use either bud independently in a mono mode.

You can shop discounts on several pairs of Samsung’s Galaxy earbuds right now, including the Galaxy Buds 2, which I tend to like the best of the current crop of Galaxy Buds. Right now, Walmart has the lavender color variant on sale for just $79, which saves you around $70 compared to the usual price. Read our Galaxy Buds 2 review.

The QuietComfort 45 has virtually the same design as its predecessor, the QuietComfort QC35 II, which many people considered one of the most comfortable over-ear headphones — if not the most comfortable. It has the same drivers, according to Bose, and the buttons are in the same place. However, there are small but notable changes. First off, we’re pleased that these have USB-C instead of Micro-USB.

Secondly, the microphone configuration is different. Not only have the mics been shifted on the headphones, but there’s now an additional external microphone for voice pick-up, which means the QC45 has a total of six mics, four of which are beamforming and used for voice. By contrast, the QC35 II has a total of four, two of which are used for voice. (The Bose Noise Canceling Headphones 700 also have six microphones total.)

These headphones are excellent for making calls. They’re similar to the Bose Headphones 700 in that regard. They also include top-notch noise canceling and multipoint Bluetooth pairing, so you can connect them with a PC and your phone simultaneously. Read our full review of the QuietComfort 45.

The WH-XB910N are Sony’s midlevel noise-canceling headphones and since they’re an Extra Bass model, they do have a preponderance of bass. While the noise canceling isn’t up to the level of the WH-1000XM4 or new WH-1000XM5, it is improved over the previous model and it does have some of the extra features found on those higher-end models, including speak to chat, wearing detection sensors and Sony’s Precise Voice Pickup technology. There’s also multipoint Bluetooth pairing, so you can pair it with your phone and computer simultaneously, and it supports Sony’s LDAC audio codec. $118 is their lowest price to date.

These over-ear Soundcore headphones earned a spot on our list of the best wireless headphones for 2023 thanks to their premium noise-canceling capabilities and budget-friendly price. They’re a more affordable alternative to high-end pairs like the Sony WH-1000XM5 or Bose QC45 and offer many of the same features for less. In addition to adaptive noise-cancellation, they also boast an impressive 50-hour battery life, support for LDAC Hi-Res audio and multipoint Bluetooth pairing. Just be sure to activate the instant coupon on the product page to get the discount. 

The Beats Solo3 wireless headphones, which have been around several years, are now down to $130 from their usual price tag of $200. These headphones come with the Apple W1 chip, Class 1 Bluetooth and 40 hours of listening time. A built-in microphone allows you to make phone calls wirelessly.

Not quite as nice as the Z7 Pro headphones but still worth it are the Z2 over-ear headphones. These are made to withstand jerk movement while you workout and have active noise cancellation. They can run for 35 hours without dying and are great for running and the gym. These headphones are made sturdy and can withstand a drop or two. Both styles (black with silver designs and all-black) are usually on sale for $90.

The Treblab Z7 Pro headphones offer comfort and noise cancellation along with premium sound quality. With 45 hours of playtime and fast USB-C charging, you can use these headphones all day and night without worry. Touch controls line both sides of the headphones, so you can simply tap on the side to pause a song. Volume controls are also on the headphones themselves. Just activate the instant coupon on the product page to get the discount. 

If you want the simple, traditional headphones that can plug into your iPhone, then you can save on these headphones that typically retail for $29. I have a pair of these as a backup and as a good option when I don’t want noise cancellation. Something about these headphones just looks good to me, and they fit snugly. Though they aren’t the loudest, making phone calls are easy and clear.

Sony released its new entry-level CH-720N noise-canceling headphones in 2023. They’re quite good, but if you can’t afford them (they list for $150), the company’s new budget on-ear CH-520 headphones are an intriguing option for only around $50.

They lack noise canceling and are pretty no-frills, but they offer good sound for their price, are lightweight and comfortable for on-ear headphones, and also have excellent battery life (they’re rated for up to 50 hours at moderate volume levels). Additionally, they have multipoint Bluetooth pairing, so you can pair them with two devices simultaneously, such as a smartphone and computer, and switch audio. Voice-calling performance is decent, though not up to the level of what you get with the CH-720N. 

Note that there’s no wired option — this is a wireless Bluetooth-only headphone. The CH-520 offers overall balanced sound with decent clarity. The bass has some punch to it but doesn’t pack a wallop, and you’re not going to get quite as wide a soundstage as you get from Sony’s more expensive over-ear headphones. But these definitely sound better than Sony’s previous entry-level on-ear headphones and sound better than I thought they would. I tried the white color but they also come in blue and black.

New for 2023, the Anker Soundcore Liberty 4 NC earbuds carry a lower list price than last year’s Liberty 4 buds and are arguably better. They have improved noise canceling and better sound quality, along with support for the LDAC audio codec for devices that support it. (Many Android smartphones do, and in theory it offers slightly improved sound quality when paired with a music streaming service that offers high-res tracks.) They’re lightweight buds that should fit most ears comfortably with four sizes of ear tips to choose from. 

The Liberty 4 NC buds have single custom drivers compared to the Liberty 4’s dynamic dual drivers — and a completely different case design — but I thought they delivered more pleasant sound than the Liberty 4s. Their treble is a little smoother and they feature strong bass performance. They came across as fairly open, with a reasonably wide soundstage. You can tweak the sound profile in the companion app for iOS and Android. 

The buds come in several color options and are IPX4 splashproof, so they’re suitable for running and gym use. They feature excellent battery life — up to 10 hours on a single charge at moderate volume levels — and there’s also a transparency mode that lets ambient sound in and sounds pretty natural with only a very faint audible hiss. While the noise canceling is an improvement over the Liberty 4’s and is effective, it falls short of what you get from Bose’s and Sony’s premium ANC earbuds. 

Like the Liberty 4, the earbuds have six integrated mics for noise canceling and making calls, and callers said they thought the buds did a pretty good job of reducing background noise, with my voice coming through relatively clearly. They’re an all-around good performing set of buds for the money and they have a strong feature set, including ear-detection sensors and wireless charging.

The Open Run Pros are Shokz’ flagship bone-conduction headphones, and one of our overall favorite pairs for running. As their name implies, they’re good for runners, joggers and other athletes who like to hear the outside world around them for safety reasons.

The Momentum True Wireless 3 are Sennheiser’s flagship true-wireless earbuds. But if you can’t afford them, the CX Plus, which feature very good sound and decent noise canceling, is a good alternative for a lot less money (the step-down CX, which has no active noise canceling, costs even less). Battery life is rated at up to 8 hours at moderate volume levels and these are splash-proof, with an IPX4 rating. While they do stick out of your ears a fair bit, these are all-around solid noise-canceling earbuds that can count sound quality as their biggest strength.

Shokz’ least expensive bone-conduction headphone, the Open Move, is on sale for $25 off. That matches its lowest price to date.

This is essentially an upgraded version of the Elite 75T Active and includes Jabra’s new ShakeGrip coating technology that’s “designed to give the ultimate fit while moving around and to stay put when you sweat.”

This model has adjustable active noise canceling, Jabra’s HearThrough transparency mode and four built-in microphones for “clear call quality,” with two additional microphones for “personalization.” 

While this model is missing the step-up Elite 7 Pro’s MultiSensor Voice technology, Jabra says it delivers the same “premium experience” as the Elite 7 Pro with many of the same specs, including IP57 water- and dust-resistance, and 9 hours of battery life with noise cancellation on.

Don’t expect the Elite 7 Active to deliver quite the same voice-calling performance as the Elite 7 Pro, but it should offer the same sound and fit, albeit just a little grippier in your ear. You can also use either bud independently in a mono mode.

Released in mid-2020, the Jabra Elite 45h were essentially billed as the best on-ear headphones for the money and among the best headphones for work. While there’s nothing terribly fancy about them, they are a great value for on-ear headphones, with good sound quality, a sturdy design and comfortable fit — for on-ear headphones, anyway.

They perform well as a headset for making calls too, and include a sidetone feature that allows you to hear your voice so you don’t talk too loudly. Battery life is also good and it has multipoint Bluetooth pairing so you can connect to both your computer and your smartphone at the same time, and easily switch between the two should a call come in on your phone.

We’ve seen these headphones on sale for as much as $50 off, so it may be worth it to wait and see if the price drops even further. 

Coming in at 16% smaller than the Elite 75T, the Elite 7 Pro are Jabra’s top-of-the-line earbuds in its new range and include the company’s new MultiSensor Voice technology with a bone-conduction sensor, four microphones and intelligent algorithms to deliver new “ground-breaking call quality,” Jabra says. The voice calling performance doesn’t quite live up to the hype, but Jabra has updated the buds’ firmware, adding multipoint Bluetooth pairing and slightly improving sound quality, noise canceling and headset performance. It took a while but they’re now excellent all-around buds.

These have adjustable active noise cancellation, Jabra’s HearThrough transparency mode and Bluetooth 5.2. They offer up to 9 hours of play time at moderate volume levels with noise canceling on, and nearly three additional charges in the charging case — total battery life is rated at 35 hours. The charging case has wireless charging capabilities.

The earbuds’ IP57 rating means they are dust-resistant and fully waterproof (they can be submerged in up to 1 meter of water). For those who like to use only a single bud, you can also use either one independently in a mono mode.