Simply scroll down and you’ll find a pick of agreeable low-cost wireless earbuds, plus an old-school wild version that’s still going strong. So, if you don’t have the budget for the latest AirPods or Sony WF-1000XM4, you can be sure these really are the best cheap earbuds you can buy.
Top 3 best cheap earbuds
The best cheap earbuds you can buy right now
Number one on our list of the best cheap earbuds is a recently launched true wireless model: the JLab Go Air Pop. Serviceable in numerous ways, these buds are some of the smallest and most durable in the category, covered in solid plastic with IPX4 sweat and water resistance. Music sounds lively, thanks to three built-in EQs that JLab fine-tuned to give listeners a more personalized listening experience. Balance keeps audio neutral, while Bass Boost is self-explanatory and JLab Signature emphasizes bass and vocals. The most surprising hallmark on these buds must be battery life; a full charge generates 8 hours of playtime. Toss in a super-compact charging case with an integrated USB cable and you have a sweet package at an unbeatable price. Though the Go Air Pop ranks No. 1, that doesn’t make it perfect. Those who want a more reliable calling headset or extra features to play with will want to spend extra on any one of the market’s best wireless earbuds. Read our full JLab Go Air Pop review. True wireless earbuds for less than $30? And good ones at that? Yes, the Skullcandy Dime is one of the most pleasant surprises around for earbud shoppers on tight budgets. Coming tucked into a charging case that’s small enough to pass for a car key fob, the Dime quickly earned a place on this list with its impressive sound quality and robust build. Thanks to IPX4-rated water resistance and a secure fit, it’s even a respectable pick for running and workouts. Beware the low battery life, however: you’ll struggle to get even four hours of playback per charge, though you can extend this on the go with that compact charging case. Read our full Skullcandy Dime review. They might look like something that you would find behind the glass countertop at your local grocery store, but Panasonic’s tiny in-ears have been considered the best bang-for-the-buck deal for the past several years. The ErgoFit earbuds deliver crisp highs, warm mids, and deep lows despite their low price. Compared to other earbuds in their price range, the ErgoFit produces cleaner audio; the soundstage lends itself well to modern music genres like alternative rock, EDM, and hip hop. Even better, they conform to the shape of your ear canal, creating a snug, but comfortable fit for those long jam sessions. Those who love to accessorize their headphones with their outfits will find a variety of colors, which should appeal to the fashion-conscious. You’re looking at 15 bold shades in total. Panasonic also sells the ErgoFit with or without a built-in mic, though the latter is preferable since it grants you the ability to answer calls. We also recommend checking out the RP-TCM125, which comes with a control module and mic for calls. Read our full Panasonic Ergofit RP-TCM125 review. The AU-Stream is an ambitious model that gets the basics right and comes with a few cool features. Touch controls tend to be hit or miss on wireless earbuds, but this pair hits it out of the park with several programmed functions (e.g. play/pause, digital assistant activation, volume +/-) that can be executed through single or multi-tap gestures. Bass hounds will love the deep lows produced on hip-hop and EDM tracks. The charging case only holds 20 hours total, but also comes with rapid wireless charging, so you can quickly juice up the buds in 1.5 hours by placing the case atop any Qi-enabled wireless charger. While the buds do support multipoint technology so you can pair them to two devices simultaneously, the feature is buggy. It would only play the left earbud when listening to music on my first paired device (MacBook Pro), and vice-versa with the right earbud on my second device (Google Pixel 3 XL). Also, the long, thick stems are very unflattering. Read our full AuSounds AU-Stream review.
How to choose the best cheap earbuds for you
When shopping for the best cheap earbuds, you’re looking for models that can offer the most performance and usage at the lowest cost possible. Sure, that might be asking a lot from any pair of earbuds or headphones priced under $40, but it’s not unrealistic. Clearly, you want earbuds that sound good. Some companies have a great track record with audio, so seek out options with reputable namesakes. You’ll also discover some hidden gems from lesser known brands, though you’ll want to do your due diligence and research their credibility (e.g. consumer feedback, expert reviews). In any case, pick a pair that matches your sound preference. Features are another priority. The limited hardware of cheap earbuds won’t allow them to offer the advanced feature sets of premium true wireless models, but you can still get practical use out of them. You’ll want a pair with a built-in controls for playback, call management, and volume; these controls may also support modern features like Google Assistant or Siri. A microphone is also important to answer calls on the go. Accessories like extra ear tips are a huge bonus. These factor into comfort and fit, which is essential to enjoy music when commuting or listening at home for long stretches. Contributions from Alex Bracetti
How we test the best cheap earbuds
When creating our list of the best cheap earbuds, Tom’s Guide looks not only at price, but also design, sound quality, and ease of use. Our reviewers also test available features such as controls, mics, and digital assistant support (if applicable). During the testing phase, each pair of headphones are worn for 2 hours at a time throughout the course of a week. We evaluate how securely they fit and noise isolation. In terms of sound quality, we listen to many tracks across multiple music genres, including hip-hop, rock, jazz, classical, and electronic, while evaluating volume, clarity and fullness. Movies, podcasts, and video games are considered, when necessary. We also make phone calls to assess both call quality and microphone performance. For sound quality, we listen to many different sample tracks and span as many music genres as possible, including hip-hop, rock, jazz, classical and R&B, while evaluating volume, clarity and fullness. Find out what we listen for during our testing process and how to get the best headphone sound for you. Once we complete our testing, we rate the best cheap earbuds based on our five-point system (1 = worst, 5 = best). Products that hit nearly every mark are awarded an Editor’s Choice badge. Fancy something a bit more versatile then check out our picks for the best cheap noise-cancelling headphones or go high-end with the best audiophile headphones.
title: “The Best Cheap Earbuds In 2022” ShowToc: true date: “2022-12-06” author: “Melanie Parker”
Simply scroll down and you’ll find a pick of agreeable low-cost wireless earbuds, plus an old-school wild version that’s still going strong. So, if you don’t have the budget for the latest AirPods or Sony WF-1000XM4, you can be sure these really are the best cheap earbuds you can buy.
Top 3 best cheap earbuds
The best cheap earbuds you can buy right now
Number one on our list of the best cheap earbuds is a recently launched true wireless model: the JLab Go Air Pop. Serviceable in numerous ways, these buds are some of the smallest and most durable in the category, covered in solid plastic with IPX4 sweat and water resistance. Music sounds lively, thanks to three built-in EQs that JLab fine-tuned to give listeners a more personalized listening experience. Balance keeps audio neutral, while Bass Boost is self-explanatory and JLab Signature emphasizes bass and vocals. The most surprising hallmark on these buds must be battery life; a full charge generates 8 hours of playtime. Toss in a super-compact charging case with an integrated USB cable and you have a sweet package at an unbeatable price. Though the Go Air Pop ranks No. 1, that doesn’t make it perfect. Those who want a more reliable calling headset or extra features to play with will want to spend extra on any one of the market’s best wireless earbuds. Read our full JLab Go Air Pop review. True wireless earbuds for less than $30? And good ones at that? Yes, the Skullcandy Dime is one of the most pleasant surprises around for earbud shoppers on tight budgets. Coming tucked into a charging case that’s small enough to pass for a car key fob, the Dime quickly earned a place on this list with its impressive sound quality and robust build. Thanks to IPX4-rated water resistance and a secure fit, it’s even a respectable pick for running and workouts. Beware the low battery life, however: you’ll struggle to get even four hours of playback per charge, though you can extend this on the go with that compact charging case. Read our full Skullcandy Dime review. They might look like something that you would find behind the glass countertop at your local grocery store, but Panasonic’s tiny in-ears have been considered the best bang-for-the-buck deal for the past several years. The ErgoFit earbuds deliver crisp highs, warm mids, and deep lows despite their low price. Compared to other earbuds in their price range, the ErgoFit produces cleaner audio; the soundstage lends itself well to modern music genres like alternative rock, EDM, and hip hop. Even better, they conform to the shape of your ear canal, creating a snug, but comfortable fit for those long jam sessions. Those who love to accessorize their headphones with their outfits will find a variety of colors, which should appeal to the fashion-conscious. You’re looking at 15 bold shades in total. Panasonic also sells the ErgoFit with or without a built-in mic, though the latter is preferable since it grants you the ability to answer calls. We also recommend checking out the RP-TCM125, which comes with a control module and mic for calls. Read our full Panasonic Ergofit RP-TCM125 review. The AU-Stream is an ambitious model that gets the basics right and comes with a few cool features. Touch controls tend to be hit or miss on wireless earbuds, but this pair hits it out of the park with several programmed functions (e.g. play/pause, digital assistant activation, volume +/-) that can be executed through single or multi-tap gestures. Bass hounds will love the deep lows produced on hip-hop and EDM tracks. The charging case only holds 20 hours total, but also comes with rapid wireless charging, so you can quickly juice up the buds in 1.5 hours by placing the case atop any Qi-enabled wireless charger. While the buds do support multipoint technology so you can pair them to two devices simultaneously, the feature is buggy. It would only play the left earbud when listening to music on my first paired device (MacBook Pro), and vice-versa with the right earbud on my second device (Google Pixel 3 XL). Also, the long, thick stems are very unflattering. Read our full AuSounds AU-Stream review.
How to choose the best cheap earbuds for you
When shopping for the best cheap earbuds, you’re looking for models that can offer the most performance and usage at the lowest cost possible. Sure, that might be asking a lot from any pair of earbuds or headphones priced under $40, but it’s not unrealistic. Clearly, you want earbuds that sound good. Some companies have a great track record with audio, so seek out options with reputable namesakes. You’ll also discover some hidden gems from lesser known brands, though you’ll want to do your due diligence and research their credibility (e.g. consumer feedback, expert reviews). In any case, pick a pair that matches your sound preference. Features are another priority. The limited hardware of cheap earbuds won’t allow them to offer the advanced feature sets of premium true wireless models, but you can still get practical use out of them. You’ll want a pair with a built-in controls for playback, call management, and volume; these controls may also support modern features like Google Assistant or Siri. A microphone is also important to answer calls on the go. Accessories like extra ear tips are a huge bonus. These factor into comfort and fit, which is essential to enjoy music when commuting or listening at home for long stretches. Contributions from Alex Bracetti
How we test the best cheap earbuds
When creating our list of the best cheap earbuds, Tom’s Guide looks not only at price, but also design, sound quality, and ease of use. Our reviewers also test available features such as controls, mics, and digital assistant support (if applicable). During the testing phase, each pair of headphones are worn for 2 hours at a time throughout the course of a week. We evaluate how securely they fit and noise isolation. In terms of sound quality, we listen to many tracks across multiple music genres, including hip-hop, rock, jazz, classical, and electronic, while evaluating volume, clarity and fullness. Movies, podcasts, and video games are considered, when necessary. We also make phone calls to assess both call quality and microphone performance. For sound quality, we listen to many different sample tracks and span as many music genres as possible, including hip-hop, rock, jazz, classical and R&B, while evaluating volume, clarity and fullness. Find out what we listen for during our testing process and how to get the best headphone sound for you. Once we complete our testing, we rate the best cheap earbuds based on our five-point system (1 = worst, 5 = best). Products that hit nearly every mark are awarded an Editor’s Choice badge. Fancy something a bit more versatile then check out our picks for the best cheap noise-cancelling headphones or go high-end with the best audiophile headphones.
