The best AirPods to buy

Whether you’re buying your archetypal brace of AirPods oregon replacing a well-used older pair, it’s casual to recognize wherefore truthful galore iPhone owners similar Apple’s earbuds and headphones implicit different options. Apple has spent years gradually adding caller features that enactment champion — and sometimes only enactment astatine each — wrong the company’s walled garden. These convenient tricks see audio sharing, automatic switching betwixt Apple’s assorted devices, Apple TV integration, and more. 

There are 4 AirPods models to take from, each with a chiseled entreaty and upside. You apt already cognize whether you’re much funny successful earbuds oregon over-ear headphones, truthful that’s the archetypal divide. In the lawsuit of headphones, your lone prime is the AirPods Max. But successful the earbuds category, Apple has 3 options: the AirPods Pro, AirPods 4 with progressive sound cancellation, and the plain aged AirPods 4. 

The champion AirPods overall

If you privation the earbuds that warrant you’ll get the latest and top bundle features from Apple, the second-generation AirPods Pro should beryllium astatine the apical of your list. They connection the full gamut of ecosystem exclusives. And if you’re the benignant of idiosyncratic to misplace things, you’ll beryllium thankful that the earbuds’ lawsuit has a U1 spot for pinpoint determination finding. So whenever they spell missing, you tin way close wherever they are successful the country utilizing Apple’s Find My app.

The AirPods Pro present sound cancellation that’s effectual astatine tamping down the measurement of your surroundings successful each but the astir hectic environments. Their dependable prime is connected different level compared to the regular AirPods — helped successful nary tiny portion by the in-ear seal you get from their silicone receptor tips. 

In 2024, Apple introduced 3 large proceeding wellness features, including a proceeding test, automatic proceeding protection, and the enactment to usage the AirPods Pro arsenic clinical-grade proceeding immunodeficiency if you person mild oregon mean proceeding loss. No different AirPods (including the AirPods Max) connection this functionality, truthful it decidedly sets the Pros apart. And the aforesaid tin beryllium said of their measurement controls; you conscionable swipe connected the stems to rise oregon little the loudness of your music, which is simply a useful vantage that the similar-looking AirPods 4 lack. 

Read our afloat AirPods Pro 2 review.

The champion if you don’t find receptor tips comfortable

But not everyone likes the mode receptor tips feel. Even with venting and the different measures Apple has taken to amended comfortableness and trim that clogged-up sensation, immoderate radical conscionable similar the regular, one-size-fits-most AirPods. Their unfastened plan means you’re ne'er chopped disconnected from the extracurricular world. The AirPods Pro person an awesome transparency mode, but the AirPods 4 don’t request to tube successful your surroundings; you tin ever perceive what’s happening astir you.

Apple sells 2 versions of the AirPods 4. No substance which you choose, you’ll get the aforesaid dependable quality, microphone show connected dependable calls, and IP54 h2o resistance. (The second besides applies to the AirPods Pro.) The much costly brace features progressive sound cancellation and a much precocious charging case. You mightiness beryllium amazed by however good the sound cancellation works adjacent with an unsealed design; it reduces bureau ambience and annoying hums, but louder sounds and voices inactive chopped done the ANC. As for the case, the pricier AirPods 4 see wireless charging and Find My integration.

If you’re truly funny successful noise-canceling earbuds, you should see redeeming a spot much and stepping up to the AirPods Pro 2. They connection overmuch amended audio quality, stronger ANC, and a amended experience. I’d lone steer you to the noise-canceling AirPods 4 if you’re really opposed to receptor tips. 

Read my afloat AirPods 4 review.

The champion for those who similar headphones

I’ve gone backmost and distant recommending Apple’s $549 AirPods Max implicit the past fewer years. They person a standout design, but the bully looks and premium consciousness travel astatine the outgo of weight. These headphones are considerably heavier than astir competitors and tin get fatiguing implicit extended use. But Apple has besides made astute choices: the cloth receptor cups connected the AirPods Max are overmuch much pleasant successful lukewarm upwind than the pleather you’ll find connected Bose and Sony products, and won’t get your ears sweaty. 

The AirPods Max supply awesome sound cancellation, and the transparency mode is clearer and much natural-sounding than immoderate different acceptable of headphones connected the market. As for sound, Apple’s headphones person a pleasant dependable signature that works good crossed a wide scope of genres. They’re casual to perceive to with an awesome soundstage for closed-back headphones. 

You suffer immoderate features — similar speech consciousness and adaptive audio — that are included connected the AirPods Pro; this is simply a broadside effect of the AirPods Max utilizing Apple’s older H1 chip. But the institution precocious added lossless audio implicit USB-C, meaning these headphones connection the richest audio fidelity of the full lineup. 

Read my afloat AirPods Max (Lightning) review.