The best true wireless earbuds

Offering total portability and ease of use, true wireless earbuds are now essential components of any new phone package you purchase. After all, what good are all of a new smartphone's music, tracking, and fitness features if you can’t easily connect wireless earbuds to the phone to drown out the noise of life and listen to your favorite music in crystal-clear quality? While wireless earbuds are, well, wireless, there’s actually a difference between wireless earbuds and true wireless earbuds. Here’s what you need to know.

Are all wireless earbuds truly wireless earbuds?

For earbuds to be considered truly wireless, they have to come with no cables connecting any part of the device together. This means that the earbuds have no cable connecting each earbud together. You’ll usually see wireless (but not truly wireless) earbuds with cables when they’re designed for sport or other physical activities; the cable hangs around the back of your head to safely connect the earbuds in case they fall out. Even though they’re wireless in the sense that they use Bluetooth to connect to a device, they’re not truly wireless.

Wireless earbuds with wingtips and ear hooks

Due to their truly wireless nature, some users (especially those with small ears) find that truly wireless earbuds tend to fall out of their ears. To avoid this, be sure to check the in-ear design of the earbuds. Most top-tier wireless earbuds feature an in-ear form that sits snugly in your ear canal. Test them out to ensure that they fit into your ear canal and that they also block out external environmental noises. If you’re still having trouble with the earbuds falling out, opt for a pair with wingtips or ear hooks that can be attached for a more secure fit. Wingtips and ear hooks come in handy for sports and other physical activities, making them the best true wireless earbuds for working out.

Other features to look for in true wireless earbuds

Sound quality and battery life are two of the most important features when comparing TWS earbuds. First, be sure to verify whether or not the earbuds have active noise-cancellation features. Be sure not to confuse this with noise reduction; the former allows you to listen at lower volume levels, causing less ear fatigue, whereas passive noise reduction refers to how the earbuds seal when placed in your ears. Feel free to check out our list of the best noise-canceling earbuds for more information.

Then, check out the driver unit size and the lowest frequency. The lowest frequency refers to how strongly the earbuds can reproduce bass sounds. While the highest frequency is also an important metric, most users are often more interested in how deep and intense the bass will sound. 

Regarding battery life, be sure to look specifically at the amount of playtime for the earbuds. Don’t get this confused with the extended battery life you can enjoy when popping them back into the charging case a time or two throughout the week. Also, check the battery life of the charging case itself.

Final thoughts

As you've seen above, true wireless earbuds offer a seamless and wire-free listening experience. Whether you're looking for enhanced stability during workouts or superior sound quality, options are available to suit your needs. Upgrade to the best true wireless earbuds and enjoy the freedom of wireless audio at its finest.