It’s the twenty-first century and people are more mobile than ever. We listen to music during walks, have conference calls from the corner booth of restaurants, and watch movies on long flights. In this day in age your gear has to be able to perform wherever it is that you are. And that’s where having the best Bluetooth earbuds comes in handy. No more tangled cables.
We’ve amassed the greatest Bluetooth earbuds into this straightforward easy-to-find guide. We’ve done all the research for you; all you have to do is decide which one is right for you, so that you can enjoy your wireless freedom.
P.S. We have other articles for the Best Bluetooth Headphones for Running, Best Bluetooth Headphones and Best Bluetooth Headset.
The Guide to the Top 10 Bluetooth Earbuds
[ws_table id=”54″]Making Listening Easier with Wireless Earbuds
- Transport. Bluetooth earbuds transport easily. There are no cords that magically tangle while inside your bag or purse. And no cords dangling around your neck getting in the way. Sure, they may require changing batteries or time on a recharger but both can be completed nearly anywhere. You don’t have to haul a bunch of stuff around in order to get their full usage.
- Adaptability. Leading a busy life means that it’s not always possible to know ahead of time what facilities you’ll have access to. Thankfully Bluetooth is easily paired with a multitude of devices so you’ll never have to worry about carrying a bunch of adapters wherever you go.
- Compact. You don’t want gear weighing you down. Bluetooth earbuds are the smallest, lightest headphones available. They’re not likely to cramp your style. And they’re not going to hog all of your space.
Features of the Best Bluetooth Earbuds
- Sound Clarity. Just because there’s not a solid connection between the headphones and audio, that doesn’t mean that clarity should take the back seat. The best wireless earbuds will sound just as awesome as a corded pair. You shouldn’t experience any lag between the headphones and audio source. Nor should you expect to hear interference from other electronics, or static.
- Range and Battery Life. When choosing a pair of earbuds make sure that they have the range and battery life to match your lifestyle. There’s nothing more frustrating than losing your connection in the middle of a project or song.
- Comfort. It can be more complicated to choose an earbud because there are so many more styles than traditionally shaped headphones. But here’s the bottom-line: Tree style will fit deepest and offer the most seal. Mushroom-shaped is wider and doesn’t go as deep. Flat earbuds sit just outside the ear canal, and offer the least amount of seal.
Top 5 Bluetooth Earbuds Reviews
1. Jaybird X2 Sport
The Jaybird X2 continually top gear charts all over the place. And we’re definitely no stranger to these beauties; they pop up often in our own facility. They rank high for customer satisfaction in the sporting and workout categories; two groups of consumers known to put their gear through the wringer.But Jaybird’s X2 does more than appeal to a few markets, which is why they are so popular. That workmanship, versatility, and universal appeal is how they became one of the all-around best bluetooth earbuds.
Jaybird X2 are built to survive whatever your life throws its way. First, they’re sweat-resistant. That’s obviously great for athletes but also beneficial to regular folks like us because that means they won’t get destroyed by a little drizzling rain, or a splash of a drink.
The earpieces are connected by a rubberized band. It’s light and flexible but hearty enough not to fall apart quickly. You can adjust it so that the cord rests under your chin or behind your neck. The cable also adjusts so that it can be worn above or below your ear.
X2 by Jaybird let you create the perfect fit no matter what you’re wearing our how your hair is styled. It works around uniform collars, hats, ponytails, and hooded sweatshirts.
Perfecting the fit is crucial for maintaining equalized sound in both ears because loose earbuds change the audio’s dynamics.
Sound is really where the Jaybird X2 stand out. There was no electronic artifacts or lag often experienced in wireless connections. Every genre sounds clear and powerful. With no distortion at high volumes.
These connected easily with a variety of mobile devices and Bluetooth-enabled desktop computers. With an impressive eight hours of play time these Jaybird X2 are sure to keep you jamming through anything you do. And will last if you accidentally forget to recharge.
Jaybird X2 is an example of a product’s quality matching the hype. The popularity of the Jaybird X2 is well deserved. You’ll get great use out of these bad boys.
2. Plantronics BackBeat Fit
Like the Jaybird X2, the Plantronics BackBeat Fit is another unit we’ve seen dominate industry charts and is popular among sports athletes.
But as you know, it couldn’t top our overall chart without being the best of the best. Plantronics gives us serious amenities and sound.
BackBeat is comprised of a flexible solid one-piece design. You don’t have to worry about earbuds popping out because they’re built-in to the loop that fits around your ears. We were pleasantly surprised to find how comfortable this arrangement actually was.
The loop really does keep the buds in place without being bothersome. And the solid design isn’t obtrusive either. It easily flexes when you lean back into a chair. Indeed, we had no problems in any position we tried them in.
BackBeat’s controls are easily accessed on each earbud. The buttons are built-in to the unit and quite small so be patient getting used to them. Nonetheless, we found them fairly intuitive and usable.
They have a solid six to eight hours of play-time and a strong connection. We comfortably moved throughout five yards without interruption.
BackBeat makes it simple to know how much charge you have left. It displays a battery meter app that can provide on-screen alerts to tell you when your battery is low or completely charged.
Its Bluetooth connectivity means that it can be wirelessly updated using the free smartphone app. You don’t have to stop whatever you’re doing and find a desktop unit to connect to.
BackBeat Fit releases amazingly rich sound. The overall feeling is warm and appealing without any tin. There’s no distortion at high volumes, though we don’t recommend using that high.
Plantronics’ BackBeat Fit is easily one of the finest Bluetooth earbuds if you’re in the market for sound and extra features. And it doesn’t hurt that they look pretty cool.
3. Powerbeats 2 Wireless
Beats branded audio products tend to get a bad rap but trying the Powerbeats 2 will likely change your mind. They’re built well, not overdone, and have balanced sound.
The first thing we noticed about these were the extras that come in the box. Beats provides an extension cable, a cable clip, and a protective hard-shell case. These are a tremendous help for perfecting the comfort and usability of the buds.
You’ll find that pairing Powerbeats is a simple process. Though Beats was initially popularized by musician Dr. Dre the brand was acquired by Apple in 2014. We thought this might mean we’d encounter problems pairing it to non-Apple products. Luckily this was not the case.
Powerbeats 2 easily paired with Bluetooth-enabled computers, laptops, and Android devices. We didn’t have to use any intermediary Apple programs to access the unit on any device we tested.
We found a strong connection up to thirty feet when there were no barriers. Of course connectivity is altered by walls and large electronics. But you won’t have any problems using your buds in a gym, office, or outside.
With a powerful six hours of playback you don’t have to worry about losing your charge at what always seems to be the most inconvenient time possible. But if you are in a rush to charge Powerbeats 2 that’s okay because its 15-minute quick charge will get you up and running quickly. The quick charge works really well and is quite useful.
Beats makes sure these are life-proof and even went to the trouble of getting them an IP rating. We saw the IP ratings when we looked at waterproof headphones. It means the manufacturer had their product tested to verify that it really is waterproof. Indeed, Powerbeats performs well when splashed with water. Sweat is no match for these.
These are extremely light. The flexible earhook provides a secure fit for anybody. Its over-ear support really does keep the headphones from moving around. The cord that connects the buds is also light and lays flat. It doesn’t get in the way at all.
Additionally, a nice touch is the anti-slip grip on the inline remote. This made it super easy to change volume, skip tracks, and make hands-free calls.
As for sound, we couldn’t be more pleased. Beats has really taken the customer suggestions seriously and zipped up quality issues.
These are louder, fuller, and more balanced than earlier models. They’ve got smooth bass reminiscent of the Bose Quiet Comfort; slightly less pronounced than the Jaybird X2. Highs and mid tones are strong. Neither is overwhelmed by the bass.
We were able to make and receive crystal clear calls. There was a slight delay that wasn’t a deal breaker. The microphone worked fine for other voice applications like Siri and voice-to-text.
Overall the Beats brand really out-did itself. Powerbeats 2 is definitely the same caliber as the Jaybird X2 and BackBeat Fit.
4. LG Electronics TONE INFINIM
The TONE INFINIM by LG Electronics dishes out business-class quality and features. They more than adequately suit the on-the-go professional or student.
TONE INFINIM is constructed differently than the other Bluetooth earbuds we’ve looked at. Unlike the others, these don’t leave any dangling cords; instead, the buds are housed inside a solid piece that sits around your neck. The design fits well around clothes, especially collared shirts.
The earbuds themselves are retractable from that piece. You pull them out and put them in your ears as needed. They function smoothly without having to tug hard at the mechanism. You don’t even have to use both earbuds at the same time. Just remember to be gentle when releasing them to prolong the life of the wires.
TONE INFINIM, by far, has one of the best call qualities we’ve used. They’re as clear as any headset even with the less obvious microphone. Callers largely unnoticed that we were using a wireless unit.
Not only are calls smooth but so are the vocals on podcasts. TONE INFINIM work especially well for streaming lectures, books, and movies.
And music sounds just as clear, with a suitable about of bass. We did notice that finding the right eartip is vital to achieving rich full sound.
TONE INFINIM has three built-in EQ presets, and a downloadable EQ application. We found the built-in presets especially helpful as we tried out different genres of music. They make it easy to go from listening to rap music to classical because the tones change at the tap of your finger.
The EQ application that can be downloaded lets you control the levels from your phone. This is a nice touch for budding audiophiles. Of course you’re not going to try to use it for remastering an album. But we found its intuitive design easy enough for novices to use.
Without a doubt LG’s TONE INFINIM is the go-to equipment for your mobile office or classroom. It also earns high marks because it easily transitions into leisure use. Indeed, this LG is certainly capable of going wherever you go.
5. Mpow Swift-1st
Here at Headphones Unboxed we don’t show favoritism to big popular brands. We are willing to give any manufacturer a chance. And that’s precisely how we came across newcomer Mpow and its Swift Bluetooth earbuds.
Mpow made sure to equip Swift with the same features and sensibilities as other brands. Their simple design consists of a light-weight wire connecting the two earbuds. Like its more expensive counterparts it also includes in-line volume controls and a microphone.
Fitting the Swift was easy due to different sized earhooks and soft eartips being included. They’re very secure and didn’t slip or fall as we moved around. Swift is also super light. It’s going to be easy to forget that you’re wearing them.
They charged and paired easily to a multitude of devices. The Bluetooth connection was strong and had an acceptable range. The Swift is also really cool in that it re-pairs super quickly. We found no problems when we listened to a device we’d left on the other side of the room.
Product documentation states that a charge usually lasts five hours. We found that it did indeed last for a few days of moderate use. The battery level is conveniently displayed on your phone to remind you which is especially useful for those of us prone to forget.
Call and music quality were of decent clarity. Environmental noise didn’t intrude on our conversations, and Mpow’s Digital Noise Reduction Technology does a good job of keeping out ambient noise.
The overall soundscape is better than we’d expect from similarly priced options. Highs were loud and clear; bass wasn’t exaggerated. The total listening experience was quite enjoyable; nothing like a tinny sound.
Mpow really hit the mark with this one. The Swift shows you that a relative unknown can distribute a respectable product. These are the best Bluetooth earbuds for anyone who is looking for an affordable option.
can wireless earbuds be used for plane movies
Some airlines do allow Bluetooth earbuds to be used on their planes, while some don’t. It depends on which airline you are flying with. If you plan to travel a lot by airplane, then you may want to check out this post instead: https://www.headphonesunboxed.com/best-headphones-for-airplane-travel/