Whether you like a good podcast to make that nine to five life bearable or you’re a fitness weapon who needs some serious (sounding) tunes to get you through your workouts; you’ll be wanting some decent ear candy to make the most of the hours you spend plugged in. There’s a huge wireless headphone market at the moment though, and as the technology develops, it’s only getting larger.
In the past few years audio, battery and bluetooth technology has advanced to harmonious new levels so you can now connect with your smartphone, wire and hassle-free. Of course, some of you will instantly go for the Apple Airpods, which are a very good product. However, if you need sealed in-ear earbuds, or simply would like to look further afield, then this selection might help.
After extensive road, bus, train, plane, ferry and gym testing, this is what we reckon you need to know before buying a set of wireless earbuds.
- Most come with charge stations that plug into laptops and cars.
- Automatic sensors should detect when the earbud is in your ear and start / stop audio.
- High quality rubber / silicon seals are our recommendation to block out outside noise.
- Tap to answer is one of the better features with Apple’s Airpods
- Airpods just got an update too. Worth exploring.
- Samsung have entered the wireless earbud race with a very good looking product.
- Bose is still our favourite for sports.
- Bose also offers a good product for sleeping and flying.
- B&O is a sublime design.
- Master Dynamic is the most expensive for its quality and design.
Skullcandy

Battery Life: Up to 12 hours
Price: From $35
Customer Reviews: “The Skullcandy Indy is a solid pair of true wireless earbuds. The IP55 sweatproof rating, good fit, and clear mids.”
Skullcandy’s Utah origins become evident the moment you pick them up. However, even though they are designed for snowboarders, skaters and surfers, these buds do anything but hang loose. Sitting tight (but not too tight) in your ear, it’s easy to see why Skullcandy’s Push Truly Wireless Earbuds have become a sweet streetwear staple.
Samsung

Battery Life: Up to 18 hours
Price: From $150
Customer Reviews: “OMG I love my Galaxy buds live! They have the best sound, the best quality, the best bass! They are absolutely comfortable and they are the most gorgeous color.”
Samsung is a name synonymous with smart tech. Chunky and stylish, yet not aesthetically obsessed like Apple, they make products that sing and don’t charge you a premium. And to be fair, their Galaxy Buds look (and work) pretty damn fine.
Sol Republic

Battery Life: Up to 3 hours
Price: From $280
Customer Reviews: “They are excellent earbuds, they are heard very well, clear treble, and very defined bass. They also have very good volume, they are comfortable.”
Sol Republic make awesome affordable gadgets like these Waterproof Wireless Bluetooth Earbuds, which provide premium sound, 3 hours of battery life, a charging case, and epic sweat resistant, for just $209.
Jabra

Battery Life: Up to 7 hours
Price: From $80
Customer Reviews: “Amazing set of wireless headphones. I’m pretty impressed how well these do for the price.”
Engineered for the best in class wireless calls and music experience, Jabra has stayed true to its quality origins with the Jabra Elite 65t Wireless offering. These bad boys make conversations sound unerringly clear, with four-microphone technology, wind-noise reduction and 6mm buds that hit your sweet spot just right.
JBL

Battery Life: Up to 6 hours
Price: From $100
Customer Reviews: “I enjoyed testing these earbuds with crisp sound and a nice level of bass. They are very comfortable and light-weighted. The charging case has led indicators which is very useful.”
JBL’s Free Truly Wireless In Ear headphones offer 24 hours of combined playback (or 4 hours of continuous playback), hands free calls, a comfort-stay secure fit, 3 ergonomic tip sizes, two gel sleeve sizes and a splash proof design.
Bose

Battery Life: Up to 5 hours
Price: From $129
Customer Reviews: “As expected from Bose products, these headphones fill every concern I had before purchasing it. They’re snug in the ear, never move, long battery life (case life included) and aren’t affected by sweat. Would definitely recommend for those looking for quality sport headphones.”
Bose are one of the best when it comes to premium audio technology, comfort and performance. The soundsport is no exception, with a noticeable hike in quality compared to some of the other entry level wireless headphones out there. And while the design isn’t quite as sleek as Apple’s AirPods, it is far more comfortable (and less liable to fall out) when working out.
Apple

Battery Life: Up to 5 hours
Price: From $129
Customer Reviews: “The Apple AirPods 2nd Gen have decent treble accuracy. Their response is fairly flat and well-balanced.”
For $319 the AirPods better be good. Fortunately for Apple (less so for your rainy day fund), they are. Distinguishing them from the competition is the voice activated Siri-Access and their ‘magical’ ability to sense when they are in or out of your ears, and start/stop play accordingly.
Bose

Battery Life: Up to 8 hours
Price: From $199
Customer Reviews: “Excellent sound. They stay put. Sleek look. Really easy to use.”
Bose’s sleep buds are your salvation if you live anywhere near a railway station, a jet engine, or if you have a partner who snores like one. They use noise masking sounds (think: the sound of a gently running stream) at frequencies that neutralise common distracting noises, to help you get uninterrupted sleep. Insomniacs Anonymous (and D’Marge) approved.
Jaybird

Battery Life: Up to 12 hours
Price: From $150
Customer Reviews: “I’ve had my Jaybird earbuds for a couple years now and I love em. No issues with connectivity, sound is good, don’t hurt my ears at all. Size is great.”
12 hours of playtime (with the charging case) and sweaty and underwater fun awaits you with Jaybird’s fast charging Run XT’s. Great for professional athletes and weekend warriors alike. Three words: get amongst it.
Sony

Battery Life: Up to 10 hours
Price: From $71
Customer Reviews: “Bought these at Xmas great sound and the bass is phenomenal really happy with these ‘I’ve been a musician { BASS PLAYER }and sound engineer for 30 years best purchase I’ve made for buds.”
Cut out wires and noise with one purchase. Sony’s 1000X may seem to be lacking a ‘atron’ prefix, but the product itself is unflappable. It’s compact, minimalist design ensures a discreet fit, its smart listening feature ensures ease of use, and its cutting edge technology provides a sensual audile experience.
Master & Dynamic

Battery Life: Up to 10 hours
Price: From $249
Customer Reviews: “They are more than suitable for commuting and light years ahead of the Airpods with their full open earbud design.”
True wireless earphones from one of the higher end brands in the market, Master & Dynamic’s MW07’s are designed to look as good as they sound. Buy ‘em now or forever hold your… tangled old wires.
Sennheiser

Battery Life: Up to 9 hours
Price: From $200
Customer Reviews: “These earbuds sound great, they’re sweat-resistant, and they offer respectable noise cancelation. It’s just gravy that they’re stylish.”
Providing exceptional clarity, fingertip control, extended listening time and a durable, stylish make, Sennheiser’s epic wireless headphone offering is hard to go past.
Bang & Olufsen

Battery Life: Up to 5 hours
Price: From $200
Customer Reviews: “The B&O Beoplay E6 headphone feature a nice design, are generally comfortable and boast a great sound quality, helping give them a generally premium feel.”
Inspired by the subtle and unique colours of a Scandinavian Summer, and with a price (and attention to detail) that reflects its company’s EU origins, Bang & Olufsen’s Beoplay E6 are now going international thanks to their broad appeal and epic audile appeal.
Bang & Olufsen

Battery Life: Up to 35 hours
Price: From $249
Customer Reviews: “For those who want the best audio possible in fully wireles buds, these are the ones to get.”
If the E6 version doesn’t cut it for you, check out Bang & Olufsen’s E8 model, which wants you to experience true freedom with wire-free charging, superior sound, intuitive touch control and outstanding comfort.
Experience true freedom with wire-free charging, superior sound, intuitive touch control and outstanding comfort.
Master & Dynamic

Battery Life: Up to 12 hours
Price: From $299
Customer Reviews: “The MW08 are beautifully built, easy to use, and sound excellent.”
Funky design, but the highest price in the sector. Why? These ‘tortoiseshell’ wireless headphones give you unparalleled sound and a sleek fit worthy of a king. Oh and they do the whole AirPod ‘magic’ stop/start thing to. All up, their beryllium drivers, silicone ‘fit wings’ and classy stainless steel carrying case (which doubles as a charger) come together to fashion a lethal weapon of phonic destruction.