While plenty of wireless earphones came in the wake of Apple’s AirPods, there are still a lot of issues with the technology and some of the models leave a lot to be desired. There are problems with battery life, connections and reliability among other things, and for some people the convenience of going wireless may still not be worth it.
If you are one of the people who do want to experience the thrill of being able to move your head with complete freedom, for running, video games and other activities, there are wireless earphone sets that perform relatively well and are worth trying out. We’ve listed our top 5 picks here.
Apple AirPods: Our First Choice
It should come as no real surprise that we’d recommend Apple’s wireless earphones over anyone else’s! They really are the best, with better sound than their wired predecessors and lots of extra features. Mounted accelerometers even measure when the buds are in or out, playing and pausing automatically.
A superbly-engineered charging case gives these babies 24 hours of on-the-go playback time, which is among the longest of all wireless buds, and they work very well for making and receiving phone calls too. Their design is also very aesthetically pleasing.
The Headphone by Bragi
The Headphone wireless earphones were developed by German start-up Bragi, and also have good battery life and sound, though not nearly as many features as the AirPods do. They also don’t have a portable charging case, but their battery life is 6 hours so you should be all right for a day of music streaming, phone calls, interacting with your personal assistant and playing your favourite mobile casino games or video games. Because they’re streamlined and simple, they could also be your best bet if you’re new to the wireless scene.
The Elite Sport by Jabra
Everyday Enhancement with the Nuheara IQbuds
If you have any kind of hearing impairment or other specific auditory needs, Nuheara’s IQbuds are for you. They separate speech from background noise to make it easier to hear; they’re not quite hearing aids but will help you in the same way that reading glasses can help a lot of people see words better without requiring in-depth testing and treatment. Their in-depth and intuitive app makes them very user-friendly, and they have a battery life of 3.5 hours.
Cost-Effectiveness with Axgio’s AH-T1
The AH-T1 by Axgio is the best set of wireless earphones at a low price point. The over-ear hook will keep them snugly in place, and their battery life is between 4 to 5 hours. These buds don’t have many bells and whistles so there is no portable charging case or other extras, but they do the job well and are a good entry level into the world of wireless earphones. Consider starting with them and seeing what you think before spending larger amounts of money on a different make and model.