The 10 Best Wireless Earbuds as of July 2026

How we ranked these wireless earbuds

Each pick earns a score out of 10 from weighted criteria:

Performance (35%) — how well each earbuds does its core job.
Value (25%) — quality and features for the price.
Build & reliability (20%) — materials, longevity and warranty.
Features (20%) — meaningful extras that improve the experience.

We also weigh real-world owner reviews — star ratings and how many people left them — and whether each product has the features you'd expect in its class.

At a glance: top 10 compared

Swipe across to see all columns, including Amazon links →

#	Wireless Earbuds	Score	Best for	Noise cancelling	Approx. Price	Amazon links
1	Sony WF-1000XM5	9.2	Best overall	Class-leading	£259	View Price
2	Apple AirPods Pro 2	9.2	Best for iPhone	Excellent	£229	View Price
3	Bose QuietComfort Ultra Earbuds	9.0	Best ANC	Best-in-class	£299	View Price
4	Technics EAH-AZ100	8.9	Best sound	Excellent	£259	View Price
5	Samsung Galaxy Buds3 Pro	8.8	Best for Samsung	Very good	£219	View Price
6	Google Pixel Buds Pro 2	8.6	Best for Pixel	Very good	£219	View Price
7	Nothing Ear	8.6	Best value	Good	£129	View Price
8	Sennheiser Momentum TW 4	8.5	Best audiophile	Very good	£259	View Price
9	CMF Buds 2	8.5	Best budget ANC	Good	£39	View Price
10	JBL Live Beam 3	8.2	Best features	Good	£150	View Price

The full ranking

Best overall

Sony WF-1000XM5

9.2Our number one pick.

The WF-1000XM5 are the most complete earbuds you can buy, blending class-leading noise cancellation, detailed and highly customisable sound, and a comfortable, secure fit. They are pricey and the touch controls take a little learning, but nothing else does so much so well.

Sound: 9.4ANC: 9.5Comfort: 9.0Value: 8.6

Pros

Class-leading noise cancellation
Detailed, tunable sound
Comfortable, secure fit

Cons

Premium price
Fiddly touch controls

Check price on Amazon≈ £259

Best for iPhone

Apple AirPods Pro 2

9.2A superb runner-up.

For iPhone owners the AirPods Pro 2 are unbeatable: instant pairing, excellent adaptive noise cancellation, handy hearing-health features and seamless switching across Apple devices. Android users miss most of the magic and battery life is average, but in the Apple world they are superb.

Sound: 8.8ANC: 9.2Comfort: 9.2Value: 8.8

Pros

Seamless Apple integration
Excellent adaptive ANC
Useful hearing features

Cons

Best features need Apple devices
Average battery life

Check price on Amazon≈ £229

Best ANC

Bose QuietComfort Ultra Earbuds

9.0Rounds out our top three.

If silence is your priority, Bose's Ultra Earbuds block the most noise of any buds we have tried, with a comfortable seal and immersive spatial audio. They are expensive and battery life is modest, but for commuters and frequent flyers they are the ones to beat.

Sound: 9.0ANC: 9.6Comfort: 9.2Value: 8.2

Pros

Best-in-class noise cancellation
Comfortable, secure seal
Immersive spatial audio

Cons

Expensive
Only 6-hour battery

Check price on Amazon≈ £299

Best sound

Technics EAH-AZ100

8.9A standout in the upper half.

Audiophiles should start here: the AZ100 deliver beautifully natural, detailed sound, strong ANC and a long 10-hour battery, with excellent multipoint for juggling devices. They are understated rather than flashy, but they sound wonderful.

Sound: 9.4ANC: 8.8Comfort: 8.8Value: 8.6

Pros

Superb natural sound
Long 10-hour battery
Great multipoint

Cons

Plain design
Pricey

Check price on Amazon≈ £259

Best for Samsung

Samsung Galaxy Buds3 Pro

8.8A well-rounded mid-table pick.

On a Samsung phone the Buds3 Pro shine, with crisp sound, strong ANC and clever ecosystem features like seamless switching and hi-res codec support. As with Apple's buds, the best bits are tied to one brand, and the new stemmed design will not suit everyone.

Sound: 8.8ANC: 8.8Comfort: 8.6Value: 8.6

Pros

Great with Samsung phones
Strong ANC and sound
Hi-res codec support

Cons

Best features need Samsung
Stem design divides opinion

Check price on Amazon≈ £219

Best for Pixel

Google Pixel Buds Pro 2

8.6Great value in the middle of the pack.

Lightweight and comfortable, the Pixel Buds Pro 2 bring strong ANC, clear sound and tight Google Assistant and Pixel integration. Non-Pixel users still get a good experience, but the smartest features and best stability come within Google's ecosystem.

Sound: 8.6ANC: 8.8Comfort: 9.0Value: 8.6

Pros

Light and comfortable
Strong ANC
Great Google integration

Cons

Best with Pixel phones
Touch controls can misfire

Check price on Amazon≈ £219

Best value

Nothing Ear

8.6A dependable pick if the price is right.

The Nothing Ear punch well above their price, with a confident, detailed sound, capable ANC and that striking transparent design. They are not quite at flagship level for noise cancelling, but as a stylish, affordable all-rounder they are excellent.

Sound: 8.6ANC: 8.2Comfort: 8.6Value: 9.2

Pros

Detailed sound for the price
Eye-catching design
Good app and EQ

Cons

ANC behind flagships
Average call quality

Check price on Amazon≈ £129

Best audiophile

Sennheiser Momentum TW 4

8.5Solid, if outshone by pricier rivals.

Sennheiser's flagship buds focus on rich, warm, highly customisable sound with a long battery and effective ANC. The fit can be tricky to perfect for some ears, but for listeners who care most about audio quality they are a delight.

Sound: 9.2ANC: 8.6Comfort: 8.4Value: 8.6

Pros

Rich, customisable sound
Long battery life
Effective ANC

Cons

Fit can be fiddly
Bulky case

Check price on Amazon≈ £259

Best budget ANC

CMF Buds 2

8.5A budget-friendly option worth a look.

Nothing's budget CMF brand packs genuinely capable 48dB hybrid noise cancelling, a punchy 11mm driver and a huge 55-hour total battery into buds that cost a fraction of the flagships. The app tuning and spatial audio are a bonus; build is plasticky, but as cheap ANC buds they punch well above the price.

Sound: 8.2ANC: 8.2Comfort: 8.4Value: 9.4

Pros

Strong ANC for the money
Long battery life
App EQ and spatial audio

Cons

Plasticky build
Fewer features than flagships

Check price on Amazon≈ £39

Best features

JBL Live Beam 3

8.2Rounds out our top ten.

The Live Beam 3 stand out for their charging case with a colour touchscreen, plus long battery life, solid ANC and a punchy sound. The screen will not appeal to everyone, but as a feature-packed, fun set they are good value.

Sound: 8.2ANC: 8.2Comfort: 8.4Value: 8.6

Pros

Touchscreen charging case
Long 12-hour battery
Punchy sound

Cons

Screen is a bit gimmicky
Bulky case

Check price on Amazon≈ £150

Frequently asked questions

What's the best of the wireless earbuds in 2026?

Our top overall pick is the Sony WF-1000XM5, which leads on our combined score for performance, value and features. The Apple AirPods Pro 2 and Bose QuietComfort Ultra Earbuds are excellent alternatives depending on budget and needs.

How did we choose these?

We weight performance, value, build quality and features, drawing on hands-on use and independent testing. See the methodology box above for the full breakdown.

Are these prices accurate?

Prices are approximate UK figures at the time of writing and change frequently. Click through to Amazon for the current price.

The bottom line

If you just want the best wireless earbuds without overthinking it, the Sony WF-1000XM5 is our top recommendation — it earns the highest overall score for performance, value and features. Have a look at the current price and see what you think.

Check price on Amazon ≈ £259

Our top picks at a glance

Sony WF-1000XM5

Nothing Ear

Apple AirPods Pro 2

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How we ranked these wireless earbuds

At a glance: top 10 compared

The full ranking

Sony WF-1000XM5

Pros

Cons

Apple AirPods Pro 2

Pros

Cons

Bose QuietComfort Ultra Earbuds

Pros

Cons

Technics EAH-AZ100

Pros

Cons

Samsung Galaxy Buds3 Pro

Pros

Cons

Google Pixel Buds Pro 2

Pros

Cons

Nothing Ear

Pros

Cons

Sennheiser Momentum TW 4

Pros

Cons

CMF Buds 2

Pros

Cons

JBL Live Beam 3

Pros

Cons

Frequently asked questions

The bottom line

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