Earbuds go by many different names, including earphones, in-ear headphones, in-ear monitors or simply buds. They also come in all shapes and sizes and can be both wired or wireless, with some variations. Probably the most widely known (and worn) earbuds are the AirPods, which Apple launched in 2016.Â
Compared to over-ear and on-ear headphones, they offer a more compact, lightweight design that’s easier to set up and store. Earbuds are often cheaper too (usually), and have better stability. Being small does have its disadvantages - namely with sound quality, which can’t match wired headphones - but every music lover should own at least one pair all the same.
Latest about Earbuds & Airpods
These are the only early Black Friday earbuds and headphones deals worth buying – and I know because I tested them all (and rated them highly) in 2025
On Black Friday, there are earbuds deals that save you a bit of money, and there are genuine bargains – so let's go for option two, shall we?
Earfun Air Pro 4 Plus review: a solid and fully-featured effort, but the audio quality isn't as good as this money can buy
The Earfun Air Pro 4 Plus are more solid earbuds from the brand, with a few rough edges.
These new clip open earbuds cost just $50 at launch, and come from one of the best budget earbuds makers – who needs Black Friday?
Soundpeats' new Clip1 are incredibly affordable anyway for headphones with hi-res specs, and are going in hard at launch
Final Audio's new earbuds will inspect your ears to tune your tone to perfection
Final Audio's TONALITE earbuds promise personalized timbre to deliver a more accurate and lifelike sound
The best wireless earbuds for all budgets, all tested by our reviewers
Our reviewers spent over 600 hours testing these earbuds, so here’s my verdict on the best wireless earbuds for iPhone, Android or anything else.
Our favorite budget headphones maker just revealed unbelievably cheap open earbuds that might actually sound good
1More has redesigned its clip-ons with a more secure fit. As ever, they're very aggressively priced.
JBL’s new open earbuds for kids will keep them aware of their surroundings, should still fit them as they grow, and let parents set safe volume levels to protect their hearing
JBL's Junior Free headphones are open-ear with safe volume protection and useful parental features
The cheapest AirPods sales and deals in November 2025
The best Airpods deals are right here in this guide with the best AirPods sales and prices that are available online.
