Best Wireless Earbuds Under $100 in 2027: Top Picks

Under $100 is where wireless earbuds stop being a compromise on the basics. Every pick on this page has active noise cancelling or a clear reason to skip it, most have wireless charging, and none of them need a charge before the end of a workday. The EarFun Air Pro 4 is the pair we would buy first: it has the fullest feature list in the band, with LDAC and aptX Lossless, adaptive ANC, and 52 hours of total battery.

This page covers the step-up band only. Cheaper pairs live in our best budget earbuds guide, and the next tier up is in our best earbuds under $150 roundup. This one sits between them, and that position is the point: it is the first price level where ANC, wireless charging and hi-res codecs show up together instead of one at a time.

The Picks at a Glance

How this list was built: it is a research roundup, not a hands-on test. Picks come from manufacturer specifications, published measurements and reviews, and each product’s current Amazon US listing, checked before publication. Prices move in this band more than most, which is why the buttons above matter more than any number we could print.

EarFun Air Pro 4: Best Overall

The EarFun Air Pro 4 is the only pair here that carries both LDAC and aptX Lossless, so it plays hi-res audio from Android phones on either codec family. The adaptive hybrid ANC adjusts to your surroundings, and independent testing of the Air Pro line has consistently put its noise cancelling near the top of the under-$100 class. Total playtime is 52 hours with the case, and a charge runs about 11 hours with ANC off or around 8 hours with it on.

The smaller details are sorted too. In-ear detection pauses playback when you pull a bud out. The case charges over USB-C or wirelessly. Six microphones with cVc 8.0 handle calls, and multipoint plus Google Fast Pair cover the laptop-and-phone routine. The one quirk worth knowing: LDAC and multipoint are either-or, so you pick hi-res or two devices, not both at once. Sound is warm with a lifted bass shelf, and the EarFun app has a 10-band EQ if you want it flatter.

Fit is the one area where ears disagree. The buds use oval tips in five sizes, and the oval shape seals better than round tips for most people, which helps the ANC as much as the electronics do. The case is on the larger side for a pocket, though still smaller than the cases Sony and Samsung ship with their flagships. If you run, the IP55 rating covers sweat and rain, and the fit stays put for most runners in published tests. Taken together, this is the pair with the fewest gaps: nothing about it is the outright best in class, and nothing about it is weak either.

Soundcore Liberty 4 NC: Best Noise Cancelling

Noise cancelling is the whole pitch of the Soundcore Liberty 4 NC, and it delivers. Soundcore’s Adaptive ANC 2.0 reads your ear shape and the noise around you, then adjusts. The company claims up to 98.5% noise reduction, which is a lab figure, but published reviews agree the real-world result is the strongest cancellation in this roundup, especially on trains, buses and planes. Five ANC levels and travel modes for specific vehicles are in the app if you want manual control.

Around the ANC you get 11mm drivers, LDAC with Hi-Res certification, and 10 hours per charge, or 8 with ANC on, for 50 hours total with the case. The case charges wirelessly, a 10-minute top-up adds about 4 hours, and multipoint and wear detection are both present. The rating is IPX4, so rain and sweat are fine and swimming is out. If your commute is loud and your music matters less than the quiet, this is the pick.

Sound tuning leans bass-heavy out of the box, which suits pop and electronic music and needs the app EQ pulled back for acoustic recordings. Call quality is a step behind the Air Pro 4 in wind, though voices stay clear indoors. The buds are medium-sized with a stem design, and the fit is secure once the right tip is on. Soundcore’s app is one of the better ones in this band: ANC levels, transparency strength, controls and EQ all sit in one place, and firmware updates actually arrive.

Soundcore Space A40: Best Battery and Small Fit

The Soundcore Space A40 is the smallest pair here at 4.9 grams per bud, and it is the one people with smaller ears tend to keep. Five tip sizes come in the box. Battery is the other headline: 10 hours per charge with ANC off, 8 with it on, and 50 hours total from a case that also charges wirelessly. A 10-minute charge returns about 4 hours, so a dead case in the morning is a minor problem.

The adaptive ANC auto-selects its level based on the noise around you, and it is good rather than class-leading. Sound comes from double-layer diaphragm drivers with a bass-forward tune, and the soundcore app adds HearID, which measures your hearing and builds a personal EQ profile. LDAC is supported for hi-res playback. Six microphones handle calls competently. The A40 has been in this band longer than most of this list, and it holds its place on battery and fit alone.

Two practical notes. The small shell means small touch targets, and the controls take a day to learn. And because the model has been on sale for a long time, street prices swing a lot, so the button above is worth a look before assuming what it costs this week. For side sleepers and anyone who finds standard buds aching after an hour, the shallow fit is the reason to pick these over the Liberty 4 NC.

Samsung Galaxy Buds FE: Best for Samsung Phones

If your phone is a Galaxy, the Samsung Galaxy Buds FE are the low-effort choice. They pair through your Samsung account, switch automatically between Galaxy devices, and use Samsung’s Scalable codec on Galaxy phones for a cleaner connection than plain SBC. The wingtip design is the fit story: a small fin locks the bud in place, which suits smaller ears and workouts better than the smooth shells most rivals use.

The trade-offs are plain. Battery runs about 6 hours per charge with ANC on, 21 hours total with the case, which trails the Soundcore pairs above. The rating is only IPX2, so light splashes are the limit, and the case charges by USB-C only, with no wireless option. ANC and ambient modes are both present and decent for the band. Outside the Samsung ecosystem these are ordinary earbuds; inside it, the integration is worth more than the spec gaps.

Sound is balanced with a mild bass lift, closer to neutral than the Soundcore pairs, and the Galaxy Wearable app gives you EQ presets and a fit test. Calls are clear in quiet settings. One more ecosystem point: features like Auto Switch and the Scalable codec need Galaxy hardware, so iPhone owners should read this pick as a pass and take the EarFun or Soundcore pairs instead.

Sony WF-C510: Best Simple Pair, No ANC

The Sony WF-C510 is the honest outlier on this page: no noise cancelling at all. What you get instead is the longest single-charge life here at up to 11 hours, 22 hours with the case, in a small and light shell that disappears in the ear. An Ambient Sound mode lets traffic and announcements in when you want them, which covers part of what ANC buyers actually use transparency for.

Multipoint is included, so a laptop and phone can stay connected together, and Sony’s DSEE processing tidies up compressed streams. Codecs are SBC and AAC, so there is no hi-res option, and the case has no wireless charging. Call quality is clear in quiet rooms and average on loud streets. Buy these if ANC gives you pressure headaches, or if you mostly listen in quiet places and would rather have battery and simplicity than features.

The controls deserve a mention because Sony got them right: physical buttons on each bud, no touch panels to misread with gloves or wet hands. The Sound Connect app handles EQ and ambient levels, and Spotify Tap starts playback from the bud. There is no wireless charging and no in-ear detection, so playback keeps running when you pocket a bud unless you pause it. Simple is the design brief, and Sony stuck to it.

SoundPEATS CC3 Pro: Best Open-Ear

The SoundPEATS CC3 Pro clip onto the ear instead of sealing the canal, so you hear your surroundings in full. That is the right design for running on roads, cycling, and offices where you need to hear your name. Each bud pairs a 12mm dynamic driver for the low end with a 9mm ceramic piezoelectric driver for treble detail, an unusual two-driver setup at this level, and LDAC is on the codec list.

Battery is rated at 10 hours per charge and 44 hours with a case that charges wirelessly, and the rating is IPX6, the strongest water protection on this page. Physical buttons replace touch panels, so wet fingers and gloves are not a problem. The catch is LDAC: independent testing found it cuts playtime to roughly five and a half hours and turns off multipoint. Open-ear bass is also lighter than any sealed pair here. Those are format limits, and within the format this is a strong spec sheet. Our full SoundPEATS CC3 Pro review covers it in depth.

Comfort is the other half of the case for these. At 5.5 grams per bud with a flexible clip, there is nothing in your ear canal to itch or ache, and glasses wearers get on with the shape better than with ear hooks. Soundstage feels wide because the drivers sit outside the canal, and voices and podcasts come through clearly at moderate volume. In loud places you will turn them up and still lose detail to the room, which is the trade every open-ear design makes.

What This Band Gets You Over Cheaper Pairs

The jump from under $50 to this band buys four things. First, ANC that adapts instead of a single fixed level, which matters most on transport where noise changes by the minute. Second, wireless charging: four of the six cases here drop onto a pad, and once you own the pad you stop hunting for cables. Third, codecs. LDAC shows up on four picks and aptX Lossless on one, so Android listeners with hi-res libraries hear the difference their files promise. Fourth, battery headroom: total playtime with the case sits between 44 and 52 hours on the sealed ANC models, roughly double the cheap end.

What it does not buy: flagship microphone arrays, the deepest ANC, or premium case materials. If those are your priorities, the money belongs one band up. If your priorities are the four things above, this band is where they arrive, and paying more mostly refines them.

Side by Side

Read the ANC column first if you fly or commute, and the battery column first if you travel. Two honest gaps apply to the whole band: call quality on windy streets is average on every pair here, and none of them match the driver size or ANC depth of the flagship pairs in our best noise cancelling earbuds guide. Within the band, the differences above are the ones that matter day to day.

Frequently Asked Questions

Which earbuds under $100 have the best noise cancelling?

The Soundcore Liberty 4 NC. Its Adaptive ANC 2.0 adjusts to your ears and your surroundings, and published reviews consistently rate it the strongest canceller in this price band, ahead of the EarFun Air Pro 4, which runs it close and adds better codecs.

Are earbuds under $100 much better than cheaper pairs?

Yes, in specific ways. This is the band where adaptive ANC, wireless charging, hi-res codecs like LDAC and in-ear detection start appearing together. Under $50 you usually pick one or two of those. Above this band you mostly pay for stronger ANC and better microphones, not a different feature set.

Do earbuds under $100 have wireless charging?

Most of the pairs on this page do: the EarFun Air Pro 4, both Soundcore models and the SoundPEATS CC3 Pro all charge wirelessly. The Samsung Galaxy Buds FE and Sony WF-C510 are USB-C only, which is one of the clearest step-down tells at this level.

Which under-$100 earbuds are best for phone calls?

The EarFun Air Pro 4, on the strength of its six-microphone array with cVc 8.0 noise reduction and clear published call tests. The Liberty 4 NC is a close second. Expect good results indoors and in offices from both, and average results on windy streets from everything in this band.

Can earbuds under $100 connect to two devices at once?

Most can. The EarFun Air Pro 4, Soundcore Liberty 4 NC, Space A40 and Sony WF-C510 all support multipoint, so a phone and laptop can stay connected together. Two cautions: on the Air Pro 4, LDAC and multipoint cannot run at the same time, and the Galaxy Buds FE swap devices through Samsung’s Auto Switch instead of standard multipoint.

How long do earbuds under $100 last on a charge?

Between 6 and 11 hours per charge depending on the model and whether ANC is on. The Sony WF-C510 leads on a single charge at up to 11 hours because it has no ANC to power. With their cases, the Soundcore and EarFun pairs reach 50 hours or more in total.

Mark Folksman

I am the founder of Sound Mavericks, where I provide the polite truth about audio equipment. I started this site because consumer electronics reviews are often too technical. Instead of using a silent lab, I test headphones, earbuds, and Bluetooth speakers in the real world – like on a noisy subway or in a busy coffee shop.

To stay independent, I buy my own review units (mostly from the United States) rather than accepting free gifts from brands. Once I finish testing a product, I sell it locally to our community. My goal is to help you understand sound quality, active noise cancellation (ANC), and battery life without the marketing hype.