Advancements in technology have made it possible to design wireless earbuds that last several days without a charge while shrinking their size down to the point where they’re barely noticeable. You’d expect these features would only be available on the most cutting-edge earbuds, but that’s no longer true.
You can be completely satisfied with a pair of earbuds that cost $50 or less. This is true whether you’re interested in casual music listening or need a set for a specialized task like working out. Headphone makers have done a great job bringing premium features down to the entry-level models in their lineups, which make them a lot more accessible. If you’re upgrading from a pair of wired earbuds, or the battery in your current wireless earbuds is starting to flake out, these are the best wireless earbuds under $50.
— Best Overall: Edifier TWS1 PRO
— Best Budget: TOZO T6
— Best for Sports: Dascert Sport Bluetooth Earbuds
— Best Neckbuds: Anker Soundcore Life U2
How We Picked The Best Wireless Earbuds Under $50
Our wireless earbud recommendations are based on in-depth research. Below are the factors we considered most highly when deciding which wireless earbuds under $50 to include in this buyer’s guide.
True Wireless: Most of the wireless earbuds you’ll find in this guide fall under the category of true wireless, which means each bud connects to your device independently without a cable connecting them. True wireless earbuds have become popular because of their extreme portability, but this style of headphone used to cost hundreds of dollars until recently.
We’re big fans of true wireless earbuds, but understand that’s not the only subcategory of headphone out there. There’re still great wireless earbuds that connect to one another with a cable, so we’ve made sure this category was represented as well.
Battery Life: Here’s the unfortunate truth about wireless earbuds: They’re small, which means they won’t last as long as on-ear or over-ear headphones. Still, the models we’re recommending will last at least five hours per charge. Your battery life experience will vary based on how loud you listen to music, and whether you enable power-hungry features like active noise cancellation.
True wireless earbuds include a battery case that charges the headphones up when you’re not using them. This accessory can extend their life by up to 16 hours, which makes a huge difference. If you take a few breaks between your listening sessions, you can easily make it through two or three days before having to recharge your wireless earbuds.
Noise Cancellation: Noise cancellation can be separated into two categories: active and passive.
Active noise cancellation uses a wireless earbud’s microphones to automatically filter out unwanted sounds that fall within a particular frequency range from hitting your ears. Common noises like airplane engines or air conditions may disappear when listening to wireless earbuds with active noise cancellation enabled.
This feature is technically impressive, but it does require a lot of power, which means your wireless earbuds won’t last as long per charge. On the other hand, active noise cancellation can help you listen to music at a lower volume since you won’t have to crank it up to compete with distractions from the world around you.
Passive noise cancellation is what happens when your earbud creates a physical seal around your ear. The bud acts like a barrier that basically muffles the sounds around you. This type of noise cancellation isn’t as effective at blocking out unwanted sounds, but doesn’t require any additional power. Passive noise cancellation is basically the equivalent of sticking your fingers in your ears, albeit with the added benefit of listening to music you like.
All of the earbuds we’re recommending support passive noise cancellation as active noise cancellation hasn’t become available at headphones in this price range (yet).
Eartip Type: The end of a wireless earbud that fits inside your ear is referred to as its tip, and there are two types to consider: hardshell and gummy. All of the wireless earbuds we’re recommending in this guide have a gummy eartip, which means they create a physical seal around your ear to create a better listening environment for you.
The only downside of gummy eartips is that their seal can weaken over time. If the seal gets too loose, the buds will pop out of your ears. To combat this, manufacturers of gummy-tipped earbuds include multiple sizes of ear tip with their headphone. We suggest you take a little time to find the ear tips that best fit your ears before taking your earbuds out of the house. That way you won’t lose an earbud on public transportation within an hour of unboxing them.
Microphones: Every pair of wireless earbuds we’re recommending has microphones inside of it. This will allow you to use them during conference calls if you’re working from a computer without a built-in mic. Wireless earbuds have microphones even if they don’t support active noise cancellation.
Best Wireless Earbuds Under $50: Reviews and Recommendations
Best Overall: Edifier TWS1 Pro
Why They Made The Cut: Edifier’s TWS1 Pro earbuds support more features than we’d ever have expected from a pair of sub-$50 wireless earbuds.
Specs:
— Earbud Type: True wireless
— Battery Life: 12 hours
— Price: $49.99
Pros:
— Excellent battery life
— IP65 Durability rating
— CVC noise-cancellation technology
Cons:
— Price
If you can stretch your budget, Edifier’s TWS1 Pros are the earbuds you should get. They last up to 12 hours per charge — an incredible amount for a pair of true wireless earbuds — and their battery case can extend their life by up to 30 hours. You should easily get through a week of use without having to recharge these earbuds. We’ve had the opportunity to test several Edifier earbuds and speakers, and have always been happy with how they’ve sounded. You may be pleasantly surprised at the audio quality from a pair of earbuds under $50.
We’re recommending the TWS1 Pros for casual music listening, but their IP65 durability rating means they can also be used during workouts. Sweat won’t damage the TWS1 Pros, and you won’t even have to worry about what happens if they accidentally get exposed to rain. You can’t wear these wireless earbuds while swimming, but most other exercise is fair game.
The TWS1 Pros don’t support active noise cancellation, but their microphones will use AI to block additional outside noise while you’re on a call. If you work from home, or have to accept client calls while you’re out of the house, this is a must-have feature. Similarly, the earbuds’ touch controls, which let you adjust your volume, pause your music, and more without touching your device, is another feature you’ll start to rely on regularly.
Edifier’s TWS1 Pros are the most expensive wireless earbuds in this guide, but they’re an exceptional value at just under $50.
Best Budget: TOZO T6
Why They Made The Cut: Tozo’s T6 wireless earbuds have surprisingly luxe features, like a wireless charging case and truly waterproof design, you wouldn’t expect from a pair this cheap.
Specs:
— Earbud Type: True wireless
— Battery Life: Six hours
— Price: $29.99
Pros:
— Wireless charging
— IPX8 durability rating
— Price
Cons:
— Okay battery life
Tozo’s T6s are the cheapest wireless earbuds we’re recommending, but their feature set is surprisingly robust. The true wireless earbuds last six hours per charge, which is pretty good but a letdown compared to Edifier’s TWS1 Pros. The battery case that comes with these earbuds can extend their life by up to 30 hours, and supports wireless charging. A wireless charging case is a surprisingly luxe feature for earbuds in this price range.
The most impressive technical feature of these earbuds is their IPX8 durability rating. This means the T6s are basically waterproof, so much so that you should be able to take them swimming without running into issues. We’ve found that true wireless earbuds that don’t come with ear wings have a tendency to pop out more easily during heavy exercise, so keep that in mind if you need a pair for working out.
Beyond that, the T6s have pretty standard specs for sub-$50 wireless earbuds. Their touch controls allow you to adjust the volume of your audio and change tracks, and Tozo says the wireless earbuds were tuned for extra bass. In a guide full of wireless earbuds that provide a great value, Tozo’s T6s are a genuine bargain.
Best for Sports: Dascert Sport Bluetooth Earbuds
Why They Made The Cut: Dascert’s Sport Bluetooth Earbuds are incredibly durable and designed to stay securely in your ears while you work out.
Specs:
— Earbud Type: True wireless
— Battery Life: 5-6 hours
— Price: $39.99
Pros:
— Wraparound design
— IP7 durability rating
— Technically advanced battery case
Cons:
— Okay battery life
— Ear hooks may irritate some
Dascert’s Sport Bluetooth Earbuds are good and inexpensive enough that you may be able to leave them in your gym bag most of the time.
The wireless earbuds offer between five and six hours of music playback per charge, but get an additional 42 courtesy of their battery case. The case actually has little LCD screens that show the current battery life of each bud and the case itself. A cutout on top of the case allows you to see these screens without popping the case’s lid open. This is one of the coolest design features we’ve seen on any wireless earbuds, much less a pair that costs under $50.
We’re primarily recommending this pair of wireless earbuds to people with an active lifestyle. Each earbud has a hook that wraps around the back of your ear to keep it in place while you’re moving around. This may irritate the skin on the back of your ear if you’ve never worn this style of wireless earbud before, so keep that in mind. Dascert says these earbuds have an IP7 durability rating, which means they can be completely submerged underwater for up to 30 minutes. If you want to wear a pair of wireless earbuds while swimming, pick this one.
Each of these wireless earbuds supports touch controls, which is especially helpful when you’re working out. Switching a track with a tap will allow you to keep exercising without breaking your concentration. Dascert says the earbuds have a dual-driver audio system and neutral tuning, so you won’t hear overblown bass or tinny treble. It’s good to know the company cares about audio quality even for a pair of exercise earbuds.
If you need a pair of inexpensive wireless earbuds to take with you to the gym or on a run, Dascert’s Sport Bluetooth Earbuds are the ones to grab.
Best Neckbuds: Soundcore Life U2 Neckband Headphones
Why They Made The Cut: Soundcore’s Neckband Headphones offer better battery life than our other recommendations, and support advanced features like multipoint pairing.
Specs:
— Earbud Type: Neckbuds
— Battery Life: 24 hours
— Price: $42.99
Pros:
— Great battery life
— Multipoint pairing
— Magnetic buds
Cons:
— More cumbersome than true wireless earbuds
Soundcore’s U2 Neckband Headphones are the only non-true wireless earbuds we’re recommending, and that distinction comes with a lot of advantages. The biggest one is that these earbuds get up to 24 hours of battery life per charge, and offer up to two hours of music playback if you plug them in for just five minutes. They don’t support active noise cancellation, but feature the same CVC 8.0 technology as the Edifier TWS1 Pros, which blocks outside sounds when you’re on phone calls.
This is the only set of wireless earbuds in our guide that supports multipoint pairing, which means you can connect them to two devices at the same time. If you want to quickly hop between listening to music on your smartphone and using the earbuds during a work call on your laptop, you can with relative ease. This style of wireless earbud isn’t ideal for working out, but the Life U2 Neckbuds have an IPX7 durability rating, which means they’re basically waterproof.
Soundcore designed the Soundcore Life U2 Bluetooth Neckband with a large 10mm driver, which should deliver louder, better-balanced sound than the ones you’d find on a pair of true wireless earbuds. Additionally, each bud has a magnet in it, so the two snap together around your neck when they’re not in use. This is a lot better than dangling around as you walk.
The only potential downside to this pair of earbuds is that they’ll be constantly touching the back of your neck as long as you’re wearing them. This may become annoying if you’re used to using true wireless earbuds, or wired earbuds that flow down the front of your clothes. If this doesn’t bother you, we can recommend the Soundcore Life U2 Bluetooth Neckband wholeheartedly.
Things to Consider Before Buying Wireless Earbuds Under $50
Extending your budget: The wireless earbuds we’re recommending in this guide are great, but you should also check out our guide to the best wireless earbuds under $100 if you can stretch your budget a little further.
FAQs
Q: Do all noise-cancelling wireless earbuds have ear tips?
All noise-cancellation wireless earbuds have gummy eartips, which create a physical seal around your eardrum. Gummy eartips are required for this feature to work.
Q: How do I keep true-wireless earbuds from falling out of my ears?
We recommend trying on each set of ear tips that comes with your wireless earbuds to find the ones that fit you best. If your ear tips are loose, there’s a greater chance of them falling out of your ears.
Q: How to clean my wireless earbuds?
We recommend using a Q-tip to clean the ear tips of your earbuds on at least a semi-monthly basis.
Q: Why is the battery life of true wireless earbuds so short?
There isn’t a lot of room for a battery inside each wireless earbud, which is the main reason they don’t last as long as bigger headphones.
Final Thoughts
It’s amazing to see how many features have come to wireless earbuds that cost less than $50. Only a couple of years ago we would’ve recommended staying away from any pair that cost less than $100, and even then you’d have needed to be really careful. We’re especially encouraged to see a lot of competition in this part of the audio industry, which is rare. Typically, companies compete to see who can have the most cutting-edge features in their gadgets. In this case, they’re trying to see who can provide the best value. If you’ve been waiting to pick up your first pair of wireless earbuds, your patience has been supremely rewarded.
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