The best earbuds under $50 in 2025: Expert tested and reviewed

4 days ago 8

Earbuds have come a long way over the last decade. The tiny -- increasingly wireless -- gadgets can seamlessly swap from playing music to answering a phone call with just a tap. With Bluetooth technology, they're also compatible with smartphones, tablets, smart TVs, as well as laptops and desktop computers.

Earbuds can cost hundreds of dollars, but you don't have to break the bank to get a quality, everyday-use product. Our ZDNET experts have been testing wired and unwired headphones for a long time, analyzing features like spatial audio, sound quality, battery life, and noise cancelation. We've got you covered with this list of our favorite earbuds for under $50.

What are the best earbuds under $50 right now?

The best earbuds under $50 are the JLab JBuds ANC 3 for their long battery life, excellent noise cancelation, and secure fit. If these earbuds aren't the best fit for you, we've listed plenty of alternatives.

Also: The best earbuds: Expert tested

The best earbuds under $50 in 2025

The JLab JBuds ANC 3 offer a different design from most of the other earbuds on this list. If you're in the market for a stemless earbud, these are my favorites. I used them while exercising and they withstood runs in the rain and stayed in my ears for miles. The JBuds ANC 3 have a lightweight fit and nearly two days of battery life.

What you're really buying these earbuds for are their noise-canceling capabilities. I was astonished by how impressive the noise-cancelation was for such an affordable pair. My upstairs neighbor is a DJ and oftentimes his music blasts through our walls. When I'm working from home and can't focus because of the loud music, I turn on my earbuds' ANC mode. "The irritating noise disappeared completely, so much so that I didn't notice when the upstairs DJ's music stopped playing," I wrote in my review.

The 40-plus hour battery life also means that charging is infrequent and a breeze. I can't recommend these enough.

JLab JBuds ANC 3 tech specs: Battery life: 42 hours | Connectivity: Bluetooth 5.3 | Microphones: Six | Noise cancelation? Yes | Water Resistance Level: IP55

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Not everybody wants earbuds that take them out of their environment. At $38, Amazon's Echo Buds are a great choice without a super-tight noise-canceling seal. These are comfortable to wear for long periods of time, ZDNET's Jada Jones wrote in her review, and they sound great. "They don't distort my audio at high volumes, and a 12mm driver helps bass sound deep without getting crunchy. I was impressed with the sound quality and recommend these to anyone looking for the best audio performance in this price range," Jones wrote.

While calling friends, Jones reported that the mics were clear, and connecting the Buds to an Amazon account for voice assistant needs is easy.

When it comes to downsides, you'll need to download the Alexa app to use them. You also aren't getting any noise cancelation, so look elsewhere if this is something you want in your headphones.

Also: Echo Buds review

Echo Buds tech specs: Battery life: 5 hours in buds, 20 in case | Connectivity: Bluetooth Multipoint | Microphones: Two | Noise cancellation? No | Water Resistance Level: Sweat resistant

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ZDNET's Maria Diaz has used these Tozo wireless earbuds for over four years and calls them the "backups to my backups." They've even survived getting chewed up by her dog. These durable earbuds are just $25 on Tozo's website.

The Tozo T10 earbuds come with Bluetooth 5.3, 10 hours of battery life in the earbuds, 45 hours of total playtime with the case, and an IPX8 rating waterproof rating -- dog slobber included. Amazon reviews agree that the earbuds are made to last. Many customers said they've had the earbuds for more than three years and the battery life still lasts the entire workday.

If you're looking for a pair of earbuds that will cost you less than $30 for working out or playing music and podcasts, these fit the bill.

Tozo T10 earbuds tech specs: Battery life: 45 hours | Connectivity: Bluetooth 5.3 | Microphones: No | Noise cancelation? No | Water Resistance Level: IPX8

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You could say that the ZDNET team has an affinity for these Apple EarPods. I asked around for budget earbuds recommendations and this pick came up multiple times. These wired USB-C EarPods are the hidden gem of Apple's audio line.

The $20 EarPods are ideal for use with the latest iPhones, just about any Android phone, laptops, tablets, and more. The EarPods have an amazing microphone, but don't come with cushioning -- a notable advantage and disadvantage. "While they won't dig into your ear and induce pressure buildup over time, there's a noticeable lack of audio immersion (or passive noise cancelation)," ZDNET reviews editor Kerry Wan said.

Also: The best wired earbuds

If you purchase the Apple EarPods, you're likely not looking for the best sound performance. This product shines with its ease-of-use, no need to charge, and the built-in microphone. They're so spectacular that Wan says he uses it to record his voiceovers for nearly every video he makes for our social platforms.

"The mic is so good on these that it could pass for a studio microphone, and I've used it as such for voice-overs and in filming short-form videos," ZDNET editor-in-chief Jason Hiner tells me.

Apple EarPods tech specs: Connectivity: Wired | Microphones: One | Noise cancellation? No | Water Resistance Level: No

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What are the tariffs in the U.S.?

The recent U.S. tariffs on imports from countries like China, Vietnam, and India aim to boost domestic manufacturing but are likely to drive up prices on consumer electronics. Products like smartphones, laptops, and TVs may become more expensive as companies rethink global supply chains and weigh the cost of shifting production.

Also: Tariff war has tech buyers wondering what's next. Here's what we know

Headphones and wearable devices, which are predominantly manufactured in these regions, are now subject to tariffs as high as 54% on Chinese imports and 46% on Vietnamese goods. As a result, consumers may see price increases of approximately 20% on these items.

Manufacturers are exploring options like relocating production to countries with lower tariffs, but such shifts are complex and may not provide immediate relief. In the short term, shoppers should anticipate higher costs for headphones and wearables due to these trade policies.

With their long battery life, excellent noise cancelation, and secure fit, the JLab JBuds ANC 3 are our favorite earbuds for under $50. Here's how our recommendations compare:

Earbuds	Price	Battery life	Connectivity	Microphones	Noise cancellation	Water resistance
JLab JBuds ANC 3	$39.10	42 hours	5.3	Six	Yes	IP55
Echo Buds	$35	5 hours	Multipoint	Two	No	Sweat-resistant
Tozo T10 Bluetooth Earbuds	$25	45 hours	5.3	N/A	No	IPX8
Apple EarPods	$20	N/A	Wired	One	No	NA

*Lowest price at the time of writing. Please note that prices may vary based on retailer and available promotions, sales, or discounts.

That depends on what you want. We've considered all sorts of budget earbuds that fit exactly what you want.

You should buy these earbuds...	If you want...
JLab JBuds ANC 3	The best noise-canceling earbuds. I can't recommend these enough. Plus, they actually stay in your ears while exercising.
Echo Buds	The best earbuds for comfort. They don't offer noise cancelation, but you get Alexa's voice assistant embedded into the tech.
Tozo T10 Bluetooth Earbuds	The best earbuds under $30. They're durable and last for years. They even survived one ZDNET writer's dog chewing them up.
Apple EarPods	The best wired earbuds with an amazing microphone for recording voice-overs or taking phone calls. Plus, they're only $20.

If you're looking to buy a pair of earbuds under $50, you should consider the following:

Sound quality: Unsurprisingly, this is the most important feature of an earbud, whether they're Bluetooth-connected or wired. You want your earbuds to deliver high-quality sound to properly enjoy your favorite songs, podcasts, or calls without the audio sounding tinny or distorted.
Price: Since the earbud market is so robust, you can get sub-$50 earbuds with fantastic sound or $300 earbuds with even better sound. There's no need to forsake quality for price with the options we've included on this list. While more expensive earbuds do deliver amplified features, like ANC and longer battery life, you can still get a quality pair of buds for an affordable price.
Battery life: The picks on this list offer various lengths of battery life. The longer the battery life, the more you can use these buds in between charges. We also considered how many charges come in the earbuds' carrying case, a convenient feature of some of the higher-end earbuds.
Noise cancellation: You definitely don't need noise-canceling earbuds, but they are an added bonus to an already expensive pair of buds.
Water resistance: You're likely using earbuds while you work out or are outdoors, which means you are exposing them to the elements like rain or even sweat. Water resistance in an earbud is essential for keeping the tech working for a long time after exposure to moisture.

I test earbuds for a living. I'm running in busy city streets and parks with them in my ears, playing my favorite songs and podcasts on the subway, using them in the office, and evaluating them for their performance, connectivity, battery life, and comfort.

If I haven't tested the earbuds myself, I rely on the opinions of my coworkers and ZDNET staffers who have used the products we include. We only write about products we can actually recommend to people, because we know that spending money on a pair of earbuds or another tech product is no pretty penny.

For more information on how we test headphones and earbuds, visit this article, which explores our process in-depth.

Also: How we test headphones and earbuds

No. I've tested some amazing budget earbuds that could take on my more expensive earbuds with their competitive battery life, noise cancelation, fit, and special features.

Quality depends on the brand and the individual model of earbuds. More expensive earbuds might have longer battery lives or stronger noise cancelation, but at a certain price point you begin to pay for the brand name than the features.

For example, the JLab JBuds ANC 3 have nearly as good of noise cancelation as my Bose QuietComfort Ultra earbuds, and the JBuds cost about $240 less.

I recommend the JLab JBuds ANC 3 for a secure, comfortable pair of earbuds that I love to run in. They're lightweight and come with ANC that silences an appropriate amount of noise during my outdoor runs.

I'd look for earbuds with some waterproof or resistance rating if you are sweating or exercising in inclement weather. You'll also want a pair of earbuds with decent ANC and long battery life -- six hours at the least -- so you don't have to charge them all the time.

If you don't want earbuds, I'd suggest bone conduction headphones. These headphones keep you aware of your surroundings as you bike or jog outdoors. They also make bone conduction headphones for swimming, so you can listen to music as you swim laps in the pool.

Also: The best bone conduction headphones