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The 4 Best Alternatives To AirPods Pro
Better battery life, lower prices & more comfortable — plus, colors other than white if you prefer.
As you’re shopping for the best alternatives to AirPods Pro, start by considering the qualities that make Apple’s AirPods Pro so popular — but most of these offer a lower price tag than AirPods or offer features that the Apple earbuds don’t. In order to find a solid alternative, though, we first need to explore the things people love about Apple’s fan-favorite earbuds.
What To Look For In The Best AirPods Alternatives
Noise-canceling: Unlike the original AirPods, AirPods Pro have active noise-canceling technology to block out distracting sounds and a transparency mode for when you want to be more aware of your surroundings. They also have noise-canceling microphones to ensure your voice comes through loud and clear while making hands-free calls.
Fit: One of the biggest complaints about earlier AirPods was the fit. The tip often failed to create a seal around the ear canal, which caused discomfort and a lot of background noise bleed-through. The Pro model offered a new and improved design that comes with four silicone tip options to create a comfortable seal in almost all ears.
Battery life: A single charge gets you six hours of listening time, and with the charging case, you’re set for 30 hours. The case is also Qi-certified and MagSafe-compatible for wireless charging.
Sound quality: According to the brand, Apple’s H2 chip works alongside a custom-built driver and amplifier to deliver rich, clear sound. While a competitor obviously won’t have that specific tech, the alternatives on this list have rave reviews surrounding audio quality.
Additional features: The Pro design offers Siri for voice activation, on-earbud touch controls, IPX4 sweat and water resistance, and the ability to easily switch from device to device. Consider which of those things would make a difference for you.
Shop The Best AirPods Alternatives
In a hurry? Here are the top picks for earbuds that rival Apple.
- The Overall Best AirPods Pro Alternative: Beats Studio Buds
- The Best Cheap AirPods Pro Alternatives: TOZO NC2 Hybrid Active Noise Canceling Wireless Earbuds
- The Best AirPods Pro Alternative Designed For Android: Google Pixel Buds Pro
- The Alternative To AirPod Pros With The Best Noise Cancellation: Sony WF-1000XM4 Noise Canceling Earbuds
From a $35 pair that look just like AirPods to a pair known for its great sound quality, scroll on for the best alternatives to the AirPods Pro.
1. The Overall Best AirPods Pro Alternative
Pros:
- Great fit, sound quality, and active noise-cancellation
- 4.4-star overall rating after more than 50,000 reviews
- Available in 6 colors
Cons:
- Case has a shorter battery life of 24 hours
- Only earbuds on this list that don’t offer wireless charging
For $100 less, these Beats Studio Buds offer many of the same features as AirPods Pro. Switch between active noise cancellation (for distraction-free listening) and transparency mode (when you need to be aware of your surroundings), and enjoy balanced, high-quality sound with the custom acoustic platform. Three sizes of soft earbud tips ensure a comfortable, secure fit, and the battery lasts up to eight hours (though there’s no Qi charging and the case’s battery is only 24 hours). On-device controls, IPX4-rated water resistance, noise-filtering microphones, plenty of personality-expressing colors, and a pocket-friendly design also make it an incredible alternative.
One Reviewer Wrote: “After owning AirPods, Raycons and Samsung earbuds I’ll have to say for the price these are the best. I use my earbuds most of my workday listening to music or podcasts, the Beats Studio buds have the best sound of all I’ve used.”
Active Noise Cancellation: Yes | Battery Life: 8 hours (24 with charging case) | Available Colors: White, Black, Pink, Red, Moon Gray, Ocean Blue
2. The Best Cheap AirPods Pro Alternatives
Pros:
- Cost less than $35
- Active noise cancellation and transparency mode
- Long battery life
- IPX6 waterproof (they can handle being sprayed with jets of water)
Cons:
- Some reviewers reported that they can be uncomfortable for smaller ears
- Some reviewers reported the bass is a little too strong, especially when using noise cancellation
From a few feet away, you might mistake these TOZO NC2 Hybrid earbuds for Pros, and if I had to guess, I’d say that’s intentional. Like the name brand, they also feature active noise cancellation, a waterproof design, transparency mode, wireless charging, and ear detection that automatically pauses the sound when you take an earbud out. As far as comfort goes, one reviewer wrote, “[I] wear earbuds for 6 - 10 hours a day and these are by far the MOST comfortable ones I've ever owned.” With a total battery life of up to 42 hours, they actually last longer than Apple’s Airpods Pro, and with an overall 4.3-star rating after more than 26,000 reviews, this is a great budget-friendly alternative.
One Reviewer Wrote: “I’ll be honest. I was skeptical to buy these. Active noise cancellation? Touch controls? AirPods Pro look? And 50 bucks?! Wait, one more thing. Wireless Charging too?! Well, I can easily recommend these to anyone instead of buying the AirPods Pro.”
Active Noise Cancellation: Yes | Battery Life: 10 hours (42 with charging case) | Available Colors: White, Black, Blue
3. The Best AirPods Pro Alternative Designed For Android
Pros:
- Longer battery life (31 hours with the case)
- Real-time translation with Google Assistant
- Available in 4 colors
Cons:
- Comes with 3 earbud tips, but some reviewers didn’t find it the most comfortable
I’m an Android user, and Google Pixel buds are my go-to for countless reasons. While they don’t cost much less than Apple AirPods Pro, Pixel’s newest earbuds — also called Pro — are worth the splurge for non-Apple users. For one, the active noise cancellation and adaptive Silent Seal technology rival Apple’s quiet, distraction-free design. For another, the custom drivers and auto-adjusting Volume EQ deliver stellar sound quality. The battery life is better than AirPods Pro (matching Google’s longer-lasting phone batteries) with a battery life of up to 11 hours (31 with the wireless charging case). Finally, device switching, water resistance, tap controls, transparency mode, a hands-free Google assistant that can offer real-time translations, and crystal-clear microphones (even in loud places) make them extremely seamless to use.
One Reviewer Wrote: “Better Value Than AirPods. Love these things, super convenient and intuitive. Sound quality is just as good as AirPods, if not better. Noise-canceling works great.”
Active Noise Cancellation: Yes | Battery Life: 11 hours (31 with charging case) | Available Colors: Charcoal, Fog, Coral, Lemongrass
4. The Alternative To AirPod Pros With The Best Noise Cancellation
Pros:
- Better active noise-cancellation technology than AirPods Pro
- Speak-to-chat capabilities
- Features 4 microphones (2 in each earbud — twice what Airpod Pros have) for crisp, clear phone calls
- Sound customization via an app
Cons:
- More expensive than AirPod Pros
- Case has a shorter battery life of 24 hours
Yes, they’re more expensive than Apple’s AirPods Pro — but these Sony earbuds are worth it if you’re looking for some of the best noise-canceling technology around. (According to some reviewers, they work almost as well as noise-canceling headphones worn over your ears.) Combined with the innovative noise-isolation earbud tips, the Sony-developed tech actively neutralizes more background noise than ever before, so you can hear your music and nothing else. Other splurge-worthy features include four built-in microphones, IPX4 water resistance, crystal-clear sound quality, wireless charging, built-in Alexa, speech-to-chat technology, sound customization with the app, and dual Bluetooth connectivity.
One Reviewer Wrote: “The active [noise canceling] on these earphones is class-leading and reinforced by a couple of tricks that Sony has implemented. [...] The combination of improved NC, improved passive isolation, and noise masking, makes these earphones excellent at blocking out external noise. [... Compared to over-ear wired headphones], it’s not too far off.”
Active Noise Cancellation: Yes | Battery Life: 8 hours (24 with charging case)| Available Colors: Black, White
