You don’t need a set of AirPods to get wireless audio from your iPhone, iPad or Mac, but Apple’s earbuds and headphones offer a lot of convenient integrations with its other products that you won’t find anywhere else. After helping popularize true wireless earbuds with its original AirPods, the company has expanded its lineup to include noise-canceling models and a set of over-ear headphones. Here’s what you need to know about AirPods in general, along with the best overall, budget and over-ear picks from Apple’s current slate of products.
Table of contents
What you need to know about AirPods
When it comes to Apple’s earbuds and headphones, there are several things you’ll want to keep in mind before making your final decision. First, the standard AirPods are the open-design earbuds with no tip that allow some environmental noise to come into your ears at all times. The Apple AirPods Pro are the model with the soft ear tips that completely close off your ear canal, which enables features like more powerful noise cancellation and the hearing test. Lastly, the Apple AirPods Max are the company’s over-ear noise-canceling headphones preferred by audiophiles, and currently the company’s only option for wireless headphones at all that aren’t made by Beats.
There are a few features that are available across all models as they’ve become inherent to the AirPods experience. First, you can expect connectivity perks like Automatic Switching between Apple devices that are synced with your iCloud account. This means that a pair of AirPods will automatically change to your phone when you get a call while you’re listening to music on a MacBook, for example. It’s functionally similar to multipoint Bluetooth, but the feature isn’t limited to two devices like most earbuds and headphones. Second, hands-free access to Siri is the default, allowing you to ask the assistant for help without touching your AirPods. And lastly, Personalized Spatial Audio with dynamic head tracking is available across the entire lineup, even on the most affordable version and the AirPods 4 with active noise cancellation.
If you don’t think any of the AirPods options are right for you, consult our recommendations on the best wireless earbuds and best wireless headphones for some alternatives.
Best AirPods for 2025
Best AirPods specs comparison chart
|
AirPods 4 |
AirPods Pro 2 |
AirPods Max |
|
|
Price |
$129 |
$249 |
$549 |
|
Design |
In-ear |
In-ear |
Over-ear |
|
H2 chip |
Yes |
Yes |
Yes |
|
ANC |
No |
Yes |
Yes |
|
Spatial audio with dynamic head tracking |
Yes |
Yes |
Yes |
|
Hearing test |
No |
Yes |
No |
|
Rated battery life |
5 hours |
6 hours |
20 hours |
|
Durability |
Dust, sweat, and water resistant (IP54) |
Dust, sweat, and water resistant (IP54) |
N/A |
Other AirPods we tested
AirPods 4 with ANC
The AirPods 4 with ANC represent the first time active noise cancellation has been available on the open-wear, “regular” AirPods. Design-wise, they’re the same as the non-ANC model, so the difference is entirely in the features list. This more expensive version adds Adaptive Audio, Transparency mode, Conversation Awareness and a wireless charging case. The ANC isn’t as powerful as the AirPods Pro 2, partially due to the fact that the AirPods 4 doesn’t completely seal off your ears. The noise-canceling performance is definitely useful though, working best with constant, low-frequency annoyances like fans and white noise machines. Lastly, you won’t get access to Apple’s hearing test and hearing aid features, partially due to the fact that the AirPods 4 with ANC doesn’t seal off your ears, which would affect accuracy and effectiveness.
This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/audio/headphones/best-airpods-100041810.html?src=rss
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