The best AirPods of 2024: We tested all of Apple's headphones to find the right fit for different needs

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Apple's AirPods are immoderate of our favourite wireless headphones acknowledgment to their coagulated audio quality, seamless pairing pinch iPhones, and sleek designs. But pinch aggregate models to take from, picking nan champion AirPods for your needs tin beryllium tricky. That's why we've tested nan lineup to find which models are champion for different users. 

The champion Apple AirPods for astir group are nan AirPods Pro 2, which offers progressive sound cancellation (ANC), an in-ear design, and a wireless charging case. But buyers connected a fund mightiness for illustration nan modular AirPods (second generation), which are nan cheapest AirPods you tin get. They're an older exemplary and deficiency ANC but still person galore of nan aforesaid halfway features recovered connected pricier AirPods. 

Below are specifications connected each of Apple's headphones, on pinch our recommendations for what each exemplary is champion suited for.

Our apical picks for nan champion Apple AirPods

Best overall: AirPods Pro 2 - See astatine Amazon

Best for an unfastened fit: AirPods 4 pinch ANC - See astatine Amazon

Best connected a budget: AirPods (second generation) - See astatine Walmart

Best for audiophiles: AirPods Max - See astatine Amazon

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Best overall

The second-generation AirPods Pro are Apple's flagship wireless earbuds. These are nan champion AirPods to bargain if you want awesome sound value and top-notch progressive sound cancellation successful a compact design.

Offering a clear measurement up from nan first-gen Pro, nan AirPods Pro 2 usage a civilization driver that delivers a large betterment successful audio performance. Sound is noticeably richer than what we heard connected nan original model, which offered a much hollow and distant quality. 

These were besides nan first AirPods to motorboat pinch Apple's H2 processing chip, which nan institution claims tin present doubly arsenic powerful noise-canceling arsenic nan H1 chip. Good sound canceling isn't conscionable useful during a commute aliases while traveling. It's a cardinal characteristic for blocking retired distracting sound during day-to-day tasks, for illustration moving astatine a desk.

The second-gen AirPods Pro are nan champion AirPods for astir people. Antonio Villas-Boas/Business Insider

Though powerful ANC is simply a large logic nan AirPods Pro costs much than different Apple earbuds, we deliberation this characteristic is worthy splurging for. The AirPods Pro besides person an fantabulous transparency mode, which uses microphones to fto successful extracurricular noises erstwhile you want to enactment alert of your surroundings. However, nan AirPods Pro can't rather lucifer nan noise-canceling capacity of immoderate competing earbuds we've tested, for illustration nan Bose QuietComfort Ultra. But if you're group connected sticking pinch nan Apple brand, these are nan best headphones to get. 

The second-gen AirPods Pro besides person a unafraid in-ear design, which makes them nan champion AirPods for group who've had issues pinch different models staying successful their ears. The Pros fresh much snugly than modular AirPods, acknowledgment to customizable tips that spell deeper into your ear. The lawsuit included pinch nan latest AirPods Pro uses USB-C and is now dust-resistant, successful summation to water- and sweat-proof. 

In an upcoming AirPods Pro package update, Apple will besides present caller aural wellness features, including a proceeding assistance function. The features are designed to thief users forestall proceeding nonaccomplishment erstwhile exposed to large environments aliases to heighten their hearing. With an iPhone, users tin besides do a five-minute proceeding cheque to find if location whitethorn beryllium immoderate issues. 

Read our afloat Apple AirPods Pro (second generation) review.

Check retired our guides to nan best AirPods Pro 2 cases and best wireless earbuds.

Best for an unfastened fit

Apple's AirPods 4 are nan brand's latest midrange earbuds. Unlike nan AirPods Pro 2, they usage a semi-open fresh alternatively than an in-ear seal, which has pros and cons. You tin take betwixt 2 versions: one without ANC for $129 and one pinch ANC and a wireless charging lawsuit for $179.

Both options present nan aforesaid halfway audio capacity and design, but we deliberation nan ANC model's noise-canceling characteristic and wireless charging lawsuit make it nan amended value. Though nan AirPods Pro 2 person a fewer cardinal perks that this exemplary is missing, nan AirPods 4 pinch ANC are an fantabulous midrange replacement and they're nan champion AirPods for group who for illustration an unfastened fit.

The AirPods 4 connection coagulated noise-canceling capacity contempt their open-fit design. Tyler Hayes/Business Insider

Instead of having silicone tips that plug into your ears to create a afloat seal, nan AirPods 4 receptor tips remainder conscionable extracurricular your receptor canal. Though an in-ear seal does let nan AirPods Pro 2 to connection amended sound value and noise-canceling strength, immoderate group dislike nan congested emotion of tips inserted successful their ears.

The AirPods 4 supply a much unfastened fit, and Apple has improved nan creation complete erstwhile models truthful they enactment much unafraid successful a assortment of receptor shapes. However, opinions stay divided complete nan comfortableness of open-ear AirPods, truthful this really does travel down to individual penchant and your receptor size.

During our tests, we were impressed by nan AirPods 4 audio quality, which holds up good against different options successful this value range. Noise-canceling capacity is besides solid, which is astonishing since astir open-fit earbuds struggle pinch providing convincing ANC. The earbuds' transparency mode is besides fantabulous for erstwhile you want to fto successful extracurricular sound to enactment alert of your surroundings. That said, in-ear buds for illustration nan AirPods Pro 2 still person nan AirPods 4 hit erstwhile it comes to blocking retired louder distractions, for illustration nan motor connected an airplane.

Read our afloat Apple AirPods 4 review.

Best connected a budget

Apple's second-generation AirPods aren't arsenic precocious arsenic nan brand's much costly offerings, and pinch nan merchandise of nan AirPods 4, they've go progressively outdated. You won't find perks for illustration sound cancellation, spatial audio, aliases h2o guidance here. However, nan second-gen AirPods still clasp each nan halfway features AirPods are known for — for illustration speedy pairing pinch iOS devices and automatic playing and pausing. And pinch emblematic discounts, they're nan cheapest AirPods you tin buy. If your purpose is to snag a brace of Apple earbuds for nether $100, nan second-gen AirPods stay your only option. 

The second-gen AirPods sound decent successful position of audio quality, but they're not connected par pinch Apple's newer earbuds. While they meet basal needs, they aren't a bully fresh for enthusiasts who want nan champion audio capacity erstwhile listening to music. 

The second-generation AirPods are nan astir basal AirPods available. Hollis Johnson/Business Insider

Like nan AirPods 3 and 4, this second-gen exemplary has a semi-open fit. Rather than creating a existent seal successful your ear, they remainder much loosely astatine nan opening of your receptor canal, which keeps your ears from emotion plugged. While this style is awesome for proceeding your surroundings, it hurts sound isolation. Comfort is besides split, pinch immoderate users preferring nan unfastened fresh and others uncovering it difficult to support nan second-gen AirPods successful spot erstwhile paired pinch definite receptor shapes. 

The second-gen AirPods person longer stems than their counterparts. This makes them look for illustration Apple conscionable snipped nan wires disconnected its EarPods headphones. It's not a bad look (it's go iconic) but nan style isn't arsenic sleek arsenic nan shorter stems connected Apple's different models. 

Generally, we deliberation astir group are amended disconnected paying much for nan AirPods 4 aliases AirPods Pro 2, but nan second-gen AirPods stay a coagulated worth erstwhile you tin find them for nether $100. 

Best for audiophiles

The AirPods Max present first-rate audio capacity and sound cancellation, each wrapped successful an elegant package. Unlike Apple's different AirPods, which are each earbuds, nan AirPods Max usage a larger over-ear headphone design. This makes them amended suited for group who prioritize high-end audio value and want a brace of headphones that make a connection erstwhile worn successful public. 

Buyers should statement that Apple released a somewhat updated type of nan AirPods Max successful September 2024. The refreshed headphones present nan aforesaid audio performance, but they now support USB-C for charging and travel successful caller colors. However, nan original version is typically connected waste for astir $100 less, truthful we still urge that type erstwhile it's disposable for little money.

The AirPods Max usage Apple-designed drivers and 10 audio cores to present computational audio and adaptive EQ, which allows nan headphones to set their sound based connected nan fresh of nan receptor cups. Like nan AirPods Pro, nan AirPods Max support spatial audio and different features for illustration quick-pairing. 

During our tests, nan AirPods Max sounded importantly crisper, bolder, and louder than nan Bose Noise Canceling 700 headphones. They besides outperformed nan Sony WH-1000XM4, though Sony's headphones came impressively close. 

The AirPods Max are Apple's only over-ear headphones. Lisa Eadicicco/Business Insider

The AirPods Max besides delivers erstwhile it comes to sound cancellation. When we sat underneath an elevated subway that runs supra a very engaged street, nan AirPods Max importantly dulled nan sound of a train's screeching and adjacent traffic. They're not nan absolute best noise-canceling headphones we've tested, but they activity incredibly well.  

On nan downside, nan included lawsuit isn't nan best. It doesn't complaint nan AirPods Max and alternatively conscionable puts them successful low-power mode. It's besides little of a accepted lawsuit and much of a wrap. Check retired our guideline to nan best AirPods Max accessories to spot our recommendations for much heavy-duty cases you tin buy. 

There's nary uncertainty that nan AirPods Max are excellent, but their precocious value makes them inaccessible to galore people. However, they do get occasional discounts passim nan year. If you're an Apple loyalist who prioritizes top-notch audio pinch an over-ear creation — and are consenting to splurge for it  — nan AirPods Max are nan champion Apple AirPods to get. 

Read our afloat Apple AirPods Max review.

Check retired our guideline to nan best over-ear headphones.

How we trial AirPods

We tested each brace of AirPods successful various environments pinch different audio sources. Antonio Villas-Boas

To trial nan champion Apple AirPods, our experts evaluated various capacity elements, including design, fit, sound quality, other features, and easiness of use. We perceive to an assortment of tracks crossed genres and from various sources, including galore of nan best euphony streaming services. For AirPods that support spatial audio, we besides perceive to Dolby Atmos tracks.

Likewise, if an AirPods exemplary supports sound cancellation, we measure that characteristic successful a real-world noisy situation adjacent dense postulation outside, noting really good nan characteristic reduces ambient sounds. We besides sample transparency modes to spot really good nan AirPods fto successful surrounding sound naturally.

For this guide, we focused connected really each AirPods exemplary compares to different AirPods successful bid to find each model's strengths and weaknesses wrong Apple's headphones lineup. 

What to look for successful AirPods

The AirPods 4 are Apple's midrange wireless earbuds and they're disposable pinch aliases without ANC. Tyler Hayes/Business Insider

When deciding which AirPods to buy, we urge focusing connected a fewer cardinal factors, including price, sound quality, ANC support, and design.

Price: Apple's existent lineup of AirPods includes nan AirPods 4 ($129), AirPods 4 pinch ANC ($179), AirPods Pro 2 ($249), and AirPods Max ($549). However, AirPods often spell connected sale, truthful it's not uncommon to spot nan Pro exemplary driblet to nether $200. Likewise, immoderate stores still waste nan older second-gen AirPods for astir $89, which makes them nan cheapest AirPods connected nan market.

Sound quality: When it comes to audio performance, nan AirPods Pro 2 are nan champion AirPods pinch an in-ear design. But if you're consenting to salary apical dollar and for illustration an over-ear design, nan AirPods Max are nan best-sounding AirPods overall. The AirPods 4 besides present coagulated audio quality, but their open-fit creation leads to sound leakage that limits performance.

Noise-canceling: The AirPods 4 pinch ANC, AirPods Pro 2, and AirPods Max each see progressive noise-canceling support, truthful if ANC is important to you, you'll want to attraction connected those models. The AirPods Max tin artifact nan astir sound acknowledgment to their over-ear design, but nan AirPods Pro 2 besides person awesome sound cancellation. The AirPods 4 pinch ANC person nan slightest powerful sound canceling of nan lineup.

Design and fit: The AirPods Pro 2, AirPods 4, and AirPods 4 pinch ANC are each earbud-style wireless headphones. The AirPods Pro 2 person an in-ear fresh that creates a seal successful your receptor canal. This enables amended audio capacity and stableness but immoderate group dislike really it feels. The AirPods 4 person a semi-open fresh that rests conscionable extracurricular your receptor canal. This creation limits sound value and nan effectiveness of ANC, but immoderate group find it much comfortable. Apple besides sells nan AirPods Max, which person an over-ear creation pinch a headband and padded earcups. Over-ear headphones tin present nan champion capacity overall, but they're little portable than earbuds.

What are nan apical AirPods alternatives?

Anker's Soundcore Liberty 4 NC earbuds are cheaper than nan AirPods 4 and characteristic agelong stems akin to nan original AirPods. Ryan Waniata/Business Insider

Apple's AirPods are celebrated headphones, but they're not suited for each needs. This is particularly existent if you scheme to usage your earbuds chiefly pinch an Android telephone aliases PC. Thankfully, galore brands waste headphones pinch akin features arsenic nan AirPods while being little rigidly tied to nan Apple ecosystem.

Some of our favourite AirPods alternatives see nan Beats Fit Pro and nan Soundcore Liberty 4 NC. The Beats earbuds are really made by Apple and usage nan company's H1 chip, conscionable for illustration older AirPods. However, nan Beats marque features a much Android-friendly group of features and an Android app. Meanwhile, nan Soundcore earbuds are an affordable AirPods replacement that costs nether $100 and person a stem-like creation that's reminiscent of classical AirPods.

Check retired our guideline to nan best AirPods alternatives for specifications connected each of our picks.

AirPods FAQs

The second-gen AirPods were first released successful 2019. Hollis Johnson/Business Insider

What astir nan AirPods 3?

With nan merchandise of nan AirPods 4, we nary longer urge nan third-generation AirPods successful this guide. Based connected existent unit listings, nan AirPods 3 are trading for nan aforesaid value aliases higher than nan guidelines AirPods 4. Since nan AirPods 4 connection clear improvements, there's nary logic to see nan AirPods 3. It's imaginable that stores could connection discounts connected nan AirPods 3 successful nan coming weeks, but correct now we urge you snag nan caller exemplary for nan aforesaid value aliases see paying little for nan second-gen AirPods.

When will Apple merchandise caller AirPods?

Apple's modular AirPods are now successful their 4th generation, nan AirPods Pro are successful their 2nd generation, and nan AirPods Max are still successful their first generation.

• AirPods: Apple's fourth-generation AirPods launched successful September 2024 during nan brand's iPhone 16 motorboat event. The merchandise rhythm for caller AirPods is typically 2 to 3 years, truthful we don't expect different exemplary until 2026 astatine nan earliest.
• AirPods Pro: Apple released nan second-generation AirPods Pro successful September 2022, and re-released them successful 2023 pinch a caller lawsuit but made nary updates to nan earbuds themselves. Apple didn't refresh them successful 2024 either but announced an upcoming package update that will adhd wellness features designed to forestall proceeding harm aliases heighten proceeding for nan impaired, pending FDA clearance. Keep successful mind that nan original AirPods Pro were released successful 2019, giving them a three-year life cycle. We mightiness person to hold a akin magnitude of clip for a caller AirPods Pro model, meaning they'd driblet successful 2025.
• AirPods Max: Apple released nan AirPods Max successful December 2020 and announced an updated Max exemplary pinch USB-C charging and caller colors. From what we could gather, nan updated Max for 2024 is simply a refresh of nan original.