If you own an iPhone then a pair of AirPods can make for the perfect addition, but which one should you get? Read on for our definitive verdict on the best AirPods.
From the base AirPods to the ANC-toting AirPods Pros to the high-end over-ear AirPods Max, there’s a sizeable collection of Apple headphones. This only makes the dilemma of selecting which pair is right for you even more confusing.
Our team of experts have tested all of the Apple AirPods, past and present, and we know which ones are worth picking up in 2024. We test everything from sound quality to battery life to how comfy they are to wear for extended periods of time. We wear them on our daily commutes, in a loud office and even on a plane (if we have the chance).
AirPods only have limited functionality when paired with even the best Android phones. They still work, however you will miss out on some features – Siri and Spatial Audio being two examples – so if you’re an Android fan who’s come across this page then we recommended looking elsewhere at our best wireless earbuds round-up.
Still, if you are an iPhone user who’s interested to know what AirPods alternatives are out there before you make a final decision, you can also check out our round-ups for the best headphones and best wireless headphones. To know which AirPods made the cut as our current favourites, then keep reading on.
Best AirPods at a glance:
- Best Apple AirPods: AirPods Pro 2 – check price
- Best affordable AirPods: AirPods 3 – check price
- Best AirPods for ANC: AirPods Max – check price
How we test
Not just anybody can review a pair of headphones. You don’t need superhuman hearing to tell what’s good, but you do need to know what to listen out for.
Our headphone tests are done by some of the best and most prolific reviewers in the industry, with years of experience listening to everything from the plasticky freebie earbuds that come with your smartphone, to five-figure beasts of glass and marble. We love music and we want your tunes to sound good, too.
We listen to every pair of headphones we can get on or in our ears. We use a variety of sources, from basic MP3s playing on a laptop to high-quality tracks on dedicated hi-res audio players.
Our test tracks are wide-ranging to give headphones a thorough challenge. They’re also familiar, so we know every track backwards, and we know which bits might trouble the lesser performers.
We listen again and again, and we do that for weeks in case the sound changes – because it usually does. Then we’ll listen to similarly priced rivals and come up with a verdict that reflects the performance and features for the money.
- Excellent ANC
- Rich, warm sound
- Charging case gets some neat features
- Many of the best features are iPhone and Mac only
- Small, compact design
- Much improved sound
- Unmatched iOS and macOS integration
- No ANC
- Poor in loud environments
- Wonderful, versatile sound
- Many clever design elements and strong build quality
- Spatial audio can be immersive for the apps that support it
- Strong connection to the Apple ecosystem
- Lack of ‘off’ button is annoying
- The included case is bad in just about every way
- Heavy and can’t be folded down
- The high price can’t be ignored
Apple AirPods Pro 2
Best Apple earbuds
Pros
- Excellent ANC
- Rich, warm sound
- Charging case gets some neat features
Cons
- Many of the best features are iPhone and Mac only
If you want the most premium experience possible from Apple’s earbud range then the conversation starts and ends with the AirPods Pro 2. Not only are they fantastic ANC earbuds in their own right, but they offer up a huge improvement over their predecessor.
Speaking of active noise cancelling, this is the feature that truly sets the AirPods Pro 2 apart from the standard Apple AirPods 3. While the latter, due to its design, can let in plenty of ambient and outdoor noise which can hamper your listening experience, the Pro 2 pack powerful ANC that can reduce the world around you to a manageable hum.
Apple claims that the ANC is 2x stronger than what was available on the first gen AirPods Pro, and while that’s a tricky statement to verify, it certainly feels apropos when you actually get to use the updated earbuds. This is a Godsend if you commute regularly or if you live in a busy household and getting a moment’s peace can be tricky.
If you’d prefer the ANC to change throughout the day however then there is an exclusive feature for the AirPods Pro 2 known as Adaptive Audio. This mode engages the AirPods Pro 2 to listen out to what’s going on around you, lowering and heightening either the ANC or Transparency Mode, depending on your surroundings.
On top of the beefed up ANC, the AirPods Pro 2 also have a handful of new quality of life features including speakers within the charging case that can emit a sound when prompted – handy if you ever misplace it. Although to make matters even easier, the case is now fitted with the same U1 chip as the Apple AirTag which allows you to locate it via Precision Finding.
Of course, any pair of earbuds has to be backed up by great audio quality and the AirPods Pro 2 aren’t lacking here either. There’s a case to be made that you might find richer sound overall on the Sony WF-1000XM5 but the AirPods Pro 2 more than hold their own with luscious detail and powerful bass that can bring out the best in almost any track.
Reviewer: Max Parker
Full Review: Apple AirPods Pro 2
Apple AirPods 3
Best AirPods under £200
Pros
- Small, compact design
- Much improved sound
- Unmatched iOS and macOS integration
Cons
- No ANC
- Poor in loud environments
The AirPods 3 are the third-gen model in Apple’s standard AirPods line, and they are an easy recommendation for iPhone users and those after a pair of true wireless earbuds.
The AirPods 3 feature a redesign with a shorter stem than those on the 1st and 2nd generation models, and the size of the housing is bigger so it can fit more ears. We took them on a couple of runs and found the buds stayed put. They’re a decent bet for fitness workouts with an IPX4 rating that protects against sweat and rain.
The AirPods 3 have a longer battery life than the Pro model at 30 hours total (6 in each earbud) and like the Pro they take advantage of MagSafe support, which allows them to magnetically attach to supported chargers for a simpler connection.
Like the other AirPods on this list, there’s excellent iOS and macOS integration for iPhone and Mac users. The implementation of Spatial Audio with Dolby Atmos, which supports immersive 3D audio with head tracking, and we found the effect a little off-putting when listening to something and moving around a lot.
To our ears, the sound quality is an improvement over the AirPods 2, but the vocals aren’t as crisply delivered as they are on the Pros. There’s also no noise cancellation, and with the open design that means sound will leak and affect what you’re listening to. They’re not the cheapest AirPods available as the AirPods 2 are still on sale at $129 / £119, but the improvements across the board are worth the jump in price.
Reviewer: Max Parker
Full Review: Apple AirPods 3 review
AirPods Max
The best over-ear AirPods
Pros
- Wonderful, versatile sound
- Many clever design elements and strong build quality
- Spatial audio can be immersive for the apps that support it
- Strong connection to the Apple ecosystem
Cons
- Lack of ‘off’ button is annoying
- The included case is bad in just about every way
- Heavy and can’t be folded down
- The high price can’t be ignored
The AirPods Max are Apple’s first pair of over-ear AirPods and their high price of $549 / £549 instantly makes them more expensive than Sony’s WH-1000XM5 and Bose NC Headphones 700, but we still found a lot to admire about these headphones.
The design is one we found to be rather unique, very comfortable to wear with the Apple Watch-like Digital Crown and buttons built into the ear cups instead of gesture controls, an aspect of the headphones we appreciated for the physical feedback they offered. Unlike the true wireless AirPods, there’s a range of colourful choices to pick from, but the headphones can’t be folded due to their design and the carry case (which also charges the headphones) doesn’t offer much protection and looks very silly.
There’s powerful adaptive noise cancellation that rivals that offered by the likes of Bose’s NC Headphones 700 and Sony’s older WH-1000XM4, and there’s the usual fantastic integration with the Apple ecosystem, along with Spatial Audio Dolby Atmos for more immersive listening with Apple Music and some supported apps. Battery is towards the lower end of the market at only 20 hours, so they lack the longevity of Sony’s headphones.
We found the audio quality to be excellent, the dual H1 chips and Adaptive EQ producing a balanced sound that impresses across a wide range of music. There’s plenty of bass to count on, while we never found higher frequencies to sound stressed either, and no distortion when the volume is pumped up. The lack of any Hi-Res Audio support is a mark against it when cheaper Sony and Technics headphones feature that level of support.
If you want some of the features of the AirPods Max, but without the high cost, it’s worth looking at the Beats Studio Pro.
Reviewer: Max Parker
Full Review: Apple AirPods Max review
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FAQs
The AirPods Pro 2 and the AirPods Max both feature active noise cancellation, while the AirPods 3 do not.
The AirPods 3 and AirPods Pro 2 support wireless charging. The AirPods Max don’t – they need an Apple Lightning cable to charge the headphones.
The AirPods 3 and AirPods Pro 2 are only available in a glossy white finish. The AirPods Max come in an array of colours that includes silver, space grey, sky blue, pink and green.
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Editorial independence means being able to give an unbiased verdict about a product or company, with the avoidance of conflicts of interest. To ensure this is possible, every member of the editorial staff follows a clear code of conduct.
Professional conduct
We also expect our journalists to follow clear ethical standards in their work. Our staff members must strive for honesty and accuracy in everything they do. We follow the IPSO Editors’ code of practice to underpin these standards.
Editorial independence
Editorial independence means being able to give an unbiased verdict about a product or company, with the avoidance of conflicts of interest. To ensure this is possible, every member of the editorial staff follows a clear code of conduct.
Professional conduct
We also expect our journalists to follow clear ethical standards in their work. Our staff members must strive for honesty and accuracy in everything they do. We follow the IPSO Editors’ code of practice to underpin these standards.
