Best True Wireless Earbuds 2019: The best cable-free in-ears

While on-and-over ear headphones are good, sometimes you just need something small. There are in-earphones that have ‘wireless’ on the box, but they often still have a connecting wire between the two earbuds. If you want total freedom of movement, you’ll want a truly wireless earphone

The true wireless markets has expanded in the last few years with a number of brands entering the market. How often have you seen someone on your commute wearing an Apple AirPod? Sound quality is getting better, as is connectivity, with true-wireless in-ears fast becoming a convenient choice for headphone wearers.

If you’re after a top end set that delivers great audio quality and ANC (active noise cancellation) then the Sony WF-1000X are our current best pick. If you’re on a budget then the Motorola Stream set are the best value wireless earbuds around at the moment.

From affordable in-ears to flashier, feature-laden efforts, these are the best true-wireless in-ears.

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1. Sony WF-1000X

The best-sounding wireless earbuds so far

Pros: 

• Excellent noise cancellation
• Adaptive noise cancelling totally works
• Comfortable, stable fit
• Auto-connect/disconnect
• Great sound

Cons:

• Charging case is a little chunky

The first few waves of true wireless earphones were hard to recommend without mentioning several caveats. Then Sony entered the fray with the Sony WF-1000X.

Though we reviewed them back in 2017, they still remain our favourite wire-free earphones today. They combine great wireless performance with excellent sound quality, something many other units in this class can’t deliver.

Sound is balanced and refined, with finesse and detail. The signature can also be customised, although we’re happy with Sony’s default tasteful tuning. They’re feature-packed too, the highlight being active noise cancellation, which zaps plenty of ambient noise.

The level of cancellation can be customised, and there’s even a mode that automatically alters the level to suit what you’re doing.

Battery life is an average three hours, which perhaps isn’t a surprise given the use of ANC. The case is a little large, too, but it does have the juice for two extra charges. That gives you nine hours of use away from a charger.

2. TicPods Free

Not a household name, but a great performer

Pros:

• Decent audio
• Good battery life
• Great value

Cons:

• Design is a little ostentatious
• Touch controls are finicky

While it’s not a household name, Mobvoi ought to gain more recognition in light of its impressive TicPods Free.

The TicPods’ feature-set compares favourably to efforts from Sony and Apple. Apple’s Siri, Amazon’s Alexa and Google’s Assistant are all supported. Plus, the TicPods occupy the higher end of the battery life market, with a useful four-hour battery life.

Like the AirPods, the design risks looking ostentatious. The TicPods aren’t helped by finicky touch controls that don’t always respond.

Audio quality, however, is a step up over similarly priced efforts. Treble reproduction is good, as is tonal balance, and decent rhythmic control means it can keep up with toe-tapping beats. Bass could be better, but overall the TicPods offer a nicely precise sound.

3. Apple AirPods

Great battery life and the best option for Apple users

Pros:

• Strong Bluetooth connection
•  Great battery life
•  W1 chip is the future of wireless headphones

Cons:

• Sound quality not much better than average
•  Don’t fit in all ear types
•  Design isn’t for everyone

You can’t mistake a pair of the Apple AirPods. They hang down from your ears like pieces of gadget jewellery. Though we still think they look a bit odd.

They’re far from the best-sounding earphones either, with audio quality similar to the Apple EarPods. There’s a good amount of bass, but detail and clarity are unremarkable.

However, there have some great benefits. Lasting five hours between charges, the AirPods are about the longest-lasting true wireless earphones available. Their battery case, which has enough juice for four recharges, is tiny – and just 15 minutes of charging gets you another three hours of use.

These earphones feature the W1 wireless chip, which lets them communicate directly with iOS devices to make pairing even easier. It also provides excellent wireless reliability, matching the very best.

For all their flaws, the AirPods are easy to get on with in most respects.

4. Motorola Stream

Good connectivity, decent audio and cheap

Pros:

• Subtle design and good fit
• Charging case
• Solid connection
• Water-resistance
• On-board controls

Cons:

• Fully charged buds last only two hours
• Minor hiss audible in quiet music

The Motorola Stream are among the best affordable true wireless earphones.

These put in a solid performance, with a sound that’s nicely balanced and doesn’t leave you with the feeling that you’ve traded away fidelity just to get rid of the wires. Bluetooth strength is great, too, with virtually no blips or interference to mar the experience.

Other neat extras you don’t often get in an ‘entry-level’ true wireless pair include a voice prompt to notify you of battery levels and controls on the earpieces. The Stream are also water-resistant to the IP54 standard. Good enough for sweat but avoid dipping them in water.

The sound can be come across as slightly hissy at times. Another drawback is the poor battery. Two hours between charges will test the patience of many, although the battery case provides two full recharges before needing to be plugged in.

5. Amps Air 2.0

An cheaper alternative to the AirPods

Pros:

• Cheaper than rivals
• Listenable sound quality
• Robust build quality

Cons:

• Seal not stable enough for some exercises
• Could do with more tip options

As the model name implies, these are second version of the Amps Air earbuds. They look identical to the original, but Sol Republic has tinkered with the design.

They now have Bluetooth 5.0, which radically improves connection speeds. There’s also an upgraded mic and the IPX4 rating that toughens up their water resistant qualities.

Otherwise they remain the same in other respects. The same connections (no USB-C), with charging times around the 2.5 to 3 hour mark. The best aspect of the Amps Air 2.0 is the sound. Tonal balance has been improved, as has dynamism and detail and that makes for a competitive performer.

6. B&O Beoplay E8

Great looking and great sounding in-ears

Pros:

• Good sound
• Lovely design and build
• Good fit (if fiddly)
• Stable connection
• Decent battery life

Cons:

• Buggy app (optional)
• Expensive

Style gurus of the true wireless world, the B&O Beoplay E8 look better than the AirPods. That extends to the battery case too. A leather finish adds class.

There are touch controls on the back of each earpiece, and multi-level passthrough lets you hear the sounds from the outside world when you need to.

Don’t expect a battery life revelation. The E8s will last four hours between charges. The leather pebble case provides an additional eight hours’ use should you need it.

Crucially, they also sound excellent as long as you fiddle with them enough to get the right fit.

7. Jaybird Run

Not quite perfect, but they sound great

Pros:

• Comfortable and secure fit
• Good sound quality
• Quick-charging and respectable battery life
• Solid hands-free quality

Cons:

• No Comply foam tips
• Limited media controls

The Jaybird Run are sporty earphones and use little silicone hooks to ensure they stay put. They’re sweat-resistant too.

Sound quality is decent, with powerful bass that can lean towards boomy, the app lets you customise the audio to your tastes.

You’ll get a solid four hours of use between charges, and the battery case is good for around two further charges. Controls on the earpieces are limited, just the one on each side, but you can customise its function.

Wireless stability is decent, although you’ll have to put up with the occasional phasing in/out between the earpieces.

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Which true wireless earbuds are best?

When buying true wireless earbuds you need to consider what exactly you want them for. If you’re after something you can use on the morning commute, you’ll want to avoid shelling out for a pair with ANC, as using them when crossing roads can be fairly dangerous.

If you’re after a set for the gym, then you’ll want to look for a pair with a decent selection of tips and water/sweat-proofing.

Then finally you have to think about price. After all, there’s no point spending oodles of cash on a set with a heart-rate monitor or getting a top-end set with ANC if you’re just a casual listener looking to enjoy the benefits of wire-free headphones.

After all that, you should ask, ‘do I really need a true wireless set?’ After all, as the tech is fairly new, every pair comes with a fair mark-up on price. If you don’t 100% need a completely cable free set you could be better off checking out a over-ear wireless set. You can check out our selection of the best in our guide to the best wireless headphones.

How we test true wireless earbuds

We use every set of true wireless earbuds for at least a week before scoring. While testing we use them in a variety of different environments as well as quiet lab conditions to ensure we check how they work in the real world, not just a lab environment. They’re also tested using a variety of music genres.

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