Soundcore Liberty 4 NC Wireless Earbuds
Battery life: 10 hours (with ANC) | Wireless charging case: Yes | Water-resistance: IPX4 | Drivers: 11 mm | ANC: Yes
Best for: Average users who want the best wireless earbud experience they can get for a reasonable price.
If you’re looking for the best wireless earbuds you can get for under $100, then the Soundcore Liberty 4 NC Wireless Earbuds are the ones to buy. At their base, these earbuds get all the basics right. They have a great audio quality—and while some reviewers note that the frequency response isn’t great out of the box, they work with an app that has an EQ, so you can tweak the sound to be exactly what you want. The headphones have noise cancellation, too, and it’s quite good for this price range—and helps you take full advantage of the solid 11 mm drivers.
The Soundcore Liberty 4 NC Wireless Earbuds do have ANC, which isn’t a given in this price range. They also have wireless charging, which makes keeping the battery topped up easy. However, you may not need to top them up all that frequently given the fact that they have a great battery life. You get ten hours of continuous listening, and the charging case brings the battery life up to an impressive 50 hours. The trade-off is that the charging case is a little bulky, so you’ll have to decide if that’s a deal-breaker for you.
What the reviews say: One Amazon reviewer is particularly happy with the audio quality. “I’m thoroughly satisfied with my purchase and would recommend the Soundcore by Anker Liberty 4 NC Wireless Earbuds to anyone seeking high-quality, feature-rich wireless earbuds.”
Pros:
- Great battery life
- High-end audio quality (when tuned)
- ANC at a great price
Cons:
- Frequency tuning out of the box isn’t the best
- Charging case is a little bulky
Best Portable Wireless Earbuds Under $100
Easy To Pocket When You’re On The Go
1More ComfoBuds Mini Wireless Earbuds
Battery life: 5 hours (with ANC) | Wireless charging case: Yes | Water-resistance rating: IPX5 | Drivers: 7 mm | ANC: Yes
Best for: Users on the go who want a pair of wireless earbuds that easily fits in a pocket and takes up minimal room in a bag.
Sometimes, you have to decide what your priorities are. If you want a huge battery life, go for the Soundcore Liberty 4 NC Wireless. If, however, you’re willing to trade some battery for portability, then the 1More ComfoBuds Mini wireless earbuds are the way to go. The earbuds cut continuous listening down to five hours with ANC, and with the charging case, you get just 24 hours. But, that’s still more than enough for those who only listen a few hours at a time, and who are good at keeping their earbuds topped up—which is pretty easy with the wireless charging support. And it means you get a small, easily pocketable pair of earbuds, which measure only 2.2 x 2.0 x .96 inches.
The earbuds offer other great features, too. They have noise cancellation built into them, and it’s not bad at all. The audio quality is pretty good for a pair of earbuds in this price range, however there’s no EQ to tweak the sound if you don’t like it out of the box. They’re water-resistant with an IPX5 rating and, because of the fact that the earbuds themselves are very small, they’re quite comfortable.
What the reviews say: A reviewer on Amazon was impressed with not only the size of the case, but also the buds themselves. “I was intrigued by the small size of the 1More Minis and wanted to try them. For the most part, they are wonderful. They are literally half the size of my other buds with most of the same features. Remarkable. I don’t really like large buds hanging out of my ears and really loathe the stemmed variety like AirPods. These Minis almost disappear, and their extremely light weight makes them very comfortable.”
Pros:
- Very portable
- Good audio out of the box
- Wireless charging and ANC
Cons:
- No EQ
- Battery isn’t great
Best Wireless Earbuds Under $100 For Sound Quality
Better Audio Than Anyone Else At This Price
Samsung Galaxy Buds FE Wireless Earbuds
Battery life: 6 hours (with ANC) | Wireless charging case: No | Water-resistance rating: IPX2 | Drivers: Unknown | ANC: Yes
Best for: Those who want the best-sounding wireless earbuds in this price range, but don’t care about other features.
The Samsung Galaxy Buds FE aren’t the most feature-rich wireless earbuds under $100, but they are the best-sounding. Unfortunately, they don’t have things like wireless charging, water-resistance worth talking about, or a long-lasting battery life.
But, for the right person, those things won’t matter. Perhaps you listen for only a few hours at a time, don’t need water-resistance or are willing to put the earbuds away in heavy rain, and don’t mind plugging them in to charge up. In that case, the Samsung Galaxy Buds FE earbuds may be the way to go. The offer great bass response to help make kick drums and bass guitars shine. And they have great detail in the high-end, which helps make audio sound a little more exciting and clear. They do have one extra feature—noise cancellation, for good audio quality without getting distracted. The fit is also quite good, and the buttons on the face of the earbuds are relatively easy to interact with.
What the writers say: Audio expert Adam Doud tested the Samsung Galaxy Buds FE as a part of his best wireless earbuds testing and says “For the price, the Samsung Galaxy Buds FE have no right to sound as good as they do. Usually retailing for around $100, these earbuds have really great sound, making it obvious where Samsung put most of the focus in the buds’ development. But doing so cost Samsung in other areas that are becoming table stakes for $100 earbuds these days.”
Pros:
- Solid audio quality
- Comfortable fit
- Buttons are easy to use
Cons:
- Limited feature-set
- Battery could be better
- Water-resistance is very limited
Best Wireless Earbuds Under $100 For Working Out
A Good Fit When You’re Moving A Lot
Skullcandy Push Active Wireless Earbuds
Battery life: 10 hours | Wireless charging case: No | Water-resistance rating: IP55 | Drivers: 6 mm | ANC: No
Best for: Runners, gym rats and fast-paced walkers who want something with a secure fit and decent water-resistance.
If you’re looking for a pair of wireless earbuds that stay firmly in your ears when you’re working out, then the Skullcandy Push Active wireless earbuds are worth buying. These earbuds have an ear-hook design to better stay in your ears, plus they offer an IP55 water-resistance rating, which is enough to ensure that the earbuds will easily survive use in the rain or sweat. Don’t submerge them in water, though, as they won’t survive that.
There are some features missing from these earbuds. Notably, they don’t have noise cancellation or wireless charging, so they need to be plugged in. Thankfully, they do have a good battery life. You get an impressive ten hours of continuous listening from the earbuds, and with the charging case, it’s 34 hours in total. The audio quality on the earbuds isn’t bad—but keep in mind that they’re built to prioritize bass, and aren’t necessarily the most accurate-sounding.
What the reviews say: One Amazon reviewer noted how well the earbuds stay firmly in the wearer’s ears. “I chose these over other BT earbuds because of the ear hook. I just did a very intense boxing workout (lots of footwork and head movement, while absolutely smashing the heavy bag) and these buds felt 100% secure.”
Pros:
- Great battery life
- Unique designs
- Tons of bass for motivation
Cons:
- No wireless charging
- Audio isn’t super accurate
Best Ultra-Affordable Earbuds Under $100
Great Earbuds, For Even Less
JLab JBuds Mini Wireless Earbuds
Battery life: 5.5 hours | Wireless charging case: No | Water-resistance rating: IP55 | Drivers: 6 mm | ANC: No
Best for: Those who really want the lowest price possible.
If you really want to make sure you spend as little as possible for a decent pair of wireless earbuds, then the JLab JBuds Mini earbuds are the way to go. As you might expect, these earbuds are quite limited when it comes to features. Don’t expect noise cancellation or wireless charging at this price. The battery life is also only fine, sitting in at 5.5 hours of continuous listening.
However, there’s a reason the battery life isn’t great—the earbuds are tiny. In fact, they’re small enough that they might fall out of some users’ ears, though experimenting with the included ear tips should help mitigate that issue. The earbuds also sound quite good, especially for the price, and they work with an app that has a built-in EQ to tailor the audio to your preferences. That’s all for a pair of earbuds that has a list price of only $40, which is very impressive.
What the writers say: Social video producer Natalie Steinman says “I was scared at first that the sound wouldn’t be as good compared to normal sized headphones. But even though they are tiny, they’re able to go louder than some of my more expensive/bigger headphones. I really like to use them when I’m running because of how small their case is and how well they fit in my ear.”
Pros:
- Highly affordable
- Great audio for the price
- App with EQ adjustment
Cons:
- Very limited feature set
- Fit might be too small for some
Why Trust Forbes Vetted
How I Chose The Best Wireless Earbuds Under $100
In building this list of the best wireless earbuds under $100, I looked at the most reputable and well-known brands and models, then compared the specifications that are most important. I looked at specs like design, battery life, water-resistance rating and any additional features that help make a pair of earbuds even better.
Not only did we consider the top models in this price bracket, but we also considered even more affordable models and the value that they offered. And, of course, we looked at the general consensus of users of the earbuds, with each option needing to have overwhelmingly positive reviews.
What To Look For In The Best Wireless Earbuds Under $100
Picking the best wireless earbuds under $100 for your needs can be tricky. After all, there are many options out there, and they’re not all created equal. Here’s a look at the features that are most important when buying a pair of wireless earbuds.
Wireless earbuds are designed to be used on the go, so portability is important. Some of the options on this list are more portable than others, however they’ll all fit in a pocket or bag. You may also want to consider the overall design of the earbuds—some have a stem design popularized by the AirPods, while others instead are simply buds without a stem. Some come in fun colors and designs, too.
Audio quality is perhaps the most important consideration to make when buying a pair of wireless earbuds. But it can be hard to judge audio quality using just specifications, as they don’t give a good overall picture of how a pair of earbuds sounds. Some earbuds offer more bass settings or more customizable audio settings, whereas others might not offer as many or focus on other areas like noise canceling. Features like these can make or break your audio quality, so it’s a good idea to look at reviews to determine whether a pair of earbuds can deliver the quality and features you’re looking for.
Battery life is important too, especially since wireless earbuds have a much shorter battery life than over-ear headphones, as they’re much smaller. Wireless earbud battery life has been getting better though—you can expect at least five hours of continuous listening on the low end, or up to ten hours on the high end. On top of that, wireless earbuds come with a charging case for when you’re not using them, and this tops up the battery. Usually, this charging case delivers at least another ten hours of power, however some cases can add 20 to 30 hours of battery.
These aren’t the types of headphones you can take swimming—however, water-resistance can still come in handy. That’s because if you use them while you work out, you’ll likely sweat. Also, you never know when you might find yourself stuck in the rain when you’re using them. Water resistance is usually communicated with an IP rating, with the second number in that rating referring to water (the first is dust). Some earbuds might have no IP rating or a low IP rating of IPX2, while those with actually decent water-resistance start at around IPX5.
Wireless earbuds offer plenty of other features that could come in handy. Some have noise cancellation that can help block outside noise. Others support wireless charging that makes it easier to charge them by simply plopping the charging case down on a Qi charging pad. The there are those that work with an app that allows the user to tweak settings like EQ and controls. If these kinds of features are important to you, it’s worth looking out for them, as there are models in this price range that offer them.
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