The 10 best earbuds

Wireless earbuds are great. They’re hands-free, pocketsize and look cool, but they’re rubbish for running because they fall out too easily. Unless you have those ones with the ungainly loops and not everyone is on board with those. So if aesthetic is as important to you as your workout, we recommend these Bose Sport Earbuds. They look the same as the QuietComfort model, but are in fact a touch smaller, for a truly snug fit, and they have StayHear Max Tips, which hook discretely within your ear. The battery lasts up to five hours on a single charge, the quality is as you’d expect from Bose – stellar – and the Bluetooth range is an impressive nine meters.

Still don’t trust the wireless buds? Bose also do a tethered pair called SoundSport, which are linked by a cable that goes round the back of your neck, so no matter how jiggly you get, you won’t lose them down a drain or in a bush. They’re a bit bigger than the Sport Earbuds, but they come with the same StayHear Max Tips with the little wings that keep them in place. And as there’s a cable, they’ve put a small remote on there, which is way easier to control when in vigorous motion than trying to tap the buds themselves.

Don’t have hundreds of pounds lying to splash on audio tech? Don’t worry. These Tiksounds Bluetooth Headphones are basic, but offer a surprising amount for less than £30. Get up to six-hours of continuous listening, with a satisfying amount of recharges via the case, which has a digital display telling you how much battery is left in not just the case, but in each bud. There’s a microphone, so you can make calls without removing them and they’re splash-proof, so can survive a walk and talk in the rain. You won’t get any noise cancellation or customisable settings, but you get what you pay for, and to be frank, these are a bargain.

If you’ve got an Alexa device at home, you’ve probably got pretty used to asking her to set timers, keep lists and search stuff on the internet. Imagine if you could take her with you when you leave the house, because that’s what the Sony WF-1000XM3 headphones allow you to do. Just connect them to your phone, hit the sensor on one of the buds and give Alexa your command. Apart from that, they have and do all the things you’d expect, like noise cancelling, touch control, taking calls and customisable sound settings.

Sure, wireless technology is great and all, but some of us just prefer a cable, especially those who consider it to deliver better sound quality. If that sounds like you, take a punt on the 1MORE Triple Driver In-Ears. They look pretty stylish on the outside, but it’s the design inside that counts, because these were worked on by a Grammy-winning audio engineer, Luca Bignardi. Ooh. So you can expect a tasty balance when you’ve got your favourite tunes on. Plus the added extras don’t hurt: eight tips (silicon and foam), a leather travel case and a double-jack airline adaptor.

Big swimmer? Love music? Invest in a pair of Sony NW-WS413 headphones. For starters, they’re waterproof up to two meters, even in salty water, can withstand temperatures of -5ºc to 45ºc, and they last up to 12 hours (triathlon anyone?). The only downside, depending on how you view it, is that these aren’t Bluetooth, they’re self-contained, which means you have to drag and drop your music before heading out, but that’s a pro in the pool or ocean as you can control them directly from the buds. The basic comes with 4gb of storage, but the next one up is only £10 more and you get double the capacity.

These cute Bang & Olufsen Beoplay E8 buds are for the fashion conscious with hefty wallets. They come in exciting colours, but they’ll also set you back £300. So, what do you get for your money? Well, the name for one. B&O has long been a leader in audio equipment – since 1925 in fact – and as a result, the sound quality is difficult to top, especially as you can control things like bass and treble from the app. The design is sleek, yet practical – taps control the buds and the case can charge wirelessly. Plus, the transparency mode is super handy when crossing the road.

If you struggle to remember what you ate for breakfast, let alone a long list of commands, these Sennheiser Momentum True Wireless 2 earbuds are for you. Programme your own controls, so you can skip, answer calls and activate Siri the way that makes sense to you. They also have an impressive seven-hour life on a single charge, customisable sound preferences and they’re 2mm smaller than previous models, making for a comfier fit in the old lug holes.

You may not be as familiar with the Jaybird name as some of the others in our list, but they’re fast becoming popular due to their ruggedness. If you’re the outdoorsy type, you’ll fare well with these Tarah Pro Sweat & Weather-Proof in-ears, which are wireless, waterproof up to a meter for no more than 30 minutes, have a long-lasting single charge (a whopping 14 hours, more than double the usual) and are magnetic, so when you’re not using them, you can snap them together round your neck, which turns them off and keeps them secure in one.

We couldn’t do a list of the best earbuds and leave out Apple AirPods. Love them or loathe them, there’s no denying that Apple makes good (and good looking) stuff. The cheapest AirPods start from £159, but the AirPod Pros come with a selection of silicone tips, which means you can find your perfect fit, as well as noise cancellation and transparency mode. As standard, they all come with a charging case and are controlled by tapping or by Siri. And if you buy from the Apple Store, they also come with free engraving, so you can personalise your case.