You don’t need a set of AirPods to get wireless audio from your iPhone, iPad or Mac, but Apple’s earbuds and headphones offer a lot of convenient integrations with its other products that you won’t find anywhere else. After helping popularize true wireless earbuds with its original AirPods, the company has expanded its lineup to include noise-canceling models and a set of over-ear headphones. Here’s what you need to know about AirPods in general, along with the best overall, budget and over-ear picks from Apple’s current slate of products.
What you need to know about AirPods
When it comes to Apple’s earbuds and headphones, there are several things you’ll want to keep in mind before making your final decision. First, the AirPods are the open-design earbuds with no tip that allow some environmental noise to come into your ears at all times. The AirPods Pro are the model with the soft ear tips that completely close off your ear, which enables features like more powerful noise cancellation and the hearing test. Lastly, the AirPods Max are Apple’s over-ear headphones, and currently the company’s only option for wireless headphones at all that aren’t made by Beats.
There are a few features that are available across all models as they’ve become inherent to the AirPods experience. First, you can expect Automatic Switching between Apple devices that are synced with your iCloud account. This means that AirPods will automatically change to your phone when you get a call while you’re listening to music on a MacBook, for example. It’s functionally similar to multipoint Bluetooth, but the feature isn’t limited to two devices like most earbuds and headphones. Second, hands-free access to Siri is the default, allowing you to ask the assistant for help without touching your AirPods. And lastly, Personalized Spatial Audio with dynamic head tracking is available across the entire lineup, even on the most affordable version of the AirPods 4.
If you don’t think any of the AirPods options are right for you, consult our recommendations on the best wireless earbuds and best wireless headphones for some alternatives.
Engadget
Read our full AirPods Pro 2 review
Battery life: 6 hours, up to 30 hours with charging case | Water resistance: IP54 | Noise cancellation: Yes | Automatic Switching: Yes
Simply put, the AirPods Pro 2 are the best AirPods option because they offer the full suite of Apple’s current audio technology. Powered by the H2 chip, the earbuds give you access to advanced features like Adaptive Audio, Conversation Awareness, Voice Isolation, Personalized Volume, Adaptive EQ and Personalized Spatial Audio with dynamic head tracking. Of course, you’ll also get “pro-level” active noise cancellation (ANC), which provides up to twice as much distraction blocking as the first-gen AirPods Pro or the AirPods 4 with ANC.
In addition to Voice Isolation, the most natural-sounding Transparency mode you’ll find on a set of earbuds is available on the AirPods Pro 2. This pair of features makes this model the best option for calls in Apple’s lineup. You’ll also get the convenience of onboard volume controls that other AirPods options (earbuds) don’t offer. The case charges wirelessly via MagSafe or Qi-certified accessories and Automatic Switching quickly jumps to your phone from your MacBook or other iCloud-synced Apple devices when you need it to do so.
AirPods Pro 2 also offers Apple’s hearing test, hearing aid and hearing protection features, which arrived as part of iOS 18.1. In about five minutes, you can take a clinically-validated hearing test with nothing more than your iPhone and these earbuds. Results are available immediately, and if you exhibit mild to moderate hearing loss, the AirPods Pro 2 can function as a hearing aid (with customizable settings). What’s more, these earbuds can offer robust hearing protection against sustained noise under 110 dB. Hearing protection is enabled across all noise modes, which include Transparency, Adaptive and ANC.
- Improved sound
- Stellar transparency mode
- Solid ANC
- Seamless switching between Apple devices
- Same design
- New touch gesture takes practice
- Average battery life
- Personalized Spatial Audio results vary
Engadget
Read our full AirPods 4 review
Battery life: 5 hours, up to 30 hours with charging case | Water resistance: IP54 | Noise cancellation: No | Automatic Switching: Yes
Apple gave its “regular” AirPods a big overhaul in 2024, most notably adding ANC to its open-wear design for the first time. Of course, the addition of noise cancellation raises the price, so the non-ANC version of the AirPods 4 is the most affordable option in Apple’s mobile audio lineup. This model still packs Apple’s H2 audio chip though, so you can expect several of the company’s most recent features onboard.
H2-powered tools on the AirPods 4 include Voice Isolation, Personalized Spatial Audio with dynamic head tracking, Personalized Volume and Adaptive EQ. They lack Conversation Awareness, Adaptive Audio and Transparency mode from the core specs on the AirPods 4 with ANC and AirPods Pro 2. Unlike those other two models, the AirPods 4 charging case doesn’t offer MagSafe or Qi-compatible wireless charging, nor does the accessory have a built-in speaker for Find My.
You’ll get all the benefits of a refined shape on the AirPods 4, which offers a more secure and comfortable fit. Like the third-gen AirPods, this model still doesn’t have touch controls for volume, but instead offers force touch options for playback controls, noise modes and taking calls. A key downside to the open design is that you won’t get access to Apple’s hearing health tools. Since the AirPods 4 don’t seal off your ear or have the requisite ANC, the company’s hearing test wouldn’t be accurate, hearing aid wouldn’t be helpful and hearing protection wouldn’t adequate defense in loud environments.
- Improved fit and comfort
- Better sound quality
- Advanced features from pricier models
- Still pretty affordable
- No onboard volume controls
- No ANC
- No wireless charging
- No Conversation Awareness
Engadget
Read our full AirPods Max review
Battery life: 20 hours | Water resistance: None | Noise cancellation: Yes | Automatic Switching: Yes
If you prefer over-ear headphones to earbuds, there’s only one option for you in Apple’s lineup. The AirPods Max debuted in 2020 and the company offered a minimal update in September 2024 that swapped the Lightning port for USB-C (and added five new colors). While the design still feels current, the tech inside this model has been a generation behind since the AirPods Pro 2 arrived in 2022. The AirPods Max are still powered by the H1 chip, which means Apple’s more advanced audio features aren’t available here.
Since the Max doesn’t have the newer H2 silicon, features like Adaptive Audio, Personalized Volume, Conversation Awareness and Voice Isolation aren’t available on these headphones. However, you can still expect hands-free access to Siri, Personalized Spatial Audio with dynamic head tracking, Adaptive EQ and a very natural-sounding Transparency mode. Noise cancellation works well with most sources of constant noise, but like a lot of headphones, it struggles with human voices. Automatic Switching is here as well, so you can expect the Max to swap between iCloud-connected devices quickly.
And then there’s the design. The AirPods Max feel lightweight and comfortable, even though the ear pads feel a bit thin after hours of constant use. Physical controls for playback, volume and noise modes center around a rotating crown akin to what’s on the Apple Watch and a single button – both situated on the right side. That excellent Transparency mode keeps you from getting shouty on calls, and the voice pickup is good enough for you to use them during important virtual meetings without fear of audio quality issues.
- Excellent balanced sound
- Solid ANC Handy features
- Unique but reliable controls
- Solid battery life
- Expensive
- Still uses older H1 chipset
- The “case” offers little protection
- No high-res music streaming service support
Other AirPods we tested
AirPods 4 with ANC
The AirPods 4 with ANC represent the first time active noise cancellation has been available on the open-wear, “regular” AirPods. Design-wise, they’re the same as the non-ANC model, so the difference is entirely in the features list. This more expensive version adds Adaptive Audio, Transparency mode, Conversation Awareness and a wireless charging case. The ANC isn’t as powerful as the AirPods Pro 2, partially due to the fact that the AirPods 4 doesn’t completely seal off your ears. The noise-canceling performance is definitely useful though, working best with constant, low-frequency annoyances like fans and white noise machines. Lastly, you won’t get access to Apple’s hearing test and hearing aid features, partially due to the fact that the AirPods 4 with ANC doesn’t seal off your ears, which would affect accuracy and effectiveness.