They’re are a lot of traits that spell out Apple’s most popular pair, the AirPods Pro 2, but their conveniently grabbable, stem-style design is a good baseline. Most of the pairs on our list share this Apple-pioneered form factor. Others, like the hook-shaped Powerbeats Pro 2, channel the AirPods Pro in a different way, offering Apple-friendly features like Find My and the ability to auto-swap between iCloud devices in the Apple ecosystem, while joining our other options with Android-friendly features to cater to the other side of the mobile aisle.
Like the AirPods Pro, each model we chose offers active noise canceling (ANC) and transparency mode, and unlike Apple’s standard AirPods, they all provide swappable ear tips for a good seal and a stable fit. As with all our earbuds guides, sound quality, features, battery life, solid Bluetooth connection, convenient controls, IPX4 water resistance (or better), and a comfortable fit were all major factors in our decision process. Price and overall value also factored heavily to provide good options for those who can’t stretch to premium pricing.