Introduction
If you’re considering buying a new pair of AirPods but haven’t settled on a model yet, you’ve come to the right place. We’ve created this guide to help you find the best AirPods for you, whether it’s the standar AirPods, AirPods Pros or AirPods Max.
For many, the term “AirPods” has become synonymous with true wireless earbuds. Despite their immense popularity, the AirPods were not the first true wireless buds to arrive on the market, and many brands have launched headphones that equal or surpass them in terms of performance.
However, the AirPods are uniquely positioned when it comes to their iOS integration, making them some of the best headphones to pair with iPhones, iPads and Macs.
There are also very few models available, making your choice a little easier, especially if you have a specific headphone style or budget in mind. This list includes all three current generation pairs, which means the AirPods 3, the over-ear AirPods Max and the recently launched AirPods Pro 2.
However, that doesn’t mean you can’t save a bit of money by checking out our reviews of previous-generation Apple headphones and opting for an older pair instead.
Every pair of headphones in this list has been thoroughly tested, giving our reviewers a chance to examine everything from the audio quality, design and battery life to features like ANC and Spatial Audio (depending on the pair).
If you’re open to other headphones, make sure to check out our guides to the best headphones, best wireless headphones and the best wireless earbuds as well.
Best AirPods at a glance:
Best Apple earphones: AirPods Pro 2 – check priceBest AirPods under £200: AirPods 3 – check priceBest over-ear AirPods: AirPods Max – check price
How we test
Not just anybody can review a pair of headphones. You don’t need superhuman hearing to tell what’s good, but you do need to know what to listen out for.
Our headphone tests are done by some of the best and most prolific reviewers in the industry, with years of experience listening to everything from the plasticky freebie earbuds that come with your smartphone, to five-figure beasts of glass and marble. We love music and we want your tunes to sound good, too.
We listen to every pair of headphones we can get on or in our ears. We use a variety of sources, from basic MP3s playing on a laptop to high-quality tracks on dedicated hi-res audio players.
Our test tracks are wide-ranging to give headphones a thorough challenge. They’re also familiar, so we know every track backwards, and we know which bits might trouble the lesser performers.
We listen again and again, and we do that for weeks in case the sound changes – because it usually does. Then we’ll listen to similarly priced rivals and come up with a verdict that reflects the performance and features for the money.
Excellent ANC
Rich, warm sound
Charging case gets some neat features
Many of the best features are iPhone and Mac only
Apple AirPods 3
Best AirPods under £200
Small, compact design
Much improved sound
Unmatched iOS and macOS integration
No ANC
Poor in loud environments
AirPods Max
Best over-ear AirPods
Wonderful, versatile sound
Many clever design elements and strong build quality
Spatial audio can be immersive for the apps that support it
Strong connection to the Apple ecosystem
Lack of ‘off’ button is annoying
The included case is bad in just about every way
Heavy and can’t be folded down
The high price can’t be ignored
Apple AirPods Pro 2
Best Apple earbuds
Pros
Excellent ANCRich, warm soundCharging case gets some neat features
Cons
Many of the best features are iPhone and Mac only
Like the AirPods Pro that, until recently, took the spot of best Apple earbuds, the AirPods Pro 2 are currently the only headphones on this list to earn a score of 4.5/5 from our reviewers. Not only are the Pro 2 the highest-rated Apple earbuds we’ve tested, but they’re also the most expensive at $249/£249.
The Pro 2 are Apple’s most advanced true wireless earbuds, moving beyond the AirPods 3 in terms of design, sound and feature set. They’re also packed with internal upgrades over the 2019 AirPods Pro.
The most obvious distinction between the AirPods 3 and the AirPods Pro 2 is the addition of active noise cancellation, a feature that was also available on the original Pro. The Pro 2 have seen a major upgrade in ANC over the Pro, with Apple even claiming the earbuds have twice the amount of noise-cancelling power as before. Our reviewer actually found he preferred the Pro 2 to the Galaxy Buds Pro 2 and the Sony WF-1000XM4 in this respect, though sadly there’s still no way to adjust the level of ANC outside of on, off and Transparency mode.
The Pro 2 also take advantage of an extended battery life compared to the previous Pros, with 6 hours in the earbuds and 30 in the case putting them in line with the standard AirPods, even with ANC on. The charging case also comes with some handy new features, including a lanyard loop for a wrist strap or to attach the AirPods to your bag, as well as a speaker for Find My and charging alerts.
As with the Pros, the Pro 2 come with silicone ear tips instead of the hard plastic tips found on the AirPods 3, offering a more secure fit. This time there’s also an XS size tip for smaller ears.
As with every pair of AirPods we’ve tested, iOS integration is excellent. Multi-device switching means that pairing with one Apple device will allow you to connect to your other Apple phones, laptops and tablets.
The audio quality is impressive, too. The Pro 2 have a full and rich sound, with the H2 powering a performance that reaches beyond the original Pro. This is especially evident in the clarity and detail found in the vocals.
Like any pair of AirPods, the Pro 2 aren’t the best choice for those not already invested in the Apple ecosystem, as some of the best features rely on this factor. The Pro 2 are also expensive, though they’re still cheaper than the AirPods Max.
Reviewer: Max Parker
Full Review: Apple AirPods Pro 2 review
Apple AirPods 3
Best AirPods under £200
Pros
Small, compact designMuch improved soundUnmatched iOS and macOS integration
Cons
No ANCPoor in loud environments
The AirPods 3 are the third-gen model in Apple’s standard AirPods line, and they are an easy recommendation for iPhone users and those after a pair of true wireless earbuds.
The AirPods 3 feature a redesign with a shorter stem than those on the 1st and 2nd generation models, and the size of the housing is bigger so it can fit more ears. We took them on a couple of runs and found the buds stayed put. They’re a decent bet for fitness workouts with an IPX4 rating that protects against sweat and rain.
The AirPods 3 have a longer battery life than the Pro model at 30 hours total (6 in each earbud) and like the Pro they take advantage of MagSafe support, which allows them to magnetically attach to supported chargers for a simpler connection.
Like the other AirPods on this list, there’s excellent iOS and macOS integration for iPhone and Mac users. The implementation of Spatial Audio with Dolby Atmos, which supports immersive 3D audio with head tracking, and we found the effect a little off-putting when listening to something and moving around a lot.
To our ears, the sound quality is an improvement over the AirPods 2, but the vocals aren’t as crisply delivered as they are on the Pros. There’s also no noise cancellation, and with the open design that means sound will leak and affect what you’re listening to. They’re not the cheapest AirPods available as the AirPods 2 are still on sale at $129 / £119, but the improvements across the board are worth the jump in price.
Reviewer: Max Parker
Full Review: Apple AirPods 3 review
AirPods Max
The best over-ear AirPods
Pros
Wonderful, versatile soundMany clever design elements and strong build qualitySpatial audio can be immersive for the apps that support itStrong connection to the Apple ecosystem
Cons
Lack of ‘off’ button is annoyingThe included case is bad in just about every wayHeavy and can’t be folded downThe high price can’t be ignored
The AirPods Max are Apple’s first pair of over-ear AirPods and their high price of $549 / £549 instantly makes them more expensive than Sony’s WH-1000XM5 and Bose NC Headphones 700, but we still found a lot to admire about these headphones.
The design is one we found to be rather unique, very comfortable to wear with the Apple Watch-like Digital Crown and buttons built into the ear cups instead of gesture controls, an aspect of the headphones we appreciated for the physical feedback they offered. Unlike the true wireless AirPods, there’s a range of colourful choices to pick from, but the headphones can’t be folded due to their design and the carry case (which also charges the headphones) doesn’t offer much protection and looks very silly.
There’s powerful adaptive noise cancellation that rivals that offered by the likes of Bose’s NC Headphones 700 and Sony’s older WH-1000XM4, and there’s the usual fantastic integration with the Apple ecosystem, along with Spatial Audio Dolby Atmos for more immersive listening with Apple Music and some supported apps. Battery is towards the lower end of the market at only 20 hours, so they lack the longevity of Sony’s headphones.
We found the audio quality to be excellent, the dual H1 chips and Adaptive EQ producing a balanced sound that impresses across a wide range of music. There’s plenty of bass to count on, while we never found higher frequencies to sound stressed either, and no distortion when the volume is pumped up. The lack of any Hi-Res Audio support is a mark against it when cheaper Sony and Technics headphones feature that level of support.
Reviewer: Max Parker
Full Review: Apple AirPods Max review
FAQs
The AirPods Pro 2 and the AirPods Max both feature active noise cancellation, while the AirPods 3 do not.
The AirPods 3 and AirPods Pro 2 support wireless charging. The AirPods Max don’t – they need an Apple Lightning cable to charge the headphones.
The AirPods 3 and AirPods Pro 2 are only available in a glossy white finish. The AirPods Max come in an array of colours that includes silver, space grey, sky blue, pink and green.
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Comparison specifications
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