The Best Noise-Canceling Wireless Earbuds of 2023

• Battery life: up to 6 hours (per earbud)
• Water-resistance: IPX4
• Wireless charging: No

Released in September 2022, Bose's second-generation QuietComfort Earbuds are quite the improvement. Each earbuds has a new design and they are roughly 30 percent smaller than their predecessors (although each earbud is still rather large). More importantly, they have drastically improved noise cancellation and noticeably better sound quality, too. They boast an improved mic array for better call quality, too. The QuietComfort Earbuds are undoubtedly one of the best noise-canceling wireless earbuds you can buy, even if they are quite a bit more expensive than their previous models.

Read our full review of the Bose QuietComfort Earbuds II, here.

• Battery life: up to 6 hours (per earbud)
• Water-resistance: IPX4
• Wireless charging: Yes

The second-generation AirPods Pro look and fit almost identically to their 2019-released predecessor, but Apple made them better in just about every way. Thanks to a new H2 chip and a new driver, they sound significantly better and have much-improved noise-cancellation and transparency modes. The charging case has a built-in speaker and works just like AirTag, so you can have it play a noise and track it down using the Find My app; you can even wirelessly charge it with an Apple Watch puck. And maybe most notably, they are the first AirPods with volume controls right on the earbuds.

Read our full review of the AirPods Pro 2, here.

• Battery life: up to 8 hours (per earbud)
• Water-resistance: IPX4
• Wireless charging: Yes

Released in June 2021, the Sony WF-1000XM4 is still one of the best noise-canceling wireless earbuds you can buy. They are the successor to the nearly two-year-old WH-1000XM3, but Sony redesigned them from the ground up so they have more vibrant sound and better noise cancellation. They also look and feel completely different; they have a more rounded design and they're noticeably smaller (each earbud is 10 percent smaller and the case is about 40 percent smaller). Finally, Sony gave them some new-age features like wireless charging and water resistance (IPX4) so they feel like the new hotness.

Read our full review of the Sony WF-1000XM4, here.

• Battery life: up to 5 hours (per earbud)
• Water-resistance: IP54
• Wireless charging: Yes

Released in early 2023, the Bowers & Wilkins Pi7 S2 are the successor to the 2021-released PI7 — and the new models are basically identical. They have same design, deliver the same elite sound, have good-not-great noise-cancellation and have a very neat charging case that doubles as a Bluetooth receiver; you can connect the case via an included USB-C to 3.5mm adapter and use the Bowers & Wilkins Pi7 S2 with non-Bluetooth devices, like an in-flight entertainment system. The three differences with the "S2" models is that they have improved battery life (each earbud has an extra hour of juice), double the Bluetooth range and they're available in some new finishes. Like before, the Bowers & Wilkins Pi7 S2 are some of the best sounding and most expensive wireless earbuds you can buy.

Read our full review of the Bowers & Wilkins Pi7 S, here.

• Battery life: up to 7 hours (per earbud)
• Water-resistance: IPX4
• Wireless charging: Yes

Released in summer 2022, these are the third-generation models of Sennheiser's flagship wireless earbuds. They deliver improved sound quality and more powerful noise-cancellation than the TW2, plus they are also cheaper by $50 (although $250 definitely still isn't cheap). Each earbud has a revamped and smaller design, making them more comfortable to wear for longer periods. And their charging case finally supports wireless charging.

Read our full review of the Sennheiser Momentum TW3, here.

• Battery life: up to 8 hours (per earbud)
• Water-resistance: IP68
• Wireless charging: Yes

The Jaybird Vista 2 is our pick for the best wireless earbuds for running. They fit snugly and, with an IP68 rating, they are some of the most rugged wireless earbuds you can buy. Unlike the original Vista, Jaybird gave the Vista 2 noise-cancellation and transparency modes, making them great for runners and bikers who want to block out all the noise — or hear all of it.

• Battery life: up to 8 hours (per earbud)
• Water-resistance: IP57
• Wireless charging: Yes

Jabra's wireless earbuds have been best known for their exceptional call quality for years, and its latest flagship pair, the Elite 7 Pro, is no different. On top of that, they have solid active noise-cancellation and a rugged design (IP57 water-resistance rating) that's safe enough for workouts. The only real downside is that they don't have multi-device Bluetooth pairing and lack the fancy features and support for immersive sound technologies like AirPods Pro. (Also, if they're too expensive but you like the brand/fit, the Jabra Elite 3 ($79) are a great budget alternative.)

• Battery life: up to five hours (per earbud)
• Water-resistance: IPX7
• Wireless charging: Yes

Released in 2022, Samsung's Galaxy Buds 2 Pros are the company's best pair of noise-canceling wireless earbuds to date. They are 15- percent smaller than their 2021-released predecessors, the Galaxy Buds Pro, and are noticeably more comfortable to wear. Most importantly, they deliver quite the sound upgrade as they support higher-resolution (24-bit/ 48kHz) audio and Dolby Atmos. Like its previous wireless earbuds, the Galaxy Buds 2 Pro are feature-rich if you use another Android device. With an IPX7 rating, they are also one of the most water-resistant wireless earbuds you can buy.

• Battery life: up to six hours (per earbud)
• Water-resistance: IPX4
• Wireless charging: No

The Sony LinkBuds S is the company's mid-range and more affordable wireless earbuds to its flagship WF-1000XM4. They deliver many of the same features — including support for LDAC, Sony's codec for streaming high-resolution audio tracks (up to 32-bit/96kHz) — in a smaller and more comfortable design. However, they aren't quite as elite in terms of sound quality or noise cancellation. They also lack a case that supports wireless charging.

Read our full review of the Sony LinkBuds S, here.

• Battery life: up to five hours (per earbud)
• Water-resistance: IPX4
• Wireless charging: Yes (for an extra $20)

Released in spring 2021, the second-generation Echo Buds improved on the first-gen models, which were already our favorite "budget" wireless earbuds with noise-cancellation in basically every way. They sound better and deliver better noise-canceling and transparency modes. Amazon made smaller and lighter so that they're significantly more comfortable to wear; plus they come with silicone earbuds and wing tips, in case you want to wear them running. And they also charge via USB-C instead of micro-USB. For the price, you can't really beat them. The only decision you'll have to make, other than if you want them in white or black, is if you want to fork over an extra $20 for a wireless charging case (bringing the total to $120).

• Battery life: up to 12 hours (per earbud)
• Water-resistance: IPX5
• Wireless charging: Yes

Released in early 2021, the Master & Dynamic MW08 is the true successor to the company's MW07 Plus. They're about 15 percent smaller than the MW07 Plus, but they also have slightly larger drivers — 11mm Beryllium ones versus the MW07 Plus's 10mm Beryllium drivers — so they deliver a slightly more vibrant and punchy sound. And they're the company's first (and so far, only) pair of wireless earbuds that work with a companion app (called M&D Connect), which lets you toggle between various noise-cancellation and transparency modes. The new models are made of a combo of ceramic (rather than acetate) and stainless steel. All in all, they're a little more expensive in the company's MW08, but they're more comfortable, better-sounding and more versatile, making them some of our favorite luxury wireless earbuds.

Read our full review of the Master & Dynamic MW08, here.

• Battery life: up to 5 hours (per earbud)
• Water-resistance: IPX4
• Wireless charging: Yes

Note: Apple no longer sells these wireless earbuds as it has since released a newer and better model in the AirPods Pro (2nd Generation). However, you can still get a good deal on these from third-party sellers like Amazon.

The AirPods Pro deliver almost as powerful noise-canceling skills as the Sony WF-1000XM4 and Bose QC Earbuds and sound just as good. The cool thing is Apple packed the AirPods Pro with a ton of new tech. There’s Adaptive EQ, which is a sort-of hearing test to help you find the best-fitting silicone ear tip. The transparency mode is pretty phenomenal. They have Apple’s H1 chip for easy iPhone pairing. They have a new "Spatial Audio" feature and support for immersive sound technologies like Dolby Atmos. And they are sweat-resistant (IPX4), so you should have no problem exercising with them.

• Battery life: up to 8 hours (per earbud)
• Water-resistance: IPX4
• Wireless charging: No

Released in June 2021, the Studio Buds are the company's first noise-canceling wireless earbuds and they're positioned as a more affordable alternative to the AirPods Pro (Apple owns Beats, after all). They don't have Apple's special H1 chip, but they still have many of the AirPods Pro's best features, such as fast iPhone pairing and support for spatial audio and Dolby Atmos; they don't sync with your iCloud account, however, nor do they support multi-device pairing or audio sharing. The omission of Apple's special H1 chip allows the Studio Buds to work really well with Android smartphones, too, as they support fast pairing and you can easily adjust noise-canceling and transparency modes in Bluetooth settings.

• Battery life: up to 4 hours (per earbud)
• Water-resistance: IPX4
• Wireless charging: Yes

Released in mid-2021, Nothing's first wireless earbuds are one of the best budget pairs you can buy. They have active noise-cancellation and transparency modes (although they're not as great as higher-end options) and they support wireless charging. And they fit basically exactly like AirPods Pro. That said, other than price, the real reason you're getting these bad boys is design. Each earbud has a translucent stem so you can see the inner workings — they look like nothing else out there.