Best AirPods Pro Alternatives
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Apple’s AirPods Pro are crazy popular for good reason (8/10, WIRED Recommends), from their airy design to their raft of advanced features and powerful noise canceling. But the best AirPods Pro alternatives provide something Apple's pricey flagship buds don't: serious versatility outside Apple's carefully controlled ecosystem. If you’re looking for earbuds with that AirPods Pro vibe that travel better beyond the walls of the Apple castle (hello, Android users!), we've got you covered.
My colleagues and I have tested hundreds of pairs of earbuds over the years, and these are the best AirPods Pro alternatives we’ve come across. From wildly affordable noise cancelers to sporty Beats buds, there's something for everyone here. For more options, check out our Best Wireless Earbuds, Best Wireless Headphones, and Best Noise-Canceling Headphones guides.
Updated July 2025: We've added the JLab Go Pods ANC and updated pricing and copy with the latest information.
How Does WIRED Define AirPods Pro Alternatives?
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.
What About Regular AirPods?
Apple's Airpods 4 (5/10, WIRED Review) are a different animal than most other earbuds we test. Their plastic shells provide a semi-open fit, rather than the sealed fit offered by earbuds with ear tips available in various sizes. This heavily affects their sound quality and the efficacy of noise-canceling in the most recent option. That leaves them unable to provide performance on par with most buds we test, which is why this list aims toward AirPods Pro alternatives instead.
While it's true that some folks swear by the standard AirPods' semi-open design, we generally point folks to options with better performance, more features, and a customizable fit, whether that's the AirPods Pro or their many rivals. If you're looking for a more relaxed fit that's less plugged up, our list of the best open earbuds has a variety of options that keep your ears fully open and aware of your environment.
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