The Best Airpods For 2025

Read our afloat AirPods Pro 2 review

Battery life: 6 hours, up to 30 hours pinch charging lawsuit | Water resistance: IP54 | Noise cancellation: Yes | Automatic Switching: Yes

Simply put, nan Apple AirPods Pro 2 are nan champion AirPods action because they connection nan afloat suite of Apple’s existent audio technology. Thanks to their silicone tips, nan AirPods Pro 2 connection a much unafraid fresh and amended sound isolation than open-ear models. As a 2nd-generation model, they build connected nan erstwhile type pinch meaningful upgrades successful sound quality, ANC performance, and wide functionality. 

Powered by nan H2 chip, nan earbuds springiness you entree to precocious features for illustration Adaptive Audio, Conversation Awareness, Voice Isolation, Personalized Volume, Adaptive EQ and Personalized Spatial Audio pinch move caput tracking. Of course, you’ll besides get “pro-level” progressive sound cancellation (ANC), which provides up to doubly arsenic overmuch distraction blocking arsenic nan first-gen AirPods Pro aliases nan AirPods 4 pinch progressive sound cancellation.

In summation to Voice Isolation, nan astir natural-sounding Transparency mode you’ll find connected a group of earbuds is disposable connected nan AirPods Pro 2. This brace of features makes this exemplary worthy buying if you want nan champion action for calls successful Apple’s lineup. You’ll besides get nan convenience of onboard measurement controls that different AirPods options (earbuds) don’t offer. The lawsuit now features USB-C charging, allowing for cosmopolitan compatibility pinch different Apple devices for illustration nan iPhone 15 and iPad. It besides charges wirelessly via MagSafe aliases Qi-certified accessories and Automatic Switching quickly jumps to your telephone from your MacBook aliases different iCloud-synced Apple devices erstwhile you request it to do so.

AirPods Pro 2 besides offers Apple’s proceeding test, proceeding assistance and proceeding protection features, which arrived arsenic portion of iOS 18.1. In astir 5 minutes, you tin return a clinically-validated proceeding trial pinch thing much than your iPhone and these earbuds. Results are disposable immediately, and if you grounds mild to mean proceeding loss, nan AirPods Pro 2 tin usability arsenic a proceeding assistance (with customizable settings). What’s more, these earbuds tin connection robust proceeding protection against sustained sound nether 110 dB. Hearing protection is enabled crossed each sound modes, which see Transparency, Adaptive and ANC.

Read our afloat AirPods 4 review

Battery life: 5 hours, up to 30 hours pinch charging lawsuit | Water resistance: IP54 | Noise cancellation: No | Automatic Switching: Yes

Apple gave its “regular” earbuds a large overhaul successful 2024, astir notably adding ANC to its open-wear creation for nan first time. Of course, nan summation of sound cancellation raises nan price, truthful nan non-ANC type of nan AirPods 4 is nan astir affordable action successful Apple’s ecosystem. This exemplary still packs Apple’s H2 audio spot though for enhanced audio performance, truthful you tin expect respective of nan company’s astir caller features onboard.

H2-powered devices connected nan AirPods 4 see Voice Isolation, Personalized Spatial Audio pinch move caput tracking, Personalized Volume and Adaptive EQ. They deficiency Conversation Awareness, Adaptive Audio and Transparency mode from nan halfway specs connected nan AirPods 4 pinch ANC and AirPods Pro 2. Unlike those different 2 models, nan AirPods 4 charging lawsuit doesn’t connection MagSafe aliases Qi-compatible wireless charging, nor does nan accessory person a built-in speaker for Find My. However, they now characteristic USB-C charging, bringing them successful statement pinch Apple’s latest instrumentality lineup.

You’ll get each nan benefits of a refined style connected nan AirPods 4, which offers a much unafraid and comfortable fit. Like nan third-gen AirPods, this exemplary still doesn’t person touch controls for volume, but alternatively offers unit touch options for playback controls, sound modes and taking calls. A cardinal downside to nan unfastened creation is that you won’t get entree to Apple’s proceeding wellness tools. Since nan AirPods 4 don’t seal disconnected your receptor canal aliases person nan requisite ANC, nan company’s proceeding trial wouldn’t beryllium accurate, proceeding assistance wouldn’t beryllium adjuvant and proceeding protection wouldn’t capable defense successful large environments.

Read our afloat AirPods Max review

Battery life: 20 hours | Water resistance: None | Noise cancellation: Yes | Automatic Switching: Yes

If you for illustration over-ear noise-canceling headphones to earbuds, there’s only 1 action for you successful Apple’s lineup. The AirPods Max debuted successful 2020 and nan institution offered a minimal update successful September 2024 that swapped nan Lightning larboard for USB-C (and added 5 caller colors). While nan creation still feels current, nan tech wrong this exemplary has been a procreation down since nan AirPods Pro 2 arrived successful 2022. The AirPods Max are still powered by nan H1 chip, which intends Apple’s much precocious audio features aren’t disposable here.

Since nan Max doesn’t person nan newer H2 silicon, features for illustration Adaptive Audio, Personalized Volume, Conversation Awareness and Voice Isolation aren’t disposable connected these headphones. However, you tin still expect hands-free entree to Siri, Personalized Spatial Audio pinch move caput tracking, Adaptive EQ and a very natural-sounding Transparency mode. Noise cancellation useful good pinch astir sources of changeless noise, but for illustration a batch of headphones, it struggles pinch quality voices. Automatic Switching is present arsenic well, truthful you tin expect nan Max to switch betwixt iCloud-connected devices quickly.

And past there’s nan design. The AirPods Max consciousness lightweight and comfortable, moreover though nan receptor cups consciousness a spot bladed aft hours of changeless use. Physical controls for playback, measurement and sound modes halfway astir a rotating crown akin to what’s connected nan Apple Watch and a azygous fastener – some situated connected nan correct side. That fantabulous Transparency mode keeps you from getting shouty connected calls, and nan sound pickup is bully capable for you to usage them during important virtual meetings without fearfulness of audio value issues.