Top 10 Best Wireless In Ear Headphones of 2021 – Review and Comparison

We have tested multiple various headphones and have shortlisted a handful to suit your needs and your budget.

If you are looking for the open back headphones – please check out our open back headphone review where we compare the latest and the greatest amongst open-back design head sets.

Best Wireless In Ear Headphones – Our Top 5 Picks

1. Best Fit Earbuds – Optoma NuForce BE Sport4

As soon as you open the box of NuForce BE Sport4 you are greeted with a huge number of earbud accessories that range from a USB cable to charge them, a handy carry case and different tips that will suit any ear.

The design has been slightly updated from the previous model and now features bright green details and a different housing shape.  They are made of aluminum with a matte finish and sit quite comfortably in your ears.

You can wrap the cord around your neck like a necklace for the earbuds to snap together as they have built-in magnets into each earbud. The cable of the earbuds is sturdy with adjustable length to get that perfect fit.

Fully charged, the headphones will give you around 10 hours of battery life.  There is also a handy “fast-charge” option where you can get two hours of playback on a 15 minutes charge.

The headphones support Siri and Google Now, yet that experience felt somewhat fiddly. To trigger the virtual assistant you need to press the main and volume up buttons at once, which is not exactly convenient.

Optoma NuForce BE Sport4 has also improved its waterproof rating and now features an IPX 5 certification making it water and sweat resistant.  Although earbuds have been designed with the ‘working out’ in mind, nothing prevents a casual, day-to-day use.

The overall sound quality is clean and crisp, especially given that the in-ear headphones are under $100. Bass is present but not overpowering, which is common in Bluetooth headphones. Mids also feel balanced with vocals and drums being reasonably clear.  The treble fits the sound signature nicely without any harshness to it.

The inbuilt microphone is decent quality so if you need to make some voice calls while exercising; you won’t be disappointed.

Finding a good fit at first may take some time and feel a little awkward, especially if you are using the wingtips. However, once you get used to it, the fit feels natural with headphones staying in place even at times of the most intense workouts.

Optoma NuForce BE Sport4 is not the most sophisticated pair headphones you can buy, but they do a fantastic job at what they were designed to do. NuForce has managed to get the important things right with the previous model (i.e., NuForce BE Sport3) and this time around they have decided to stick to the winning formula. With no major changes, Optoma NuForce BE Sport4 is an excellent incremental upgrade in the right direction.

2. Best Earbuds for Running – Jaybird X4

In fact, they can now be submerged underwater for up to one meter for 30 minutes. Not a significant change for gym enthusiasts, but definitely a welcome one for avid runners and hikers.

Jaybird has also redesigned the tips and the ‘Speed Cinch’ cord management system to make the fit even more secure. Although the fit was great on the previous model, Jaybird X4 takes it up a notch. So if you had trouble wearing earbuds comfortably behind your head, there is a good chance X4 has a fix for you.

The wings, foam and silicone tips that come in the pouch ensure that almost all ear shapes will find a good fit and seal that will hold. Foam tips result in great sound isolation, yet rubber tips I found to be a lot more comfortable.

Being gym and running focused, Jaybird X4 comes with decent sound quality, especially in the price range.

Tonal balance feels quite neutral with perhaps little emphasis given to the mids. They come across clear and relatively detailed. At the same time, the details may start to lose themselves when the track gets too busy, but you have to push for it.

Like with X3s, the great thing about X4s is the brilliantly executed mobile phone app. It allows you to tweak the sound profile to your liking adjusting sound modes and levels. It won’t make X4s produce an audiophile-grade sound, but it will deliver better sound quality than any other pair of exercise earbuds in the price range.

The control module has not changed compared to X3 and still represents three buttons that are easy to locate and press even when running.

Connection strength and stability is decent, but not spectacular. You can expect to remain stable at 30 feet range. At the same time, we found that running in busy urban areas crowded with WiFi and other interferences may result in occasional dropouts.

If you already own X3s, you may want to consider if the updates are worth the price. For anyone else looking for a new pair of comfortable, secure and water resistance in-ear headphones for active sports, Jaybird X4 are worth your every look.

3. Best True Wireless Headphones – Sony WF-1000X

Sony claims that this approach improves audio quality and connection stability. In fact, talking about competition – when the Apple AirPods came out, their focus was on getting the connection issues resolved. When Jabra Elite Sport came out, they focused on making it work for sports. It is Sony’s turn now, and the focus is audio quality!

The design of Sony WF-1000X is surprisingly subtle as it mostly sits in your ear. There are two classic types of ear tips that come in the box – silicone, and sponge. It does not take too long to pick the ear tip that suits you best, and once you have them on, they feel light. Actually, they feel so light that at times you forget that you are wearing them.

The fit for me was perfect, and although these earpieces are not designed for sports use, no matter how hard I shook my head they stayed in place firmly.

The WF-1000X has demonstrated strong connection quality and signal reliability which is second to only Apple AirPods.

In terms of audio performance, the Sony WF-1000X was a revelation for me. I quite frankly did not know that the wireless earbuds could sound so good. I would even go as far as saying that some of the wired sets are no match for them. It is the first pair of wireless headphones that I did not feel that I had to compromise the sound quality over convenience.

The WF-1000X is the first and only example in my experience which demonstrates that you could have both – total freedom of movement and exceptional sound quality.

The tonal balance is typical to Sony where all frequencies are presented in a natural, non-exaggerated way. The sound is so detailed, precise, balanced and textured that it emerges you and brings a whole new level of experience never seen in wireless headphones before.

Not only the WF-1000X can be praised for their sound quality but also their ability to cancel the noise. The earbuds come with Adaptive Sound Control, which I was hugely skeptical about, but as the practical test showed – it works like magic! In short – this feature adapts to the environment you are in and adjusts the sound and noise levels to provide the best experience possible. For example – in a quiet space, the ‘Staying’ mode is engaged where noise cancellation is on, but letting voice through. When walking in the street – the ‘Walking’ mode is triggered letting in some selective ambient sounds and allowing you to hear cars. When on the train, the ‘Transport’ mode applies 100% of noise cancellation.

Battery life is the only real flaw we found with WF-1000X as it only lasts 3 hours on a full charge. The docking station can hold a battery charge for additional 6-hour use. Combined, you get 9 hours in total with two charges in between.

4. Best Wireless Headphones for iPhone – Beats by Dr. Dre BeatsX

The presence of the two integrated batteries on the cord technically make those speakers neckbuds, which is a whole new niche in the wireless headphones space. When the first neckbuds (Beats call them Flex-Form cable) came out, I could never justify a good enough reason to have them as they looked unorthodox. Yet, it only took one real-life practical try, and I’ve realized that they are quite comfortable to wear, do not tangle and are pretty reliable.

You will also notice that pairing with the iPhone is a breeze since BeatsX is only a third device to feature an integrated W1 chipset from Apple. This chipset allows the devices to pair almost instantly and have a faster and more stable connection. Using Siri on iPhone featured the fastest, close to instant connection speed, which gives BeatsX a unique selling proposition. Don’t get me wrong, you can use those earbuds with Android devices too, yet the experience is not as streamlined or rich.

The battery has a solid life of up to 8 hours, yet what stands out is the Quick Charge feature, which adds 2 hours of playtime on a 5-minute charge.

As for the sound quality – it sounds a little less Beats-like. You still have sufficient levels of bass, yet it is not the same deep signature Beats bass. You won’t find shimmering highs and sparkling mid-ranges with BeatsX either. The overall sound is a lot more balanced, and I would generally say that in a nice sense, but with Beats it is different. In fact, it feels strange saying that Beats headphones have a balanced sound palette with highs, mids, and lows being on the same keel. So if you are a bass lover – this is probably not a headphone for you (we can’t believe we are saying this).

5. Best Budget Wireless Earbuds – SENSO ActivBuds S-250

As you get to know ActivBuds S-250 better, you realize that they come with some pleasant surprises such as being IPX7 certified. This allows the headphones to get submerged in 1-meter deep water for up to 30 minutes. Quite impressive for a budget pair of headphones.

The headphones are using Bluetooth 4.1, which ensures a better, faster and more reliable experience at a distance of up to 10 meters.

For sound quality, ActivBuds S-250 have packed rich lows with clear mids and highs providing a balanced sound experience across the board. It is not a premium grade sound, but one that is usually found in a more expensive middle range earbuds.

The noise suppression is easily the best we have seen in this price range as the earbuds come with a CVC 6.0 noise cancellation technology. In practice, they get the job done quite well, as listening to the music or podcasts while walking down the crowded street provides a great experience with only little external noise coming through. Overall, I believe the balance to be quite right as you do not want to be completely isolated.

The headphones also come with a clip to help you manage the cable. Although it works, the design is not as nice or practical as the one that comes with Jaybird X3. The cable tends to rub on clothes and pull the earbuds to the side.

Testing the battery life, we have managed to get over 8 hours of playtime from a single charge. This is an exceptional result shared by much more expensive headphones in our review. Moreover, it comes with a Quick Charge feature that charges the battery in 1.5 hours.

6. Best Design Earphones – V-MODA Forza Metallo Wireless

Yay, this is already an exciting start! The hexagonal lines can be seen everywhere as they are integral to V-Moda Forza Metallo Wireless design. You can find them on the box, earbuds, controls, and even the battery pack.

The build quality is excellent as the whole set feels like one solid piece. The headphones feature quality materials such as anodized aluminum and premium plastic and rubber bits.

Forza Metallo Wireless is by far the most comfortable pair of earbuds we have ever tested. The neckband is designed to fit seamlessly underneath your collar, which vibrates when your phone rings. This feature may seem unnecessary at first, yet it has proven to be very useful for reducing missed calls. I guess it depends on personal use, but most of my calls get missed when my phone is on silent, sitting on my desk. With Forza Metallo Wireless around your neck – it is almost impossible to miss a call now. I think V-Moda may have just found a great solution to a common problem!

Coming back to comfort, it is well beyond just how it feels in your ears, the ergonomic design underpins the whole product. The buttons on the controller have an amazing tactile click found in Apple products, there are no moving or wobbly bits, and everything just feels solid.

There are two control modules, one on each side of the cable. The left module has a button to power on the headset, yet the right module is responsible for volume control and other functions. Each module has a built-in noise-canceling microphone. The microphone tandem registers the voice with an exceptionally crystal clear quality. In fact, the quality was so good that the people on the other side of the line did not realize I was using the headset rather than the phone.

Although Forza Metallo Wireless does not have an official IPX certification, the company claims the earbuds to have a nano-coating which repels water and sweat. This makes the headphone a viable option for working out. In terms of the reach and connection strength, the headphones have left us with a bag of mixed feelings. The connection seems to be stable when you stay within 10 feet from the phone, yet when you push the distance to 15 feet or have a wall in-between the sound starts to skip and lag.

The battery life is another strong side of Forza Metallo Wireless as it is very comparable to Optoma NuForce BE Sport4, our battery life benchmark. A single charge can give you up to 10 hours of playtime and sometimes, even more, depending on your usage patterns. In addition, you get a QuickCharge feature adding 2 hours of use with a 15 minutes charge.

The audio experience is right amongst the best in the class. The highs are very clear, and the bass is deep and punchy. Although the mids are also clear and can cope with almost anything you throw at them – they are not exactly rich.

Best Rated Wireless In ear Headphones – Feature Comparison

How do we test?

You may find that the way we do reviews is entirely different to other review websites on the internet. Although we do believe the first impressions of using the new product are essential – the real customer feedback is just as crucial. In our reviews, we consider both and provide an honest, practical and complete review to help you choose the best wireless in ear headphones of 2020. The main five aspects we consider when reviewing headphones are:

1. Design
2. Features
3. Sound
4. Battery Life
5. Value

Reviewing wireless headphones is a pretty tricky job. Most of the wireless headphones on the market are quite frankly terrible unless you are ready to spend north of $200.

The reasons are countless – short battery life, poor sound, connection issues, and interference to name a few. Amongst the many options available today, we have found a couple of gems that seem to be breaking that stereotype and deserve your attention. At the same time, if you are after headphones for your little ones, check our our latest review of the best kids wireless headphones.

Above, we have summarized the best wireless in-ear headphones available on the market today. Please share your thoughts and comment – we hope you’ll enjoy it and find it useful.

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