We’ve tested over 475 pairs of wireless headphones, and below are our recommendations for the best budget Bluetooth headphones to buy. If you’re looking for more of the best cheap Bluetooth headphones, check out our picks for the best wireless Bluetooth earbuds under $50 or $100, the best headphones under $50, or look at the budget category for our best wireless gaming headsets.
Best Budget Wireless Headphones
Anker Soundcore Life Q30 Wireless
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6.5 Neutral Sound
7.8
Commute/Travel
6.9
Sports/Fitness
7.3
Office
5.6
Wireless Gaming
7.1
Wired Gaming
6.7
Phone Calls
Type Over-ear
Enclosure Closed-Back
Wireless Yes
Transducer Dynamic
Noise Cancelling Yes
Mic Yes
The Anker Soundcore Life Q30 are over-ear headphones with a fantastic noise cancelling performance. They have three different noise isolation settings, so you can find one that's best-suited for the environment around you. They also have an excited, v-shaped sound profile that delivers heavy thump and boom. If that isn't to your liking, their companion app offers a graphic EQ and presets to help you customize your listening experience. They have a continuous playback time of over 44 hours, which should easily last long commutes or back-to-back days at the office.
Our Verdict
6.5
Neutral Sound
7.8
Commute/Travel
The Anker Soundcore Life Q30 are good for commute and travel. They have an outstanding noise cancelling feature, which helps reduce the rumble of bus or plane engines around you. They're comfortable, decently well-built, and offer over 44 hours of continuous battery life, which is very good for long travel days. However, they're a bit bulky, making them harder to take with you on-the-go.
PROS
Outstanding noise isolation performance.
Graphic EQ and presets available.
CONS
Leak some audio at high volumes.
The best budget Bluetooth headphones we've tested are the Anker Soundcore Life Q30 Wireless. These headphones are the next generation of the Anker Soundcore Life Q20 Wireless and have improved active noise cancellation (ANC) performance, so they're worth considering if that's your top priority. You can set their ANC feature to different modes to suit the situation. When set to 'Transport' mode, it does a fantastic job of blocking out a wide range of noise, including rumbling engines and background conversations.
They have a sturdy, comfortable design and a good control scheme that lets you adjust your music and answer calls on the go. They're equipped with a 'Transparency' mode to let you hear your surroundings without removing the headphones. They have a bass-heavy sound profile that adds extra thump, punch, and boom to your audio, but unlike the Q20, they're compatible with a companion app that features a graphic EQ and presets for sound customization. They also support multi-device pairing so you can stay connected with your phone and computer
Best Cheap Wireless Headphones
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Anker Soundcore Life Q20 Wireless
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6.8
Neutral Sound
7.4
Commute/Travel
7.1
Sports/Fitness
7.2
Office
5.3
Wireless Gaming
7.0
Wired Gaming
6.9
Phone Calls
Type Over-ear
Enclosure Closed-Back
Wireless Yes
Transducer Dynamic
Noise Cancelling Yes
Mic Yes
The Anker Soundcore Life Q20 are an upgraded version of the very decent Anker SoundCore Life 2 Wireless, and pack a few moderate upgrades. While the older model had a large headband that made them feel loose for people with smaller heads, the Q20 are a bit smaller and should fit most people slightly better. They also have a moderately improved ANC feature which performs much better at blocking out speech, and are slightly better at isolating out the low rumble of bus or plane engines, though they still aren't very good in this regard. Their V-shaped sound profile is quite excited-sounding, making them a good choice for pop or rock music. Unfortunately, instead of having a nice hard case like the Life 2, the Q20 now come bundled with a simpler carrying pouch. On the upside, their battery is slightly improved, and now charges quite a bit quicker, which is nice.
Our Verdict
6.8
Neutral Sound
7.4
Commute/Travel
The Anker Soundcore Life Q20 are decent headphones for commuting or travel. They're quite comfortable, and they come with a basic pouch to give them some light protection when you toss them into a bag. While their ANC should help block out your chatty seatmate on a plane, it won't help to block out the rumble of the engine. On the bright side, their long battery life should last even the longest of travel days, and they can be used passively if the battery does run dry.
PROS
Improved ANC performance over previous model.
Great battery life.
Comfortable design.
CONS
Sound profile isn't as balanced as previous version.
ANC is still lacking at blocking out engine rumbles
The Anker Soundcore Life Q20 Wireless are the best cheap Bluetooth headphones we've tested. They're lightweight, comfortable, and have a decent build quality, although their hinges are plasticky. They're less expensive than their successor, the Anker Soundcore Life Q30 Wireless, and don't have as many extra features, like adjustable ANC or sound adjustment controls. Fortunately, their ANC still does a good job of cutting down sounds like ambient chatter and the high-pitched hum of an AC unit. However, it has some trouble tackling the low rumble of bus engines. Their 32-hour continuous battery life will also last through long flights or a couple of workdays.
Their V-shaped sound profile adds intense rumble, punch, and boom to your audio, while instruments are bright and sparkly. This sound is well-suited for genres like rock and pop, but you might find the intense bass response overwhelming, and they don't have sound customization features like a graphic EQ or presets. If you don't mind spending a bit more, the newer Anker Soundcore Life Q30 Wireless are compatible with an app with sound customization features. They also offer a better noise isolation performance and come with a hard case.
Best Budget Wireless Headphones For Calls
Neutral Sound
7.6
Commute/Travel
7.2
Sports/Fitness
7.2
Office
7.2
Wireless Gaming
5.5
Wired Gaming
7.1
Phone Calls
7.3
Type Over-ear
Enclosure Closed-Back
Wireless Yes se
Transducer Dynamic
Noise Cancelling Yes
Mic Yes
The JBL Tune 760NC Wireless are noise cancelling Bluetooth headphones. Out-of-the-box, they have a slightly bass-heavy sound profile that adds some thump and punch to your audio while remaining neutral enough to be suitable for lots of different types of audio content. They have an ANC feature that can block out mid and treble-range background noise, though it doesn't perform much better than the passive noise isolation in these ranges. The ANC can help block out more bass-heavy background noise. However, you can still hear sounds like bus and plane engines. Unfortunately, they don't have any sound customization features, either.
Our Verdict
7.6
Neutral Sound
7.2
Commute/Travel
The JBL Tune 760NC are decent for commute and travel. With their ANC feature on, they can block mid and treble-range ambient noise, like ambient chatter and the hum of nearby AC units. Unfortunately, they still struggle to block out bass-heavy noises like bus and plane engines. They don't have a very portable design, and they can feel uncomfortable after long listening sessions due to their tight fit. That said, their long continuous battery life can last through your flights.
PROS
Long continuous battery life.
Wireless design.
CONS
Struggles to block bass-heavy background noise.
Not very portable.
The JBL Tune 760NC are the best budget Bluetooth headphones for calls we've tested. These lightweight over-ears have a decently good recording quality that makes your voice sound clear and understandable, if not a little thin. Fortunately, it does a good job of separating your voice from moderate background noise, like a busy road or shopping mall, but your voice can still get drowned out by louder background noise, like a passing truck or subway train. Their ANC performs reasonably well when cutting out mid and treble-range noise, like office chit-chat or whiny PC fans, but doesn't do as well at isolating you from the low rumble of bus or plane engines.
They have a slightly bass-heavy sound profile that will give genres like hip-hop and EDM extra thump and punch. The rest of the range is well-balanced, making them well-suited for listening to most audio content. However, they don't have sound customization features, like a companion app with graphic EQ or presets, so you're stuck with their default mix. Fortunately, they last just over 40 hours on a single charge with ANC on, so you can use them for most of the workweek before needing a recharge.
Best Budget Wireless On-Ear Headphones
Neutral Sound
7.2
Commute/Travel
6.2
Sports/Fitness
7.3
Office
6.2
Wireless Gaming
5.7
Wired Gaming
7.3
Phone Calls
6.7
Type On-ear
Enclosure Closed-Back
Wireless Yes
Transducer Dynamic
Noise Cancelling No
Mic Yes
Type On-ear
Enclosure Closed-Back
Wireless Yes
Transducer Dynamic
Noise Cancelling No
Mic Yes
The Skullcandy Riff Wireless 2 are the next generation of the Skullcandy Riff Wireless and are budget-friendly wireless on-ears. Skullcandy has improved their continuous battery life and added features like multi-device pairing and companion app support, which is good if you want to adjust their sound profile to suit your tastes. The app also provides a low latency 'Game Mode' to help lower audio lag on your Bluetooth devices. Their cheap price point reflects in their plasticky build quality.
Our Verdict
7.2
Neutral Sound
6.2
Commute/Travel
The Skullcandy Riff Wireless 2 are passable for commute and travel. Even though they can fold up to save space, these on-ears have a plasticky build quality and lack a carrying case to help protect them on the go. They don't have noise cancelling (ANC) and don't block out any of the low rumble of bus engines or passenger chatter. On the upside, their battery easily lasts through long days on the go, and they have a fairly comfortable fit.
PROS
Lightweight design.
Long continuous battery life.
CONS
Plasticky build.
Barely blocks out background noise.
Leaks audio at high volumes.
Best Budget Wireless Earbuds
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7.0
Commute/Travel
7.8
Sports/Fitness
8.1
Office
7.2
Wireless Gaming
5.3
Wired Gaming
5.2
Phone Calls
6.6
Type In-ear
Enclosure Closed-Back
Wireless Truly Wireless
Transducer Dynamic
Noise Cancelling No
Mic Yes
The Anker Soundcore Life Dot 2 are versatile, reasonably comfortable truly wireless earbuds. They're well-built and should easily stay in your ears during workouts. Their sound profile has a bit of extra bass to keep you pumped up without being overwhelming. They have over seven hours of continuous battery life and their case is advertised to hold enough extra charges for just under 100 hours of playback. However, we don't currently test it. On the downside, they lack app support and their controls aren't the most intuitive.
Our Verdict
7.0
Neutral Sound
7.8
Commute/Travel
8.1
Sports/Fitness
The Anker Soundcore Life Dot 2 are a great pick for sports and fitness. Once you find the right size of stability sleeves and ear tips, they shouldn’t fall out of your ears, even during intense workouts. They’re also quite sturdy and have an IPX5 rating for water resistance, though we don’t test for that currently. On the downside, their control scheme takes some getting used to and lacks a volume function.
PROS
Solid build quality.
Stable and decently comfortable.
CONS
Unintuitive control scheme.
If you prefer earbuds for their portability and lightness, check out the Anker Soundcore Life Dot 2 Truly Wireless. These budget earbuds are great for use on the go. Their battery only lasts around seven hours on a single charge, but their case holds an additional 13 full charges, bringing their total battery life up to nearly 100 hours, giving you plenty of extra power when you're out and about. Their ANC can't cut out all of the low bass-range noise from bus and plane engines, but it does a better job isolating you from passenger chit-chat and the high-pitched him of an AC unit.
These buds are lightweight and comfortable for all-day wear without fatigue. Their default sound profile is bass-heavy, giving genres like EDM and hip-hop plenty of thump, punch, and boom. Voices and instruments still sound clear and present but lack some detail due to a dip in the treble range. Sadly, they can't connect to a companion app, so you can't adjust their mix to suit your liking. They've also been experiencing stock issues recently, and aren't consistently available via the Soundcore website or Amazon, so stay vigilant if you're hunting for a pair.
Recent Updates
Jul 14, 2023: We've restructured this article to better suit user needs. Our main picks for the 'Best Budget' and 'Best Cheap Wireless Headphones' are the Anker Soundcore Life Q30 Wireless and the Anker Soundcore Life Q20 Wireless. We've also changed 'Best Budget Commuter Headphones' to the 'Best Budget Wireless Headphones For Calls', for which we've picked the JBL Tune 760NC.
May 19, 2023: Replaced the Anker Soundcore Life Dot 2 Truly Wireless with the TOZO NC7 Truly Wireless because the Life Dot 2 are now difficult to find in stock. Moved the JLab Audio GO Air POP True Wireless to Notable Mentions to focus the list on over-ear and on-ear headphones. Added the Anker Soundcore Life Q30 Wireless as the 'Best Budget Commuter Headphones'.
Mar 02, 2023: Reorganized article to focus more on over-ear and on-ear headphones. Added the SkullCandy Riff Wireless 2 and the Logitech G435 LIGHTSPEED Wireless.
Jan 12, 2023: Added the Skullcandy Push Active True Wireless as an alternative for the Jabra Elite 3 True Wireless. Minor text changes made for better clarity.
Nov 02, 2022: Replaced the JBL LIVE 300TWS Truly Wireless with the Jabra Elite 3 True Wireless. Moved the Razer Opus X Wireless to Notable Mentions and added the Anker SoundCore Liberty Air 2 Truly Wireless as a 'Most Customizable' pick.