BUDGET AUDIO
Cheap Cans: 4 Pairs of Wireless Earbuds You Can Get For Under $50 Right Now
These picks deliver a surprising amount of features for their affordable price points
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If you’re working from home and need to tune out the noise around you, or looking to upgrade your earbuds from that pair you swiped from your last plane ride, we’ve got you covered. These affordable wireless earbuds deliver a ton of features for their price points, boasting loud, crisp audio, easy Bluetooth pairing, and built-in microphones for taking calls on-the-go. They’re all designed for comfort too, with lightweight bands and sturdy ear tips that allow for all-day wear.
Pick up a pair of these sweat-resistant earbuds for your next at-home workout or run, or choose an option with noise-canceling technology to block out external chatter when you just want to tune in to your playlist — and zone out everything else.
1. Soundcore by Anker Life P2 Mini
The Soundcore Life P2 Minis are easily the best wireless earbuds you can buy for under $50. They offer eight hours of music playback per charge — longer than the AirPods Pro — and get an additional 24 hours of juice from their battery charging case. The Life P2 Minis are IPX5 waterproof, which means you can wear them while you workout without damaging them with your sweat. We’ve tried some of Soundcore’s earbuds before, and they always sounded very good for budget-friendly buds because of their tuning. The company also touts the quality of the microphones, which let you use the earbuds during work calls.
Soundcore’s Life P2 Mini earbuds offer exceptional battery life and great sound in an ultra-portable package.
Buy Anker Life P2 Mini Earbuds $34.99
2. EarFun Air
You might have not heard of this brand but this pair of earbuds seriously delivers on the goods, with 6mm dual dynamic drivers that churn out rich, reliable audio. The earphones come with an IPX7 waterproof rating, meaning be it rain or shine, you’ll be able to wear them out. These buds have solid battery life too, boasting up to seven hours of playback time on a single charge — the battery case holds an additional 28 hours. We also like the plug-in, ergonomic design, which should keep your buds from constantly falling out.
3. 1MORE PistonBuds Pro
1More’s PistonBuds Pro were designed to make it as easy as possible to listen to music or take meetings on the go. They’ve got two microphones in each bud for voice clarity and come with active noise canceling for a fully immersive music listening session. These earbuds are IPX5 water resistant, too, which means they’ll stand up to sweat. 1More says the 10mm dynamic driver produces well-balanced sound.
As for battery life, you get 7.5 hours on a single charge with ANC off and an additional 22.5 hours in the charging case. This is enough to get you through an international flight or a road trip with your friends. For those of you looking for a budget pair of noise cancelling earbuds, this is your pick.
Buy 1MORE PistonBuds Pro $49.99
Note: Amazon is currently offering a $10 off coupon on these earbuds, which brings their price down to $49.99.
4. Skullcandy Dime 2
Skullcandy is a little bit like the OG audio brand on this list, but they’re still kicking around for a reason. The brand makes some pretty impressive audio accessories for their price point, and these Dime 2 earbuds are no exception. The featherlight buds fit snugly in your ear, with less wiggle room, making music sound and feel more immersive. Bluetooth 5.2 technology makes for easy pairing with your phone and playlist.
These earbuds get up to 12 hours of battery life on a full charge and they’re IPX4 water-resistant rated. Choose from more than half a dozen artist-inspired colors.