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The best earbuds under $50 you can buy: Expert tested
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What to Consider
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As someone who tests earbuds for a living, I know that not everybody wants to buy or has the money for an expensive pair of $200 or $300 earbuds, no matter how good they might be. Don't get me wrong: I love my $300 Bose QuietComfort Ultra earbuds as much as the next person, but if I'm choosing between a $300 pair of earbuds and a $300 plane ticket across the country, I'm going with the plane ticket.
Also: The best earbuds: Expert tested
If you're in the market for a decent pair of earbuds that won't cost you, I've got you covered. I've considered the many earbuds I've tested myself and consulted my fellow tech experts at ZDNET who have collected many earbuds and even more opinions on what constitutes good-quality tech for the price over the years.
What are the best earbuds under $50 right now?
The best earbuds under $50 are the Baseus Bowie 30 earbuds for their excellent sound quality, impressive noise cancellation, and the longest battery life of any pair on this list. But if the Bowie 30 don't suit your fancy, there are plenty of alternatives to check out as well. Keep reading for more.
The best earbuds under $50
Baseus Bowie 30
Best earbuds under $50 overall
The Baseus Bowie 30 earbuds are the ideal earbuds that match quality with value. They sound great with a rich soundstage, a proper blend of bass, mids, and highs, and, according to ZDNET's Jack Wallen, who tested the earbuds out for himself, they offer up substantial noise cancellation. The earbuds are "capable of producing a sound that Bowie himself would approve of. Now, I'm not saying they're audiophile-grade quality, but for the average listener, these babies are outstanding," Wallen writes.
You're getting 65 hours of playtime with the Bowie 30, six microphones for substantial clarity on calls, and noise cancellation to block out disruptions as you work, exercise, or hang out. As far as budget earbuds go, these fit the bill.
Also: Baseus Bowie 30 review
Baseus Bowie 30 tech specs: Battery life: 65 hours | Connectivity: Bluetooth 5.3 | Microphones: Six | Noise cancellation? Yes | Water Resistance Level: Waterproof
JLab JBuds ANC 3
Best earbuds under $50 for noise-canceling
The JLab JBuds ANC 3 offer a design that is different from some of the other earbuds on this list. If you're in the market for a stemless earbud, these are my favorites. I used them while training for my half-marathon, and they withstood runs in the rain and, most importantly, stayed in my ears for miles. The JBuds ANC 3 have a lightweight fit and nearly two days of battery life. While they retail for $60, you can easily find these on sale for less than $50.
What you're really buying these earbuds for are their noise-canceling capabilities. When I first tried these out, I was astonished by how impressive the noise-canceling was for such an affordable pair. My upstairs neighbor is a DJ who mixes music, and oftentimes, the songs he plays blast through our walls. One afternoon, while I was working from home, I couldn't focus because of the loud music, so I turned on my earbuds' ANC mode. "The irritating noise disappeared completely, so much so that I didn't notice when the upstairs DJ's music stopped playing," I write in my review.
The 40-plus hour battery life also means that charging is infrequent and a breeze. I can't recommend these enough.
JLab JBuds ANC 3 tech specs: Battery life: 42 hours | Connectivity: Bluetooth 5.3 | Microphones: Six | Noise cancellation? Yes | Water Resistance Level: IP55
Echo Buds
Best earbuds under $50 for comfort
Not everybody wants earbuds that take them out of their environment. At $38, Amazon's Echo Buds are a great choice without a super-tight noise-canceling seal. These are comfortable to wear for long periods of time, ZDNET's Jada Jones wrote in her review, and they sound great. "They don't distort my audio at high volumes, and a 12mm driver helps bass sound deep without getting crunchy. I was impressed with the sound quality and recommend these to anyone looking for the best audio performance in this price range," Jones wrote.
While calling friends, Jones reported that the mics were clear, and connecting your Buds to your Amazon account for all your voice assistant needs is easy.
One downside to these, though, is you'll need to download the Alexa app to use them. Another? Given the price point, you aren't getting any noise cancellation, so look elsewhere if this is something you want in your headphones.
Also: Echo Buds review
Echo Buds tech specs: Battery life: 5 hours in buds, 20 in case | Connectivity: Bluetooth Multipoint | Microphones: Two | Noise cancellation? No | Water Resistance Level: Sweat resistant
Tozo T10 Bluetooth Earbuds
Best earbuds under $30
ZDNET's Maria Diaz has used these Tozo wireless earbuds for over four years, and calls them the "backups to my backups." They've even survived getting chewed up by her dog. The best part? They're normally on sale for under $30 on Amazon.
The Tozo T10 earbuds come with Bluetooth 5.3, 10 hours of battery life in the earbuds and a total playtime of 45 hours including the case, and an IPX8 rating waterproof rating (which explains how they endured a dog's mouth). Amazon reviews agree with Diaz's point that the earbuds are made to last. Many reviewers said they've had the earbuds for two- or three-plus years and that the earbuds' battery life lasts the entire workday.
Given the cheaper price, it's no surprise that the earbuds don't include noise cancellation. But if you're looking for a pair of earbuds that will cost you less than $30 for working out or playing music and podcasts, these fit the bill.
Tozo T10 earbuds tech specs: Battery life: 45 hours | Connectivity: Bluetooth 5.3 | Microphones: NA | Noise cancellation? No | Water Resistance Level: IPX8
Apple EarPods
Best wired earbuds under $50
You could say that the ZDNET team has an affinity for these Apple EarPods. As I asked around for budget earbuds recommendations, this pick came up multiple times. These wired USB-C EarPods are the underdog of Apple's audio line, and for good reason: They're cheap ($19, and usually discounted to $17) with an unassumingly amazing microphone.
The $19 EarPods are ideal for use with the latest iPhones, just about any Android phone, laptops, tablets, and more, ZDNET reviews editor Kerry Wan said. The EarPods don't come with cushioning -- a notable advantage and disadvantage. "While they won't dig into your ear and induce pressure buildup over time, there's a noticeable lack of audio immersion (or passive noise cancellation)," Wan said.
Also: The best wired earbuds
But you're not really buying these for the best sound performance. Instead, buy them for the ease of use, the perpetual battery life (because, you know, it's wired), and the built-in microphone. They're so spectacular that Wan says he uses it to record his voiceovers for nearly every video he makes for our social platforms.
"The mic is so good on these that it could pass for a studio microphone, and I've used it as such for voice-overs and in filming short-form videos," ZDNET editor-in-chief Jason Hiner tells me.
Apple EarPods tech specs: Battery life: NA | Connectivity: Wired | Microphones: One | Noise cancellation? No | Water Resistance Level: No
What are the best earbuds under $50?
With 65 hours of battery life, a $50 price tag, six microphones for clear calls, and impressive noise cancellation, the Baseus Bowie 30 are the best budget earbuds to beat.
| Price | Battery life | Connectivity | Microphones | Noise cancellation | Water resistance | |
| Baseus Bowie 30 | $50 | 65 hours | 5.3 | Six | Yes | Waterproof |
| JLab JBuds ANC 3 | $60 (but regularly discounted) | 42 hours | 5.3 | Six | Yes | IP55 |
| Echo Buds | $38 | 5 hours | Multipoint | Two | No | Sweat resistant |
| Tozo T10 Bluetooth Earbuds | $25 | 45 hours | 5.3 | NA | No | IPX8 |
| Apple EarPods | $19 | NA | Wired | One | No | NA |
*Lowest price at the time of writing. Please note that prices may vary based on retailer and available promotions, sales, or discounts.
Which under $50 earbuds are for you?
That depends on what you want. We've considered all sorts of budget earbuds that fit exactly what you want.
| You should buy these earbuds... | If you want... |
| Baseus Bowie 30 | The best earbuds under $50 with a marathon battery life (the longest on this list), impressive noise cancellation, six microphones for clear calls, and a waterproof rating. |
| JLab JBuds ANC 3 | The best noise-canceling earbuds that regularly drop to less than $50. I can't recommend these enough for canceling noise while you're out and about. Plus, they actually stay in your ears while exercising. |
| Echo Buds | The best earbuds for comfort, that don't offer noise cancellation. They won't seal you off from your surroundings. Plus, you get Alexa's voice assistant embedded into the tech. |
| Tozo T10 Bluetooth Earbuds | The best earbuds under $30. They're durable and last for years. They even survived one ZDNET writer's dog chewing them up. |
| Apple EarPods | The best wired earbuds with an amazing microphone for recording voice-overs or taking phone calls. Plus, they're only $19. |
Factors to consider when choosing earbuds
If you're looking to buy a pair of earbuds under $50, you should consider the following:
- Sound quality: Unsurprisingly, this is the most important feature of an earbud, whether they're Bluetooth-connected or wired. You want your earbuds to deliver high-quality sound to properly enjoy your favorite songs, podcasts, or calls without the audio sounding tinny or distorted.
- Price: Since the earbud market is so robust, you can get sub-$50 earbuds with fantastic sound for the price or $300 earbuds with even better sound. There's no need to forsake quality for price with the options we've included on this list. While more expensive earbuds do deliver amplified features, like ANC and longer battery life, you can still get a quality pair of buds for an affordable price.
- Battery life: The picks on this list offer five to over 12 hours of battery life. The longer the battery life, the more you can use these buds in between charges. We also considered how many charges come in the earbuds' carrying case, a convenient feature of some of the higher-end earbuds.
- Noise cancellation: You definitely don't need noise-canceling earbuds, but they are an added bonus to an already expensive pair of buds.
- Water resistance: You're likely using earbuds while you work out or are outdoors, which means you are exposing them to the elements (sweat and rain). Water resistance in an earbud is essential for keeping the tech working for a long time after exposure to drops of sweat or rain.
How we test earbuds
I test earbuds for a living. I'm running in busy city streets and parks with them in my ears, playing my favorite songs and podcasts with them in on the subway, working with them in the office, and evaluating them for their performance, connectivity, battery life, comfort, and more.
When I enjoy the sound of the earbuds, can wear them comfortably for the entire workday, or depend on them for my runs, I tell you, dear reader, all about them. I write reviews about and include the earbuds in lists like these. And when I don't like a pair of earbuds, they are not included in any of these lists. We only write about products we can actually recommend to people, because we know that spending money on a pair of earbuds or another tech product is no pretty penny.
If I haven't tested the earbuds myself, I rely on the opinions of my coworkers and ZDNET staffers who have used the products we include.
For more information on how we test headphones and earbuds, visit this article, which explores our process in-depth.
Are budget earbuds worse than expensive earbuds?
Nope! I've tested some amazing budget earbuds that could take on my more expensive earbuds with their competitive battery life, noise cancellation, fit, and special features. It all depends on the brand and the individual model of earbuds. More expensive earbuds might have longer battery lives or stronger noise cancellation, but at a certain price point you begin to pay for the brand name over the best features. For example, the JLab JBuds ANC 3 have nearly as good of noise cancellation as my Bose QuietComfort Ultra earbuds, and the JBuds cost $240 less.
What are the best earbuds for exercising?
I'd recommend the JLab JBuds ANC 3 for a secure, comfortable pair of earbuds that I love to run in. They're lightweight and come with ANC that cancels out the appropriate amount of noise during my outdoor runs.
I'd look for earbuds with some waterproof or resistance rating if you are sweating or exercising in inclement weather with them. Plus, you'll want a pair of earbuds with decent ANC and a long battery life, 6 hours at the least, so you don't have to charge them all the time.
If you don't want earbuds, I'd suggest bone conduction headphones. These headphones keep you aware of your surroundings as you bike or jog outdoors. They also make bone conduction headphones for swimming, so you can jam out to music as you swim laps in the pool.
Are there budget earbuds alternatives to consider?
Yes, there are! Read below for more earbuds under $50 picks.