The best cheap true wireless earbuds in 2022

The Jabra Elite 3 are our favorite option on this list. They're excellent and reasonably priced all-rounders, meaning you can use them while working, commuting, working out, and even to place calls. They offer everything you might need, including long battery life, good audio quality, and an IP55 rating. These great features allow you to use these buds all day long, indoors or out, without worrying about a bit of water or sweat.

Jabra put in some extra work, making the Elite 3 excellent for calls; the four microphones help ensure you get the best possible audio quality. They're also particularly easy to use, with amazing features like Google Fast Pair and Alexa and Spotify Tap playback.

Initially priced at $80, they're often available around the $60 mark lately. They are easily the best option we can recommend for affordable wireless buds. These buds offer the perfect balance between price and quality, and fit virtually any need you may have.

• Battery Life: 7 hours (28 with case)
• Noise Cancellation: Passive
• Mono Listening: Yes
• IP rating: IP55
• Charging: USB-C
• Price: $60

If you're looking for superior audio quality, the Cambridge Audio Melomania 1+ earbuds are great. Besides amazing sound, they come with an excellent nine hours of battery life, as well as an IPX5 water resistance rating, making them an ideal workout companion, too. Each bud weighs just 4.6g, which helps you forget that you're wearing them. They also ship with premium memory foam and silicone tips, helping you find the most comfortable fit for you.

While they were initially selling for $130, they currently sell for approximately $100. The Cambridge Audio Melomania 1+ earbuds are great if your ears can handle their "bullet" design, which keeps them compact. However, they don't have wings or fins to keep them in place during movement, which some runners may not appreciate.

• Battery Life: 9 hours (36 with case)
• Noise Cancellation: Passive
• Mono Listening: Yes
• IP rating: IPX5
• Charging: USB-C
• Price: $100

The JLab JBuds Air ANC come with impressive specs. They're the only buds on this list that offer both ANC and 10-hour battery life on a single charge. As if this wasn't enough, they're IP55-certified, so no need to worry about splashes, sweat, and rain when running or working out. With these features, they're an excellent option no matter your usage. Whether you're working out, on calls, or commuting, they've got you covered.

On the downside, some people may find them uncomfortable to wear for an extended time, but given what they offer for the price, this is an acceptable drawback. Provided you're not going to wear them all day, and you aren't looking for Hi-Fi audio quality, these are a pretty good buy. They traditionally cost around $70, but they're often discounted to prices below $50, making them an excellent option for a cheap pair of buds.

• Battery Life: 10 hours (40 with case) with ANC off
• Noise Cancellation: Active
• Mono Listening: Yes
• IP rating: IP55
• Charging: Built-in USB-A cable
• Price: $46

The Nothing ear (1) feature excellent audio quality, active noise cancellation, and decent battery life. Despite their futuristic design, they're praised for being one of the most comfortable buds on the market and are an excellent option to listen to music while commuting or work out. Given what they offer in terms of fit and features, their price is quite reasonable. They support both USB-C and wireless charging, and with almost 6 hours of battery life, sans ANC, you can wear them for quite a while.

If you're planning on using them for calls, though, you might want to consider another pair. As we said in our review, the Nothing ear (1) buds have relatively poor call quality, and it can be pretty difficult to hear unless the room is silent. At $99, they're one of the priciest options on this list, but what they offer is worth the steeper price tag.

• Battery Life: 5.5 hours (34 with case) with ANC off
• Noise Cancellation: Active
• IP rating: IPX4
• Charging: USB-C & Wireless charging
• Price: $99

The Sennheiser CX 400BT are some of the best-sounding affordable earbuds on the market. They sound great; plus, they're comfortable, customizable, and relatively affordable. Their battery life will let you use them for quite a while, whether you're listening to music or placing calls. They offer similar audio quality when compared to the more expensive Momentum True Wireless 2, only without any fancy ANC.

Sadly, they come without any IP rating, so you'll have to be careful not to get them too wet or sweaty. You can still exercise with them, though you'll have to be mindful not to get them soaked. They cost $130 when they were released in early 2021, but they're often found at around $100 these days, making them one of the best values when it comes to true wireless earbuds and music quality.

• Battery Life: 9 hours (18 with case)
• Noise Cancellation: Passive
• Mono Listening: Yes
• IP rating: None
• Charging: USB-C
• Price: $100

The Sony WF-C500 are the WF-1000XM4's more affordable counterpart, but stripped down of ANC and some premium features. They offer excellent sound quality, impressive 10-hour battery life on a single charge, and splash resistance. These buds are excellent all-rounders, even for active people; just don't go overboard and get them soaked, as their IPX4 provides only limited protection. They also come with a nice, sturdy case with clear charging indicator, so you don't have to worry whether your buds have charged to the max.

When they were released, they cost approximately $100. Thankfully, they often sell for lower prices, making them much more affordable. Regardless, they're an excellent option, but they're an even better buy with a lower price tag.

• Battery Life: 10 hours (20 with case)
• Noise Cancellation: No
• Mono Listening: Yes
• IP rating: IPX4
• Charging: USB-C
• Price: $70

The Pixel Buds A-Series offer the essentials for a good price, thanks to their high-quality audio quality and very comfortable fit. However, being an A-Series product, they've been stripped down of some features, including noise suppression and wireless charging, and come with shorter battery life than the competition. Their design lets a lot of ambient noise through, so they're probably not the pair for you if you're often in noisy environments. Also, the perceptible static may bother some people, so it's worth considering before buying a pair.

Overall, they're a great pair if you're not looking for the best audio quality and don't need ANC. They also have an IPX4 rating, which can provide limited resistance again water splashes, but doesn't make them the best option for intense workout sessions.

• Battery Life: 5 hours (24 with case)
• Noise Cancellation: No
• Mono Listening: Yes
• IP rating: IPX4
• Charging: USB-C
• Price: $99

The Anker Soundcore Liberty Air 2 have a lot to offer, including an IPX5 rating, seven hours of battery life, wireless charging, good sound fidelity, and clear microphones. These qualities make them great all-rounders that you can use for your daily calls and then keep on for a workout without worrying about sweat or water damage. Their design is a bit dated, though; a small part sticks out of your ear, similar to the first-generation AirPods.

In theory, they cost about $100, which doesn't make them competitive enough against the first few options. However, they seldom sell for that price and usually cost about $50, making them a great buy, primarily if you work from home.

• Battery Life: 7 hours (28 with case)
• Noise Cancellation: Passive
• Mono Listening: Yes
• IP rating: IPX5
• Charging: USB-C & Wireless charging
• Price: $50

The OnePlus Buds Z are an excellent pair of basic wireless buds. They offer the essentials for about $50, they're comfortable to wear, they sound good, and they're resistant to water splashes, sweat, and rain. Their battery life is decent, and despite being a bit less than some other options on this list, their fast charge lets them get three hours of playback time in just 10 minutes. Some may not like the AirPod-like design with part of the bud sticking out of the ear, and the controls are very basic, sometimes requiring you to use your phone.

The price, though, makes up for these drawbacks. The OnePlus Buds Z are often sold for about $40, making them a great pick for a pair of budget earbuds. If you like the OnePlus Buds Z but need ANC and a few extra features, you can also consider the higher-end Buds Z2, which cost about twice the price but include better drivers and ANC.

• Battery Life: 5 hours (20 with case)
• Noise Cancellation: No
• Mono Listening: Yes
• IP rating: IP55
• Charging: USB-C
• Price: $40

The Skullcandy Dime are the cheapest option on this list and worth considering if you don't need great audio quality. In fact, they're a good backup option to leave in your bag or to use when working out, thanks to their ridiculously low price and splash resistance. They come in tons of colors, too. They're not suited to wearing them all day long, though, as their battery life is relatively limited, and they can get uncomfortable after a while. Still, they have impressive specs for a pair of buds below $30 and make a great candidate for an impulse buy.

• Battery Life: 3.5 hours (12 with case)
• Noise Cancellation: Passive
• Mono Listening: Yes
• IP rating: IPX4
• Charging: Micro-USB
• Price: $27