Whether you prefer small earphones or are simply after some of the best headphones, you can never go wrong with one of Apple’s selections. For fans of wireless headphones, Apple has long had you covered with its variety of AirPods, but the options don’t end there.
With plenty of choices still existing for wired fans, and some impressive designs for those searching for a sturdy set of headphones, there’s bound to be a perfect pair just for you.
The best Apple headphones at a glance:
• Best Apple headphones for travel: Apple AirPods Max - View on Argos
• Best everyday Apple headphones: Apple AirPods 2nd Generation - View on Currys
• Best quick-charging Apple headphones: Apple AirPods Pro 2nd Generation - View on John Lewis
• Best budget Apple headphones: Apple EarPods with Lightning Connector - View on Amazon
Luckily, you don’t need to break the bank in order to get some superb audio from Apple. That means you can instead focus on the features of the headphones themselves, like battery life or noise cancellation.
We’re here to help break down what each product is best for so that you can end up with the best set for your needs.
Best Apple headphones for travel
www.argos.co.uk
While earphones may be able to fit in your pocket with ease, headphones like the Apple AirPods Max Over-Ear are the easy winner when it comes to noise cancellation. Standing out from standard AirPods, this pair covers your ears with comfortable padding - making them a great pick for any cold day or for blocking out the sound of construction on your morning jog.
For any frequent train commuter, you’ll want to pick these up so you can enjoy your morning podcast in peace, without fear of crying babies or loud coughing distracting you. Plus, the long battery life should have covered both ways.
Pros
- Impressive battery life
- Great noise cancellation
Cons
- A bit bulky
| Battery life | 20 hours |
| Bluetooth | Yes |
| Noise-cancelling | Yes |
| Connections | Lightning to USB-C |
- Customer review: "Got this a month ago and it has been an awesome experience. The sound cancellation feature is superb coupled with it earphones stylish design."
Best everyday Apple headphones
www.currys.co.uk
For a more compact option, consider these Apple AirPods. They are able to provide solid audio quality at a reasonable price, along with some pretty impressive and unique features. There’s no need to turn them off and on, as the AirPods detect if they are in your ears and will automatically pause when removed.
Best of all, these strike a perfect balance between weight and durability. The AirPods are seriously lightweight, and the protective case ensures that no damage will come to them when not in use. The only real downside is the battery life, but the relatively fast charging speed makes up for that.
Pros
- Lightweight
- Protective Case
Cons
- Battery life is so-so
| Battery life | 5 hours |
| Bluetooth | Yes |
| Noise-cancelling | No |
| Connections | N/A |
- Customer review: "Charging case is really good and useful. Connection to Bluetooth with an iPhone is extremely easy. Improvement Points: Much more expensive than non-branded alternatives."
Best quick-charging Apple headphones
www.johnlewis.com
The AirPods Pro are the next step up from the standard, and they more than earn that title. Alongside a noticeably improved battery life, the Pro charges much quicker, so you’ll never be left stranded without your music for too long.
The in-ear design might not be ideal for everyone, but it does mean that these stay in with ease, so you’ll rarely worry about them falling out or losing them. It also means they’re quite effective at blocking out unwanted noise.
Pros
- Stays in ears well
- Quick to charge
Cons
- May not be the most comfortable for some
| Battery life | 6 hours |
| Bluetooth | Yes |
| Noise-cancelling | Yes |
| Connections | N/A |
- Customer review: "Best ear pods I've ever had, wouldn't buy anything else. It would take a lot to beat the quality, size, battery life, sound and noise cancellation these ear pods give you."
Best budget Apple headphones
Rrp: $18.99
Sometimes simplicity is best. Sure, the wired design here limits your freedom of movement, but that’s a worthwhile trade-off for such consistent audio quality at an affordable price. The lightning connector means you don’t need to fret over audio jacks, which is a nice bonus.
These Apple EarPods may not be the fanciest or most advanced piece of audio tech out there, but they make for a great backup to have on hand, or even just a budget-friendly pick for those of us who still prefer wired connections.
Pros
- Easy to adjust the volume
- Great value
Cons
- Wired limits freedom
| Battery life | N/A |
| Bluetooth | N/A |
| Noise-cancelling | No |
| Connections | Lightning |
- Customer review: "I use these for watching various streaming TV services, and the sound quality is almost unbelievably good, perfect for both dialogue and music in movies and shows with a surprisingly rich sounding bass (if you've got the ability to use an equaliser with these you can really get some fantastic sound quality out of these with zero distortion)."
Best workout Apple headphones
www.currys.co.uk
Last but certainly not least, the third generation of Apple AirPods packs plenty of power in a small package. Between the spatial audio design and the adaptive EQ, you should get immersive audio no matter how much you’re moving around. It only takes five minutes of charging to get an hour of music, so you can get right into listening on short notice.
The unique shape also ensures they will stay in your ears comfortably, and the water and sweat resistance keep them surprisingly durable despite their small size. We think these are the perfect pick to bring for a morning jog or intense gym session.
Read our full Apple AirPods 3rd Generation review.
Pros
- Comfortable fit
- Water and sweat-resistant
Cons
- Quite small
| Battery life | 6 hours |
| Bluetooth | Yes |
| Noise-cancelling | No |
| Connections | Case has lightning to USB-C cable |
- Customer review: "Battery life is fantastic, very comfortable and great sound quality. Improvement Points: For a premium product like this case is flimsy, and doesn't feel sturdy enough."
Apple Headphones: FAQs
Wired or wireless?
The debate between wired vs wireless audio devices has been going on for many years now, but it’s as neck-to-neck as it has ever been.
Traditionally, wired headphones were always the reliable choice. You can depend on them for consistently solid audio quality, don’t need to worry about charging them, and they are usually better for blocking out external sounds.
The main downside of wired devices is the, well, wire itself. It keeps you tethered within a short distance and easily gets tangled- not to mention how easily it can be damaged. Plus, with most modern smartphones abandoning the 3.5mm audio jack, the compatibility and ease of use of wired headphones are diminishing.
Wireless headphones don’t suffer the same issues. Just about every device we own nowadays can connect via Bluetooth, and no wires mean you won’t need to fret about them as much. The main downsides are that they can be somewhat easy to lose and need to be charged frequently, but at least for the latter that’s easy to keep on top of.
Noise cancellation and overall audio quality of wireless headphones have seriously improved in recent years, to the point that only audio connoisseurs should be able to spot any major difference.
It’s ultimately down to personal preference which works best for you. However, if you’re planning on travelling and haven’t given wireless headphones a shot yet, we highly recommend giving them a go.
What happened to audio jacks on phones?
While you can still find a few smartphones with audio jacks, they get rarer and rarer each year. Apple may not have been the first to remove the 3.5mm audio jack from their device, but the iPhone 7 was the one that got the most attention.
Although having no audio jack makes using wired headphones a bit more awkward, usually requiring a separate connector now, the benefits are nothing to sneer at. By removing the audio jack, there is more space for larger batteries and internal storage. With the specs and power of phones always improving, more pressure is put on battery consumption, so it’s a worthwhile sacrifice to avoid needing to charge our phones constantly.
Kyle Purves is a Tech Product Writer for What’s The Best, with an avid interest in all things gaming and tech.
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