Rebel Life
Earbuds
Earbuds are essential for daily life, offering convenience and portability. Perfect for commuting or running errands, they also enhance gym sessions with motivating music and podcasts. With features like noise cancellation and sweat resistance, earbuds keep you focused and energized, making them a versatile companion for any activity.
Best Overall Ear Buds
Nothing Ear
Pros:
-
Great sound quality
-
Good active noise-cancelling
-
Fun-looking design
-
Fast wireless charging
-
Dual connection
Cons:
-
Trying to replicate Apple Airpods
-
Force-touch button controls
-
Large carry case
-
Disappointing battery life
Nothing has officially launched the Ear wireless earbuds. The new earbuds come packed with features like an enhanced audio experience, dual Bluetooth connectivity, and Clear Voice Call Technology, among others. ​While they feature the custom 11.6 mm driver, the use of advanced materials enhances the richness of high frequencies and provides deeper, softer bass.
​
One standout feature of the Nothing Ear is the Personal Sound Profile, which allows users to create a unique "hearing ID" tailored to their listening preferences. This feature dynamically adjusts the equalizer settings in real-time, optimizing sound quality to suit the user’s individual hearing profile. Users can set up their Personal Sound Profile and customize controls via the Nothing X app.
​
Additionally, the Ear offers various Active Noise Cancellation (ANC) modes, a feature not available on the AirPods 3rd Gen, although both the Pixel Buds Pro and Jabra Elite 7 Pro do include ANC. In terms of battery life, the Nothing Ear stands out with a remarkable 36 hours of usage. In comparison, Apple claims that the AirPods 3 provide up to 30 hours, while the Jabra Elite 7 Pro and Pixel Buds Pro both max out at around 31 hours—still less than what the Ear offers.
​
Overall, the Nothing Ear presents an impressive array of features at a competitive price, especially when stacked against its rivals.
Best Value Ear Buds
Jabra Elite 4 Active earbuds
Pros:
-
Noise cancelling
-
Voice assistants
-
Fast charging
-
Easy fit during activities
Cons:
-
Buttons cause discomfort
-
Not customisable
​The Jabra Elite 4 Active earbuds provide an excellent balance of features and value, rivaling or even surpassing some higher-priced competitors. While other options in Jabra’s lineup and the wider market may deliver better sound quality and ANC, the Elite 4 Active still performs well in those areas and comes at a more affordable price.
These earbuds are compact and lightweight, with an IP57 water-resistance rating that makes them perfect for even the most intense workouts. Each bud features a multifunction button for controlling playback, activating your phone’s voice assistant, switching between ANC and awareness modes, and even powering off the earbuds—a rare feature in wireless models.
The absence of wing-tips makes the Jabra Elite 4 Active comfortable for all-day wear, with a secure fit for running, gym sessions, cycling, and yoga. Although they lack the ShakeGrip coating found on the Elite 7 Active and Elite 8 Active, which offers a slightly more secure fit, I didn’t notice a significant difference in stability while testing the Elite 7 Active.
Best for Sound Quality
Sony WF-1000XM5
Pros:
-
Powerful Active noise cancelling
-
Compact design
-
Balanced audio quality
-
Superb call quality
Cons:
-
Fit isn't completely secure
-
Cost more than Airpods
If you’re searching for the best sound quality in a pair of earbuds, the Sony WF-1000XM5 is an excellent choice. Priced at about £250—around £130 more than the Nothing Ear—these earbuds deliver exceptional audio along with a robust equalizer for personalized sound customization. Whether you're into metal or hip hop, Sony provides a rich sound experience with intricate details that other earbuds often miss.
​
Sony's software is another strong point, featuring an equalizer with 11 presets that can be fine-tuned to your preferences, as well as three customizable EQ settings. Additionally, the software includes an integrated player, allowing you to adjust playback and scrub through tracks without leaving the app. However, the software has its limitations: you can’t skip tracks or fast-forward, and volume control requires multiple taps on either bud—left for lower and right for higher. While this works, it doesn’t offer precise volume adjustments.
​
The earbuds are compact and comfortable for extended use. However, if you have larger fingers like mine, they can be a bit difficult to retrieve from the charging case. The case offers wireless charging, and the battery life is adequate. Sony claims up to eight hours of playback with ANC enabled, which aligns with my experience. Ultimately, the impressive sound quality and user-friendly software are the standout features of these earbuds.
Best Earbuds for Sports
Beats Fit Pro True Wireless Earbuds
Pros:
-
Powerful Active noise cancelling
-
Great sound quality
-
Secure fit thanks to wingtip design
-
Multiple ear tip sizes help get a customized fit
-
Sweat resistant
Cons:
-
Relies on Apple a bit too much
-
No wireless charging
The Beats Fit Pro are wireless earbuds designed with fitness in mind. They’re like a sportier alternative to the AirPods Pro, and they come at a slightly lower price. These earbuds perform similarly to the AirPods Pro, both in functionality with Apple devices and sound quality. As someone who often uses AirPods Pro for cycling, I see this as a positive development.
​
While they may not rival high-end earbuds, the sound quality of the Beats Fit Pro is impressive and more than sufficient for everyday use. I primarily listened to spoken word content while running, and even in heavy London traffic with transparency mode activated, I could hear everything clearly. This transparency mode works well, akin to that of the AirPods Pro. There's a slight wind noise from the external microphones, but it's manageable, and I never found it intrusive. When I switched to music, the sound was strikingly similar to the AirPods Pro, featuring rich bass, clear highs, and a solid midrange—exactly what I needed.
The active noise cancellation is also effective, managing to block out all but the loudest sounds. For audiophiles, there are options with superior noise cancellation at higher price points, but for most users, the Fit Pro's performance is more than adequate.
​
The Beats Fit Pro work best with Apple products. While they deliver good sound quality on other devices, the ease of use with Apple products is unmatched. One feature I appreciate is the seamless switching between devices. For instance, if I'm connected to my MacBook and receive a call on my iPhone, the earbuds automatically switch. They also connect effortlessly to my iPad when I start watching a film, making them more convenient than any other earbuds I've used—except for the AirPods Pro, of course. Connecting them is as simple as opening the case near your phone, prompting a connection that automatically pairs with all your other Apple devices. This process is seamless if you're in the Apple ecosystem. For non-Apple devices, you just need to put the case in pairing mode and find them in the Bluetooth menu. Throughout my review period, I experienced no dropped connections, which is impressive given my extensive daily use.
​
The only aspect I found disappointing was the case itself. It feels larger than others I've used, and the material is a bit scratchy and lacks a premium feel. It also doesn’t support wireless charging—while not a dealbreaker, it would be a nice feature. The case includes a useful LED to indicate battery levels, and if you leave it open near your phone, it will display both the case and earbud levels.
​
Using the earbuds is straightforward. A single press pauses or plays audio, double-press skips forward, triple-press skips back, and a long press on the left earbud toggles between transparency and noise cancellation modes. While this setup generally works well, I occasionally found myself inadvertently skipping tracks or modes while adjusting them in my ears, which could be frustrating. The Beats Fit Pro outshine the AirPods Pro in terms of security, especially during physical activities, thanks to the silicone wingtips that keep them securely in place.
​
Beats claims the Fit Pro offer six hours of battery life per charge and 18 hours with the case, which is impressive and surpasses the AirPods Pro by 1.5 hours. However, they don’t quite match the Beoplay EQ, which boasts 7.5 hours of playtime and 20 hours with the case. Charging is straightforward—just place the earbuds in the case, which charges via USB. The case can go from empty to full in a couple of hours, and there’s a quick five-minute charge that provides one hour of listening time—very handy for long days. Priced at £199.99, the Beats Fit Pro represent good value, offering similar functionality, a better fit, longer battery life, and comparable performance to the Apple AirPods Pro, which retail at £239. Alternatively, you could consider the Jabra Elite 75t, available for £149.99, but they lack the same level of connectivity and features.
​
In summary, the Beats Fit Pro are an excellent choice, delivering fantastic connectivity (especially for Apple users), impressive battery life, and a secure fit with minimal wind noise. While they may not perform as well outside the Apple ecosystem and the case could be better, these are minor downsides compared to the overall quality of the earbuds. ​Great earbuds that sound good, fit securely, and boast long battery life.