The best cheap wireless earbuds under $200

Buds on a budget.

Best cheap earbuds
Jabra Elite 3 - Best Cheap Earbuds
Jabra Elite 3
4 out of 5 stars
4
Starts at
$119
Battery life
7 hours
Durability
IP55
Runner up
Pixel Buds A Series
Google Pixel Buds A
3.8 out of 5 stars
3.75
Starts at
$148
Battery life
5 hours
Durability
IPX4
Runner up
Nothing Ear 1
Nothing Ear 1
4 out of 5 stars
4
Starts at
$169
Battery life
4 hours
Durability
IPX4
Runner up
Beats Studio Buds
Beats Studio Buds
3.8 out of 5 stars
3.75
Starts at
$195
Battery life
5 hours
Durability
IPX4
Alex Choros
Aug 15, 2022
Icon Time To Read2 min read

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There are so many wireless earbuds to pick from these days, to the point where there's almost an overwhelming amount of choices. It doesn't help that many of the best earbuds tend to be a fairly pricey proposition. If you're not looking at spending AirPods Pro money on your latest pair, we've rounded up our favourite options under $200. 

Best Cheap Earuds

Jabra Elite 3 wireless earbuds

Jabra Elite 3 - Best Cheap Earbuds
Jabra Elite 3
Our Rating
4 out of 5 stars
4
From
$119
pro Fantastic audio quality
pro Good battery life
con No noise cancellation
con Cheaper build

Pricing and availability only accurate as of last page update.

Retailing for under $120, the Jabra Elite 3s are the best value earbuds we've tested. They won't break the bank, and they sound way better than you'd expect.

Sure, you're not going to get the same kind of sound quality as you would on the category-leading Sony WF-1000XM4s, but you're spending almost one-third as much. 

When you factor in the lightweight design, and reliable battery, the Jabra Elite 3s are easy to recommend to anyone look for cheap wireless earbuds. 

Runner Up 1

Google Pixel Buds A-Series

Pixel Buds A Series
Google Pixel Buds A-Series
Our Rating
3.8 out of 5 stars
3.75
From
$148
pro Excellent sound quality
pro Secure, comfortable fit
con Battery life on lower side
con Works best with Android

Pricing and availability only accurate as of last page update.

The Pixel Buds A-Series are a touch more expensive than the Jabra Elite 3s thanks to the $159 price tag, but we still love them as an affordable pair. 

Once again, we were impressed by just how good they sounded for the price. They almost go toe-to-toe with the AirPods Pro and Galaxy Buds Pro, making them a good upgrade pick if you're a bit more serious about sound.

As with the Jabra Elite 3s, the Pixel Buds A miss out on noise cancellation. 

Runner Up 2

Nothing Ear 1

Nothing Ear 1
Nothing Ear 1
Our Rating
4 out of 5 stars
4
From
$169
pro Unique design
pro Good sound quality
con Supbar noise cancellation
con Small glitches

Pricing and availability only accurate as of last page update.

We love the Nothing Ear 1s for their nostalgia-inducing design, but it helps that they're also a solid cheap pair of earbuds. They sound great, have basic noise cancelling, and will set you back less than $150. 

Runner Up 3

Beats Studio Buds

Beats Studio Buds
Beats Studio Buds
Our Rating
3.8 out of 5 stars
3.75
From
$195
pro Great sound
pro Nice design
con Just okay noise cancellation
con Shortish case battery

Pricing and availability only accurate as of last page update.

Beats Studio Buds are a great option if you're looking for a cheap AirPods alternative. While they may not feature the H1 chip found in most other Apple-made headphones, a firmware update released at the start of the year gives them instant pairing via iCloud. This means they work exactly like AirPods, and can instantly connect to any iPhone, iPad, Mac, Apple Watch, or Apple TV you're signed into. 

In addition, the Beats Studio Buds are still a good pick for Android users, thanks to USB-C charging and Google Fast Pair. 

How we review wireless earbuds

When we review earbuds, broadly speaking, we're looking at five main considerations:

  • Sound: Obviously. Do they sound good? 
  • Comfort & Design: Are they nice to wear? 
  • Features: Is the battery good? Is the connectivity reliable? What's the noise-cancelling like?
  • Vibe: What's the overall experience like? 
  • Value: Are they good for the money?

While audio products can be quite subjective for many reasons, we have standardised testing procedures across the team designed to help us look at the category in a consistent way. You can read more about how we review wireless earbuds here

Alex Choros
Written by
Alex Choros
Alex Choros is the Group Reviews Editor for Clearlink Australia's local websites - Reviews.org, Safewise, and WhistleOut - and the Managing Editor for WhistleOut Australia. He's been writing about consumer technology for over eight years and is an expert on the Australian telco sector, to the point where he knows far too many phone and internet plans by heart. He also contributes to Gizmodo and Lifehacker, and makes regular appearances on 2GB. Outside of tech, Alex loves long hikes, red wine, and death metal.

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