The best wireless headphones at every price point, according to an audio reviewer

If price is the biggest concern when shopping for new headphones, I’ve picked the best wireless headphones at every price point. From under $50 to over $500, each step up in price represents more features, improved performance, and usually more comfort.

I cover consumer tech and audio products for This Week The Trend, Business Insider, and PCMag, and so I get questions about headphones all the time. The best way to buy a new pair of earbuds or headphones is based on what they’ll be used for. For example, you can focus on products with the best active noise cancellation (ANC) if you’re a frequent traveler. 

I have a wireless headphones buying guide based on usage, too. But if you have a specific budget in mind, here are some of my favorite options at various prices. 

The best wireless headphones under $50

While the choices under $50 are slim, I’d go with the Soundcore Q20i. These include ANC, but don’t buy them for that feature. These won’t block noise as well as any of the other models.

Instead, these $40 wireless headphones will give you solid audio quality and battery life. If you have someone who isn’t careful with their headphones that might need replacing frequently, then these would be a good choice.

The best wireless headphones under $100

The Soundpeats Cove Pro might be the best value for wireless headphones under $100. They retail for $80, but I’ve seen them on sale for as low as $50. Cove Pro have respectable ANC performance. They can actually lower surrounding noise by a noticeable amount—enough to help people working from home.

I think the audio is a noticeable step-up from anything under $50, but my favorite aspect of the Cove Pro is their comfort. I find these easy to wear for hours at a time. These are basic-looking, but what they lack in flashiness, they make up in substance. These are a great value if you don’t care about some more advanced features or details.

The best wireless headphones under $200

There are some tempting choices for headphones under $200. But I’m picking the Nothing Headphone (a). The design puts it over the top for me. I think if you’re spending between $150 and $200 on headphones, then you should get some fashion out of them, beyond only performance. 

The Headphone (a) aren’t only stylish, but they sound good with bass thump and clear vocals. Despite their appearance, they’re comfortable for extended use. 

They have the best control buttons on the market. It’s easy to skip tracks, adjust the volume, and toggle ANC. Plus, on top of everything, the rated 135 hours of battery life is insane.

The best wireless headphones under $500

If you’re going to spend hundreds of dollars on wireless headphones, I think the area to focus on is the active noise cancellation. And for my money, I think the Bose Quiet Comfort Ultra headphones (Gen 2) have the best ANC performance at nearly any price. They’re adaptive to your ears and quiet airplane cabins almost completely.

These headphones are lightweight and comfortable. But they also have some cool hidden features like going to sleep when you place them face down on a surface.

The best wireless headphones over $500

If you’re gonna spend over $500, the AirPods Max 2 offer a slim profile, metal construction, and impeccable controls. These are the ones to pick if you’re an iPhone or MacBook user. If you use Apple devices, the AirPods Max have a seamless wireless connection that can auto-switch as you move to different products.

The newest Max 2 headphones have better ANC and some extra software features for adaptive transparency.

If you’re not an iPhone owner or don’t want AirPods, the Sony 1000X The Collexion are lighter and ultra-comfortable. While it might not matter to everyone, the included carrying case for the 1000X is also superior.