
Running these analyses costs money. Buy through my links to help keep lights on! I may get a small commission.
Top Pros
Top Cons
No summary available.
Reddit Reviews
I have my Anker Liberty Neo's for 5 Years now without any problems. They work great on Deck and were about 25€.
Cheap Anker Soundcore Liberty Neo's. They work fine.
I'm using a pair of Anker Soundcore Liberty Neo that's over 5 years old now. Got them a month before the Covid lockdown. They still hold a decent charge (last me about 3 days with 3-4 hours use a day) for their age. And they've been through the wash a couple of times. That said, I wouldn't trust a product to be that capable today.
I have tried several budget earbud including soundcore r50, oppo w11, oppo enco buds 3 pro, soundpeats clear pod (no eartip version), soundcore neo, cheap stuff like robot, vivan, etc. I personally think they sound a bit similar since they have no ANC, but i choose oppo enco buds 3 pro as daily outdoor pick because it got better water resistsnce
I think you’re going to get much better bang for your buck from earbuds, though some people don’t like the way they fit and the battery life is generally worse than traditional headphones. I have a pair of Anker Soundcore Liberty Neo which I bought way back in 2020 for $50, but they are no longer sold. The Soundcore brand has several models for under $40. I think these would be a safe bet. https://amzn.asia/d/3tePbzr I recently bought the Moondrop Space Travel 2 Ultra which I’d read very good things about, but I prefer the old Ankers as they are more fun to listen to as they have more bass. I will keep them but just use them for podcasts when doing housework.
I do have the Soundcore Q20 Headphones - i sleep with them - they're great. I tried the A40 earbuds and they sucked with windnoise while cycling. I also had the Liberty Neo earbuds i bought in 2019 - they lasted about 4 years until they fell apart. I really wanted some Soundcore buds that worked
I’ve tried so many different options specifically for long-listening to audiobooks, including the options you listed plus the Shokz bone conduction ones, Beats, etc. My overall choice is the Anker Soundcore Liberty Neo True (I just checked and it looks like they may have been replaced by the Soundcore Life). I have small ear canals, comfort is my top priority for audiobook listening, and I’ve found these work the best plus the price is super reasonable so I keep multiples around.
I used the Skullcandy Jib XT Active Bluetooth ones for years. Went through several pairs cuz I kept misplacing them lol. Then one of my half marathons last year, about a week out, was looking like it was gonna be some serious rain on the forecast I wasn't planning for and I always run with SOMETHING on (music, podcast). Couldn't risk them dying and so looked for something with more waterproof aspect. Soundcore by Anker were recommended and were like IPx7 rated, basically fully waterproofed. I tried em. They connected, disconnected a time or two in the beginning but I got them to stay on eventually but the problem for me was I have smaller ears and they were/are just so uncomfortable and don't sit right in my ears. They constantly feel like they're going to fall out. I really truly wanted to like them esp for the waterproofness 🤦🏼♀️ My last race I said f it, I can't deal with how uncomfortable they are but I lost yet another pair of my aforementioned jib actives 😅. Went to Walmart to get one and grabbed one. Also grabbed a skull candy Smokin Buds XT wireless buds as well. Not fully water proof but ixp4 I think or something close. Figured I'd try em. Well, turns out the replacement jib XT I got are wired. Like fully. It says it nowhere on the packaging anywhere at all and I ripped the box open so I can't return them. They looked identical before that but thankfully the smokin buds xt are actually comfortable AF and my race was in misty wet crap the whole time so I'm calling those a win. 10/10 recommend. So many people recommend various bone conducting ones too and I so so wish I could wear them but I'm blind as a bat and have to have glasses so I don't think I can really wear or comfortably wear any of those ones recommended. Alas I must stick with these. 🤷🏼♀️
I just wear one wireless earbud. Enough to hear a podcast or music and to hear surroundings. I use some cheap Anker Soundcore ones off Amazon. They're going to get water damage, lost, case damaged if dropped etc. just buy a cheap pair. Saying that, these have lasted me a while so far.
Rankings by Use Case
Top recommendations from others in the same boat
Best for Air travel

Top pick
Apple - AirPod Pro Series
Best for Audiophile sound quality

Top pick
Denon - PerL Pro
Best for High-intensity workouts

Top pick
Beats (Apple) - Fit Pro
Best for Industrial hearing protection

Top pick
Sony - WF-1000XM5
Best for Meetings & video calls

Top pick
Apple - AirPod Pro Series
Best for Situational awareness (when running, cycling, parenting etc)

Top pick
Shokz - OpenFit Series





