You’re here because you’re shopping for some of the best earbuds around. Good on you for coming to TechRadar – I got you.
Maybe you’re looking for the best noise-cancelling earbuds to gift this year (that’ll be the second section here); maybe you need something for a Secret Santa gift, so the budget trio is the place to go (third section) or maybe you just want the best overall, in which case the first three products here will sort you out.
If you want a larger selection, consult our best earbuds, our best noise-cancelling earbuds, and of course our best budget wireless earbuds buying guides – and we’ve even got a 13-strong best wired earbuds and headphones roundup for audiophile-grade sound, if audio quality is of paramount importance. I’ve simply picked my top three from each wireless category to save you time. Good luck, I’m sending strength!
Not sure it has to be earbuds? I’ve also compiled a list of the four best turntables worthy of your time this holiday season, but for a more general flavor of what’s out there, you might also want to check out our guides to the best Christmas sales in the US and Boxing Day sales in the UK, for even more great holiday and Christmas gift ideas.
Best wireless earbuds gifts for most people
Simply the best Sony 2023 earbuds
Sony has taken everything I loved about its higher-end buds and put them into this smaller and cheaper package. At this price, the audio quality simply cannot be beaten – and you can read all about it in our dedicated Sony WF-C700N review. OK, you don’t get lossless LDAC or the firm’s top-tier DSEE upscaler, but for this money it would be wrong to expect that.
A no-brainer for iPhone owners
Apple’s ice-white buds offer excellent ANC plus a whole suite of iPhone-only perks. Build quality and sound is solid, as you’d expect from Apple – and now you even get a USB-C port in the pocketable charging nest. They’re the only AirPods to support volume alteration using the stems and we think they’re a top shout all around, as you can see in our AirPods Pro 2 review.
Best wireless earbuds gifts for ANC
Best for affordable ANC that works
When I first tried these JBL buds for adaptive noise-cancellation alone, I liked them so much I wrote a dedicated feature on their merits. If you need our verdict on how good they are overall, our JBL Live Pro 2 review is the place to go, but it might also reassure you to know that I personally gifted these earbuds to a friend who prioritises noise-nixing, recently. I vouch for them.
Bose QuietComfort Ultra Earbuds
For the ultimate in ANC and hang the cost, go Bose
As I said in my full-length Bose QuietComfort Ultra Earbuds review, these newest Bose buds now boast Snapdragon Sound with aptX Adaptive support, plus Bose’s all-new Immersive Audio for an expansive, moving soundstage. And Bose wrote the book on noise-nixing, so it’s excellent. You don’t get wireless charging or multipoint connectivity… but come on, do you care?
Samsung Galaxy Buds Pro 2
Nice strap in here
These Pro-suffixed Samsung buds are the best wireless earbuds the company has produced by a country mile, as you can read about in my Samsung Galaxy Buds 2 Pro review. They forego Samsung’s penchant for quirky looks in favor of great 24-bit sound, head-tracked spatial audio, solid ANC and a design that fits comfortably. They’re good, guys. No really, they’re good…
Best budget-friendly wireless earbuds gifts
The cheap ANC buds to beat – that haven’t yet been beaten
Want good noise-cancellation for little money? This is the set of earbuds for you – as long as you’re OK with stems. They may not look special, but they’re excellent value across the board, boasting a comfort, great sound, decent ANC, multipoint pairing and impressive battery life. As you’ll learn from our Earfun Air Pro 3 review, they quickly became a firm TechRadar favorite.
The ridiculously cheap option that’s emphatically not junk
What you need to know is that if your budget only stretches this far, you’ll still be giving a reliable, desirable, musical gift. We’ve written an ode to these buds to tell you as much, alongside our dedicated JLab Go Air Pop review. But, buy cheap, buy twice right? Not so here – these little buds might not boast audiophile sound quality, but they still belie their lowly price tag.
The hippest, squarest buds that don’t cost the earth
This cute little package looks a lot more expensive it is – and sounds it, too. Although these earbuds were released in December 2021, the cubist look is timeless. Want to buy them a set of inexpensive buds to make their friends will say, “Ooh what are those?” You’ve just found them, friend – but consult our Audio-Technica ATH-SQ1TW review for all the details.
More Holiday sales in the US
- Amazon: 70% off Kindle, TVs, tablets & clothing
- Apple: AirPods, Apple Watch & iPads from $79
- Adidas: 40% off running shoes & clothing
- Beauty: 51% off makeup, skincare & hair tools
- Best Buy: $800 off TVs, laptops & headphones
- Cheap TVs: big-screen 4K TVs from $269.99
- Christmas: 40% off decor, pajamas & trees
- Dell: Inspiron and XPS laptops from $260
- DreamCloud: 40% off all mattresses
- Family pajamas: Christmas PJs from $12.99
- Gaming: console bundles from $289.99
- Lenovo: 76% off laptops, desktops & printers
- Lowe’s: up to $800 off major appliances
- Nectar: mattress deals starting at $359
- Nordstrom: 40% off Nike, Levi’s & UGGs
- Patagonia: pullovers starting at $64.99
- Samsung: $2,000 of TVs, phones and appliances
- Shopbop: 25% off sitewide with code Holiday
- Target: 40% off Christmas decor, TVs & toys
- Toys: Disney, Barbie & Lego from $14.99
- Walmart: cheap TVs, air fryers, PS5 & toys
More Christmas sales in the UK
- Amazon: up to 65% off tech and gifts
- Adidas: up to 60% off outlet clothing, shoes, apparel
- AO: up to 40% off vacuums, appliances, and tech
- Argos: up to 70% off toys, Christmas decor, and tech
- Boots: half-price gift sets, gift cards, and fragrances
- B&Q: cheap Christmas trees, lights, decor, wreaths
- Carphone Warehouse: 120GB data for £12 per month
- Currys: up to 40% off TVs, air fryers, laptops and more
- Cotswolds Outdoor: up to 50% off Patagonia, Rab, North Face
- Debenhams: up to 70% off home, fashion, gift sets
- Disney: up to 60% off Christmas jumpers, toys, decor
- Ebuyer: up to 40% off laptops, desktops, and components
- John Lewis: £300 off TVs, Apple, plus Christmas decor
- Jessops: up to £1,000 off Sony, Canon, Nikon, and Fujifilm
- O2: up to £600 off iPhone, Samsung and Google
- Samsung: up to £600 off TVs, phones and appliances
- Shark: up to £100 off best-selling vacuums
- Very: discounts on tech, appliances, furniture and beauty
- Vodafone: six months half-price SIMs from £11.50
