The best AirPods of 2024

Pros: Best sounding Apple earbuds, excellent noise canceling, Adaptive Transparency Mode blocks sudden loud noises, most universal fit, water resistant

Cons: Only average battery life

The second-gen AirPods Pro are Apple's flagship wireless earbuds. These are the best Apple AirPods to buy if you're seeking superior sound quality and noise cancellation in a compact design.

The second-gen AirPods Pro easily offer the best sound quality out of all of Apple's earbuds. A new custom driver results in a big improvement with a noticeably richer sound over the original AirPods Pro, which always sounded hollow and distant.

These are the first AirPods to use the new H2 processing chip, which Apple claims can deliver twice as powerful noise-canceling as the H1 chip housed in the first-generation AirPods Pro. Good noise canceling isn't just useful during a commute or while traveling — it's a key feature when simply working at a desk to hush distracting noise. It's the kind of feature worth spending on if your budget allows it.

The second-gen AirPods Pro also have a secure in-ear tip design, which makes them the best AirPods for people who have experienced issues with other Apple earbuds staying in their ears. The second-gen AirPods Pro fit more securely than regular AirPods thanks to the customizable tips that go deeper into your ear.

Note: The AirPods Pro are available with either a Lightning or USB-C charging case. Since Apple has made the switch to USB-C for its other products, we recommend the USB-C version.

Read our full Apple AirPods Pro (2nd generation) review.

Pros: Good sound quality, includes premium audio features, sleek design similar to AirPods Pro, water resistant

Cons: May not fit all ears, only average battery life, no ANC

Unless you're on a tight budget, Apple's third-generation AirPods are worth the extra money over the second-gen AirPods.

They include many of the premium audio features found on the AirPods Pro, like Adaptive EQ and Personalized Spatial Audio, which gives the impression that music is coming from around you (in stereo) rather than directly into your ears.

Not everyone likes the surround sound aspect of Personalized Spatial Audio, so it's good that it's only an option. What can't be denied is that the third-gen AirPods have higher quality drivers and amplifiers than the second-gen AirPods for better sound quality.

The third-generation AirPods have a contoured design and shorter stems as well, which makes them look more like the AirPods Pro. However, they don't include noise canceling, so you still have to step up to the more expensive AirPods Pro if you want that feature.

In your ears, the third-gen AirPods fit a lot like the second-gen AirPods, and they lack the in-ear tip design of the AirPods Pro. If you've had issues with AirPods staying in your ears, the third-gen AirPods won't help. However, if the fit isn't an issue, these are the best AirPods to get for listeners who want good audio quality but don't care about ANC.

Read our full Apple AirPods (3rd generation) review.

Pros: Convenient pairing features, lightweight design, hands-free Siri access, quick device switching

Cons: May not fit all ears, audio quality is lacking, only average battery life, not water resistant, no ANC

Apple's second-generation AirPods package all the core features — like quick pairing with iOS devices and automatic playing and pausing — in a more affordable set of wireless headphones.

However, the audio quality is only decent and not on par with Apple's pricier earbuds. These are the best AirPods for people who primarily listen to podcasts and other voice-based audio rather than music. They're also a good choice if you'd rather sacrifice features like noise cancellation, spatial audio, and water resistance to save a few bucks.

The second-gen AirPods have longer stems than the third-gen AirPods and AirPods Pro. This essentially makes them look like Apple just snipped the wires off its wired EarPods headphones. It's not a bad look — they have become iconic — but it's not as sleek as the shorter stems on Apple's other models.

The second-gen AirPods have Apple's standard earbuds fit that works fine for many, but for some, they're impossible to keep in their ears. If you've ever had issues with AirPods fitting, you're better off looking elsewhere.

Read our full Apple AirPods (2nd generation) review.

Pros: Top-notch audio quality, noise cancellation, premium design, comfortable fit, long battery life

Cons: Expensive, no charging case, included case doesn't protect entire headset, no input options or included cables for other audio connections

The AirPods Max deliver first-rate audio performance and noise cancellation, all wrapped in an elegant design.

The biggest difference you'll notice between the AirPods Max and Apple's other AirPods is the over-ear design. That alone suggests these headphones are designed for people who care more about audio quality than the average person and also want a pair of headphones that make a statement when worn in public.

The AirPods Max come with an Apple-designed driver and 10 audio cores for delivering computational audio and adaptive EQ, which allows the headphones to adjust their sound based on the fit of the ear cups. Like the AirPods Pro, the AirPods Max also support spatial audio and other features like quick-pairing.

Our testing found that the AirPods Max sound significantly crisper, bolder, and louder than the $379 Bose Noise Canceling 700 headphones. They also outperformed the $350 Sony WH-1000XM4, although Sony's headphones came impressively close.

The AirPods Max also deliver when it comes to noise cancellation. When we sat underneath an elevated subway that runs above a very busy street, the AirPods Max were able to significantly dull the sound of the train screeching to a halt and nearby traffic.

The downside is that the included case doesn't charge the AirPods Max. Instead, it puts them in low-power mode.

There's no doubt that the AirPods Max are excellent, but their price makes them inaccessible to many people. If you're an Apple loyalist who cares about having top-notch audio and prefers over-ear designs — and are willing to splurge for it — the AirPods Max are the best Apple AirPods to get.

Read our full Apple AirPods Max review.

Apple's standard AirPods are now in their third generation, the AirPods Pro are in their second generation, and the AirPods Max are still in their first generation. The release cycle for AirPods isn't as easy to predict as the iPhone's, but here's what we know based on reliable reports.

• AirPods: Apple's third-generation AirPods launched in October 2021, and we don't expect a new model anytime soon. We haven't seen reliable reports that Apple is planning to release a successor.
• AirPods Pro: Apple released the second-generation AirPods Pro in September 2022, so we don't anticipate a new model anytime soon. In 2023 Apple re-released the AirPods Pro (2nd generation) with a new case but made no updates to the earbuds themselves. Keep in mind that the original AirPods Pro were released in 2019, giving them a three-year life cycle — we might have to wait a similar amount of time for a new AirPods Pro model, meaning they'd drop in 2025.
• AirPods Max: Apple released the AirPods Max in December 2020, and we haven't heard any official news about when a successor will launch. But some industry insiders, including Bloomberg's Mark Gurman, have reported that an updated Max model with USB-C charging could launch in 2024. We don't know whether this new model will just be a refresh of the original or an entirely new AirPods Max successor.
• Moving from Lightning to USB-C: Although there may not be any new AirPods on the horizon, Apple is making changes to the AirPods' cases. Like the iPhone 15 and iPad Pro, new AirPods Pro models charge using a standard USB-C cable instead of an older Lightning cable. So far, the AirPods Pro are the only AirPods to see this change, but expect more to transition in the future.