Find the best wireless headphones you can get for $100
If you're looking to either replace or add a set of Bluetooth headphones to your collection without breaking the bank, you're in the right place. There are plenty of options ranging from true wireless earbuds to over-ear headphones that you can get for less than $100. If you're looking for the best overall headphones, look no further than the OnePlus Bullets Wireless 2, which offer the best balance of portability and quality.
Best Overall: OnePlus Bullets 2 Wireless
The OnePlus Bullets 2 Wireless are the pinnacle of great wireless earbuds. They're not too ambitious and don't pack too many features - they aren't true wireless with a wireless charging case, for example. However, what they do offer is handy; they pause when the two buds magnetically attach, and there's warp charging, netting you an impressive 10 hours of listening time from a 10-minute charge.
In terms of sound, the Bullets 2 are great for their size. The sound is a tad bass boosted but is overall very balanced. Unfortunately, they don't offer any sort of active noise-cancelation (ANC) so you'll still get quite a bit of noise leaking in when jamming out to your favorite Taylor Swift track.
However, you will get support for a hands-free Google Assistant. Simply say "Hey Google" or "OK Google" and summon the Assistant. Also, you'll get in-line audio controls including volume, which is becoming increasingly uncommon in Bluetooth earbuds.
One of the biggest downsides with the Bullets 2 is that a lot of functionality goes away when they're not paired to a OnePlus device. You don't get the fast pairing or hands-free Assistant when paired to anything that isn't a OnePlus device. Otherwise, the Bullets 2 function as standard Bluetooth earbuds.
Pros:- Warp charging
- Auto-play/pause
- Hands-free Google Assistant
- In-line audio controls
- Not great with non-OnePlus devices
- Lacks active noise-cancelation (ANC)
Great, non-gimmicky features
With these, you'll get excellent sound, ridiculously long battery life, and fast charging.
Best Over-Ear: Anker Soundcore Life 20Q
The Life 20Q's biggest strength is their battery life. The headphones give you a total of 40 hours between charges with ANC enabled. If you decide you don't want or need ANC, you'll be looking at an additional 20 hours. You'll also be getting comfortable headphones here. The headband extends far and the ear cups are deep to accommodate even the biggest of ears. You shouldn't experience any sort of discomfort or fatigue while using them, even over long periods of time.
Their ANC, however, is a bit strange. Unlike almost every other set of ANC headphones or earbuds out there, the Life 20Q suck at blocking out low-end noise from things like engines. Instead, they're great at blocking out higher-pitched noises such as talking. Obviously, the passive isolation will help block some low-end noise but you'll still be able to hear some sound.
In terms of sound, they're bass-heavy to the point where some may find the bass unbearable. However, the bass boost is likely there to compensate for the lackluster low-end ANC performance. Otherwise, the sound is balanced in the mids, with a slight boost in the high notes.
Pros:- Ridiculously long battery life
- Great comfort
- Great bass-boosted sound
- Solid ANC performance
- Micro-USB for charging
- Bass can be too much
- ANC doesn't block low-end noise well
They basically last forever
The Life Q20 basically last forever with 40 hours of battery life. They also sound great with superb comfort.
Best True Wireless: Anker Soundcore Liberty Air 2
Looking for great true wireless earbuds without breaking the bank? They tend to be expensive, but luckily you don't have to look any further than the Anker Soundcore Liberty Air 2. They offer exceptional sound with a relatively balanced sound signature. The high notes have a slight boost but you probably won't hear it.
As is typical with most true wireless earbuds, the Liberty Air 2 don't feature physical volume controls at all. This means that you'll have to pull out your phone in order to change the volume. It's slightly annoying but rather common in true wireless earbuds.
They feature an in-ear design, which helps not only seal your ears but helps with overall stability. Unfortunately, the earbuds can get rather uncomfortable after a few hours of usage. They also come with the standard small, medium, and large ear tips, so you might be able to improve comfort by using other ear tips.
In terms of battery life, they'll afford you seven hours on a single charge, with up to 21 hours of juice with the charging case. This nets you a total of 28 hours between both the earbuds and the case. The case is charged over USB-C, which is fantastic for future-proofing purposes but lacks wireless charging of any kind.
Pros:- Bluetooth 5.0
- Long battery life
- Comes with multiple ear tips
- Great sound
- Uncomfortable after several hours of usage
- Lacks wireless charging case
$100 from Amazon$100 from Best Buy $100 at Walmart
No wires
These are true wireless earbuds with great battery life, sound, and future-proofing, with Bluetooth 5.0 and USB-C.
Best Value: JBL Reflect Mini 2
The JBL Reflect Mini 2 are IPX5 water-resistant, which means they're able to withstand most workouts, even intense ones, although they're not swimproof. IPX5 also means that they should withstand everyday weather such as heavy rain or snow.
In terms of sound quality, the Reflect Mini 2 are excellent. Their sound signature is rather balanced with only a small boost in the bass. The earbuds feature fantastic media controls that are tactile and reliable. They use the standard "iPod style" media controls, which means you have dedicated buttons for volume up and down and a multifunction button (single tap for play/pause, double-tap for skip forward, triple tap to skip backward).
Battery life is solid with up 10 hours on a single charge. They will easily last you through longer workouts such as a marathon or hike. Unfortunately, they charge over Micro-USB rather than USB-C, which is increasingly becoming the industry standard for all devices.
Comfort-wise, the Reflect Mini 2 are great if you're alright with the bud and wing design. They're super comfortable and it's unlikely you'll experience any discomfort, even after several hours of usage. The earbuds come with multiple ear tips and wingtips in the box to help with fit and stability.
Pros:- Great sound
- Long battery life
- Standard media controls
- IPX5 water resistance
- Superb comfort
- Micro-USB for charging
$50 from Amazon$50 from Best Buy $50 at Walmart
Workout tunes
The Reflect Mini 2 from JBL offer stellar sound quality, long battery life, and are super comfortable for long periods of time.
Best Workout Buds: Jaybird Tarah
Arguably the most important thing to look for when it comes to workout earbuds is their IP rating and the Jaybird Tarah does exceptionally well here with their IPX7 rating. This means they're able to withstand the most intense workouts. The only workout that is not compatible is swimming, so don't go swimming with them. They are also super comfortable and stable. This is mostly thanks to the wing and bud design which helps keep the earbuds in your ear. And since they're not true wireless earbuds, there's a cord in between both buds, reducing the chance of you losing your earbuds.
In terms of sound quality, the Tarah are above average with a mostly balanced sound with a boost in the high notes. This translates to a sound that has elevated treble that some may find piercing or fatigue to the ear. Fortunately, you can tweak the sound via Jaybird's smartphone app. This means that if you don't like the out of the box sound with the Tarah, you can tweak it the way you want.
Battery life is pretty middle of the road with up to 6 hours of listening time on a single charge. Fortunately, the Tarah feature fast charging netting you an extra hour of listening time with a 10-minute charge. The Tarah uses a proprietary charging connector, which is always annoying. However, faster charging is a great trade-off, even if that means having to pay a little more for a new cable if your old one ever breaks.
Pros:- Good battery life
- IPX7 water resistance
- Great comfort
- Superb, customizable sound
- Proprietary charging cable
$90 at Amazon $40 at Best Buy $48 at Walmart
Super fast
The Jaybird Tarah bring a lot to the table with IPX7 water resistance, a customizable sound, and great comfort.
Best On-Ear: Jabra Move
The Jabra Move are on-ear headphones. Arguably, on-ear headphones are the best balance of portability and allowing you to still hear what's around you. This is because they sit on top of your ears and not around or inside of them.
The Jabra Move don't disappoint. They feature premium build materials such as aluminum and leather while also being super light and comfortable. In terms of battery life, the Move offers up to eight hours for both listening time and when on a phone call.
The sound quality is decent. The overall sound could be considered bass-heavy with an emphasis on the bass with a balanced midrange and treble/high notes.
The only real downside is that they use Micro-USB for charging instead of the more modern USB-C connector. If you have a smartphone that was made within the last 3 years or so, you'll more than likely need to remember to carry a separate cable to charge your earbuds.
Pros:- Decent battery life
- Lightweight
- Premium build materials
- Great sound
- Come in multiple colors
- Micro-USB for charging
$61 at Amazon $70 at Walmart $50 at Newegg
Comfortable on-ear tunes
The Jabra Move offer great sound, long battery life, and a premium and comfortable on-ear design.
Best Battery Life: Mixcder E9
The Mixcder E9 feature some of the best battery life for their price with up to 30 hours on a single charge. That's more than enough juice to get you through something like a long flight. However, the E9 still use Micro-USB for charging, which is unfortunate as most modern peripherals are now using USB-C.
In terms of sound quality, the E9 are excellent. They feature a rather balanced sound signature with a small lack in detail in the high notes. Most people won't hear the difference, however.
The E9 are also comfortable. The ear cups are large and extend deep, allowing for the biggest and widest of ears to fit. The headband is made out of nice leather and is reinforced with steel. While comfort is fantastic, the headphones errors on the heavier side which can be annoying and slightly discomforting for some.
Pros:- Great, balanced sound
- Superb comfort
- Long battery life
- Slightly heavy
- Micro-USB for charging
$70 at Amazon $110 at Walmart $130 at Newegg
Comfy, with long battery life
The Mixcder E9 combine super long battery life, solid sound, and great comfort.
Bottom lineThere are plenty of great headphones out there that won't break the bank. As you can see from our list above, wireless headphones come in many different shapes and sizes. However, our top pick would be the OnePlus Bullets Wireless 2. Especially if this is your first entry into the wireless headphones game. They're great not only on OnePlus devices but everything else from a full-on PC down to competing devices such as the Pixel or iPhone.
Size isn't the only thing that matters, either. With wireless, you have the sometimes complex decisions between battery life, whether or not they come with a charging case, what connector they use to charge, the size of the earbuds or headphones, etc. It can be overwhelming and sometimes downright irritating knowing that you've found something but it's missing X, Y, or Z feature.
Credits - The team that worked on this guide
Peter Cao is a consumer audio enthusiast. He spends a lot of time wearing, trying, and testing headphones and earbuds.