The Best Headphones Under $100 of 2023

Ambient sound modes: Adaptive ANC, Transparency mode * Dust and water resistance: IPX4 * Battery life: 10 hours, up to 50 hours with the case

Over the past few years, Anker has been leading the charge when it comes to cheap headphones and earbuds. The Space A40 are known for their great noise-canceling performance.

The adaptive active noise canceling on the Space A40 ably handles low drones, such as airplane cabin noise or HVAC units, and even tunes out mid-level conversations in public. It doesn’t completely remove it, but if you’re vibing to music at a low level it’s enough to hear the lyrics of the song. Two different Transparency Modes are available within the Soundcore app, a full range option and one that puts the focus on letting voices through for quick conversations.

Touch controls are easy to use and fully customizable, including the ability to assign to volume, track controls, and for the two-second hold the added options of Ambient Sound Mode select, Voice Assistant, and Game Mode toggle. Throw in a wireless charging case on the features pile and the Anker Space A40 set a new standard for earbuds performance under $100.

• Ambient sound modes: Noise canceling, transparency mode
• Water resistance: IP57
• Battery life: 6-7 hours with ANC, 28 hours with the case

Jabra’s Elite 4 Active offer a package that includes nearly everything you could want in a pair of true wireless headphones at a great price. That's why they're an easy choice for the best value on our list.

The stacked feature set offers something for everyone. Whether you need a snug pair of earbuds with transparency mode for walking and running, a water-resistant pair you can rinse off in the sink (or dunk for short periods), or just decent noise canceling to keep out distractions while working from home, it’s a loaded package.

You’ll get plenty of functionality in Jabra’s Sound+ app, like a 5-band EQ and an earbuds finder. The buds themselves offer comprehensive onboard controls (including volume control), battery playback of 6-7 hours per charge (and plenty more in the case), and the ability to use either bud on its own.

As the price suggests, they don’t have it all. You obviously won’t get the seamless connection to Apple’s ecosystem found in iOS favorites like the AirPods or Beats Fit Pro, and you’ll have to forgo the multipoint pairing of Jabra’s top earbuds like the Elite 85t and Elite 7.

You’ll also have to give up a few convenience features, like auto-pause when you pull an earbud out, or a wireless charging case. But Jabra attempts to make up for those omissions for Android users with extras like Google Fast Pair and one-tap access to Spotify.

When it comes to performance, the Elite 4 Active offer clear, accessible sound and noise canceling that meets or beats most similarly priced rivals. They can’t match top picks in these categories, but again, you won’t be paying the sticker-shocking prices of the top performers. Whatever you’re into, Jabra’s versatile Elite 4 Active bring you a huge slice of the best features at a nice price.

The 1More Triple Driver in-ears have the looks and sound of earbuds that cost twice as much. They really make a point to emphasize the bass notes, which really help bring your music to life, whether it's rap music or classical music. If you're worried about durability, the cord is reinforced with nylon and Kevlar, so you're not going to find them jumbled up in a big knot at the bottom of your bag (the included case will also help with that).

The fit can really make or break a pair of earbuds, so we're especially pleased with the ear-tip options with these headphones: 6 sets of silicon ear-tips, and 3 sets of memory-foam ear-tips. If you want to be able to jam with your music on the go and look cool doing it, the 1More Triple Driver in-ears are the earbuds for you. Read the full review.

The Jaybird X3 Wireless earbuds are the noteworthy successor to the Jaybird X2 Wireless earbuds. There's nothing really fancy-looking about the Jaybird X3, but these earbuds boast a number of neat features and accessories, the main one being a customizable sound profile.

Like the X2, the Jaybird X3 can be worn with the wires hanging over the ear or hanging straight down. Because there are so many ear-tip, fin, and earbud configurations, it will probably take a while for you to find the right fit. For those with small ear holes, we recommend the smallest size of Comply memory foam tips, which make for a better fit, better isolation, and better sound clarity. Once you have a good fit, the 8-hour battery life will get you through a workday's worth of calls and music with no trouble.

One sticking point is the remote. The controls rely on the wearer holding buttons down for a certain amount of time, rather than sequential button presses. It's different from the way wireless earbuds usually operate and can be frustrating to use while running, but it's manageable with a bit of practice.

Other helpful accessories include clips that can adjust the length of the cable, a shirt clip, and an exciting new feature that allows you to customize the sound profile. After connecting the X3 earbuds to the Jaybird app (Android, iOS), you can use your fingers to boost or reduce the volume of highs, mids, and lows. You can save your profile for future use, or choose from a few preprogrammed audio settings with names like "Signature" and "Bring the Bass". (In our experience, if you really want to boost the bass, reduce the highs and increase the lows at the same time.)

Many customers agreed that finding an ideal fit for the X3 earbuds is a significant time investment, but is ultimately worth it. Gym-goers were very happy that the X3 stayed in place despite a variety of exercise types and positions, and everyone really appreciated the quality of the sound. The main complaints users had were about the proprietary charging cable, defective products that failed to hold the stated 8-hour charge, and terrifyingly sudden battery updates. We do not recommend listening to classical music or horror movies towards the end of the X3's battery life; having a lady shout "BATTERY LIFE: 20%" or "CHARGE ME" will surely scare the daylights out of you.

Reviewers find that the Sony MDR-7506 wired headphones sound good and have decent comfort—just as you’d expect with an affordable pair of headphones from a reputable brand. These headphones also can fold up easily for travel, tune out external noise, and include ear pads that close around your ears comfortably.

Entry-level headphones typically leave you holding a broken tangle of junk if you buy cheap enough. The real tragedy is that it doesn't always take all that much more to get a set of headphones that will keep you satisfied—and the Sol Republic JAX in-ears are exemplary of this: they're great for the price.

They have a flat, tangle-free cord, an inline mic, and come in a satisfying array of colors. Even better, the JAX actually walk the walk and talk the talk with respect to their well-advertised isolation, or the ability to block out noise from the outside world. They do only come with three ear-tip sizes, though, so if you typically have trouble wearing in-ears, these may give you the same trouble other earbuds do. Read the full review.