How to choose the best headphones or earbuds for you: what to check before you buy

In this guide, headphones sit on or over your ears, and earbuds sit inside your ears. Most checks assume wireless headphones or earbuds. If you are considering wired ones, remove the battery, two-device, delay and app checks.

Why the adverts and the reviews are not enough

Adverts show the best result a product can reach. The detailed specifications often say something different. For example:

• The battery figure in the advert may have been measured with noise cancelling switched off.
• A sound feature may only work with phones from the same maker.
• Earbuds that feel fine in a shop can start to hurt after an hour.

Reviews help, but a reviewer's ears, phone and daily routine are not yours. So check the same things for every pair, using the maker's own specifications and support pages, and try them on if you can.

Before you look at any pair

Write down your answers to these four points. They decide which checks in the list matter most to you.

• Where you will use them. On a commute, in an office, at the gym, on flights, at home, or for phone calls.
• Your phone and other devices. The make of phone you have, and whether you also want to use them with a laptop, tablet or TV.
• What matters most to you. Shutting out noise, sound quality, comfort for long periods, staying in place while exercising, or clear calls.
• Your budget, including later costs. Replacement ear tips or ear pads, a replacement case, or a replacement earbud if you lose one.

The checklist

The checks are in three groups. Must have means a problem here can make it hard to use or costly to fix. Nice to have means it makes a real difference for many people. Optional means it only matters to some people. When you open the checklist in NeutralPick, you can move any check to a different group to match your answers above.

• Must have
• Comfortable for as long as you wear themAre they comfortable for as long as I usually listen? For earbuds that use ear tips, are several sizes included?Comfort is personal and hard to judge from a picture. Check the shop's return policy in case they don't suit you.
• Every feature you want works with your phoneDo all the features I want work with my phone, or do some only work with the maker's own phones or with certain types of phone?Easy pairing, some sound settings and some sound formats can be limited to the maker's own phones, or to certain types of phone. Check the maker's support pages.
• Battery life the way you will use themHow many hours does one charge last the way I'll use them (with noise cancelling on, if they have it), and for earbuds, how many charges does the case hold?The figure in adverts is often measured with noise cancelling off and at medium volume.
• A warranty that applies where you liveHow long is the warranty in my country, and does it cover a pair bought from another country or a foreign seller?Products bought abroad are often not covered locally. Your country's consumer law may give you more than the maker's warranty.
• Nice to have
• Noise cancelling, if you need quietDo they have active noise cancelling, and how well do owners say it works on the noise I deal with?Noise cancelling works best on steady, low sounds such as engines. It does less for voices and sudden sounds.
• Clear calls, including outdoorsHow do I sound to the other person on a call, including in wind or a noisy street?Many pairs sound good to you but not to the person you are calling. Look for reviews that include call recordings.
• Connects to two devices at onceCan they stay connected to two devices at once, such as my phone and laptop, and switch between them by themselves?Without this, you usually have to connect them again by hand each time you switch from one device to another.
• Sweat and water rating, if you exerciseWhat is the water rating, and does the maker say they can be used for exercise or in the rain?Ratings are IPX plus a number: the higher the number, the tougher the water test. IPX4 means splashes. Sweat is not part of the test. Check what the maker allows.
• Spare parts and battery replacementCan I buy a single replacement earbud, a new case or new ear pads, and can the battery be replaced?Many earbud batteries can't be replaced. If one earbud is lost or its battery wears out, a spare earbud saves buying a whole new pair.
• Sound in time with video and gamesIs there a delay between the picture and the sound when I watch videos or play games, and is there a low-delay mode?Bluetooth sound arrives slightly late. Most video apps correct for it, but games usually can't. Some headsets use a USB receiver with much less delay.
• Optional
• Works without an app accountCan I use every feature I want without creating an account in the maker's app?Some settings are only in the maker's app, and some apps need an account. Check what works without one.
• A wired optionCan they be used with a cable, for example on a plane, does the cable fit what I'd plug it into, and does it work when the battery is empty?Useful for travel and for devices without wireless sound. Many phones no longer have a round headphone socket, and some cables only fit a charging socket.

Claims to look at carefully

Adverts and product pages often describe the points below in vague terms. When you see one, look for the specific information shown here. If you cannot find it, assume the answer is "no" or "only partly".

• Battery life "up to" a number of hours. Look for the figure with noise cancelling switched on.
• "Studio sound" or "high-resolution audio". Check that your phone and the music app you use both support the sound format named. If either doesn't, the feature isn't used. Even when both do, many people hear little difference.
• "Sweat-proof" or "waterproof". Look for the actual water rating, and the maker's own list of what the pair is suitable for.
• "All-day comfort". Only you can judge this. Try them on, or buy from a shop that accepts returns.

What to do with what you found

1. Put all the pairs side by side.
2. Look at the Must have checks first. If a pair gets a No on one of your must-haves, remove it, however good the rest looks. Look closely at any Partial.
3. If two pairs are close, read reviews from owners who have used them for several months, especially about comfort and battery life.
4. Before you buy, check the shop's return policy, in case they don't fit your ears.

Why use NeutralPick to compare headphones and earbuds

• The same checks for every pair. You fill in the same checklist for each pair you are considering, so you compare them in the same way.
• Everything in one table. You see every pair side by side, check by check, instead of switching between shop pages and notes.
• Nobody can pay to influence it. There are no adverts, no paid placements and no "featured" products. No maker or shop can pay to be shown to you or placed higher.
• Free, with no account. You don't need to sign up or pay anything.

Start with this checklist See an example comparison