If you don’t have a lot of money to spend on wireless headphones, don’t worry; there are plenty of great options under $100. They range from over-ear headphones to truly wireless earbuds, giving you plenty of options. Because of their excellent sound quality, comfort, and consistency, the Anker Soundcore Life Q30 is the best of the bunch.

Enjoy these wireless headphones if you’re on a tighter budget

Anker Soundcore Life Q30 Headphones
REASONS TO BUY 

• Excellent audio quality
• Excellent battery life
• Better construction this time.
• Excellent companion app
• ANC backing
• Affordable cost

REASONS TO AVOID

• Bulky design
• Limited touch controls
• Uncertain long-term viability

Do you require a long-lasting battery? When we reviewed the Anker Soundcore Life Q30, we got up to 40 hours of playback with ANC enabled, and that number jumps to a ridiculous 60 hours with ANC turned off. That’s an impressive figure for a pair of budget headphones, and the addition of USB-C allows for faster charging. Plug it in for five minutes and you’ll have four hours of playtime.

With such long battery life, comfort becomes more important, which Anker thankfully delivers on. It improved on the previous iteration’s design and materials, with a nice headband and deep and wide ear cups to accommodate even the largest ears. This combination makes longer periods of listening much easier on your head and ears. This also implies that they provide better passive noise isolation and effective ANC.

The ANC remains best at dealing with higher-frequency sounds, with only minor improvements in dealing with lower-frequency ones. Typically, it is the opposite, especially at this price point, that distinguishes these. If you live with screaming children, you might appreciate the assistance. The app also includes three distinct settings.

Still, sound quality is excellent for the price, thanks to a lively soundstage that doesn’t skew too far one way or the other out of the box. If you want more bass, you can get it with the excellent Soundcore app, which includes a customizable equalizer and over 20 presets. It alters the overall sound to find the best combination for your ears.

Sennheiser HD 350BT – Bluetooth 5.0 Wireless Headphone

REASONS TO BUY

• Superior audio quality
•  Good call quality
• Includes wired playback
• Affordable fit
• Excellent value

REASONS TO AVOID 

• aptX Low Latency is suspect
• No active noise cancelation is available

Sennheiser doesn’t often compete on aesthetics, but the company’s audio prowess is unwavering. Even at this price point, the HD 350BT are among the best-sounding wireless headphones under $100, demonstrating that you get a lot of bang for your buck. It may come as a surprise given Sennheiser’s usual high prices, but they’re a steal and sound just as good as some more expensive models.

Granted, the sound signature here isn’t at Sennheiser’s usual audiophile level, instead opting for a more crowd-pleasing soundstage with slightly increased bass. Despite this, it works well for a variety of genres, delivering a vibrant sound that is never overly balanced. You could listen to hip hop or rock and come to the same conclusion. Call quality is also good, making it easy to use when you need to talk.

To get the most out of them, use the company’s Smart Control app and start tweaking the equalizer to customize the sound to your liking. While Sennheiser emphasizes aptX Low Latency support, be skeptical of its efficacy, as it may not always work as advertised. They also lack active noise cancellation (ANC), so passive noise isolation is your only option for blocking out background noise.

When they’re comfortable to wear, that’s easy to manage. It also matters because, depending on the volume, battery life can last up to 30 hours per charge.

Anker Soundcore Life P3 Noise Canceling Earbuds

REASONS TO BUY 

• Great sound quality
• Fascinating ANC performance
•  Pretty comfortable fit
•  Solid battery life
•  Strong app support
• Wireless charging support

REASONS TO AVOID

• Weaker mid-range sound
•  Not particularly long-lasting

Wireless earbuds often get the most attention at the higher end of the price spectrum, but good ones are becoming more affordable as well. The Anker Soundcore Life P3 fits right in with its well-balanced sound signature. For exceptional performance, you will hear bass punch through with a slight boost to the highs and fairly consistent mids.

The comfortable design is beneficial, but you will need a good seal to get the most out of the sound. This allows you to hear more of what the larger drivers inside are capable of, which is impressive for the price. It doesn’t hurt that there’s ANC on board, with a pretty effective ambient mode to work with when you need to hear the background around you.

To change the sound of these earbuds, use the Soundcore app and the deep equalizer. Bluetooth connections are also quite reliable for phone calls. The IPX5 rating isn’t particularly tough, so they’re probably not the best pair to work out in, but they’re also not particularly fragile.

The battery life is adequate, lasting up to six hours with ANC turned on (seven when turned off) and another three charges in the case, allowing the music to play for a reasonable amount of time. Wireless charging is a bonus.

COWIN E7 Pro – Active Noise Cancelling Headphone
REASONS TO BUY         

• Ample bass
• Affordable ANC performance
•  Extended battery life
• Excellent comfort
• A variety of color options

REASONS TO AVOID

• Subdued treble
• Heavier than most over-ears

COWIN gave its E7 Pro a boost over the regular E7 model, thanks to larger drivers and improved ANC performance — all for less than $100. The bass is more noticeable right away thanks to the increased power, though there was plenty, to begin with. The drivers improve the mid-range but only marginally improve the highs.

Improved ANC performance is always welcome, even if it isn’t a dramatic improvement. It is slightly more effective at blocking low-frequency noises. Even so, getting ANC at this price is a bonus, so it’s at least useful. Because of the overall size of the ear cups, they do a good job of passive noise isolation. The Pro version, like the E7, is a little heavier, but it will fit comfortably in any case.

The E7 Pro does not have a larger or more efficient battery. It’s difficult to complain about going up to 30 hours per charge. There is plenty of time to keep the music going. You can also do it in style, given the variety of colors available, some of which are quite vibrant.

JLab Audio Epic Air Sport ANC Headphones
REASONS TO BUY         

• High-quality audio
• IP66 sweat resistance
• A variety of ear tips and sizes
• Outstanding app support
• Exercise battery life is extended.
• Ambient and ANC modes

REASONS TO AVOID        

• Do not swim with them
• Bulkier design may not be suitable for all.

JLab Audio has been making workout earbuds for a while, and the Epic Air Sport ANC are the latest pair designed to be worn while working out — something we noticed when we reviewed them. The IP66 rating provides them with enough toughness to work out or go for a run in such conditions. They are not, however, waterproof, so exercise caution when near water.

If you don’t mind a little extra bulk in size, the combination of ear hooks and six pairs of ear tips makes these comfortable and stable enough to stay in your ears. What’s cool is that JLab varies the tips, so you get different sizes, lengths, and materials, including foam. A good passive seal is always beneficial, but you do have ANC support to block out background noise when necessary. You can also use the Be Aware mode to hear your surroundings.

The default soundstage is mostly balanced, with a slight boost in bass, which is standard for a pair of JLab earbuds. If you don’t like it, you can always change it in JLab’s Air ANC app, which includes ANC controls as well as an equalizer to customize the sound.

JLab claims up to 15 hours of battery life per charge, which is quite impressive, though this figure is relative because it only applies when ANC is turned off. If you keep it on, that number drops to around 10 hours. Raise the volume, and it falls even lower, but it’s still a very respectable figure. The USB cable is interestingly built into the case, but you can also charge wirelessly by placing the case on a compatible Qi charger.

Jabra Elite 45h Headphones

REASONS TO BUY               

• Excellent sound quality
• Lightweight design
• High-quality construction materials
• Excellent battery life
• Strong app support

REASONS TO AVOID

• Inadequate call quality
• Bad aesthetics

On-ear headphones aren’t as common or popular as over-ear headphones, but they’re lighter and more comfortable in most cases. On the other hand, they won’t provide much passive noise isolation, allowing you to hear what’s going on around you. The Elite 45h isn’t flashy on the outside, but it’s what’s on the inside that counts.

Though Jabra defaults to a balanced and neutral soundstage, the sound quality is excellent. You can fine-tune that to your liking using Jabra’s Sound+ app and its equalizer, which includes pre-programmed presets as well as the ability to create your own. Unfortunately, phone call quality does not match, which could be because the two-mic array required a third to amplify your voice. It’s one of the disadvantages of living in this price range.

If you listen to music at the default volume all day, your battery will die. It’s the only way to get to 50 hours, but even if you increased it, you’d still be north of 30 hours without blinking. Furthermore, Jabra used USB-C for these headphones, as opposed to Micro-USB in previous on-ear models.

Sony WI-C400

REASONS TO BUY

• Excellent audio quality
• Excellent battery life
• Notifications via vibration
• Affordable fit
• Numerous color options

AVOIDANCE REASONS

• No ANC or ambient mode
• Wires are brittle.
• Charging via Micro-USB
• No ability to modify the sound

Neckbuds are an acquired taste, but they can be extremely useful when you want the weight of the earbuds to fall on your neck rather than your ears. Sony has produced a large number of them over the years, and the results in our review of the WI-C400 largely spoke for themselves. They did so for a variety of reasons, not the least of which is the excellent sound quality for the price. These are lively earbuds, with strong bass punctuating a surprisingly lively mix of mids and highs. Call quality is equally impressive on both sides, with impressive clarity.

That does all come with some things missing, like a lack of ANC, and the lack of any compatibility with Sony’s Headphones Connect app. What you hear is what you get, which is good, but it would’ve been great to be able to tweak them as well. Probably not your best choice if you want thicker bass, though you should be fine if you prefer a more balanced soundstage.

The fit is excellent, and the company was thoughtful enough to include both silicone and foam tips for the best possible seal. When not in use, the two earbuds are held together by magnets. With a battery life of up to 20 hours, this is an important consideration, though it would be preferable if you didn’t have to charge them via Micro-USB.

Audio-Technica ATH-SR30BT

REASONS TO BUY 

• Well-balanced sound
• Excellent comfort
• It folds flat.
• Extremely long battery life
• Quick charging

REASONS TO AVOID

• No ANC support
• Troublesome controls
• Charging via Micro-USB

Most of the time, Audio-Technica makes good headphones, and for the price, the ATH-SR30BT can play for up to 70 hours at their default volume, making them among the best you can get at this level. That’s enough to listen to music for several weeks before having to recharge them. The only drawback is that they use micro-USB rather than the more efficient USB-C that is now standard.

The good news is that they sound good the entire time you listen to them. They have a well-balanced sound that sacrifices some of the highs to emphasize the mids and lows. Not uncommon for headphones in this price range, and the intention appears to be to appeal to a broader audience. There will be no ANC to block out ambient noises, but the excellent fit and comfort should help with passive isolation.

The larger ear cups with soft cushioning allow most ears to fit snuggly inside, contributing to the comfort and fit. While it is clear that these are not premium headphones, the headband is reasonably sturdy. They shouldn’t feel too heavy in comparison to others of their kind, but don’t expect them to last long. The good news is that they fold to make transportation easier, despite the lack of a carrying case.

Good sound doesn’t have to cost you a fortune

There are plenty of good headphones available at reasonable prices. Wireless headphones, as you can see from our list above, come in a variety of shapes and sizes. Because of their balance and performance, the Anker Soundcore Life Q30 is our top pick for the best wireless headphones under $100. So, if you want wireless headphones that sound good but don’t want to spend a fortune, these are a great place to start.

The timing couldn’t be more perfect. Headphones aren’t just for the rich, especially when there’s so much to like in the low-cost category. They also come in a variety of styles, including over-ear, on-ear, and wireless earbuds. There are numerous options to consider with this list.