AirPods Are Great For iPhone Users, But Smart Money Buys These Wireless Earbuds Instead

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Apple's AirPods are some of the best wireless earbuds you can buy today, bringing a combination of great sound, wonderful Active Noise Cancellation (ANC), and intuitive controls. They also have a decently high price tag; not compared to some, but they're up there. That all depends on which AirPods you buy, of course. AirPods come in three different varieties — AirPods, AirPods with ANC, and AirPods Pro (if you don't include the over-ear AirPods Max), and they all have different perks and capabilities.

Notably, you can pair them to your iPhone just by opening the case close to your phone. They also have Find My compatibility. AirPods Pro can be used as a live translation device or as hearing aids. AirPods with ANC have surprisingly good ANC for a set of earbuds that don't form a seal in your ear canal. Overall, you're getting a lot of bang for your buck with AirPods.

But I have tested dozens of earbuds throughout my career, for numerous publications, and there's one set of earbuds I recommend for people on a budget — the JLab JBuds mini. I've had these true wireless earbuds for a couple of generations now, and I met with JLab at CES to see the new versions coming this Spring with a new feature that makes rhythm even better.

The JBuds mini very much live up to their name by being tiny — small enough to fit onto a keychain, which is where I'd keep them if I still carried keys. They're sweat-resistant with an IP55 rating, and they come with a keychain loop on the case. They are super portable, and they sound really good; not amazing, but they get the job done, for sure. By the way, they're on sale as of this writing for $33.99, which is almost one-third the price of the base version of AirPods. As they exist now, they're a steal.

This coming spring, JLab is adding ANC to the JBuds minis, and they're keeping the same price point, which will make these buds even better. Plus, JLab is adding a carabiner to the case, as opposed to the keychain ring, which will make them easier to attach to your keychain or backpack. At their normal price of $39.99, they're still one-third of the price of the AirPods with ANC.

I've been using a pre-release sample that I got at CES, and they still sound good. The ANC is also not bad, but JLab indicated that the tuning wasn't quite right, so it's likely to get even better. You can buy the JBuds Mini now at JLab's website, or wait until Spring for the new generation. Either way, they're a ridiculously good value.

As a freelancer reviewer of all things technology, I have actively tested dozens of earbuds, including twenty or so sets of earbuds in the past year. I have also attended tradeshows and met with most audio companies face-to-face to hear about new and upcoming features. The earbuds I chose have the best value and the most complete set of features of all the earbuds I've tested that also happen to be less expensive than Apple's AirPods.