13 Of The Best Noise-Canceling Earbuds That Won't Break The Bank In 2026

We may receive a commission on purchases made from links.

For a long time, active noise-canceling headphones were seen as a luxury. Even today that perception lingers, especially if they're earbuds; ANC requires extra microphones, hardware, and software black magic, so it should cost way more than the non-ANC models, right? Yes, but not as much as you'd think. ANC is plentifully available on the budget tier, and not just available, but good. You no longer need to spend hundreds of dollars on the latest Sony XM6 or AirPods Pro 3 to enjoy some semblance of quiet and peace in a loud place. You can spend half as much, sometimes even less. 

We have a very specific target here: earbuds that cost less than $150. Anything above that is bank-breaking territory, we feel. Further, it must be ANC, not passive noise cancellation, i.e., when the earbuds block external sound exclusively by their shape and tips. If you're looking for top-of-the-line noise cancellation that can sonically wipe out an office or a train station, this guide is not for you. However, the ANC in these models will be sufficient to cut down on background noise enough for you to focus and protect your hearing. We recommend these 13.

If you want some really good noise cancellation (and some excellent earbuds overall), then buying the previous-generation AirPods Pro 2 is a great way to get your foot in the door of premium at budget prices. You can buy a renewed AirPods Pro 2 for just shy of $150 when on sale. Apple no longer sells these new, so you will have to buy them wherever they're available — but anecdotally, I have seen them on sale for $150 or less all over the place.

Talking about ANC is difficult because the only way you can understand how good it is is by wearing it yourself and testing it in your personal noisy haunts. I owned the AirPods Pro 2 before upgrading to the AirPods Pro 3, and I can say with confidence that the AirPods Pro 2 are still an exceptional pair in the current year, and will be for years to come. The noise-canceling is in a class of its own; it can make most noisy soundscapes around you so quiet, you might forget you're there.

Beyond that, they are just a wonderful pair of earbuds in almost every way. They fit well, they sound incredible, they have solid battery life, and they have the best transparency mode in the industry, in my humble view. The only real downside to them is that you lose some of their functionality on Android. You'll love them to death as long as you have an iPhone.

Parallel to the AirPods on Android are Samsung's excellent Galaxy Buds, currently on the fourth generation with the Galaxy Buds4 Pro. Back in 2024, we gave a 9 out of 10 to the Samsung Galaxy Buds3 Pro. We think they're excellent earbuds today, more so now that the price has dropped; on Amazon, you can buy a brand-new pair from Samsung's official store for $134. Although they are intended for the Samsung ecosystem, they work on virtually any Android device.

The noise cancellation on these is great, with an adaptive mode similar to the AirPods. All around, they are solid headphones as well. The charging case gives them up to 18 hours of battery life with support for fast charging; they cancel out background noise during your calls; they have live language translation; they're IPX7-rated so you can use them while exercising or in a light rain. We also quite like the stylish, futuristic design with that light-up stalk. The Buds3 may be yesterday's premium headphones, but that doesn't mean they aren't excellent today — particularly in a price-to-value assessment.

The Soundcore P31i is a pair of budget earbuds from one of Anker's tech brands, and it's proof that "budget" doesn't mean "bad." For $59.99, you get ANC, multipoint Bluetooth pairing (with support for Google Fast Pair), IP55 water and dust resistance, and live translation. The ANC supports an adaptive mode, a highly useful feature for when you only want the ANC to kick in intelligently as things get too noisy. Battery life is rated at 50 hours, or approximately 8 hours per charge with ANC on and 40 hours total with the case; as is typical with ANC earbuds, you'll get a lot more battery life turning ANC off. The P31i also supports fast charging.

Reviews rate them highly. The praise means a lot when you consider that the Soundcore P31i is offering something that could easily cost you several times as much in a premium pair of earbuds. Reviews on Amazon are likewise high at a 4.4-star average out of over 8,000 reviews.

These certainly won't provide the best ANC in the world, but for that price tag, that may not matter to you. What's important to understand is that ANC has strengths and weaknesses. Low, consistent sounds get canceled more easily, so even the Soundcore P31i may significantly cut down on the noise of, say, an airplane or a car, at least enough to spare you a headache.

The Nothing company is a budget-oriented brand with flagship-killer specs, an idiosyncratic design, and a weird obsession with parentheses. We've favorably reviewed other audio products of its own, such as the new Nothing Headphone (A). Nothing is the perfect candidate to make a budget pair of ANC earbuds, and it does just that with the Nothing Ear (3). The Ear (3) will last you about 5.5 hours with ANC on, or a total of 22 hours when including the case. Call time with ANC on is 4 hours, and with ANC off it's 15.5 hours. Transparency mode is also supported. The Ear (3) is at the top of our budget limit, coming just barely under $150 on Amazon.

For that price, they bring effectively flagship specs. They support in-ear detection, IP54 water and dust resistance, and incorporate pinch controls like those on the AirPods Pro. Your earbuds can be tracked and found using the Nothing X app, which is also where you can access the EQ settings. And of course if you own a Nothing Phone, then the Ear (3) will go perfectly with it. Testing of the Ear (3) proves the ANC does pretty well, even if not the best.

Reviews of the Nothing Ear (3) are favorable, though we admit the pricing is high; many items on this list, as you'll soon see, match most of the Ear (3)'s specs (and in some cases are better) for a third of the price.

JBL is a mainstay in the audio industry. It has a truly huge catalog of earbuds (to say nothing of speakers and headphones) at all price points, including many with ANC. The JBL Vibe Beam 2 is a great example. It retails for just under $65 and includes IP54 water and dust resistance, and 40 hours of playback, plus fast charging support. With the ANC on, the buds last about 8 hours per charge. The ANC supports an ambient mode, too. Multipoint and Android-based fast switching, such as Google Fast Pair, are supported.

Reviews are strong on Amazon with a 4.1-star average. When accounting for the fact that these are very much budget-range earbuds, they do respectably among professional reviewers. Everything about JBL headphones can be tweaked in the JBL app, which allows for some voice-activated features. The headphones further boast four microphones for better voice pickup during calls, and JBL's proprietary purveys. All things considered, you can't go wrong with this pair.

The Soundcore Space A40 is another offering from the Anker Soundcore brand, priced higher than the Soundcore P31i at $80 retail — though it is frequently on sale near the $50 mark. The adaptive ANC is rated for 10 hours of playtime, up to 50 hours with the case and fast charging support, which is top-tier battery life for a pair of ANC buds. The earbuds have IPX4 water resistance. They have touch controls and six microphones for better call quality. Soundcore boasts that they're "light as a sheet of paper" and thus can be worn for long periods comfortably.

The Space A40 has earned strong reviews from professional reviewers and has a 4.2-star average rating on Amazon. Although they are getting slightly long in the tooth (released in 2022), the consistently low price on sale still makes them, we think, an excellent choice. The small, light size is also a huge selling point paired with the long battery life; these could be a great pair of ANC buds that you keep in your ears during a long workday.

The Nothing brand is a budget-to-mid-range brand, so it has a secondary category named CMF that is completely budget as far as prices are concerned. That includes the CMF Phone and the CMF Buds. The CMF Buds Pro 2 retail for $69 but sit at $49 on Amazon. With the ANC on, you get 6.5 hours of listening time for a total of 26 hours with the case. The ANC supports adaptive mode and transparency mode. In addition to this, the Pro 2 boasts clear calls and dedicated wind-noise reduction.

Despite the incredibly low price, the CMF Buds Pro 2 really do have a "Pro" spec sheet. They include IP55 water and dust protection, support in-ear detection and find-device support through the Nothing X app, fast charging, and touch/tap controls. And they also look pretty slick.

Reviews by professionals are favorable. The Amazon review average is 4.3 stars. Similar to many items on this list, when you compare the price of these to what they offer, the value is incredible. It's almost difficult to recommend the Nothing Ear (3) when these exist for so much less.

Don't let the curious brand name put you off (are we the only ones thinking of peat, as in soil? I don't want peat in my ears). The SoundPEATS Air5 Pro are not a throwaway word-salad brand, and they offer a competitively priced package for the $79 they retail at. Their 7.5-hour playback time with ANC (55 hours total) is only the beginning. They're one of the few earbuds in this price bracket that support Snapdragon Sound, a lossless codec that brings hi-fi without wires; one of the disadvantages of Bluetooth headphones and earbuds is they cannot transmit lossless audio.

Further, they have a six-microphone array for crisp calls, multi-point support, low latency support for gaming, and IPX5 water resistance. Professional reviews are quite strong. On Amazon, they maintain a 4.1-star average, and prices often and sit well below the original $79 MSRP.

Their specs are great for the price already, but it's the Snapdragon Sound that really sets them apart; these will be ideal for an audiophile who wants a convenient, on-the-go way to enjoy their music at near-wired quality, and on a somewhat tight budget.

Same as with the SoundPEATS, the EarFun Air Pro 4 is a somewhat goofy name that could turn away buyers from an otherwise solid pair of earbuds. They boast up to 11 hours of playback on a single charge, plus 41 hours with the case, adaptive noise cancellation, and a six-microphone array for calls. You'll also enjoy multi-point connectivity standards like Google Fast Pair, in-ear detection, low-latency audio for gaming, and IPX5 water resistance. All of this for a starting price of $79.90 — though sales frequently bring it as low as $53.

Like the SoundPEATS, the Air Pro 4 supports Snapdragon Sound for lossless listening. Professional reviews rate the EarFun Air Pro 4 highly, and Amazon reviews are also favorable at a 4.4 average. They're also strikingly similar to the AirPods, if that's the style you're going for. Really, our only complaint here is the name.

The Nothing Ear (a) is a "budget" pair of buds, even though Nothing has its fully budget CMF sub-brand as well. Confusing, we know. With ANC on, the Ear (a) supports 5.5 hours of playback time, and 24.5 hours total, plus transparency mode and in-ear detection; IP54 water and dust resistance; pinch controls; a 3-mic array for clearer calls; and (through the Nothing X app) the same find-my-device functionality. The spec sheet is similar enough to more expensive versions of Nothing's earbuds, like the Nothing Ear (3), that the retail price of $79 is quite surprising. Meanwhile, you are getting the same unique transparent Nothing design and bright colorway options.

Once again, the price does not mean that these are "budget" in the sense of "bad" as it usually is interpreted. They do well among professional reviewers. Amazon's reviewers give it a 4.1-star average. Whether it's these or the CMF buds, we think you'd be happy either way.

Yes, the OnePlus brand is soon to be a distant memory in the U.S. market. It's not a good idea to buy a OnePlus phone right now. But, earbuds that will connect to any Bluetooth device don't stop working because OnePlus stops providing updates, so the OnePlus Buds 4 are still worth considering. They start at $114 and are quite competitive in their price bracket. Adaptive ANC with transparency mode, IP55 water and dust resistance, a Find My Earbuds feature, live AI translation, low-latency mode, and a 3-mic array for calling. You'll get about 6 hours of listening with the ANC on, and 24 total with it off.

OnePlus has also focused on the sound here, delivering dual drivers and double DACs for its "Golden Sound" listening experience, which includes support for LHDC (a hi-fi Bluetooth codec) and spatial audio with OnePlus 3D Audio. It also boasts a stable, longer-distance Bluetooth connection via the Steady Connect feature. Similar to OnePlus phones, the $114 price point is intended (in theory) to match the premium buds that cost twice as much.

All of that is just marketing speak, though, so how do they hold up? Quite well. Reviewers generally love them, and the Amazon reviews agree with a 4.5-star average. Our only major complaint is that some features are restricted to OnePlus phones — a bit of a problem when you're better off buying a competitor.

The EarFun Air Pro 4 Plus are a slightly more premium version of the Air Pro 4, costing $10 more at $99. Their spec sheet is mostly the same, with adaptive ANC, Qualcomm Snapdragon Sound for lossless audio, and a 6-mic array for clear calls. So what justifies the $10 uptick? For one, an extra balanced armature driver (a popular driver in IEMs); the new Bluetooth 6 standard for better connections and latency; better IP55 water and dust resistance; and importantly, an extra two hours total playtime. We'd say that, compared to other brands where the gap from base to premium is a lot wider, that $10 gets you a lot.

The EarFun Air Pro 4 Plus's professional reviews are also strong. Amazon's users also rate them highly at an average of 4.1. So which should you get, this or the cheaper Pro 4? We'd say that paying the extra $10 is absolutely worth it unless money is very, very tight.

Rounding out the EarFun catalog, we have the EarFun Free Pro 3. These are close in price to the Pro 4 and Pro 4 Plus, setting you back about $79 on Amazon and going on sale for as low as $47. They skip the AirPods' style and go instead for bubble-shaped buds. Spec-wise, they have adaptive ANC with a 6-mic array, Snapdragon Sound, IPX5 water and dust protection, and approximately 7.5 hours of listening time plus 25.5 hours with the case.

Reviewers like the EarFun Free Pro 3s, too, as do the Amazon users at a 4.1-star average. We'd recommend these to people who want a smaller, closer-fitting pair of buds if the stalks of the Pro 4 and Pro 4 Plus bother you; stalks can stick out at odd angles depending on ear shape and get caught on things, so they're not for everyone. However, the Free Pro 3 are proof the EarFun catalog is big and competitive enough that it could be a tough choice — especially when, again, paying all of $20 upgrades you to the Pro 4 Plus.

The market for ANC earbuds went from one dominated by a few premium-priced options in the late 2010s, to now dozens and dozens of budget models that undercut the kings in price and performance. It wasn't hard to find a dozen options — it was hard to narrow things down. Our focus was on the whole package: ANC, plus strong battery life, basic water protection, and other nice-to-have features. We want these to be earbuds that serve you well in every regard and situation beyond killing noise. It's completely possible for a device to have exceptional specs on paper while otherwise being deeply flawed, like the AirPods Max (though maybe that's just me).

We feel anything above $150 is where most can agree the term "budget" ceases to apply, at least for wireless Bluetooth earbuds. Since the efficacy of ANC is a subjective thing and everyone needs it for different reasons — cheap ANC might be more than enough for a loud office fan but totally insufficient if you travel regularly on loud public transport — we didn't rank this list in terms of "best" budget ANC. Strong overall views were more important to us, from both everyday users and career reviewers who have a baseline after reviewing countless headphones.

Further, we want to make clear that just because a pair of earbuds has better on-paper specs than another doesn't guarantee it'll be better than one with "worse" specs; specs are just numbers. A well-designed, well-optimized piece of hardware, in my experience, matters far more.