10 Best Earbuds Under 100 2025 in the United States

The Apple AirPods Pro 2 delivers high-fidelity sound quality thanks to the H2 chip and custom-built driver, providing clear high notes and rich bass. Its active noise cancellation is advanced, effectively removing background noise, while the Transparency mode allows you to stay aware of your surroundings.

The customizable fit with four silicone tips ensures comfortable wear for various ear shapes and creates a reliable acoustic seal. Battery life is strong, offering up to 6 hours of listening time with noise cancellation enabled, and 30 hours with the charging case. Connectivity is seamless with Bluetooth 5.3, ensuring stable and quick pairing with compatible devices.

The earbuds are dust, sweat, and water-resistant (IP54), enhancing durability for different environments. Touch controls are intuitive and include volume adjustments by swiping the stem, making it easy to manage playback and calls. The Personalized Spatial Audio feature and dynamic head tracking provide an immersive listening experience. However, it's worth noting that while these earbuds offer premium features, they are priced significantly higher than $100, making them less suitable for someone strictly looking for budget-friendly options.

The Apple AirPods 4 Wireless Earbuds bring several impressive features to the table. In terms of sound quality, they offer Personalized Spatial Audio with dynamic head tracking, enhancing the listening experience by creating a theater-like atmosphere. The H2 chip ensures improved sound and call quality, with advanced computational audio to reduce background noise and isolate the speaker’s voice during calls.

For comfort and fit, the redesigned contour and shorter stem promise exceptional all-day comfort and stability. The earbuds come with quick-press controls for easy music and call management, enhancing their usability. Battery life is another strong suit, offering up to 30 hours of total listening time with the charging case and up to 5 hours on a single charge. The USB-C charging case is redesigned, smaller in size, and supports quick recharge, providing around 1 hour of listening time from just 5 minutes of charging.

Connectivity is smooth with Bluetooth 5.3 technology, ensuring effortless setup and pairing with Apple devices. The AirPods 4 are rated IP54 for dust, sweat, and water resistance, making them suitable for workouts and outdoor use. They support touch and voice controls, including Siri interactions, adding to their convenience. However, the earbuds might be less appealing to users looking for budget options under $100, as Apple products typically come at a premium price. Additionally, while they offer many advanced features, they may not be the best choice for non-Apple device users due to compatibility and seamless integration issues. The inclusion of Active Noise Cancellation improves the listening experience but may not be as advanced as some higher-end models. The Apple AirPods 4 are a great choice for users invested in the Apple ecosystem seeking high-quality, comfortable earbuds with excellent sound and practical features.

The Samsung Galaxy Buds 3 Pro offer several impressive features for earbuds in the under $100 category, especially with their adaptive active noise cancellation and sound optimization tailored by AI. This means they adjust the sound and noise filtering based on your surroundings, which is a strong point for immersive listening. Comfort is another highlight; the redesigned fit aims to keep the earbuds in place comfortably for extended use without causing fatigue. Battery life provides about 6 hours per charge, which is decent but on the shorter side compared to some competitors. However, the charging case extends playback time up to 26 hours, which helps for longer days.

Connectivity is solid with Bluetooth 5.4, ensuring a stable wireless connection within about 10 meters. The touch controls are intuitive and customizable, allowing easy management of music and calls. Durability is reasonable with water resistance and a sturdy design, though it’s not specified if it can handle heavy sweat or water exposure beyond casual use. Some standout extras include real-time translation features during conversations, which might be handy for travelers.

On the downside, battery charging takes over two hours, which could be inconvenient for quick top-ups. Also, while the earbuds are lightweight and compact, they use 3 nonstandard batteries internally, which might affect long-term maintenance or replacements. These earbuds are well suited for users seeking smart noise cancellation, adaptive sound quality, and comfort, especially for daily use and travel, though those needing longer battery life or rugged durability might want to consider alternatives.