Tech: Best Airpods (2026): Which Apple Headphones Should You Buy?

Apple’s first AirPods were beloved for one primary reason: they actually worked. At a time when most other wireless earbuds were barely usable due to connection woes, the original AirPods offered a slick design, flawless connection, and a seamless experience with your iPhone and other Apple devices. A lot has changed since then, but the AirPods’ ability to unlock the best from Apple gear has only grown, especially as the brand branched out into new, more advanced models like the AirPods Max and the indelible AirPods Pro.

Which AirPods are right for you? That depends on a few factors, from your budget to your tendency to use devices outside Apple’s so-called “walled garden.” If you want the simplest answer for you iPhone, the AirPods Pro offers the best performance for your dollars from nearly every angle. But there’s more to the story, especially since Apple has increasingly brought the best AirPods features to the Beats lineup for those outside Apple's ecosystem. Here are the best AirPods and Beats buds for every user and any use case.

Check out our Best Wireless Headphones, Best Wireless Earbuds, Best Open Earbuds, and Best Cheap Headphones guides for recommendations that span well beyond Apple's kingdom.

Updated February 2026: We've updated this post to include all the latest AirPods and Beats options we recommend. We've also updated pricing, and added all the top new features.

Apple's latest flagship buds, the AirPods Pro 3, are its best AirPods yet. You'll get improved noise canceling, transparency mode so realistic it almost feels like open earbuds, new tools like heart rate sensing and live translation, fabulous call quality, and clear (if bassy) sound. As usual, they work brilliantly with Apple gear, including features like seamless connection and automatic swapping between iCloud devices, “Hey, Siri” on demand, Find My support, spatial audio for virtual 3D listening, and more.

The latest hardware has changed in subtle ways, including new low-noise microphones for calling, a better fit with more eartip options, and improved battery life. One of my favorite things about the Pro is that Apple tends to improve them after release via firmware updates. Past examples include Adaptive Audio, added to the AirPods Pro 2 and continued here, combining noise canceling and transparency modes that adjust to your environment. From travel to workouts, this is a killer package for anyone with an iPhone.

Apple’s AirPods Max are a very different kind of AirPods

Source: Wired