You can get quality, fully-featured headphones for under $100 and not feel like you’re missing out. Trust me — I’ve tested well-over 50 earbuds and headphones over the years, and some of the sub-$100 models are just as good as pricier alternatives.
Below, I rounded up the best headphones under $100, including wireless earbuds, on-ear headphones, over-ear headphones, workout headphones and more.
How I test headphones
I try new earbuds and headphones all the time, incorporating them into my daily routine. That means wearing them in the office, on video calls, on a subway commute, during workouts and while relaxing at home. When testing new headphones, I pay close attention to the following:
- Comfort: Any good pair of headphones should be comfortable to wear for hours at a time. I wear earbuds and headphones for upward of three hours to get an idea of fit, feel and wear. Everyone’s ears are different, so I make sure to try different-sized ear tips (or ear cups) if they are included in the box.
- Ease of use: The best headphones don’t take much thought to use. I always test out the on-ear controls to take calls and play media. I also install each brand’s mobile app (if they have one), seeing if it enhances (or detracts) from the experience. If the headphones can connect to multiple devices at the same time (Bluetooth multipoint), I make sure to test it, as it can cause connectivity issues on certain headphones I’ve tried.
- Sound quality: To get an idea of sound quality, sound profile and instrumentation, I listen to the same playlists with all the earbuds and headphones I test.
- Noise cancellation: I use headphones for my office commute on the NYC subway. I also use them in-office to block out background noise and conversations.
- Battery life: I try headphones for at least a week. Throughout that period, I pay attention to how many times I need to charge them.
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The best headphones under $100
Every option on this list is a sample I requested from the brand for testing purposes for this story.
Best earbuds under $100
These wireless earbuds proved to me that you don’t need to spend hundreds of dollars for a good pair of headphones. They have all the features I look for in earbuds: good active noise canceling, transparency, Bluetooth multipoint and wireless charging. They are also surprisingly comfortable, even for long work or travel days.
Like nearly all headphones at this price, the automated noise cancelling is only okay. It helps cut down noise, but isn’t nearly as useful against planes, trains and cars compared to more premium competitors.
The Liberty 4 NC is not the brand’s latest model, and while I would love to recommend the newer Anker Soundcore Liberty 5, which are excellent, they are $130.
Best budget earbuds
I was surprised at how good these earbuds are for $25. They have surprisingly good sound quality, a stable Bluetooth connection and a convenient charging case with a built-in charging cable. Sure, they don’t have active noise cancelation features, but you have to lose out on something to hit this low price point.
Between the Pop+ and Tones+ collections, there are more than 22 colors to choose from, far more than any other competitor I’ve seen.
This is my go-to recommendation when someone asks me for headphones under $100. They are comfortable (if a little flimsy), fully-featured, fold down to a small size for travel and come with a hard case. Plus, they sound deep and detailed compared to similarly priced earbuds.
One highlight is battery life — these headphones get up to 40 hours of playtime with noise-cancelling turned on (and up to 60 with it turned off). That’s more than enough for a full getaway without having to think about recharging.
Best on-ear headphones under $100
If you prefer your headphones to rest on your ears (not over them), consider these Sony headphones over the Soundcore’s. Something I appreciate immediately with these is how lightweight they are — I barely noticed them on my head for hours at a time. And, like most of Sony’s headphones, they sound great, with a detailed sound that separates instrumentation well.
They don’t have noise cancelling or transparency modes, but they have excellent battery life — up to 50 hours on a signal charge.
Best budget earhook earbuds
If you’re looking for low-priced workout headphones you don’t have to worry about losing, wearing in the rain, and generally being rough with, these are the earbuds to get. They have a large ear-hook design that wraps around the back of your ears, keeping them secure and stable no matter what kind of exercise you’re doing, in my experience. They don’t have noise cancellation features, but they do have a transparency mode that helps give you more awareness of your surroundings, which I find helpful for outdoor runs.
Best clip-on earbuds under $100
Open earbuds rest on the outside of your ear instead of slotting inside your ear canal. I use open earbuds for outdoor exercise like runs and bike rides — it’s much easier to hear nearby cars, bikes and pedestrians than when using traditional earbuds.
These Soundpeats buds clip onto the outside of your ear, like an ear cuff. Like other clip-on earbuds, they’re small and lightweight enough to largely forget about on your ears. No clip-on earbud will sound as detailed as traditional ones (Soundpeats included), but these are a great option if you are looking for something subtle and stylish.
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How to get the most out of your headphones
Regardless of how much your headphones cost, there are a few things to keep in mind to get the most out of your purchase.
Use noise-cancelling and transparency modes
Many of our recommendations have noise-cancelling and transparency modes built-in.
Active noise-cancelling (ANC) detects incoming noise and generates signals internally to cancel out that noise. While headphones under $100 don’t have the best ANC on the market, most of them can help get rid of background noise, and keep you from having to turn the volume up uncomfortably high to listen to your media in a noisy space.
Transparency mode, sometimes called hear-through or passthrough mode, does the opposite: it detects incoming noise and amplifies it. If you really want to hear your surrounding environment, open earbuds are the best option, however.
I use ANC and transparency mode all the time, switching between the two often throughout the day depending on what’s going on.
Download companion apps
Many of our top picks have apps that let you change settings like audio balance and Bluetooth multipoint. They can also be useful for keeping your headphone’s software up to date, too.
Remember the IP rating
Earbuds in particular usually have an IP rating that represents how resistant to dust and water they are. An IP rating of IP55 means that your earbuds are protected against dust and jets of water — a little jog in the rain shouldn’t be an issue for them. You can learn more in our IP rating guide.
Why trust NBC Select?
I’m a reporter at NBC Select who covers technology and fitness including stories on fitness trackers, wireless earbuds and point-and-shoot cameras. I’ve been testing earbuds and headphones for years — I try new models constantly, comparing them against previous versions and similar competitors. For a varied perspective, everybody has different ears, after all, I also spoke with other NBC Select team members about their experience with earbuds they use and have used previously.
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