Best Cheap Earbuds For Exercising, Noise Cancelling, Open-ear And More

Looking to upgrade your earbuds without breaking the bank

My team and I have found seven quality earbuds that cost $50 or less, and in some cases, much less

But each of these earbuds still receives the Tom's Guide Likes Badge for their impressive features and best bang for the buck sound

If you see a pair you need right now, check out the links below for the best prices

And now, on with the video. First up is a pair of earbuds that I can't believe only cost $30

The Moondrop Space Travel 2s are our pick for the best budget earbuds overall

because to put it simply, they sound incredible. I'm talking better than earbuds that cost over $100 or more

thanks to the massive, oversized 13mm drivers inside. But that doesn't mean just overpowering muddy bass

but vibrant, rich sound, plus a super in-depth EQ. There aren't any compromises on the ANC either

The Moondrop Space Travel 2s look and sound too good to be true

which reminds me, no judgment, but I do find anime girl voices for the audio cues to be an odd choice

Connected! But that doesn't stop me from recommending the Space Travel 2s

as our best budget earbuds overall. If you're looking for an affordable pair of fitness earbuds

the JLab Go Sport Plus are the best budget earbuds for working out

These buds have comfortable ear hooks that keep them in place, and don't sweat it, the Go Sport Plus has a IP55 waterproof rating

The touch controls are also easy to use on the fly, so you can stay focused on your reps

No ANC, but the passive noise cancelling is strong enough that there's a built-in be-aware mode if you're going on the run in a city

They've got 9 hours of battery life and 35 more with the case, which has a convenient built USB charging cable Even if you not a total gym buff the JLab Go Sport Pluses are an affordable way to always have a pair ready in your workout bag even if they just there as

a backup. Want a little more awareness while you listen to music? Then our choice for the best

budget open earbuds, the Anker Soundcore V20i's, might just be the pair you're looking for

If you haven't encountered this style of earbud yet, you can check out our full video on the tech

to learn more but basically these don't go in your ear but rather sit just outside it. The V20i's

use super comfortable ear hooks to keep the earbuds in place and because they're not inside your ear

you can still hear the world around you but the sound is targeted so no one around you will hear

a thing. While open earbuds have to compromise a little on bass the V20i still sound warm and

bright thanks to the large 16 millimeter titanium drivers. This style of earbud hasn't been around

for very long, so it's shocking we already have a pair that sounds this good for only $30

For ultimate portability, pocketability, and small ear comfort, it's hard to beat the J-Lab Mini

These itty-bitty earbuds and their teeny tiny case can fit just about anywhere, including on a pair

of keys with the built-in ring. Super ideal for everyday carry. When it comes to sound quality

the J-Lab Mini's bass-forward sound profile punches above its weight, with passive noise-canceling from the Bud's tight but comfortable seal

You can use the J-Lab Sound app to customize your EQ and activate the ambient listening mode

If you're looking for a pair of earbuds you'll always have on hand, the small but mighty J-Lab Minis are your best bet

CMF is nothing budget offshoot that makes affordable smartwatches headphones and earbuds Like the CMF Buds Pro 2 our pick for the best ANC earbuds under Technically these are earbuds that always sell for or less but you wouldn know that from the crisp

polished sound. They're also the only pair on this list that support the lossless LDAC

Kodak for hi-fi listening. You get ANC that's arguably as good as the AirPods Pro 3 and longer

battery life than the Sony's flagship XM6s, up to 11 hours with the buds or 43 with the case

which is ridiculous. The case also has this fun, customizable smart dial that you rotate to adjust

volume or playback and click to control noise cancellation modes. I really enjoy seeing

innovations in earbud cases, and it's even better when it's at this kind of price

want high quality anc for even less then check out the jlab go pods anc true wireless earbuds

often available for under 30 these noise cancelling earbuds feel shockingly premium

with decidedly not budget earbud features like multi-point connectivity and a waterproof rating

of ip66 the sound quality and anc is some of the best on this list with punchy bass and mids that

avoid the tinny cheapness of a lot of budget earbuds. There's customizable EQ settings in

the companion app, and I have to admit, I liked the app's selection of built-in ambient soundscapes

If you're really willing to spend hundreds, you can do better, but few earbuds approach the bang

for the buck of the JLab GoPod's ANC True Wireless Earbuds. Okay, but what about even, even less

You can still get a solid pair of wireless earbuds for just $20 with the Anker Soundcore P20i

The P20i provide powerful bass with over 10 hours of playtime and another 20 from the case There even fast charging with two hours of playback from just 10 minutes in the case At this price it no surprise the noise canceling is only passive

but you can still fine tune your listening experience with 22 EQ presets or a gaming mode

Yes, there are more feature packed earbuds, but not for $20, which is why the Anker Soundcore P20i

earns this spot on our list. So, if all these earbuds sound so good for less than $50, why spend more

While all of these earbuds provide excellent value, there are some features you miss out on by going the budget route

First, most of these earbuds can't support high-fidelity audio codecs like APTX or LDAC, which audiophiles know means a richer, fuller sound

Something to consider if the most important thing to you is audio quality. Wireless charging is also a feature you'll only find on premium earbuds like the AirPods Pro 3 or Sony XM6

And the best noise cancelling is going to be found on the highest-end earbuds like the Bose QuietComfort Ultra

I'll link our best earbuds of 2026 video down below if you want to check out some more options

That's it for this video. Just remember, every pair here has earned our Tom's Guide Likes badge and would make a great choice as your everyday earbuds or as a spare pair for work or travel

And if one of these caught your eye, check out the links below for the best prices

Did we miss your favorite budget earbuds? Let us know in the comments below and give us a like and subscribe if this video helped you out

Until next time, I'm Phil Rodriguez, this is Tom's Guide, and I'll see you in the next video

Bye