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We’ve updated this list to reflect recent pick changes.

Not everyone can or wants to spend a lot of money on headphones, but $100 or less can get you a lot if you know where to look. We’ve reviewed hundreds of headphones under $100, including wired, wireless, over-ear, and earbuds to find the best ones for every need. This article provides an overview of all the under-$100 picks across our different headphone guides, with links to our full coverage.

This on-ear pair sounds, fits, and functions like it costs more than $100. There’s no option to use these with a cord, but the ultra-long battery life means you won’t need to charge frequently.

*At the time of publishing, the price was $100.

Who these are for: If you’re looking for traditional over-ear wireless Bluetooth headphones and want good sound for the least amount of money.

Why we like it: The Jabra Elite 45h headphones pack incredible performance into an affordable package. This on-ear pair sounds fantastic, is lightweight and comfortable to wear for hours, and has controls that are easy to learn and use. The microphones deliver stellar clarity for phone calls and video chats, and you get over 50 hours of listening time per full charge. One of our expert panelists remarked that the 45h’s audio quality rivaled that of $250 pairs he’d tried, and I agree. For folks who wear glasses, the 45h’s on-ear design may fit more comfortably than over-ear headphones.

Flaws but not dealbreakers: This set lacks active noise cancellation and the ability to connect via a cord when the battery runs out, and the on-ear design won’t appeal to everyone.

Battery life: 50 hours Protected against: light rain and dust Warranty: two years against light water and dust damage, one year manufacturing defects

For more info, see our full review of the best Bluetooth wireless headphones.

The Sony MDR-7506, a longtime favorite of audio professionals, offers more reliability, more comfort, and better sound than many headphones twice its price.

Who this is for: Great for any listener (or for musicians, podcasters, or recording enthusiasts) who wants a very accurate set of headphones. They’re affordable and put your hard-earned cash toward great sound quality rather than extras like Bluetooth or noise cancelling.

Why we like it: The MDR-7506 headphones have been a recording-studio and live-audio mainstay since being introduced in 1991. Not only do they provide a neutral sound across all frequency ranges, but they also give you a better sense of space and dynamics in your music than many options twice the price. They’re durable, comfortable, and reliable, and a great value at under $100.

Flaws but not dealbreakers: Although the long, coiled cable is practical for studio use, you can’t swap it out for a standard shorter cord with a remote and a mic for mobile-device use. You also won’t be accused of being a trendsetter in the MDR-7506 headphones, as they’re professional-looking, not stylish. If that’s a dealbreaker for you, check out the rest of the picks in our guide to the best headphones under $200.

Cable style: coiled (9.8 feet) with 3.5 mm and removable ¼-inch adapter Warranty: 90 days

For more info, see our full guide to the best audiophile headphones for everyday use.

Who this is for: Kids headphones are sized for smaller noggins, but more important, they include volume-limiting features to protect kids from hearing damage even if the kids themselves aren’t ready to self-regulate volume on their own—a crucial tool to pair with their computer or tablet.

What we recommend: Our guide to the best kids headphones includes multiple recommendations under $100, for a variety of uses. The Puro BT2200 is our favorite pair for listening to music and watching videos. If your kiddo needs a great microphone for school or gaming use, we like the JLab JBuddies Play because of its retractable boom mic, which improves voice clarity and cuts down on background noise. Budget-minded shoppers should check out the Onanoff BuddyPhones Explore+ (for toddlers) or JLab JBuddies Studio Wireless (for kindergartners to tweens), both of which are priced around $30.

We measured all of these headphones to ensure that they properly limit the volume to a safer level of 85 dBA. You can learn more about safe listening and how we tested kids headphones in our full guide.

Affordable without sacrificing what’s most important, this pair offers high water resistance, has hooks that hold the earbuds in place, and delivers solid audio quality. But it doesn’t let you hear your surroundings, and the set has no volume controls.

*At the time of publishing, the price was $50.

Who this is for: The Aukey EP-T32 is an affordable and durable pair for anyone who’s trying out running as a hobby or who doesn’t want to spend much on wireless earbuds.

Why we like it: This true wireless pair packs plenty of features for its price. A high IPX8 Ingress Protection rating means this pair is especially sweat resistant, and the hook-over-the-ear design keeps the earbuds in place for a variety of ear shapes and types of runners. The pair offers seven hours of battery life on its own, as well as an additional four full charges in its Qi-charging-compatible case. The controls for these earbuds are tap-based, and after a little practice they’re relatively simple to use while you’re on a run.

Flaws but not dealbreakers: This sealed pair doesn’t let in any outside sounds and doesn’t include an awareness or hear-through mode, so it isn’t a good match for anyone who wants to hear their surroundings on their run. These earbuds allow you to use one earbud independently if you’d prefer to keep one ear open for surrounding sounds, but we found that switching from mono mode back to stereo mode could be buggy. The sealed tips of the EP-T32 will amplify footfalls and breathing sounds, as isolating earbuds tend to do. The controls lack the ability to adjust volume, and the high water resistance applies a slightly muffled quality to the microphone. The case is also on the larger side, so it might not fit into pockets or in a narrow running belt.

Battery life: seven hours Protected against: water and sweat

For more info, see our full guide to the best running headphones.

These over-ear wireless noise-cancelling headphones offer surprisingly decent sound, comfort, and noise cancelling at a low price.

*At the time of publishing, the price was $50.

Who this is for: If you spend a lot of time in environments with low-frequency, steady sounds like motor hums or plane-engine noise and want the best noise cancelling you can get for under $100, these are for you.

Why we like it: If you want good noise cancellation without all the bells and whistles, the Anker Soundcore Life Q20 over-ear Bluetooth headphones deliver. Although its noise cancelling and sound quality can’t match the standards set by the much pricier noise-cancelling headphones, this pair is effective enough to make a noticeable difference on sounds such as airplane noise and air conditioners. On this pair we measured an average reduction of 18.7 dB, which is impressive for headphones at this price and will help take the edge off loud hums so you can listen to your podcasts at a reasonable volume. Comfort is important even for budget noise-cancelling headphones, and the Life Q20 punches above its weight class in this respect, with notably soft memory-foam earpads. Anker claims a 30-hour battery life with Bluetooth and noise cancelling on. In our tests, we got even more than that—the Life Q20 lasted 38 hours at about 70 percent volume with the ANC on.

Flaws but not dealbreakers: In our tests, call quality was passable, not great. The mic sounded fantastic in a quiet room (our tester said it sounded as though we were calling from the phone itself) but also picked up a good bit of wind noise and human voices, so you may want to walk to a quieter place to take important calls.

Battery life: 30 hours Warranty: 18 months

For more info, see our full guide to the best noise-cancelling headphones.

The Piston Fit BT wireless earbuds are water resistant and comfortable to wear—and they sound more expensive than they are.

Who this is for: Sometimes you just need a pair of inexpensive Bluetooth earbuds that get the job done.

Why we like it: The 1More Piston Fit BT is rare as far as inexpensive Bluetooth earbuds are concerned because this pair sounds great and works well. The neckband-style design is lightweight and comfortable, and you can easily access the straightforward controls with one hand. Additionally, the microphone sounds clear over phone calls, the Bluetooth connection is stable, and the eight-hour battery life is long enough to get you through your workday.

Flaws but not dealbreakers: A longer battery life and fast charging would be great. But if we have to forgo these minor requests to get headphones that function, feel, and sound like they cost three times their sticker price, we’ll do so.

Battery life: eight hours Protected against: splashes of water (IPX4)

For more info, see our full guide to the best earbuds under $50.

The EarFun Free 2 earbuds are completely wireless and come with a lot of features you don’t usually find at this price, and they have an 18-month warranty. This set is not as balanced-sounding as other options, though.

Who this is for: If your heart is set on true wireless earbuds but you aren’t willing to pay more than $50, these are your best option.

Why we like it: The EarFun Free 2 is a completely wireless pair of earbuds that remains affordable while still providing an experience on a par with (and sometimes better than) that of true wireless earbuds in the $90 to $100 range. The pair has many features you usually find only on higher-priced models, such as a noise-reducing microphone for calls, a case that charges wirelessly, and full tap-based controls. It comes with an 18-month warranty and has high water resistance with an IPX7 rating.

Flaws but not dealbreakers: These earbuds don’t sound as balanced as other options like the 1More Piston Fit BT pair. The EarFun Free 2 has a pronounced high-frequency spike that may be fatiguing for sensitive listeners, while other listeners might register it only as a whistle-like quality in “s” sounds or overemphasized cymbal rings. But this isn’t an uncommon sound profile, and we’ve found the same flaw in more expensive earbuds, so it’s not as much of a dealbreaker at this price.

Battery life: seven hours (plus 23 more hours in the case) Protected against: water (IPX7) Warranty: 18 months

For more info, see our full guide to the best earbuds under $50.

The RP-TCM125 ErgoFit wired earbuds sound quite good for their super-affordable price, and they come with an optional single-button remote and microphone.

Who this is for: Anyone looking for wired earbuds that are super affordable.

Why we like it: The Panasonic RP-TCM125 ErgoFit set has a pleasant, balanced sound, and unlike other competitors in this price range, it sounds good playing a variety of music styles. These wired earbuds also have a single-button universal remote and mic built in, something that’s becoming harder to find in decent cheap earbuds these days. They also come in a variety of colors.

Flaws but not dealbreakers: The sound quality is on the mellow side, and you’ll find less emphasis on high sounds like cymbals crashing and hard “s” sounds. Although these earbuds come with three sizes of silicone tips, people with larger ear canals might find that it takes some fiddling to get a proper seal.

For more info, see our full guide to the best earbuds under $50.

Taking good care of any headphones will keep them working better and longer. And if you’re on a budget, this can mean big savings in the long term. In our blog post on how to clean earbuds and headphones, we recommend wiping down headphones’ earpads and tips regularly with a mixture of soap and warm water on a lightly damp cloth. If your headphones are powered, make sure they’re off and disconnected before doing this.

Before borrowing or lending a pair of headphones, always make sure to give them a quick wipe-down. The same goes for right after a workout or on a particularly humid or rainy day, because even water- and sweat-resistant headphones shouldn’t be exposed to moisture for too long. And wireless headphones should always be completely dry before charging.

In addition to keeping the outer surfaces clean and dry, remember that the insides of earbuds collect earwax, skin cells, sebum, and other oils, which can affect sound quality. We recommend getting a small, soft brush and cleaning tool to make sure your earbuds are always free of debris.

Keep your headphones away from very cold or very hot—and especially humid—environments. Store them in the bag or case that they came in to protect them from getting dirty or damaged in your bag.

Always unplug your wired headphones by grasping the plug on the end and gently but firmly pulling it out, rather than yanking on the cable. If you have sealed earbuds, twist to remove them from your ears rather than pulling them out by the wires—doing so protects both your earbuds and you, as creating a vacuum between the two can be damaging to your ears.

Avoid kinking or bunching your headphone cables by using a Velcro fastener or a plain-old twist tie to keep them wrapped up in a loop. Wrapping the cable around your device while your earbuds are plugged in, or storing them in a messy tangle, is a surefire way to shorten their life expectancy.

Lastly, if you have powered headphones, make sure the rubber door on the charge port and/or battery compartment is sealed during storage. If you’re unable to keep the ports covered, we recommend cleaning them out regularly with a cotton swab to keep them free of dust and moisture.

Lauren Dragan is a senior staff writer and has tested over 1,000 headphones for Wirecutter. She has a BA from Ithaca College in music performance and audio production. She’s been featured in Good Morning America, NBC Nightly News, The New York Times, and more. Additionally, she’s a voice actor whose work includes projects for Disney and Mattel.

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