5 True Wireless Earbuds Worth Buying for Under $40

$32 at Amazon

Decent-sounding buds for less than $35

Soundcore by Anker Life P2 Mini

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$38 at Amazon

Best cheap open earbuds

Soundpeats Air3 Deluxe HS

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$32 at Amazon

Top budget wireless earbuds pick

Earfun Free 2S

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The affordable true-wireless earbuds are no longer something that trade quality for the price. You obviously shouldn’t expect the world at this low price, but these options will suit you if you’re shopping for an affordable pair that do a decent job. Only a few under-$40 earbuds stand out for being a cut above and decent for the price. As an added bonus, you can throw any of these cheap wireless earbuds in a gym bag and not feel heartbroken if you happen to lose them.

Here are my current dirt-cheap true-wireless favorites, listed from lowest to highest price (but heck, they’re all pretty darn cheap). I’ve tested them all, and I’ll update this list of options for the best budget wireless earbuds under $40 periodically.

Read more: Best Cheap True-Wireless Earbuds for 2023

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Priced at just $21 after you click an instant $9 discount coupon on Amazon, the Baseus Bowie MA10 delivers surprisingly good sound along with active noise canceling for its low price (you just don’t see too many active noise canceling earbuds at this price). They’re IPX6 water resistant (can withstand a strong spray of water) and also have multipoint Bluetooth pairing and connect to a companion app. They stick out of your ears a bit but they did fit my ears comfortably.

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The earbuds deliver impressive battery life, offering up to 8 hours on a single charger at moderate volume levels with an extra 132 hours in the charging case. Yes, you heard right — 132 hours! However, the one big downside to these buds is that their charging case is rather large and bulky. If you can live with that, these are a very nice bargain. 

Screenshot by David Carnoy/CNET

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The Soundcore by Anker Life P2 Mini buds have been out for some time but remain a good budget earbuds option. Available in several color options (the navy model is shown here), they’re compact and lightweight and offer decent sound with 3 EQ modes to choose from. While these don’t have active noise canceling, battery life is good, running up to 8 hours at moderate volume levels. The P2 Mini are IPX5 splash-proof and perform well but not exceptionally well as a headset for making calls.

I also like Anker’s Soundcore Life P3i buds, which retail for around $50 and do have active noise canceling. They’re superior to these buds, but cost about $15 to $20 more.

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What makes these Soundpeats Air3 Deluxe HS buds special is that they sound surprisingly good for open earbuds — they’re pretty close to what you get from Apple’s AirPods 3 for sound. On top of that, they support Sony’s LDAC audio codec for devices that offer it. Not too many cheap open earbuds have good sound but these Soundpeats have good bass response and clarity. They’re also good for making calls and have a low-latency gaming mode. Battery life is rated at 5 hours at moderate volume levels, and these are IPX4 splash-proof.

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Clip the on-page coupon to get an additional 8% off, bringing the price down to $36 — a very good deal if you’re looking for open-style earbuds.

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The Tranya T20s remind me a little of a cheaper version of Samsung’s Galaxy Buds 2 without the noise canceling. They’re pretty no-frills and are missing more premium features such as an ear-detection sensor that automatically pauses your music when you take a bud out of your ears. But they sound surprisingly decent for their modest price. If you get a tight seal, they sit flush with your ears (they don’t stick out much) and they have decent battery life — up to 8 hours at moderate volume levels. They also work pretty well for making calls and are IPX7 waterproof.

The case feels a little cheap and the buds are lightweight. The Galaxy Buds 2 definitely feel more premium. However, the buds are well tuned and have a relatively wide soundstage. Don’t expect the world from them and I think you’ll be pleasantly surprised. 

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I was a fan of the original Earfun Free buds, and now there’s an upgraded version called the Earfun Free 2 (which has been subsequently upgraded to the 2S). They’re not a huge upgrade, but like the originals they fit my ears well and deliver decent bang for the buck with strong sound — it has just a touch of treble and bass boost (there’s plenty of bass) — and extra features such as wireless charging.

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Battery life is rated at up to seven hours at moderate volume levels, and these buds are fully waterproof with an IPX7 rating. These are equipped with Bluetooth 5.2 and use Qualcomm’s QCC3040 chip that includes support for the aptX audio codec if you’re using a compatible device (certain Android smartphones support that protocol).

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