Best Headphones Under $100 (2026): 8 Budget ANC Picks

This article contains affiliate links. If you buy through them we may earn a commission, at no extra cost to you.

You no longer need to spend $300 to get wireless headphones with active noise cancelling, long battery life and a decent app. This guide is for students, commuters and anyone who wants the most for their money, and it covers both over-ear headphones and wireless earbuds with ANC that list for $100 or less – plus an honest look at what you give up compared with premium models.

LatestSounds has not tested these products hands-on. Our picks draw on manufacturer specifications, independent lab measurements from SoundGuys and RTINGS, and the verdicts of reviewers at Tom's Guide and other outlets. Every pick is currently on sale.

Quick picks

Pick	Product	Why it stands out	Approx. US list price
Best over-ear under $100	Soundcore Space One	Strong ANC, LDAC, multipoint and 40-hour battery	$99.99
Best comfort and value	JLab JBuds Lux ANC	Comfortable, light, 40 hours with ANC, USB-C audio	$79.99
Best for long trips	EarFun Wave Pro	Over 50 hours with ANC in testing, LDAC, hard case	$79.99
Cheapest ANC over-ears	Soundcore Q20i	40-hour ANC battery and app EQ for around $50–70	about $50–70
Best earbuds under $100	EarFun Air Pro 4+	LDAC, aptX Lossless, IP55, multipoint	$99.99
Best ANC for the money	CMF Buds 2 Plus	Strong measured ANC, LDAC, IP55	about $70–80
Best features	Soundcore Liberty 4 NC	Around 10 hours with ANC, wireless charging, LDAC	$99.99
Best under $60	CMF Buds 2	ANC, IP55 and spatial audio for $59	$59

Prices are US list prices; discounts are common and several of these regularly sell well below list.

Our top picks in detail

1. Soundcore Space One – best over-ear headphones under $100

The Soundcore Space One ($99.99) have been a budget favourite since 2023, and they still hold up. SoundGuys found the noise cancelling makes most sounds around you seem about a quarter as loud, which is excellent for the price, and Tom's Guide called them a hidden gem competing with headphones costing two to four times as much.

The feature list is generous: adaptive ANC, a transparency mode, LDAC for higher-quality streaming on Android, multipoint to stay connected to a phone and laptop at the same time, and the full Soundcore app with a custom EQ. SoundGuys measured almost 43 hours of playback with ANC on, beating Anker's 40-hour claim.

Battery: up to 40 hours with ANC on (about 43 hours measured).
Weight: 259 g.
Codecs: SBC, AAC, LDAC.

Watch out for: the default sound over-emphasises bass and treble (the EQ helps), there are no touch controls, no USB audio, no water resistance, and the included case is a soft pouch.

Check Soundcore Space One price on Amazon

2. JLab JBuds Lux ANC – best comfort and value

The JLab JBuds Lux ANC ($79.99) are SoundGuys' pick for the best budget noise cancelling headphones under $100, and Tom's Guide lists them as its best noise cancelling pair under $100. They are light at 235 g with soft padding, and they fold up for travel. JLab quotes up to 40 hours with ANC on and 70 hours with it off; SoundGuys measured over 44 hours.

A standout feature at this price is USB-C audio, so you can plug into a laptop or phone for wired listening. The companion app includes a 10-band EQ, and reviewers consistently say the sound is better than you would expect for the money.

Battery: up to 40 hours with ANC, 70 hours without.
Weight: 235 g.
Codecs: SBC only.

Watch out for: SoundGuys found the ANC only moderately effective on low rumble, a bass-heavy signature with a sharp treble peak, SBC-only Bluetooth and no water resistance.

Check JLab JBuds Lux ANC price on Amazon

3. EarFun Wave Pro – best for long trips

If you hate charging, the EarFun Wave Pro ($79.99) are the pick. EarFun claims up to 80 hours with ANC off, and SoundGuys measured over 52 hours with noise cancelling switched on – enough for several long-haul flights. A 10-minute charge adds around 10 hours.

They are comfortable, with large, soft ear cushions, and include LDAC, multipoint, a companion app with ANC modes for wind and strong noise, and a hard carrying case, which is rare under $100. SoundGuys measured noise reduction of about 75% at the strongest setting.

Battery: up to 80 hours with ANC off; about 52 hours measured with ANC on.
Weight: 268 g.
Codecs: SBC, AAC, LDAC.

Watch out for: sound quality is only average (Tom's Guide found it tinny), ANC is well short of premium models, and there is no USB audio, no water resistance and no auto-pause when you take them off.

Check EarFun Wave Pro price on Amazon

4. Soundcore Q20i – cheapest ANC over-ears worth buying

The Soundcore Q20i usually sells for somewhere between $50 and $70, making it one of the cheapest ways to get hybrid noise cancelling (two inside and two outside microphones per ear) from a well-known brand. Soundcore's Q20 family has long been the budget ANC benchmark – RTINGS names the closely related Life Q20 2024 its best wireless headphones under $100 for their noise isolation.

Anker quotes up to 40 hours of playback with ANC on and 60 hours with it off, and a 5-minute charge adds about 4 hours. You also get a transparency mode, and the Soundcore app gives you an EQ to tame the bass.

Battery: up to 40 hours with ANC, 60 hours without.
ANC: hybrid, with four microphones.
Price: around $50–70.

Watch out for: reviewers describe the default sound as bass-heavy and muddy, and build quality and microphones are basic. Spending around $30 more on the Space One or JBuds Lux gets you noticeably better headphones.

Check Soundcore Q20i price on Amazon

5. EarFun Air Pro 4+ – best wireless earbuds under $100

SoundGuys names the EarFun Air Pro 4+ ($99.99) the best wireless earbuds under $100, and Tom's Guide calls them genuine AirPods Pro competitors for the money. They have a feature list that most $250 earbuds cannot match: Bluetooth 6.0, both LDAC and aptX Lossless, Auracast, dual drivers, multipoint, six microphones and an IP55 rating.

SoundGuys measured about 80% noise reduction with ANC on, which is roughly average for modern earbuds – good for buses and offices, less so for aircraft engines.

Battery: up to 12 hours with ANC off, 54 hours total; about 6 hours 17 minutes measured with ANC on.
Water resistance: IP55.
Weight: about 5 g per bud.

Watch out for: SoundGuys rates the ANC as mediocre compared with premium earbuds, and the mics struggle in wind.

Check EarFun Air Pro 4+ price on Amazon

6. CMF Buds 2 Plus – best noise cancelling for the money

Nothing's budget brand, CMF, has made some of the best-value earbuds of the last two years. SoundGuys picked the CMF Buds 2 Plus as the best noise cancelling earbuds under $100, measuring an 83% reduction in perceived loudness, and Tom's Guide said they sound like $200 rivals. They launched in 2025 at around $70–80 and are often discounted.

They support LDAC and are Hi-Res Audio certified, include personalised sound via a hearing test, and have a smart adaptive mode. The buds are IP55-rated (the case only IPX2), and SoundGuys measured over 10 hours of playback with ANC off.

Battery: SoundGuys measured about 10 hours 22 minutes (ANC off); CMF quotes up to 61.5 hours total with ANC off.
Water resistance: IP55 (buds).
Codecs: SBC, AAC, LDAC.

Watch out for: they sound noticeably worse without LDAC, so iPhone users get less from them. There is no wireless charging, only a basic three-band EQ, and dual connection is less seamless than true multipoint.

Check CMF Buds 2 Plus price on Amazon

7. Soundcore Liberty 4 NC – best features under $100

The Soundcore Liberty 4 NC ($99.99) are older (2023), but they remain on SoundGuys' under-$100 list for good reason. SoundGuys measured almost 10 hours with noise cancelling on, which beats many flagships, and reviewers describe the ANC as impressive, with adaptive, manual and transport modes.

They also include rare extras at this price: Qi wireless charging, LDAC, multipoint, and an app with 22 EQ presets. They often sell for much less than list.

Battery: about 10 hours with ANC on (measured), around 50 hours with the case.
Water resistance: IPX4.
Codecs: SBC, AAC, LDAC.

Watch out for: the case is chunky, many EQ presets are bass-heavy, microphones are only okay, and SoundGuys does not recommend them for running or intense exercise.

Check Soundcore Liberty 4 NC price on Amazon

8. CMF Buds 2 – best noise cancelling earbuds under $60

If $100 is still too much, the CMF Buds 2 ($59) keep most of what makes the Plus model good. Tom's Guide says they sound like $100 rivals, and SoundGuys calls them budget buds that crush the competition. You get ANC, spatial audio and an IP55 rating.

Compared with the Buds 2 Plus, you lose LDAC, get a slightly smaller driver and slightly weaker rated ANC, and a couple of hours less battery life.

Battery: around 6.5 hours with ANC on, 8 hours with it off.
Water resistance: IP55.
Price: $59.

Watch out for: no hi-res codec, no wireless charging, and noise cancelling that is a step behind the pricier picks. New competition is also arriving: Belkin announced the SoundForm Isolate Buds ($59.99) at IFA 2026 with hybrid ANC and IPX5, but they had not been widely reviewed at the time of writing.

Check CMF Buds 2 price on Amazon

Worth stretching for: models that are often under $100

Two popular Sony models have list prices above $100 but are frequently discounted below it. The Sony WF-C710N earbuds ($119.99 list) are SoundGuys' best value noise cancelling earbuds and a What Hi-Fi? Award winner, with natural ANC and around 8.5 hours of battery. The Sony WH-CH720N over-ears (launched at $149.99) are light and comfortable with capable ANC and have been widely sold for under $100 in 2026. If either drops below $100 when you are shopping, they are strong alternatives.

How to choose headphones under $100

Over-ear or earbuds?

Over-ear headphones give you more battery life (often 40–80 hours), bigger drivers and better passive isolation at a given price, and they are often more comfortable for long flights. Earbuds are far more portable and better for the gym, but cheap earbud ANC is usually weaker because tiny drivers and microphones have less to work with. If you mainly travel or work at a desk, an over-ear pair like the Space One gets you further for the money.

Noise cancelling at this price

Budget ANC is surprisingly good at steady mid-range noise such as office hum, traffic and café chatter. In lab tests, the best budget picks cut noise by roughly 75–85%, while premium models go further, especially on deep rumble such as jet engines and train wheels. If you fly several times a year, compare our guide to the best noise cancelling earbuds or our Sony WH-1000XM6 vs Bose QuietComfort Ultra (2nd Gen) comparison.

Check the codec for your phone

Many budget models support LDAC, which can stream higher-quality audio from Android phones. iPhones use AAC and do not support LDAC or aptX, so don't pay extra for codecs you cannot use. Some models (the JBuds Lux ANC, for example) only support SBC, which is fine for casual listening.

Battery life and charging

Look at the ANC-on figure, not just the headline number. Fast charging matters more than you think – most of these picks give hours of playback from 5–10 minutes on the charger. Wireless charging is rare under $100; the Liberty 4 NC is an exception.

Features that matter

Multipoint (connecting to two devices at once) is very useful if you switch between a phone and laptop. A companion app with a proper EQ can fix bass-heavy tuning, which is common in budget headphones. A transparency mode lets you hear announcements without taking the headphones off.

What you give up compared with premium headphones

Weaker ANC on low frequencies: the biggest gap is on planes and trains.
Call quality: budget microphones struggle in wind and busy streets.
Comfort and build: more plastic, simpler headbands, soft pouches instead of cases.
Software: apps are simpler, updates less frequent, and features like automatic ear detection, head-tracked spatial audio and seamless device switching are often missing.
Water resistance on over-ears: almost none of the budget over-ears have an IP rating.
Resale and longevity: premium brands tend to support their products with firmware updates for longer.

For many people, none of that matters enough to justify spending two or three times more. If you are unsure whether wireless is right for you at all, read our explainer on whether wireless headphones are worth it.

Frequently asked questions

What are the best headphones under $100?

For over-ear headphones, the Soundcore Space One offer the best mix of ANC, sound and features at $99.99, with the JLab JBuds Lux ANC a cheaper, very comfortable alternative. For earbuds, the EarFun Air Pro 4+ and CMF Buds 2 Plus are the most recommended by reviewers.

What are the best wireless earbuds under $100?

The EarFun Air Pro 4+ is SoundGuys' top pick under $100, thanks to LDAC, aptX Lossless, IP55 and multipoint. The CMF Buds 2 Plus offer stronger measured ANC for less money, and the Soundcore Liberty 4 NC add wireless charging and long ANC battery life.

Are budget noise cancelling headphones worth it?

Yes, for commuting, offices and studying. Budget ANC removes much of the steady background noise that makes you turn the volume up. They are less effective against deep plane and train rumble than premium models, so frequent flyers may want to spend more.

Are headphones under $100 good for iPhone?

Yes, but choose carefully. iPhones do not support LDAC or aptX, so models like the CMF Buds 2 Plus lose some of their appeal. The Soundcore Space One, JBuds Lux ANC and EarFun models all work well with an iPhone over AAC or SBC, and their apps are available on iOS.

How long do cheap wireless headphones last?

With normal use, most last two to three years before the battery noticeably fades, and over-ear models often last longer because their batteries are larger and cycle less often. Keeping them clean, dry and out of hot cars helps; see our guide to cleaning and maintaining your headphones.

Is Soundcore a good brand?

Soundcore is Anker's audio brand, and its headphones regularly appear in budget recommendations from SoundGuys, RTINGS and Tom's Guide. Reviewers generally praise their ANC, battery life and apps for the price, while noting that default tuning is often bass-heavy.

Sources

Our picks are based on manufacturer specifications, independent lab measurements and expert and owner reviews. Prices and availability change often – check the retailer for the latest deal.