How to Choose the Best Wireless Earbuds With Long Battery Life
Have you ever had a good day while listening to the perfect tunes, but your earbuds suddenly notified you that you’ve got to charge them? That’s a real vibe-killer for most – I know it is for me. Despite the improvements in wireless earbuds technology, some manufacturers still compromise battery life for better sound quality or smaller form factors. However, there are products that have incredible battery life with minimum compromise on either of those two facts. But picking wireless earbuds with long battery life is not as straightforward as it sounds. While you can certainly tell which one has the longest battery life, their real-life battery life may vary greatly. On top of that, it’s not enough that they have long battery life. They should also be functional. Here are the factors that you should consider when buying a pair of wireless earbuds for long listening hours:
Master & Dynamic MW08
Key features
Earbuds battery: Up to 12 hours Case battery: 30 hours Charging time: 50% in 15 minutes; full in 45 minutes Wireless charging: Yes ANC: Yes IP Rating: IPX5 Connectivity: Bluetooth 5.2 Bluetooth Codec: AptX, AAC Companion App: M&D Connect
With up to 10 hours of battery life on a single charge (12 hours with ANC off), premium build quality, and overall excellent sound quality, the Master & Dynamic MW08 are easily our top recommendation for anyone who uses earbuds throughout their day for either music, phone calls, or both. Regular wireless earbuds can put a quite sizable battery in the in-line controllers attached to the cable. But truly wireless earbuds don’t have any cable, and manufacturers have to find clever ways to include a somewhat large enough battery into each earpiece. If you’re willing to go all-in, premium models like the Master & Dynamic MW08 can last north of 10 hours on a single charge. On top of that, their charging cases can also provide additional 20+ hours of battery life. The game-changer is the fast charging option, though. With this, your earbuds can get up to 50% battery in just 15 minutes and full-charge in less than an hour. When you combine the fast-charging technology with how small earbuds batteries are, you get incredibly quick and efficient power management. Earbuds with ANC can actively negate background noises, making them suitable for people who spend a lot of time in noisy places or during commutes. Some wireless earbuds also have an IP rating (e.g., IPX5 or IP68) that indicates their resistance to moisture and dust, making them suitable for people who spend a lot of time outdoors or working out. But despite its popularity, Bluetooth still comes with several drawbacks such as range limitation, latency or delay, and higher risks of interference with other radio waves. Other than keeping the drawbacks in mind, you should also pay attention to the earbuds’ Bluetooth specs such as:
Bluetooth version
Since the 90’s – there have been multiple Bluetooth versions. Bluetooth 5.0 and later are by far the most advanced, but suffixed versions have areas where they’re superior. For example, Bluetooth 5.1 has better power management, whereas Bluetooth 5.2 introduced faster pairing, lower latency, and better battery life. While Bluetooth is technically backward-compatible, it’s still a hardware-based technology that uses different chips for their major releases. Let’s say you’ve got Lypertek PurePlay (Bluetooth 5.2) and an iPhone 7 (Bluetooth 4.2). You can technically still use the earbuds, but you’ll only be getting the features of Bluetooth 4.2 instead of Bluetooth 5.2 that your earbuds have. To get the best out of your wireless earbuds and improve your experience with them, you should check whether your playback device has the same (or at least close) Bluetooth version as your wireless earbuds.
Bluetooth audio codecs
Bluetooth has limited bandwidth to transfer the audio signal between your device to the earbuds. It uses audio codecs to compress the signal to achieve a smoother data transfer process. Depending on the audio codec your earbuds use, there will be a varying degree of sound quality and battery consumption. Some of the most highly-recommended audio codecs in connectivity, efficiency, and sound quality are AptX and LDAC. Audio codecs also rely on hardware processing. Make sure the earbuds’ codecs match the audio source’s. Otherwise, the playback will automatically revert to SBC, the most basic audio codec with the lowest quality. It’s no use having wireless earbuds with 10+ hours of battery life if they make your ears sore after only one or two hours. The ear tip’s size, shape, and material can greatly affect how comfortable and well-fitting the earbuds will be for you. There are four common ear tips materials that you’ll find on the market: foam, silicone, hybrid, and rubber. If you’re unfamiliar with the differences between them, here’s a brief guideline to help you find the best ear tips:
Foam: Best fit and most comfortable even for long listening sessions, but tend to spoil faster than silicone. Silicone: The most durable of the bunch and the most popular, but it can be irritating when worn for an extended period. Silicone ear tips also provide the best seal. Hybrid: A combination between silicone and foam, a little less common but the ones from Sony have excellent quality. Rubber: Try to avoid this one since it can cause an allergic reaction to the skin.
While the ear tips don’t affect sound quality directly, they may provide better or worse sound isolation. It’s best to get the most comfortable one for you so you can get the most out of their long battery life, especially if you’re planning on wearing them all the time. However, earbuds can only achieve the clarity and accuracy of sound reproduction through precise engineering using high-quality components. But then again, it’s almost impossible to create a sound profile that suits everyone’s preference. People who love jazz music will likely prefer having more detail over deeper bass, but other genres like hip-hop and funk tend to emphasize the lows. There are two factors that you can use to grasp whether a pair of wireless earbuds will have great sound quality:
Driver units: These are the components responsible for generating the sound. Some drivers have more details, while some others offer better power efficiency. Check out our guide on types of headphone drivers to understand the characteristic of different driver units. Customizable sound via companion app: Since sound quality is largely subjective, having a customizable EQ via companion app is a great way to ensure you get the sound you want.
These are an excellent pair of wireless earbuds that offer an upgrade from their previous MW07 plus lineup. Compared to their older model, the MW08 are superior with 2 hours longer battery, fast charging capability, Bluetooth 5.2, and larger 11mm drivers. Moreover, the MW08 come with a metal charging case that can provide additional 30 hours of battery life to the earbuds. The metal material adds a premium feel with the heft, finish, and improved durability. Unfortunately, the metal case means there’s no wireless charging. Outside of the case, there are three LED indicators (green, red, and yellow) that act as charing indicators for the earbuds. While there’s no IP rating for the charging case, the earbuds are certified IPX5, which means they are splash and sweatproof from any direction. These earbuds have 11mm Berrylium drivers that deliver excellent sound for most people right off the bat. They also support both AAC and AptX Bluetooth audio codecs. The M&D connect app lets you control the intensity of the ANC, ambient sound, and battery life optimizations. Within the app, you can adjust the ANC into Max ANC or All Day ANC. Max ANC gets you deeper noise cancellation but reduces the battery life. All Day ANC reduces the intensity but prolongs the battery life. You can also set up the earbuds’ in-ear detection and ambient mode configuration from the app. Unfortunately, there are no custom EQ settings – which may be a deal-breaker if you like to customize the sound profile. But even considering the lack of custom EQ, these earbuds have excellent details for lows and highs, which would cater to the sound preference for most people. CHECK LATEST PRICE ON AMAZON
Lypertek PurePlay Z3 2.0
Key features
Earbuds battery: Up to 10 hours Case battery: 70 hours Charging time: 2 hours of use in 15 minutes Wireless charging: Yes ANC: No IP Rating: IPX7 Connectivity: Bluetooth 5.2 Bluetooth Codec: AptX, AAC, SBC Companion App: Purecontrol
The Lypertek PurePlay Z3 2.0 are the rebranded and upgraded version of the popular Lypertek TEVI lineup. These wireless earbuds have a whopping 10 hours of battery plus 70 hours on the charging case – which are among the many reasons we put them as a runner-up for this list. On top of the ridiculous battery life, the PurePlay Z3 2.0 have features that were missing in the TEVI, including wireless charging, Bluetooth 5.2, transparency mode, and LDX audio. Lypertek equipped the Z3 2.0 have 6mm Graphene-coated dynamic drivers that can deliver high-definition, crisp, and well-defined dynamic sound on all frequencies. Fortunately, the excellent digital signal processor (DSP) in the Qualcomm 3040 chipset also helps the PurePlay Z3 2.0 avoid the harsh and treble-y sound profile that can lead to the dreaded listener fatigue. But if the bright default sound profile isn’t your favorite, the Purecontrol companion app offers a 7-band EQ that you can customize to find the sound that you like best. The app also lets you activate the LDX audio, customize the button controls, activate the ambient mode, update the firmware, and find your earbuds. But as great and complete these wireless earbuds are, there’s a reason the PurePlay Z3 2.0 are listed here as runner-up: the lack of ANC. The overall recording quality of Z3’s microphones are also average at best, so you may want to go with other options if you do a lot of phone calls with your earbuds. CHECK LATEST PRICE ON AMAZON
Edifier TWS1 Pro
Key features
Earbuds battery: Up to 12 hours Case battery: 30 hours Charging time: 1.5 hours (earbuds); 40 minutes (case) Wireless charging: No ANC: No IP Rating: IP65 Connectivity: Bluetooth 5.2 Bluetooth Codec: AptX, SBC Companion App: N/A
The Edifier TWS1 Pro introduce a massive upgrade on the sound quality and battery from the original TWS1. While the non-pro variant had 8 hours of battery, the TWS1 Pro can deliver up to 12 hours of continuous playback with an additional 30 hours on the charging case. But what’s even better is that Edifier offers the all-around upgraded earbuds at an incredibly competitive price. If you’re ever in a hurry, the TWS1 Pro also support fast charging that can get you to 2 hours of playback time in just 15 minutes. It only also takes 40 minutes to fully charge the case, which is incredible considering the 30 hours of battery life you’ll get. These wireless earbuds have touch-sensitive sensors that let you control media playback such as play/pause, skip tracks, and adjust the volume. In the sound department, the TWS1 Pro are worthy of our ‘best budget’ title despite not having AAC compatibility, which most Apple devices use. Edifier has fine-tuned the drivers and all the audio processing inside the TWS1 Pro to the absolute limit. As a result, the TWS1 Pro can deliver punchy bass and clear highs in the V-shaped sound signature that caters to most people. If you’re an active person who spends a lot of time outdoors, the TWS1 Pro also have IP65 waterproof and dust resistant. The charging case also has a carrying handle for better portability. Unfortunately, there’s no touch controls customization or custom EQ since Edifier doesn’t have a companion app for the TWS1 Pro. Despite being the upgraded version, the TWS1 Pro have the same exact design as the non-pro version – including the less-than-premium build quality. But should your earbuds break down, Edifier provides a 12-month warranty for all of their headphones – which isn’t the longest period, but still a welcome one. CHECK LATEST PRICE ON AMAZON
Back Bay Duet 50 Pro
Key features
Earbuds battery: 8 hours Case battery: 122 hours Charging time: 2.5 hours Wireless charging: No ANC: No IP Rating: IPX5 Connectivity: Bluetooth 5.0 Bluetooth Codec: AptX, AAC, SBC Companion App: N/A
The Back Bay Duet 50 Pro are excellent earbuds with 8 hours of playback time – which is on-par with most mid-end wireless earbuds. However, that’s not what made us include this pair here. The Duet 50 Pro’s charging case has a whopping 122 hours of total power onboard that can keep your earbuds fully charged for days before needing to connect to a power outlet. What’s even more interesting is that you can use the case as a 2600 mAh battery bank for other devices that can charge using USB 5v like phones and tablets. The case now also comes with USB-C instead of the micro-USB that was in the original version. But the long battery life on the Duet 50 Pro and their case aren’t all you’ll get. These earbuds use both AptX and AAC to ensure excellent audio quality on a wide range of devices and operating systems. Included with the earbuds are 6 pairs of silicone ear tips, a USB-C charging cable, a USB-C to USB-A converter for reverse charging. If you want to use just one earbud, there’s a mono audio mode that lets you use each earbud individually for an even longer listening time. Compared to the previous version, the original Duet 50 and these Duet 50 Pro are quite identical. Both tof them have the similar low-profile design with a snug fit. They also have physical buttons that let you control just about everything. However, the older model only have 40 hours of battery on the charging case. But the massive battery life comes at a cost. The Duet 50 Pro requires 2.5 hours to fully charge, which might be a deal breaker for power users who need to have constant uptime on their earbuds. CHECK LATEST PRICE ON AMAZON
JBL Reflect Flow
Key features
Earbuds battery: 10 hours Case battery: 20 hours Charging time: 1 hour of use in 10 minutes Wireless charging: No ANC: No IP Rating: IPX7 Connectivity: Bluetooth 5.0 Bluetooth Codec: SBC, AAC Companion App: N/A
The JBL Reflect Flow offer a pair of excellent workout earbuds that have all the features you’d need in sporting activities including 10 hours battery, silicone wings, ambient mode, and IPX7 waterproof certification. Being a product from one of the premium brands, the Reflect Flow come with a robust brushed aluminum case trimmed with rubber that provides a degree of fall resistance. On the back of the case, there’s a Micro-USB charging port and a LED bar as the battery indicator. The case also provides additional 20 hours of battery life for your earbuds. The Reflect Flow use Bluetooth 5.0 with AAC and SBC audio codecs to handle the signal compression. They sound very similar to JBL’s over-ear headphones like the E55bt or 500bt with powerful, yet clean bass that doesn’t roll over to other frequencies. If you’re an active person, the ambient mode is particularly excellent for outdoor activities where you’ll need to stay aware of your surroundings. The silicone ear wings also improve the fit in your ears for running or other exercises. You won’t have to worry about wearing these earbuds in the rain or even underwater since they have IPX7 waterproof certification. But despite having the waterproof sealing, the mic quality on the Reflect Flow are still excellent for phone calls. One main drawback is that these earbuds still use Micro-USB, which may be less compatible with today’s mainstream devices that often use USB-C or Lightning. There’s also no companion app support, so you’re stuck with the stock sound. Lastly, if you want to use a single earbud, you can only use the right one. CHECK LATEST PRICE ON AMAZON
Cambridge Audio Melomania 1+
Key features
Earbuds battery: 9 hours Case battery: 41 hours Charging time: 2 hours Wireless charging: No ANC: No IP Rating: IPX5 Connectivity: Bluetooth 5.0 Bluetooth Codec: AptX, AAC, SBC Companion App: Melomania App (Android/iOS)
The Cambridge Audio Melomania 1+ are our strong recommendation for anyone who’s looking for earbuds with a long-lasting battery but wants a certain sound signature from their wireless earbuds. The Melomania app allows you to update the firmware, find your earbuds, and most importantly customize the EQ. These earbuds are the updated version of the Melomania 1 which we have reviewed before. One key upgrade is the Melomania app compatibility, which the original didn’t have. By default, the Melomania 1+ will give you 9 hours of playback time on the earbuds. But if you prefer better sound quality over battery life, there’s a high-performance mode that will deliver higher quality sound but reduce the battery to about 7.5 hours. Turning on high-performance mode without tweaking the EQ will boost the bass and create an overall warm sound signature – but the details of the mids and highs are still crystal-clear. Good thing is, you can always modify the EQ through the app should you prefer a different sound signature. The Melomania 1+ use physical buttons with intuitive control for pretty much everything you’d want like play/pause, skip tracks, and even volume control. There are mic holes at the bottom of each earbud, and since the earbuds are cylindrical, you’d want to make sure these holes are facing down so they can pick up your voice better during phone calls. Another excellent selling point for the Melomaina 1+ is the abundance of ear tips selection right out of the box. You’ll get four sets of foam ear tips and six silicone ear tips – you’re almost guaranteed to find the ones that fit your ears just right. But despite having superb customization options, the Melomania 1+ is lacking in the latest features such as ANC, fast charging, and multipoint connection. Cambridge Audio seems to focus its budget solely on audio quality for this product – so if you’re looking for additional features, this pair may not be suitable for you. CHECK LATEST PRICE ON AMAZON
Edifier TWS NB2 Pro
Key features
Earbuds battery: 7 hours (ANC); 9 hours (ANC off) Case battery: up to 23 hours Charging time: 15 minutes for 2 hours playback Wireless charging: No ANC: Yes IP Rating: IP54 Connectivity: Bluetooth 5.0 Bluetooth Codec: AAC, SBC Companion App: Edifier Connect
The Edifier TWS NB2 Pro are an upgraded version of Edifier’s well-reviewed NB2 earbuds with overall better ANC, performance, features, and sound quality. Despite being priced as mid-range wireless earbuds, NB2 Pro have very close ANC performance to flagship models from Sony or Apple. On top of the improved ANC, the 7 hours battery life with ANC should be just enough to last an entire day – given that you don’t blast songs full volume the entire time. Turning off the ANC will give you 9 hours of battery life. Design-wise, the NB2 Pro are identical to the original NB2. What’s getting upgrades are mostly the internals and features. While the NB2 Pro still have Bluetooth 5.0, they now support AAC and SBC codecs compared to the original which only support SBC. The earbuds charging ports are also upgraded with quick charge technology that grants 2 hours of battery life with 15 minutes of charging. The upgrade also brings down the time required to fully charge the earbuds to an hour from the original NB2 which require 1.5 hours. Moreover, the NB2 Pro also comes with Edifier Connect compatibility, which introduces further controls over the features. You can monitor the battery life, control the ANC intensity, and select sound effects to enhance your listening experience from the app. Unfortunately, the touch controls sometimes fail to register your inputs so there’s bit of learning curve on how to utilize them. There’s also a voice prompt that pauses the audio playback for around two seconds when you turn ANC on or off – which is a little annoying. You can turn the voice prompt volume down, but it will still pause the playback. CHECK LATEST PRICE ON AMAZON
Beats Powerbeats 4 Wireless
Key features
Earbuds battery: 15 hours Charging time: 15 minutes for 2 hours playback Wireless charging: No ANC: Yes IP Rating: IPX4 Connectivity: Bluetooth 5.0 Bluetooth Codec: AAC, SBC Companion App: Beats app
If you’re looking for a pair of wireless earbuds that just keeps going beyond a typical day – and you are not a fan of truly wireless earbuds – the Powerbeats 4 could be the right choice for you. These earbuds have a whopping 15 hours of battery life on a single charge, nearly twice as much as their truly wireless sibling, the Powerbeats 4 Pro. Unlike other products on this list, the Powerbeats 4 still use the old-school wireless earbuds with a cord connecting the left and right earbuds. There’s also no charging case for the Powerbeats 4 since there’s a built-in Lightning charging port on the right earbud with blazing-fast charging that gives you 2 hours of playback time in 5 minutes. Despite having Bluetooth 5.0, the Powerbeats 4 support a multipoint connection with up to two devices. The sound quality is also excellent with the support of SBC and AAC codecs. The bass is super clean and punchy, even at a higher volume. Mids and highs also have clear details and sound separation. For someone who loves outdoor activities, the Powerbeats 4 are IPX4 certified – meaning they are splash-proof from any direction. If you sweat a lot or take them out on a drizzly run, they should be fine, but you don’t want to soak them completely wet or take them swimming. The chord connecting the Powerbeats 4 also doesn’t carry too much noise from bumping or scrubbing against your neck that could distract your listening experience. Unfortunately, the Powerbeats 4 do not have active-noise canceling or ambient mode, which may be important if you do a lot of outdoor activities. Depending on the fit on your ears, the Powerbeats 4 may leak a little bit of sound, especially in a quiet room. CHECK LATEST PRICE ON AMAZON
