I'm an earbuds expert and these are the Black Friday earbuds deals really worth buying right now

Black Friday earbuds deals 2024

TechRadar's Black Friday deals poster showing Nothing Ear (a), Bose QCUE and JBL Tour Pro 3 earbuds on blue background — (Image credit: Bose, Nothing, JBL)

Came here for a Black Friday earbuds deal? Good call, Black Friday deals are landing en masse and as TechRadar's Audio Editor, I've sifted through them all to find you the cream of the crop.

You'll know that Black Friday proper lands on November 29th 2024 – but scores of deals are live right now at Amazon and other online retailers. I fully expect those to ramp up over the weekend and into next week too; check the 'today’s deals' pages at Amazon US and Amazon UK for starters.

In the US, Best Buy's Black Friday sale has been in full swing since November 8, with new deals every week, and Walmart's sale was hot on its heels on November 11. Across the pond in the UK, the Argos sale is live with price promises through to December 3, as are sales at Currys (which will match/refund any lower prices through December 2), Very, John Lewis and Boots.

Below, you'll find the best earbuds deals to snap up right now – or I've got a Black Friday headphones page too, if you need it (And if it's gotta be AirPods, our Black Friday AirPods deals roundup is here for you).

I'll be regularly updating this page with deals and advice. It'll expand and morph as the deals come, go and sell out, but I'll be staying on top of it with regular updates in real time, so that you get only the best deals. Stay tuned folks, it's going to be intense!

Today's best Black Friday earbuds deals in the US

Amazon: incredibly cheap Sony, Bose and B&W prices
Best Buy: massive discounts on JBL earbuds and more
Target: huge savings on Sony, JLab, Beats and more
Walmart: tasty deals on AirPods, JLab and Bose 'buds

Black Friday earbuds deals – my top picks in the US

★★★★½ rating! The AirPods Pro 2 are the best-selling earbuds on the planet for a reason, and although they have dipped to $168 before now (and were at $179 briefly in early November), this is the absolute cheapest they've ever been, and it's only on for another 18 hours at the time of writing! Run! They sound excellent, the noise cancellation is top tier, Dolby Atmos spatial audio is amazing for movies, and they even have an unloseable case, thanks to tech that literally points you to where it's hiding (and a speaker to help, too). They's also very small and light, so are great for comfort. Our AirPods Pro 2 review digs into all the extra features they have for Apple users – Android users should look to the Bose buds on this page instead.

★★★★½ rating! Bose's QuietComfort Ultra Earbuds are back to their lowest-seen price yet – hurrah! The star of these September 2023-release Bose QuietComfort earbuds is the all-new Immersive Audio feature (for various head-tracked spatial audio profiles) and Snapdragon Sound certification, the latest standard in Bluetooth connectivity. In short, these are Bose's most advanced noise-cancelling earbuds you can buy, provided you can live without multi-point connectivity or wireless charging (you have to buy a cover for the case to get that).

More of the best Black Friday earbuds deals

I predict Apple's all-new AirPods 4 will be a hot item during this year's Black Friday sales, and you can already grab a first-time discount at Amazon. The AirPods 4 feature a new design for all-day comfort and pack Apple's H2 chip, which supports personalized spatial audio and voice isolation. You're also getting a redesigned case with 30 hours of battery life and supports USB-C for wireless charging.

You can also get the AirPods 4 with active noise cancellation on sale for $169 (originally $179).

★★★★½ rating! A quick glance at our JBL Live Beam 3 review proves just how much we love these earbuds, which only hit shelves in June 2024. That smart-case now includes a lock-screen wallpaper feature if you want to personalise it with a photo of your significant other, your cat or anything else that's meaningful to you. For us, the sonic chops, 'Personi-Fi' hearing tests and excellent stamina make this option a great buy with 25% off – which is the cheapest we've ever seen. Also, the deal applies to all colorways (hurrah!)

This is actually a fairly typical price for these earbuds these days, so we wouldn't say it's much of a deal really – but if you want the cheapest AirPods available, here you go. They've actually been on sale for as little as $69.99 before now too, so while a sub-$90 fee may be tempting, it's not the cheapest they've been. They don't have the more advanced features of newer models, but they do feature fast pairing, auto-switching between Apple devices, and Find My support.

To say these earbuds are feature-packed is a huge understatement; they really are the best that JBL can offer in an earbuds design. And they only arrived in August 2024, which is why this 17% discount is so unexpected! Do we love them? We do – take a look at our JBL Tour Pro 3 review for more. Our only real issue with them is that much of what makes them super-special (the case; the sound quality, Personi-Fi sound tailoring) can be had for cheaper, in JBL's also-reduced Live Beam 3, above…

These buds only arrived in October 2024 and, because we're meticulous types at TechRadar, we haven't had time to finish a star-rated review yet! But Black Friday waits for no one and even these debutante buds have been handed an all-new discount. These newest buds from Soundcore have a MacBook-like ‘touch bar’ on the case to tweak control, and the ANC algorithm is the third gen of Anker's audio tech, which promises to adapt to your audio environment three times per second. Switching between noise cancellation and transparency can be done on the case's chic touch bar and, for us, that's got to be incredible value for this money…

Today's best Black Friday earbuds deals in the UK

Amazon: top savings on class-leading earbuds
Currys: great offers on Sony, AirPods, Bose and more
John Lewis: high-end savings on Bowers & Wilkins headphones
Very: excellent deals on AirPods, Google Pixel Buds, Sony and more

Black Friday earbuds deals – my top picks in the UK

★★★★½ rating! Bose's QuietComfort Ultra Earbuds are now at their lowest-ever price yet for Black Friday in the UK too. The star here is Bose's all-new proprietary Immersive Audio feature for several head-tracked spatial audio profiles) and Snapdragon Sound certification. In short, these are the most advanced noise-cancelling Bose earbuds you can buy, now at their lowest-ever price in whichever colour you want – but we don't know how long it'll last!

The AirPods Pro 2 are the best-selling earbuds on the planet for a reason, and although they've briefly been a whole £10 cheaper, this is still a solid saving on Apple's flagship earbuds. What will you get? Superb sound quality, top-tier noise cancellation, excellent spatial audio, auto-switching between different Apple devices, gesture control and more. Could the AirPods Pro 3 be on the horizon for 2025? Yes, but you get the new hearing-aid-features update in this set. Highly recommended for this money.

★★★★★ rating! The latest Nothing Ear (a) Wireless Earbuds offer exceptional bass along with powerful active noise cancellation, so they’re immediately off to a good start. Their talented 11mm drivers are bigger than the norm and there’s 42.5 hours of battery life via the charging case, multi-point connectivity, and even ChatGPT support via the pinch stems if you're using a Nothing phone. This 30% discount also makes them back at their lowest-seen price too: bargain.

More of the best Black Friday earbuds deals

★★★★½ rating! A quick skim of our JBL Live Beam 3 review proves just how much we love these earbuds, which only hit shelves in June 2024. Amazon has quoted their most recent price of £171.99 in its listing, but we're putting their original RRP here for reference, to show you how good the saving is. The lovable smart-case now includes a lock-screen wallpaper feature if you want to personalise it with a photo of your significant other, your cat or anything else that's meaningful to you. For us, the sonic chops, 'Personi-Fi' hearing tests and excellent stamina make this option a great buy with £30 off – which is the cheapest we've ever seen. Also, the deal applies to all colorways (hurrah!)

★★★★★ rating! The WF-C700N ripped our notions on what is achievable at this entry level to smithereens when they burst onto the scene in April 2023. The Nothing Ear (a) have since surpassed them at this price level for us (especially since they're even cheaper), but if you prefer Sony's style, these are the buds to go for. Our Sony WF-C700N review describes their fantastically rich sound and impressive extra features, including good noise cancellation.

A £30 off saving (a 23% discount and the lowest they've ever been – albeit only by 58p) is a huge deal for Nothing's flagship earbuds. Here, you get to personalise your listening experience with Nothing's excellent Sound Personalisation mode, which is so good our reviewer wrote a dedicated feature on how it changed his approach to earbuds in general. This price also means you're getting flagship perks (including an excellent app, solid ANC and pinch-to-speak to Chat GPT from a Nothing Phone) for under £100. And that is, as far as we're concerned, unique.

hese hugely talented March 2024-release earbuds are now a huge £50 off (which is £20 cheaper than their lowest-seen price until now), so 30% of the RRP stays with you. We need to impress upon you here that TR's audio editor personally reviewed them – feel free to check her glowing Cambridge Audio Melomania M100 review – and for sound and noise cancellation, they're a stone cold bargain at this all-new lowest ever price. You don't get spatial audio; you do get some of the best possible sound quality and ANC this money can buy.

These earbuds made their debut in late 2023, and prior to now, their cheapest ever listed price on Amazon was £149, which means this saving is £20 less than we've ever seen. For us, the ANC is fantastic, and although the sound quality isn't top-notch (read up on that in our full FreeBuds Pro 3 review) the simple on-ear controls and comfortable fit make this a tempting buy at this hefty discount. An option if you need near-silence in your life and you own an Android device.

Do you want to know more about your hearing – and ultimately have your earbuds create a personal augmented audio profile for all of your music, based on otoacoustic tests carried out by your very buds? These are the earbuds for you; they include excellent software created by Nura, to accurately gain insight on which frequencies you may need boosted when listening and adjust things for you. And look at the discount! They've been around since June 2023 but they've never been this cheap until now – and at this price, the high-end feature set is very hard to beat.

Curated by

Becky Scarrott

I've reviewed over 150 audio products since becoming a tech journalist, ranging from super-budget earbuds to high-end Hi-Res Audio music players. Before joining TechRadar, I spent three years at What Hi-Fi? testing everything the world of audio had to offer; before that, I was a professional dancer. This is my fifth Black Friday covering earbuds, so between my experience of previous years and of the buds themselves, I know the real deals.

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2024-11-23T14:02:08.815Z

The best waterproof headphones — (Image credit: Sony)

You may have seen IP waterproof ratings on earbuds, often for earbuds that say they're suitable for exercise – but what do they actually mean? Let's break it does, because it might be useful when you're looking at what to buy.

An IP rating is expressed as IP and then two numbers, or an X and then a number. The first number (or the X) refers to dustproofing. This can be useful, but we're not getting into it here – an X means it isn't rated for it. The second number refers to waterproofing.

IPX4 is what you'll most commonly see, and it means that the buds can withstand splashes of water (such as light rain), and should resist sweat, for limited periods of time. I wouldn't recommend them for marathon running, and the buds may not last as well over time if you're using them in the gym daily and getting sweaty. But this should good for most people.

IPX5 can withstand small "jets" of water, so you could take them out for a long run in a downpour, theoretically.

IPX6 can withstand stronger jets of water. You could generally hope for these to be even more reliable in wet outdoor conditions.

IPX8 means fully waterproof for long period. You can get totally dunked, or maybe even take these in the pool, if they fit securely enough.

2024-11-23T09:16:34.409Z

AirPods 4 with Active Noise Cancellation — (Image credit: Future/Lance Ulanoff)

Size and comfort is something that people usually think about with earbuds (we have a whole guide to the best earbuds for small ears), but what sometimes gets missed when buying earbuds is the size of the case – and it really matters.

A big part of the convenience of the best wireless earbuds is just slipping them into your pocket, or a pocket in your bag, to carry with you everywhere. But if they have a really bulky case, then they can get in the way, feel uncomfortable, or look lumpy. It can just end up being annoying. Not everyone cares about this, but this quality-of-life stuff can make all the difference.

So here are some tips on buds with good slimline cases: The JLab Go Pop ANC (or the older JLab Go Air Pop) if you want something super-cheap; the Nothing Ear (a) for a great-value mid-range option; the AirPods 4 and AirPods Pro 2 for Apple fans; and perhaps surprisingly, the Bose QuietComfort Ultra Earbuds. The latter are fairly bulky buds, but Bose has designed the case to be slim (just quite tall).

2024-11-22T17:10:16.300Z

A picture of a seal on the JBL Live Beam 3's lockscreen — (Image credit: Future)

Black Friday is a time when rules fly out the window isn't it? For example, when JBL started releasing earbuds with actual smart screens on the cases, we all thought it'd be a cost prohibitive perk. Nice if you can afford it, like Apple Intelligence, and so on.

Only now, in both the US and the UK, my favorite JBL Live Beam 3 set are so greatly reduced, they're cheaper than many mid-range earbuds – and those definitely don't tote touch-screens with lock-screen wallpaper on the lids.

For me though, it's not just about the screen, cute though it is. The detailed sound quality and stellar battery life here are just two more reasons to celebrate them. I was truly impressed by the Live Beam 3; you can read my Live Beam 3 review for more in-depth analysis (then come back here, because I don't want you to miss the deal!) but know that they only hit shelves in June 2024 and this is the biggest discount we've ever seen on them, in both regions.

If you're the kind of person who thinks putting a picture of the seal you fell in love with (while volunteering at a Cornish seal sanctuary) on your earbuds case is a Very Good Thing, they're a no-brainer. And you don't have to sacrifice battery life or audio quality either, so if you can have the screen for no extra money, why wouldn't you?

JBL Live Beam 3: was ~~$199.95~~ now $149.95 at Amazon
JBL Live Beam 3: was ~~£179.95~~ now £149.57 at Amazon

2024-11-22T15:09:29.164Z

Philips Fidelio X2HR on yellow background — (Image credit: Philips)

OK so not technically earbuds, but over-ears are certainly earbuds adjacent and the deal is so good it'd be remiss of me (as your Audio Editor) not to mention it! This is also a UK exclusive – US music lovers, I promise I'll get you next! – but still, too good to ignore.

Philips Fidelio X2HR over-ears are no newbies to the audiophile world, but a 2017 release is hardly old in the world of wired audio. A quick glance over our 2014 five-star Philips Fidelio X2 review (upon which these Fidelio X2HR headphones are based) is also a glowing read, and while we haven't had the pleasure recently, a 2018 Reddit thread claims there's very little to separate the two other than a few accents on the headband.

And so to the madness of this deal: Amazon has listed them for as much as £319 in 2017, but right now they can be yours for just a penny under £68. I know! I mean, just look at them for that money. See the double-layered ear shells, the memory foam ear pads for long-wearing comfort – you even get a dedicated cable management clip for tangle-free ease! There's real leather involved in the headband, so not good for the vegan audiophile in your life, but if that's not you, there's so much to enjoy here for silly money. I had to rub my eyes to check I wasn't seeing things…

Philips Fidelio X2HR wired headphones: was ~~£143.99~~, now £67.99 at Amazon

2024-11-22T12:01:13.063Z

Sony WF-1000XM5 true wireless buds on a table with TechRadar deals logo for big savings

(Image credit: Sony)

Let's talk about Sony's flagship wireless ANC earbuds – there's no better time.

Right now they're slashed in price for Black Friday – and I need to explain that if you reside in the US, I'd actually get them at Best Buy today, rather than Amazon. (My UK friends can skip to the bottom of this missive for the deal, which is the lowest they've ever been).

Over on Amazon US they can be yours for $1.99 less, however if you purchase from Best Buy, the retailer is throwing in free YouTube Premium for three months (new subscribers only) which would normally cost you $13.99 per month. What better way to test drive your new buds than with free access to YouTube Music Premium?

Built-in Alexa functionality makes the XM5s a joy to use and the fit is great for smaller ears. The AI-based noise reduction algorithm and bone conduction sensor might not be as good at blocking out noise as the very best on the market (read more in our Sony WF-1000XM5 review), but they still deliver great results for this $70 discount.

Sony WF-1000XM5: was ~~$299~~ now $229.99 at Best Buy
Sony WF-1000XM5: was ~~£259~~ now £188.99 at Amazon

2024-11-22T08:57:05.833Z

AirPods 4 outside of their case on a table — (Image credit: Future)

Here's a big question for 2024: Should you buy AirPods 4 this Black Friday? They're pretty new, so they're not guaranteed to get big discounts – there's $10/10 off right now, which is not nothing.

There are two models here, so let's address them separately. First, the AirPods 4 with ANC, which officially cost $179 / £179, but can be found for $169 / £169. Well, the big problem with these is that the AirPods Pro 2 are superior in effectively every way, and are available for $159 / £179. So I see zero reason to get AirPods 4 with ANC, with one exception: if you have the in-ear fit of the AirPods Pro 2, with their tips that sit in the ear canal. Some people can't get on with this, and AirPods 4 with ANC are easily the best open-ear alternative for Apple users.

The regular AirPods 4 (no ANC) officially cost $129 / £129, but can be found for $119 / £119. These are the best-value way to get AirPods' smart Apple-friendly features – they're better value than the older AirPods 3 or much older AirPods 2nd Gen, though you'll pay a bit more – they sound better, and have more features.

But personally, I'd choose the Nothing Ear (a) over the AirPods 4 – they're about $50 cheaper, and come with noise cancellation!

Nothing Ear (a) US deal: was ~~$99~~ now $72.40 at Amazon
Nothing Ear (a) UK deal: was ~~£99~~ now £69 at Amazon

2024-11-21T22:18:22.159Z

Apple AirPods Pro 2 USB-C Amazon Prime Day Deal — (Image credit: Future)

A reminder, while there's still plenty of today left: If you happen to reside in the US, the best Black Friday deal I've ever seen on a shiny new set of AirPods Pro 2 (aka the ones everyone wants) is over at Best Buy, and it runs out soon.

It's an absolutely huge $90-off Apple's flagship earbuds (they're the most popular earbuds on the planet for a reason, folks) and means their price is now $10 less than we've ever seen, ever.

The sound quality is superb, they're full of smart features (including a new hearing aid functionality) and they have top-tier noise cancellation. What are you waiting for? At the time of writing, this deal ends in 8 hours… go now!

AirPods Pro 2: was ~~$249.99~~ now $159.99 at Best Buy

2024-11-21T20:16:03.587Z

Samsung Galaxy Buds 2 Pro on purple TR 'don't miss' background — (Image credit: Samsung)

So, here's a deal that didn't quite make my top picks above, but I still think it's worthy of a mention. You might assume Black Friday audio deals should be all about the most recent gear – in this case, the newest third-gen Galaxy Buds Pro – and while you're mostly right, I just don't want you to sleep on this lesser-spotted Galaxy Buds deal.

Why? Because I don't own a Samsung Galaxy smartphone (or even an Android mobile device), but I still gave the excellent Samsung Galaxy Buds 2 Pro a glowing 4.5-stars our of 5 shortly after their launch in August 2022.

Yes, they were superseded by the AirPods-esque Samsung Galaxy Buds 3 Pro and Buds 3 in July 2024, but newer doesn't always mean better – a quick look at our Samsung Galaxy Buds 3 Pro vs Galaxy Buds 2 Pro provides some telling reading…

The Buds Pro 2 are especially great if, like me, you have small ears (I've also got a guide to the best earbuds for small ears if that's what you need) and If you do own a Galaxy phone, a 2024 software update means you also get real-time translation powers if you're using a Galaxy S24 series – or even a slightly older Galaxy S23 series.

Samsung Galaxy Buds 2 Pro: was ~~$229~~, now $100 at Amazon
Samsung Galaxy Buds 2 Pro: was ~~£219.99~~, now £91.97 at Amazon

2024-11-21T17:32:29.777Z

JLab Go Pop ANC resting against open charging case — (Image credit: Future)

Psst… hey… hey, you. Looking for some unbelievably cheap, good earbuds? Look, I don't have them on me right now, but I know where you can find them.

What you want is the JLab Go Pop ANC, which cost just $30 full price, and are unreasonably good for that amount of money. They have well-balanced sound, a comfortably fit, and noise cancellation that genuinely helps, even on airplanes. Our JLab Go Pop ANC review raved about the value of these earbuds.

There's no deal on them currently, but if they do drop in price I totally recommend them. In the meantime, if you want something tiny and cheap, there's a different the four-star JLab JBuds Mini are on-sale in both the US and UK.

JLab JBuds Mini US deal: was ~~$39.99~~ now $27.60 at Amazon
JLab JBuds Mini US deal: was ~~£39.99~~ now $24.99 at Amazon

2024-11-21T17:12:07.759Z

Bose QuietComfort Ultra True Wireless Noise Cancelling In-Ear Earbuds in Black on blue background with TechRadar lowest price icon — (Image credit: Future)

Want the best noise-cancelling earbuds on the planet? That would be the Bose QuietComfort Ultra Earbuds, which you can get for record-low prices right now. (Are you seeing a pattern this Black Friday?)

You can get the Bose Ultra for a joint-lowest price of $229 at Amazon in the US, while in the UK the buds have fallen to new, absolutely ridiculous, low price of £199. Consider that, at launch, these cost more than other premium buds, but have now fallen into the same kind of price as the competition, that's really hard to resist.

You'll get the best noise-blocking power that earbuds can offer, plus device-neutral spatial audio, and rich sound quality.

Bose QuietComfort Ultra Earbuds US deal: was ~~$299~~ now $229 at Amazon
Bose QuietComfort Ultra Earbuds UK deal: was ~~£299~~ now £199 at Amazon

2024-11-21T16:54:10.071Z

The Beats Studio buds — (Image credit: Beats)

Beats' Studio Buds have dropped to $79 before, which is $10 cheaper than they've ever been before. It's a great price for earbuds with easy pairing for both Apple and Android, and active noise cancellation. In our Beats Studio Buds review we said that they sound good, the noise cancellation is useful, and they're a nice small size, with an ergonomic design.

They're a little older now, but for this price, they're the best-value Beats earbuds buy in the US. In the UK, we'd recommend the step-up Beats Studio Buds Plus, which have fallen to an also record-low £109. Here's our Beats Studio Buds Plus review.

Beats Studio Buds: was ~~$149~~ now $79 at Amazon
Beats Studio Buds Plus: was £179 now £109 at Amazon

2024-11-21T16:34:59.128Z

Apple AirPods Pro 2 — (Image credit: Apple)

I've been covering AirPods Black Friday deals for six years, and this is the best-value offer I've ever seen on them. Right now, you can get the AirPods Pro 2 for $159 at Best Buy, which is $10 lower than they've ever been before – but this deal ends at 1am ET November 22 / 10pm ET November 21, so don't miss out! That's $90 off the full $249 price.

Buyers in the UK don't miss out on a good deal today, either – you can get the AirPods Pro 2 from EE for £179, which is the joint lowest they've ever been, and a £50 saving on the £229 full price they usually sell for. And don't worry, just because they're from EE doesn't mean you have to sign a contract or anything – it's just a regular purchase, and they even come with free delivery.

AirPods Pro 2 US deal: was ~~$249~~ now $159 at Best Buy
AirPods Pro 2 UK deal: was ~~£229~~ now £129 at EE

2024-11-21T15:17:24.863Z