As smartphones continue to lose their headphone jack, the rise of the Bluetooth earbuds makes a whole lot more sense. Thankfully, the days of unstable connections and poor audio quality are all but behind us, and the wireless earphones of today offer some truly future-ready functionality.
With the likes of Apple AirPods competing with Samsung earbuds, as well as industry heavyweights like Bose, Sony and Jabra, there's heaps to choose from. Varying hugely in price and function – from rugged wireless earbuds for sports to noise-cancelling, true wireless buds for business – it can be hard to choose.
Thankfully, we've reviewed the cream of the crop in order to compare the best Bluetooth earphones in Singapore, whether they're regular wireless earphones (with a cable or neckband that connects them) or true wireless earbuds (two separate 'buds that you can store in a charging case).
Can't decide which type of headphones to buy? Check out our guide video:
Jaybird Tarah Pro
Known for its more affordable and sports-centric wireless earbuds, Jaybird has delivered something truly spectacular with its first 'Pro' offering, and thankfully it won't break the bank either.
Improving on almost everything that made its predecessors great, the Jaybird Tarah Pro offers excellent sound (tweakable via the simple Jaybird app), great comfort and fitting options, and all the conveniences you'd come to expect in the ultimate pair of wireless in-ears, such as a 14-hour battery life, magnetic driver housings, and a rugged design.
Read our full review: Jaybird Tarah Pro
Sony WI-1000X
Sony’s excellent WF-1000XM3 are the gold standard when it comes to true wireless in-ears, and they're noise cancelling to boot, but the WI-1000X is Sony's nifty neckband alternative.
These wireless noise-cancelling earbuds offer some of the best sounding wireless audio we’ve heard in a robust form factor that can survive the abuse of a daily commute or visits to the gym. The headline feature of the WI-1000X headphones is its excellent sound quality thanks to aptX HD support and, despite some average battery life, these in-ears do so much right that it more than makes up for it.
Read the full review: Sony WI-1000X
Jaybird Tarah
While we've put the Pro version in at first place, the budget alternative offers an equally compelling package for a different reason.
Weighing it at around half the price of the Tarah Pro, these trimmed-down buds offer much the same core experience (excellent and customisable sound with a rugged, sports-centric design) as their more expensive brethren. You will be losing a considerable amount of battery life (down to 6 hours) and some of the niftier features, but if you're conscious then the discount will more than make up for it.
Read the full review: Jaybird Tarah
Beats X
There will always be those who are ready to complain about the sound performance of Beats headphones, but the inclusion of Apple's proprietary W1 chip has been a boon for the strength of their wireless connectivity.
Functionally that makes these wireless earbuds a joy to use (with Apple products, at least), just don't expect the most detailed or broad soundstage. If you’re shopping for a no-fuss pair of earbuds that charge in 5 minutes and don’t mind spending a little extra money on them, the Beats X are for you.
Read the full review: Beats X
Bose QuietControl 30
Life is full of compromises, and it's no different with the Bose QuietControl 30s. On the positive side you get a level of noise cancellation that comes close to what's offered by the brand's over-ear headphones, but the concession here is on sound fidelity, which just isn’t on the same level as that of other in-ear or over-ear headphones we’ve tested.
There's also that neckband which adds an unfortunate level of bulk to what should otherwise be a slimline pair of headphones.
Read the full review: Bose QuietControl 30
Sony WF-1000XM3
Sony's fabulous WH-1000XM3 noise-cancelling headphones have gotten a true wireless counterpart, and they're every bit as solid as their over-ear siblings.
With state-of-the-art noise-cancelling, a crystal clear yet warm audio signal, and an impressive 24-hour battery life (when using the ANC and recharging with the case), these earbuds are worth every dollar spent on them. They also avoid the foibles of many other non-Apple true wireless buds by establishing a connection between each bud and your device individually, thus dodging the sometimes flaky signals that result from a single primary bud having to connect to both your device and a secondary bud.
Read the full review: Sony WF-1000XM3
For those rocking an iPhone, the simplicity of pairing with the AirPods was a joy, but now you can have that same ease-of-use but with true wireless earbuds made to be pumped at the gym.
With one of the most secure fits to date, the PowerBeats Pro are sure to stay in your ear when you're sweating it up, and the IPX4 resistance makes sure that sweat won't break your buds. The sound is typically punchy, as is the style of Beats, and very suitable for modern electronic, hip hop and similar genres. In most ways, these are in improvement on the AirPods, and even feature the same smart H1 chip that helps with pairing and allows for on-board Siri communication.
Read the full review: Beats PowerBeats Pro
Jabra Elite 65t
Although these have been surpassed by the Sony WF-1000XM3 and PowerBeats Pro, the Jabra Elite 65t still offer a great true wireless solution and are more affordable to boot.
After spending over a month with them, we came away impressed with the well-rounded package that Jabra managed to create: The earbuds offer a subtle, mature look and a reliable wireless connection, which isn’t always the case with truly wireless earbuds. Plus, they sound great compared to much of the competition.
Read the full review: Jabra Elite 65t
Image credit: TechRadar
The second generation Apple AirPods, the AirPods (2019), aren't quite the AirPods 2 we were hoping for, but they still boast some cool features.
They still sport the iconic design of the original AirPods (a good or bad thing depending on your point of view), and sound quality hasn't changed at all. The bulk of the upgrade comes from the new H1 headphone chip, which improves connectivity and battery life, and allows for a new ‘Hey Siri’ voice activation feature.
The AirPods (2019) also come with an optional wireless charging case, which means you can use a Qi-compatible charging mat to power the case, rather than sticking a cable into the Lightning charging port in the bottom of the case.
Like their predecessors, they are super easy to pair, but they are very much optimised for using with iPhones and are somewhat pricey.
Read our full review: Apple Airpods (2019)
If you're deep into fitness and the tracking thereof, the Jabra Elite Sport are currently the ultimate true wireless earphones for you. There’s a heart rate sensor on the right earpiece, letting it monitor your exertion level as you exercise.
A Jabra companion app lets you track your exercise, and you can kick off a workout by pressing a button on one earpiece, and the heart rate tracker is more reliable than most wrist-worn models… as long as you fit the Elite Sport buds properly.
The Jabra Elite Sport don't perch in your ears, they fill them rather like a custom molded earphone. As a result, sound isolation is excellent and the fit is very secure.
To sweeten the deal, Jabra recently updated the Elite Sport to boost stamina to a better-than-average four-and-a-half hours per charge – more than enough to get you through your weekly workouts – before hanging up the towel.
Read the full review: Jabra Elite Sport