You don’t need a set of AirPods to get wireless audio from your iPhone, iPad or Mac, but Apple’s earbuds and headphones offer a lot of convenient integrations with its other products that you won’t find anywhere else. After helping popularize true wireless earbuds with its original AirPods, the company has expanded its lineup to include noise-canceling models and a set of over-ear headphones. Here’s what you need to know about AirPods in general, along with the best overall, budget and over-ear picks from Apple’s current slate of products.

What you need to know about AirPods

When it comes to Apple’s earbuds and headphones, there are several things you’ll want to keep in mind before making your final decision. First, the AirPods are the open-design earbuds with no tip that allow some environmental noise to come into your ears at all times. The AirPods Pro are the model with the soft ear tips that completely close off your ear, which enables features like more powerful noise cancellation and the hearing test. Lastly, the AirPods Max are Apple’s over-ear headphones, and currently the company’s only option for wireless headphones at all that aren’t made by Beats.

There are a few features that are available across all models as they’ve become inherent to the AirPods experience. First, you can expect Automatic Switching between Apple devices that are synced with your iCloud account. This means that AirPods will automatically change to your phone when you get a call while you’re listening to music on a MacBook, for example. It’s functionally similar to multipoint Bluetooth, but the feature isn’t limited to two devices like most earbuds and headphones. Second, hands-free access to Siri is the default, allowing you to ask the assistant for help without touching your AirPods. And lastly, Personalized Spatial Audio with dynamic head tracking is available across the entire lineup, even on the most affordable version of the AirPods 4.

If you don’t think any of the AirPods options are right for you, consult our recommendations on the best wireless earbuds and best wireless headphones for some alternatives.

Other AirPods we tested

AirPods 4 with ANC

The AirPods 4 with ANC represent the first time active noise cancellation has been available on the open-wear, “regular” AirPods. Design-wise, they’re the same as the non-ANC model, so the difference is entirely in the features list. This more expensive version adds Adaptive Audio, Transparency mode, Conversation Awareness and a wireless charging case. The ANC isn’t as powerful as the AirPods Pro 2, partially due to the fact that the AirPods 4 doesn’t completely seal off your ears. The noise-canceling performance is definitely useful though, working best with constant, low-frequency annoyances like fans and white noise machines. Lastly, you won’t get access to Apple’s hearing test and hearing aid features, partially due to the fact that the AirPods 4 with ANC doesn’t seal off your ears, which would affect accuracy and effectiveness.