Headphone buying guide
The Best Headphones Under $100
The best headphones under $100 on Amazon: Soundcore's Space One over-ears and Liberty 5 earbuds, plus the Beats Solo 4, which is only under $100 on sale.
A hundred dollars buys more than most people expect. Both Soundcore picks here have active noise cancelling, multipoint, and LDAC, and both get a 5 of 5 value score. The third pick, the Beats Solo 4, has no noise cancelling but offers up to 50 hours of battery and one-touch pairing on Apple and Android.
These picks and fit scores are an editorial synthesis of published reviews and manufacturer specs, not our own testing. Prices are approximate Amazon prices seen on October 5, 2026, and they set the $100 cutoff; they change often, so check the current price before you buy.
The short list
| # | Best for | Model | Approx. price | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 01 | Best overall under $100 |  | Over-ear ANC (budget) | ~$84.99 |
| 02 | Best earbuds under $100 |  | Earbuds ANC (budget) | ~$79.99 |
| 03 | Best without ANC (on sale) |  | On-ear, no ANC | ~$99.95 |
Approximate Amazon prices seen October 5, 2026, not live quotes.
Ranked
Our picks
- 01
Best overall under $100
Soundcore Space One
- Over-ear ANC (budget)
- ~$84.99
- 2023
- Any phone
Wirecutter's budget noise-cancelling pick and the only over-ear ANC model here, at ~$84.99 (list $99.99). It's rated for 40 hours with ANC and 55 without, a 5-minute charge adds 4 hours, and it has multipoint, LDAC, and an AUX input. Its 4 of 5 travel score is one point behind Sony's and Bose's flagships.
Pros
- Pro: Wirecutter's budget pick
- Pro: 40 h with ANC, 55 h without; a 5-minute charge gives 4 h
- Pro: LDAC and multipoint at a budget price
Trade-offs
- Trade-off: A 2023 model, the oldest on our list
- Trade-off: Our travel and call scores trail the flagships
- Value
- 5 out of 5
- Travel
- 4 out of 5
- Calls
- 3 out of 5
Editorial fit scores, 1–5, from published reviews and specs — not lab measurements.
Check priceAffiliate link to Amazon. Price approx., seen Oct 2026.
Read the review: Soundcore Space One - 02
Best earbuds under $100
Soundcore Liberty 5
- Earbuds ANC (budget)
- ~$79.99
- 2025
- Any phone
~$79.99, down from a $129.99 list price. Tom's Guide, TechRadar, and Cult of Mac call it feature-packed with strong ANC for the money, and IP55 plus a 4 of 5 workout score make it a solid gym pair. Plan to EQ the bass-heavy tuning, and don't expect the full claimed battery life.
Pros
- Pro: Strong ANC for the money, per reviewers
- Pro: LDAC, multipoint, and Bluetooth 5.4
- Pro: IP55 and a light 4.6 g per bud
Trade-offs
- Trade-off: Bass-heavy tuning needs EQ
- Trade-off: Fiddly stem controls
- Value
- 5 out of 5
- Travel
- 4 out of 5
- Workouts
- 4 out of 5
Editorial fit scores, 1–5, from published reviews and specs — not lab measurements.
Check priceAffiliate link to Amazon. Price approx., seen Oct 2026.
Read the review: Soundcore Liberty 5 - 03
Best without ANC (on sale)
Beats Solo 4
- On-ear, no ANC
- ~$99.95
- 2024
- Any phone
At ~$99.95 it's half its $199.99 list price, and only that discount puts it in this guide; Digital Trends says it's worth buying on sale at about $100. You get up to 50 hours of battery, lossless USB-C and 3.5 mm wired audio, and one-touch pairing on Apple and Android. There's no ANC, the on-ear fit gets tiring, and the sound is just OK.
Pros
- Pro: Up to 50 h battery; a 10-minute Fast Fuel charge gives ~5 h
- Pro: Lossless USB-C and 3.5 mm wired audio
- Pro: One-touch pairing on Apple and Android
Trade-offs
- Trade-off: No noise cancelling
- Trade-off: The on-ear fit gets tiring, per Digital Trends
- Value
- 4 out of 5
- Calls
- 3 out of 5
- Workouts
- 3 out of 5
Editorial fit scores, 1–5, from published reviews and specs — not lab measurements.
Disclosure: “Check price” buttons are Amazon affiliate links; we may earn a commission at no extra cost to you. It never changes the ranking.
How we chose
The $100 cutoff uses the approximate Amazon price we saw on October 5, 2026, not the list price. That's why the Beats Solo 4 (list $199.99) qualifies at ~$99.95, and why the Space One Pro and Liberty 5 Pro, at $139.99 and $169.99, don't. Prices move week to week; if the Solo 4 climbs back above $100, it falls out of this budget and the two Soundcores are the clear picks.
Value carried the most weight, followed by travel and calls, the jobs most people buy budget headphones for. Wirecutter's budget pick settled the Space One; reviews from Tom's Guide, TechRadar, and Cult of Mac shaped the Liberty 5 pick; and Digital Trends' review set the conditions for the Solo 4.
What you give up under $100
Mostly polish, not the basics. Battery ratings match or beat Sony's flagships, and both Soundcores have ANC and multipoint. The compromises show up in reviews and in the fit scores:
- Calls: the Space One and Liberty 5 both score 3 of 5, versus 5 for Sony's WH-1000XM6 and WF-1000XM6.
- Sound: both Soundcores score 3, and reviewers say the Liberty 5's bass-heavy tuning needs EQ.
- Polish: reviewers describe the Liberty 5's stem controls as fiddly and its real battery life as short of the claim.
- Noise cancelling: the Solo 4 has none, which makes it a poor choice for flights.
Over-ear, earbuds, or on-ear?
Buy the Space One for flights, commutes, and long desk sessions; it's the only one of the three with over-ear cups and ANC. Buy the Liberty 5 if you want something pocketable that also works at the gym. Buy the Solo 4 if you mostly listen at home or on short trips and want long battery life and a wired lossless option.
On-ear pads press against your ears rather than sitting around them. That's why on-ears tend to get uncomfortable over long sessions, and why Digital Trends flags the Solo 4's fit as tiring.
Also consider
- Soundcore Space One Pro ($139.99): above our cap, but the Pro version of our top pick if you can stretch. We don't have a review page for it yet.
- Soundcore Liberty 5 Pro ($169.99): Wirecutter's top earbud pick, at more than twice the Liberty 5's ~$79.99. We don't have a review page for it yet.
Frequently asked questions
Are cheap noise-cancelling headphones any good?
Good enough for most commutes and flights. Wirecutter's budget noise-cancelling pick is the ~$84.99 Soundcore Space One, and its 4 of 5 travel fit score is one point behind Sony's WH-1000XM6. The gap is bigger for calls and sound than for battery.
Is the Beats Solo 4 worth it?
At ~$99.95, yes, if you want long battery life and easy pairing and don't need noise cancelling; Digital Trends says it's worth buying on sale around $100. At its $199.99 list price, we'd spend the money on a noise-cancelling pair instead.
Should I get the Soundcore Space One or the Liberty 5?
Get the Space One if you fly or want the longest battery: 40 hours with ANC, versus 8 per charge for the Liberty 5. Get the Liberty 5 for the gym and for pockets: it's rated IP55 and scores 4 of 5 for workouts, versus 2 for the Space One.
Do these headphones work with iPhone?
Yes, all three are Bluetooth headphones that pair with any phone. The Soundcores' LDAC support only helps on Android phones that offer it, since iPhones use AAC or SBC. The Solo 4 has one-touch pairing on both Apple and Android.
Related guides
Disclosure: Our picks are independent and editorial — a synthesis of published reviews and manufacturer specs, not our own lab measurements. Prices are approximate Amazon prices seen October 5, 2026. As an Amazon Associate we earn from qualifying purchases made through links on this page, at no extra cost to you.