- Ten earbud makers at a glance
- The earbud makers and the lines they list
- Open-ear, clip-on or in-ear: the split that matters
- Ranges sorted by what you'll use them for
- Earbud makers that sell much more than earbuds
- Questions to ask before you buy a pair
- My advice on choosing earbuds
- Frequently asked questions
The best earbuds are the ones built for the way you want them to sit. Open-ear and clip-on earbuds are now a family of their own beside in-ear true wireless models, and some makers also sort their range by use, such as sport or noise cancelling. Pick the style first, then compare the product lines.
Two pairs of earbuds can sit side by side on a shelf and be completely different products. One clips onto your ear, the other sits in it, and it's easy to buy the wrong one if you only look at the brand.
This list covers ten earbud makers, using only what each maker's own website says, read on 1 Nov 2026 (as of Nov 2026). It's alphabetical and in no particular order. It sticks to the product lines and groups each maker lists, so you won't find sound, battery or fit claims repeated here.
Ten earbud makers at a glance
| Tool | Type | Good for |
|---|---|---|
| Cleer | Open-ear earbuds, headphones and speakers | ARC open-ear series |
| EarFun | True wireless and open-ear earbuds | Air Pro and open-ear models side by side |
| Haylou | True wireless earbuds, headphones and smartwatches | Flowbuds N55 and a true wireless range |
| JLab | True wireless and open earbuds | ANC-named and open models on one page |
| Nothing | Earbuds and headphones, with CMF audio | The Ear family |
| Sennheiser | Consumer headphones, hearing assistance and soundbars | A True Wireless Earbuds category |
| Shokz | Open-ear and bone conduction headphones and earbuds | Open earbuds beside bone conduction |
| Skullcandy | Headphones, earbuds, gaming audio and speakers | Earbud groups by use |
| Soundcore | Anker soundcore headphones, earbuds and speakers | AeroClip 2 and Liberty Buds 2 |
| Tribit | Speakers, earbuds and headphones | FlyBuds and Movebuds |
The earbud makers and the lines they list
Cleer
Best for: Open-ear listening, with the ARC 5, ARC 4 and ARC 3 series on its menu, plus ARC 5 Gaming and ARC 3 Sport Pro variants.
EarFun
Best for: Choosing between the Air Pro 4+, Air Pro 4 and Air Pro 4i true wireless models or the Clip 2 and OpenJump open-ear models.
Haylou
Best for: Looking at the Flowbuds N55 and the True Wireless Earbuds range, sold on the same site as its smartwatches.
JLab
Best for: Comparing JBuds Mini ANC, JBuds Pods ANC and Epic Sport ANC 3 true wireless earbuds with the Flex Open Earbuds.
Nothing
Best for: Picking from Ear (3), Ear (3a), Ear (a) and Ear (open), with the CMF audio range on the same page.
Sennheiser
Best for: Finding true wireless earbuds in a menu next to wireless, audiophile and enhanced hearing headphones.
Shokz
Best for: Open earbuds such as the Open Fit Pro workout open earbuds and the Open Fit 2 series, beside its bone conduction sports headphones.
Skullcandy
Best for: Browsing earbuds sorted into an Active Collection, a Noise Canceling group and Sound by Bose models, with a product guide in the menu.
Soundcore
Best for: Looking at the newly introduced AeroClip 2 and Liberty Buds 2, now sold under the Anker soundcore name.
Tribit
Best for: Earbud shoppers browsing the FlyBuds C2, FlyBuds NC and FlyBuds 3 alongside its speakers and headphones.
Open-ear, clip-on or in-ear: the split that matters
Here's what's easy to miss: earbuds aren't one product. Open-ear and clip-on earbuds are now a family of their own beside in-ear true wireless models, so two pairs both sold as earbuds can be very different things.
You can see it on the makers' own pages. Cleer groups its open-ear models into an ARC 5 series, an ARC 4 series and an ARC 3 series. Shokz lists the Open Dots 2 as open-ear clip-on earbuds. EarFun puts its Clip 2 beside the Air Pro 4i, and JLab lists JBuds Mini ANC true wireless earbuds next to Flex Open Earbuds.
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- Open-ear earbuds: sold as their own series by some makers here, with gaming and sport versions inside one line.
- Clip-on earbuds: a shape that two makers on this list name as clip-on in their own wording.
- In-ear true wireless: the ranges makers list as true wireless earbuds, including models with ANC in the name.
Ranges sorted by what you'll use them for
Some makers sort their earbuds by job. Skullcandy splits its earbuds into an Active Collection and a Noise Canceling group, and Tribit lists the FlyBuds C1 Pro beside the Movebuds H1 in the same earbuds menu.
Others sit earbuds next to sport, gaming or hearing ranges. One maker here lists ARC 5 Gaming and ARC 3 Sport Pro models inside its open-ear line, another sells open earbuds beside bone conduction sports headphones, and another lists true wireless earbuds in a menu with enhanced hearing headphones. If you're shopping for one job, start in the group the maker has already built for it.
Earbud makers that sell much more than earbuds
A few of these sites aren't earbud shops at all. One sells smartwatches on the same site, one lists soundbars and hearing assistance products, and several sell speakers and headphones beside their earbuds. That's handy if you want one brand across a few devices, but it means the earbuds can be one menu among many, so use the earbuds category rather than the home page.
Questions to ask before you buy a pair
- Do I want earbuds that sit in my ear, or an open-ear or clip-on pair?
- Is there a group on the maker's site for the job you have in mind, such as sport or noise cancelling?
- Which product line am I in, and what are the other models in it?
- Is the model newly introduced, and is an earlier version still listed beside it?
- Does the maker list the exact model name I've seen in a review or a shop?
- What does the maker's own product page say about the features I care about?
Do you make earbuds? Tool makers can ask to be considered for a featured place on this list.
My advice on choosing earbuds
Pick the style before the brand. If you want something that leaves your ears open, start with the open-ear and clip-on lines. If you want a pair that sits in your ear, look at the true wireless ranges and compare models within one line. And treat any sound, battery or noise-cancelling claim on a box as the maker's own, then check the product page for the exact model you're buying.
If you're buying earbuds for recording or editing audio, it's worth reading whether you need headphones to start a podcast first. And if a microphone's next on your list, here's my guide to the best microphone for podcasting.
Want your tool on this list? Featured spots and reviews here are paid partnerships. Here's how to partner with me.
Frequently asked questions
What's the difference between open-ear and true wireless earbuds?
On the makers' own pages, they're sold as separate families. Open-ear and clip-on models are listed as their own series, or carry open-ear in the model name, while true wireless earbuds sit in their own ranges, including models with ANC in the name. Check which family a pair belongs to before you compare anything else.
Which of these makers sell clip-on earbuds?
Two pages on this list use the word: one lists the Open Dots 2 as open-ear clip-on earbuds, and another describes its AeroClip earbuds as clip-on. A third lists a Clip 2 as an open-ear model.
Do any of these makers sort earbuds by use?
Yes. One splits its earbuds into an Active Collection and a Noise Canceling group, one lists gaming and sport versions inside its open-ear series, and one sells open earbuds beside bone conduction sports headphones.
Which of these makers also sell headphones or speakers?
Several do. Pages on this list show headphones and speakers next to earbuds, one sells smartwatches on the same site, and another lists soundbars and hearing assistance products beside its earbuds.
Is soundcore the same as Anker?
Its own page says soundcore is now Anker soundcore, under the unified Anker brand, and its earbuds are listed under that name.
Where do I check battery life and fit?
Go to the maker's product page for the exact pair, along with its manual or support pages. This list covers how each range is organised and which models it includes, and leaves the specs to the makers.
