One of the critical features of the best wireless earbuds is the ability to jump on a call regardless of whether you can physically reach your phone. Many also come with active noise cancellation (ANC) so that ambient noise does not distract you from the person you’re talking to when you’re on that call. Plus, algorithms are often used on your voice to reduce that ambient noise, so you’re also heard clearer.
Not all earbuds are equal, either. Some are better with hands-free or on-unit controls for making or taking calls. And some have better ANC or background noise reduction. If you’re a heavy phone user and want earbuds that can keep up, you’ll want to take a look at our top picks, where you’ll find options for all budgets. Some earbuds also pair better with certain phones, such as the Samsung Galaxy Buds 2 Pro and Samsung Galaxy S22 series.
Wireless earbuds are all the rage these days, but not all pairs are alike. In fact, the lion’s share of the earbuds you’ll find online and in stores may be decent for listening to music and podcasts, but falter when it comes to taking phone calls. Fortunately, several brands prioritize the latter, while still delivering on the former.
This list of the best wireless earbuds for making calls will help guide you. There are options here for everyone — with notable names like Bose, Sony, and Samsung making more than one appearance.
Jabra Elite 10
Best overall
$220 $250 Save $30
The Jabra Elite 10 are great earbuds for taking phone calls. A powerful six-microphone array is quick to eliminate environmental sounds, making it easy to hear the person you’re chatting with. The Elite 10 also deliver some of the most aggressive noise cancellation we’ve ever seen from Bluetooth earbuds. Designed for all-day comfort, the semi-open architecture and internal EarGel padding are benefits. They’re a bit on the pricey side, but the Jabra Elite 10 are worth the investment.
Sony WF-1000XM5
Premium pick
$278 $300 Save $22
The Sony WF-1000XM5 are some of the best earbuds out there, period, and that extends to their call quality. While they don’t block out a lot of background noise, they do a fantastic job at making sure your voice is loud and clear, even in loud environments. Beyond that, the ANC is best-in-class with excellent sound and long battery life. Just be aware that these earbuds come at a premium.
JLab JBuds Mini
Best value
The JLab JBuds Mini are some of the cheapest wireless earbuds with noise-cancelling tech. While these features only apply to call clarity, each earbud has a detail-focused MEMS mic. Designed to cut away background sounds while honing in on your speaking voice, you’ll also be able to engage the Be Aware listening mode. This is a terrific feature for commuting, keeping you tuned in to your calls, music, and podcasts while allowing environmental sounds in — think honking car horns.
Beats Studio Buds
Apple and Android-friendly
Don’t be fooled into believing that only iPhone owners should buy the Beats Studio Buds. They aren’t just Apple-friendly. They are everyone-friendly, thanks to the ability to fast-pair with Android devices with the companion app. Plus, they are a cheaper alternative to Apple’s regular AirPods. The Beats Studio Buds are a steal with their impressive ANC performance, IPX4 water-resistance rating, great onboard microphones for taking calls, and a fantastic bass-filled sound profile.
- <div class="responsive-img img-article-square" data-img-url="https://static1.anpoimages.com/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/2023/07/anker-soundcore-liberty-4-nc_776x776.jpg" data-img-desc=""Source: Soundcore“” data-modal-id=”single-image-modal” data-modal-container-id=”single-image-modal-container” data-img-caption=””””>
Anker Soundcore Liberty 4 NC
Best value
The Soundcore Liberty 4 NC earbuds by Anker can sound a little echoey on your voice, but you’ll still be heard clearly. That said, they’re this high on this list because they’re the whole package with great Hi-Res-capable audio quality (with LDAC support), adjustable and adaptive ANC, the ability to personalize audio, and Bluetooth 5.3 multipoint connectivity for a surprisingly low price.
Samsung Galaxy Buds 2 Pro
$180 $230 Save $50
Not only do the Samsung Galaxy Buds 2 Pro have above-average ANC and a full, satisfying sound (if just OK battery life), but the call quality is quite good. While the previous version did a good job of blocking out unwanted background noise, it would cut off the speaker’s voice. That’s fixed here, as your voice will come through clear with little in the way of background noise, though your voice will sound a little processed.
OnePlus Buds Pro 2
$147 $180 Save $33
The OnePlus Buds Pro 2 are very, very good regarding call quality. No matter how busy the environment is, whoever you’re talking to will hear you incredibly clearly. In fact, our reviewer who tested these found they worked better than some other buds on this list. However, the ANC is just okay, so you might not be able to block as much noise out when listening on a phone call; otherwise, you would find these earbuds even higher on the list.
Sony Linkbuds S
$148 $200 Save $52
While your voice on calls won’t sound quite as natural as some of the other earbuds listed here, you’ll never have any issues being heard, even in a bustling café. The Sony Linkbuds S also has speak-to-chat, as well as solid audio quality and ANC, not to mention LDAC support. Since they’re fairly compact and light, they make for a very comfortable fit. However, they’re a bit on the expensive side for their slightly stripped-down approach.
Sennheiser CX Plus True Wireless
$112 $180 Save $68
The Sennheiser CX Plus True Wireless offer all the bonafides for solid call quality, even in a crowded restaurant. Two beamforming mics help pick up your voice while their nearly stellar ANC makes sure that the other end can hear you. If you want to hear yourself in the call, you can even adjust the sidetone level via a mobile app. Audio-wise, they’ll sound slightly more neutral than most other earbuds, giving you a more accurate representation of your music.
Google Pixel Buds Pro
$155 $200 Save $45
The Google Pixel Buds Pro support Google-friendly features like fast pair and hands-free voice assistant use, and they do a good job making sure you’re heard clearly without sounding far away. They won’t block out background noise as well as some of the other options here, but they’re still competent. Actually, you could say that about every facet of these earbuds — they have good sound, ANC, and battery life, though they’re a bit bulkier than Google earbuds.
Bose QuietComfort Ultra Earbuds
One of the latest additions to the Bose family, the Bose QuietComfort Ultra Earbuds are some of the best noise-cancelling earbuds out there, and they’re terrific for making calls. The built-in microphone array features powerful noise reduction, allowing you to zero in on what the caller is saying. And minimal compression means you’ll sound crystal-clear to the person at the other end of the call. You’ll also be able to choose between three listening modes (Quiet, Aware, and Immersion).
Skullcandy Dime 3 Wireless Earbuds
For a budget price, the Skullcandy Dime 3 True Wireless Earbuds pack a surprising amount of call-friendly tech into these tiny drivers. One of the best features is Skullcandy’s Clear Voice Smart Mic, which uses an AI-powered microphone array to isolate your speaking voice while cutting down on environmental sound. That’s on top of three EQ presets, solid battery life, and Bluetooth Multipoint, which pairs the earbuds to multiple devices simultaneously.