5 Best True Wireless Earbuds With Long Battery Life In 2020

Is there a difference between wireless and true wireless earbuds? It isn’t a completely made-up term. True wireless earbuds have been around for a while but with advancing technology, there has been a push to create the discrete category of earbuds. Think of true wireless as wireless 2.0. Wireless headphones or earbuds specifically referred to the lack of a cord that connected the earbuds to the phone. Wireless earbuds or headphones are still be connected by a cord. True wireless earbuds are not connected via a cord. They are connected to each other via Bluetooth or to the device independently. This is wireless 2.0 or true wireless. 

If you are looking to cut all the cords then you need to consider the altered aspects of the earbuds by going truly wireless. The main considerations are as follows: Battery Life; Sound Quality; Latency; Comfort; Storage Case; Design; and Connection Type. The earbuds will connect via Bluetooth to each other. One will connect to the device. 

What Should You Focus On?

The earbuds themselves have a battery life anywhere between 5 and 10 hours. Though most people only listen to music for a few hours a day. The storage case allows for extra charging power. You can get anywhere between 2-4 more battery cycles out of the earbuds by charging via the charging case.

Comfort and design are important as most likely you are wearing them in public or for a specific purpose like exercise. If so then the need to either look good or perform well under pressure. If you are looking for something that can handle a hard workout you need to be concerned about the “sweatproof” metric. You should buy something with an IP rating of at least IPX4. However, sweat proofing tends to degrade over time. For a great intro to IP rating systems check out this guide at AudioReputation.com.

Latency means the delay between the device and the earbuds. Check out how it works here. Here your phone will send the audio and then after a short delay you will hear the audio. This delay is the latency. Earbuds with less latency perform better. Normally, if you are just listening to audio then you don’t need to worry about latency. This is an important metric when you are watching videos on your phone. Under high latency situations, you will see the video and the audio out of sync. This isn’t because of your phone. Your earbuds are just slow at receiving and distributing the audio to your ears.

What Do You Need? What Do You Want?

In the universe of true wireless earbuds, there are duds and studs. This review delivers a few of the top performers. But before you run off to buy the first one, think about what your top use is and try to match that up with the earbuds that can deliver under that benefit.

Comparison Table

Below is a summary of all of the important specs as they relate to the reviewed true wireless earbuds.

Specs	Sony WF-1000XM3	Jabra Elite Active 65t	Klipsch T5	Beats Power-beats Pro
Battery Life	6 Hours	7.5 Hours	8 Hours	9 Hours
Case Life	18 Hours	20.5 Hours	24 Hours	16 Hours
Sound Quality	Excellent	Heavy Bass	Max Expert Level	Average
Comfort	Decent	Very Comfortable	Unique Design	Great
Waterproof	IPX4	IP57	IPX4	IPX4
Style	Classy	Athletic	Hip Coffee Shop	Apple Athlete
Latency	None	None	None	None
Noise Canceling	YES	NO	NO	NO

Best For Noise Canceling: Sony WF-1000XM3

Main Specifications For:	Sony WF-1000XM3
Battery Life	6 Hours
Case Life	18 Hours
Sound Quality	Excellent
Comfort	Decent
Waterproof	IPX4
Style	Classy
Latency	None
Noise Canceling	YES

The Good And The Bad

Sony makes amazing over the ear headphones and makes some of the best active noise cancelling (ANC) devices on the market. If you are looking to separate yourself from the world around you then the Sony WF-1000XM3 is your choice hands down. If you have never had a pair of ANC headphones before it is worth reading about how it works. The peeps at SoundGuys.com have a nice article that discusses it. Sony also upped their game with the audio quality. These earbuds were made for showing off and disconnecting from the world. 

The downside is that they are about 2x as heavy as their competitors and with an IP rating of only IPX4 they aren’t the best option for athletics. Further, the battery life is only mid-range good. It may seem that having the option of using the digital assistant is a pro but currently, these earbuds only support Alexa.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jpG0j8T70dQ

Bottom Line

If you are looking for a stylish accessory to wear on a crowded bus or metro line then these will make you look sharp and give you the privacy you need. Just make sure that you have a separate pair for when you hit the gym so these don’t get scuffed up or water damaged.

Best For Athletes: Jabra Elite Active 65t

Main Specifications For:	Jabra Elite Active 65t
Battery Life	7.5 Hours
Case Life	20.5 Hours
Sound Quality	Heavy Bass
Comfort	Very Comfortable
Waterproof	IP57
Style	Athletic
Latency	None
Noise Canceling	NO

The Good And The Bad

If you are looking for the best earbuds for your long outdoor run in the rain or indoors sweat-fest then you have found your work out buddy. Jabra Elite Active 65t earbuds have a long insert that fits most all ears due to multiple sized tips. The grip is soft rubber-coated that allows for superior flexibility and stability in the ear. With an IP rating of IP57 you could literally submerge these in water and they will come out still working. Though you might not want to do that on a regular basis.

The downside to these is that they may not be your everyday earbuds. If you need something that is more in line for phone calls and business meetings or podcasts then the audio isn’t going to impress you much with its base heavy levels. Since the sound quality is pretty important with earbuds you may want a separate pair for the office.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Hv2cA7SGad4

Bottom Line

If you need something for the gym or the treadmill or the running trail then you can’t get better heavy-duty wear and tear earbuds. The Jabra Elite Active 65t are a great fit and a great pair to add to your daily workout. Your ears won’t get tired of the inserts and you will most likely forget that they are in.

Best For Audiophiles (1 of 2): Klipsch T5

Main Specifications For:	Klipsch T5
Battery Life	8 Hours
Case Life	24 Hours
Sound Quality	Max Expert Level
Comfort	Unique Design
Waterproof	IPX4
Style	Hip Coffee Shop
Latency	None
Noise Canceling	NO

The Good And The Bad

This is for all the hip people out there just looking to get by and staying chill in this harsh environment! When you need to disconnect and fall into a warm, clear, and never harsh vibe of music in that corner café over a late the Klipsch T5 is your study partner. Hardly is there ever a moment when you can say that sound quality meets your expectations as well as design and coolness factor. 

With above-average battery life and a storage battery case that opens like a Zippo lighter there is little bad to say about these. You might not wear them to the gym due to the low IP rating but otherwise, you will never want to take them out. Check out the unboxing and review here of how they blow Apple AirPods out of the water.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RwrpqZYUzoA

Bottom Line

If you need a diverse pair of earbuds that you can wear to work, in the corner office, to the bar, and even to a grunge rock band in your neighbor’s basement, AND be respected at each location then the Klipsch T5 is your travel buddy. Don’t expect them to last if you are working out and sweating heavy but everywhere else they outperform most other earbuds.

Best For iOS: Beats Powerbeats Pro

Main Specifications For:	Beats Powerbeats Pro
Battery Life	9 Hours
Case Life	16 Hours
Sound Quality	Average
Comfort	Great
Waterproof	IPX4
Style	Apple Athlete
Latency	None
Noise Canceling	NO

The Good And The Bad

Beats Powerbeats Pro earbuds are the only Apple product on the list. This is by design. The Beats Powerbeats Pro contains all of the benefits of the AirPods Pro but has a much better athletic ability. With something called a “pressure-reducing micro-laser barometric venting hole” it takes comfort to a new level. Further, since they are the only over the ear model you can literally fall down a hill and they will still be snug as a bug in a rug. Also, because they are an apple product they have the fast connecting H1 chip that syncs crazy fast and easily with iPhones. 

However, in general, these aren’t the best of the top of the line earbuds. The IP rating is low and the battery life of the storage case is nothing to write home about. This is a great pair of earbuds, nonetheless. They just aren’t the best in any one category.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JVkU5aqerH4

Bottom Line

If you are a fan of Apple products and all of the unique qualities that they have when used together you will surely be happy with the Beats Powerbeats Pro. In terms of Apple earbuds, these are the ones you should get over other Apple products. These have the most versatile utility. They can be worn every day from work to the gym without worrying about looks or degradation of quality.

Conclusion

New tech can be difficult to buy. There are new advancements and refinements on the market before the life of the original product has ended. Often times there are models and products that are completely unknown but deliver a better result. However, the main factor to consider and remember when making any type of technology purchase is utility. Ask yourself these simple questions:

• When will you be using the earbuds?
• How long will you be using them at a time?
• What will you be doing when you use them?
• Will you need them for multiple types of activities?
• Work? Athletics? Commuting?
• What will you be listening to? Music? Podcasts? Telephone conversations?

Don’t underestimate the power of properly purchased utility. Let’s put it this way when you need a pair of earbuds that you can wear outside do you buy the fanciest ones? No, that would be a waste of money. They would get sweaty and die in a week or two. When you want a high-quality audio experience do you go buy the cheap knockoffs in the kiosks of airports? Definitely not. You would be throwing them in the trash before you got on the plane. Plan your utility and buy accordingly. Future you will thank you for being a smart buyer.

Here is a quick breakdown of the top buys from above.

Truly Wireless Earbuds For Athletes: Jabra Elite Active 65t

Truly Wireless Earbuds For Hipsters: Klipsch T5

Truly Wireless Earbuds For Urban Professionals: Cambridge Audio Melomania 1

Everything you need you should be able to find in these three earbuds. They have all of the features that make great sounds and active utility. When you need to hit the trails and are worried about the rain or sweat, then go with the Jabra earbuds. When you need to chill and fall into some sweet vibes then you should go with the Klipsch. Finally, when you need something that covers all of your bases for your office day job and weekend warrior life, then the sophisticated Cambridge Audio Melomania 1 will be your best friend.

So, that is it. Those are the top players on the market. Now that you have the knowledge and power to make the right choice the best thing to do is to make it. Order it. Wear them. Enjoy it. Go forth and conquer your world.