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In this day and age, there's an expectation that you can answer calls quickly and easily. Whether you're working from home and joining a meetingoryou're getting a call from family on the go, you'll want earbuds with a solid mic performance. If you're taking calls from a noisy office orbusy street, blocking out background noise can make it easier to understand your conversation. This article mostly covers truly wireless earbuds. They don't offer the best performance regarding calls, especially when compared to dedicated, but they maximize versatility and portability.
We've tested over 285 pairs of earbuds and in-ear headphones with microphones, and below are our recommendations for the best earbuds for calls to buy. If you want more recommendations, check out our picks for thebest earbuds with a mic. If you don't mind an over-ear fit, you'll also want to check out thebest office headphones.
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Best Earbuds For Phone Calls
Sony WF-1000XM5 Truly Wireless 84
Neutral Sound
7.1
Commute/Travel
8.5
Sports/Fitness
8.3
Office
7.7
Wireless Gaming
5.7
Wired Gaming
5.5
Phone Calls
6.8
Type In-ear
Enclosure Closed-Back
Wireless Truly Wireless
Transducer Dynamic
Noise Cancelling Yes
Mic Yes
See all our test results
The Sony WF-1000XM5 Truly Wireless are the best earbuds for phone calls we've tested. Like most Bluetooth earbuds, they have an integrated mic, and while it doesn't make your voice sound natural or full, you'll be easy to understand over the phone.The michas decent noise handling, so your voice won't be drowned out by loud background noise like a truck going by. The budssupport multi-device pairing, so you can easily jump from meetings on your computer to a call on your phone. With head gesture controls, you can even answer or end a call by moving your head.
These are some of the best earbuds we've tested overall, partly thanks to their outstanding noise isolation performance. If you use the included foam ear tips and activate 'Adaptive Sound Control' in the app, they block out a broadrange of noise, so you can hear calls youtake on the bus or in a busy office. Their well-balanced sound profile makes voices clear and detailed, and they last for nearly nine hours of continuous use.
They're comfortable for most people, but you may find that the foam tips put pressure on your ear canals after a while. If you want something more comfortable for long days, the Bose QuietComfort Ultra Earbuds Truly Wireless are worth considering. Their mic has sub-par noise handling, so they aren't as good for phone calls from noisy places, but it also makes your voice sound a bit more natural and full-bodied. They offer similar noise isolation and a more comfortable fit for most people.
See our review
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Best Upper Mid-Range Earbuds For Phone Calls
Razer Hammerhead Pro HyperSpeed True Wireless 18
Neutral Sound
7.2
Commute/Travel
7.7
Sports/Fitness
8.1
Office
See AlsoThe Best Wired Earbuds for Budget-Friendly SoundBest iPhone headphones: the top earbuds and headphones for your Apple deviceI tried Apple's new USB-C EarPods with iPhone 15 and I wanted to love 'em, but…Best earbuds for iPhone7.1
Wireless Gaming
6.9
Wired Gaming
5.5
Phone Calls
7.4
Type In-ear
Enclosure Closed-Back
Wireless Truly Wireless
Transducer Dynamic
Noise Cancelling Yes
Mic Yes
See all our test results
If you don't want to spend that much on your earbuds, check out the Razer Hammerhead Pro HyperSpeed True Wireless. These cheaper earbuds don't offer the same level of noise isolation as the Sony WF-1000XM5 Truly Wireless, especially when it comes to low-pitched noiselike rumbling engines, so they aren't as suitable for calls from noisy places like subway stations. Still, they do a good job of reducing ambient sound so you can hear your call. Their wireless USB-C dongle works with phones and computers (as well as PlayStation consoles). If you're connected that way, they offer a much better mic recording quality and a stronger noise-handling performance, so your voice sounds clear and understandable, even in noisy environments.
They have a well-balanced sound profile that makes it easy to understand whoever you're speaking with, and they have onboard controls for answering and ending calls. However, they have a short continuous battery life of roughly five hours. They support Bluetooth for when you'd rather not connect with the dongle, but switching between connection types can be a pain. They also don't support multi-device pairing, so you'll have to re-pair them if you need to switch between your phone and computer.
See our review
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Best Mid-Range Earbuds For Phone Calls
Nothing Ear (2) Truly Wireless 15
Neutral Sound
7.5
Commute/Travel
7.7
Sports/Fitness
8.2
Office
7.3
Wireless Gaming
5.9
Wired Gaming
5.8
Phone Calls
7.2
Type In-ear
Enclosure Closed-Back
Wireless Truly Wireless
Transducer Dynamic
Noise Cancelling Yes
Mic Yes
See all our test results
The best Bluetooth earbuds for phone calls in the mid-range we've tested are the Nothing Ear (2) Truly Wireless. Although their ANC doesn't perform quite as well as the Razer Hammerhead Pro HyperSpeed True Wireless', they offer a comparablemic performance. The integrated mic offers a fairly good recording quality, making your voice understandable over the phone. It almost matches the Razer's noise-handling performance, so background noise at the office won't drown out your voice.
With the ANC on, they last over 5.5 hours, which may not get you through long days without a recharge. Luckily, their carrying case holds four extra charges if needed. Their sound is versatile enough for most kinds of audio content as well. You can answer and end calls with the earbuds' onboard controls. If you're looking for buds with more call-centric features, consider the Jabra Elite 7 Pro True Wireless instead. Their app offers sidetone controls, which allow you to monitor your voice during a call, as well asEQ presets that affect how the other person's voice sounds. However, theirmic's noise handling is significantly worse, so they're best for calls from quiet places.
See our review
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Best Lower Mid-Range Earbuds For Phone Calls
Neutral Sound
7.6
Commute/Travel
7.9
Sports/Fitness
8.2
Office
7.6
Wireless Gaming
5.9
Wired Gaming
5.8
Phone Calls
7.5
Type In-ear
Enclosure Closed-Back
Wireless Truly Wireless
Transducer Dynamic
Noise Cancelling Yes
Mic Yes
See all our test results
The Samsung Galaxy Buds FE Truly Wireless are more affordable wireless earbuds. Their integrated mic has a good overall performance, ensuring your voice sounds clear and intelligible. Your voice won't be drowned out by moderate background noise from a busy street. If you're having difficulty paying attention to your call, their ANC system can block out more background noise than the Nothing Ear (2) Truly Wireless. However, they don't support multi-device pairing, so you can only stay connected to one device at a time.
Out of the box, these very comfortable buds have a fairly neutral sound that ensures your conversation is easy to understand. It'sversatile enough for most kinds of music, and you can use their companion app's EQ presets to adjust their sound to your liking. With the ANC on, they have over six hours of continuous playback time. Their carrying case has an extra 3.5 charges if needed, though.
See our review
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Best Budget Earbuds For Phone Calls
JBL Vibe Beam True Wireless 12
Neutral Sound
7.4
Commute/Travel
7.3
Sports/Fitness
7.9
Office
6.9
Wireless Gaming
5.8
Wired Gaming
5.6
Phone Calls
6.9
Type In-ear
Enclosure Closed-Back
Wireless Truly Wireless
Transducer Dynamic
Noise Cancelling No
Mic Yes
See all our test results
Shopping on a budget? The best wireless earbuds for phone calls at this price point are the JBL Vibe Beam True Wireless. They aren't quite as comfortable as the Samsung Galaxy Buds FE Truly Wireless and lack an ANC system, but they're still a great choice for keeping in touch with friends. Their integrated microphone has a very good recording quality for the price, and it can handle a reasonable amount of background noise, making it easy for whoever's on the other end of the line to understand you. They're customizable, and their 8.3-hour battery life will be more than enough to last through your workday. That said, they don't block out as much background noise as some of the more premium picks on our list. This can still be useful if you want to stay aware of your surroundings while you chat on the phone, like when working in an office.
However, you might also prefer a mono headset like the Jabra Talk 45 Bluetooth Headset at this budget price point. This headset consists ofone earbud with a tiny boom mic, so you can keep one ear free when you're on the phone. It makes your voice sound clear and does a passable job of separating voices from background noise. As expected for mono buds,its sound profile isn't good for music, but voices are reproduced accurately. It supports multi-device pairing, and you can set it up to read out your text messages when you can't look at your phone.
See our review
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Best Wired Earbuds For Phone Calls
Apple EarPods 0
Neutral Sound
6.8
Commute/Travel
4.6
Sports/Fitness
6.5
Office
5.7
Wireless Gaming
5.1
Wired Gaming
7.2
Phone Calls
6.4
Type Earbuds
Enclosure Open-Back
Wireless No
Transducer Dynamic
Noise Cancelling No
Mic Yes
See all our test results
Wired earbuds are worth checking out if call quality is your top priority. While they're more unwieldy than their truly wireless counterparts and usually lack useful features like customizability or noise cancelling, they have in-line mics rather than integrated ones. This design puts the mic closer to your mouth, making it easier for the mic to separate speech from background noise. Enter the Apple EarPods. Even though they're a lot older and less refined than other buds on this list, their mic has a great recording quality. It can also separate speech from ambient noise so you're heard clearly.
These budget-friendly buds may not be as well-built or as customizable as the JBL Vibe Beam True Wireless since their cable is pretty flimsy, but some people may find their one-size-fits-all design more comfortable than a deeperin-ear fit. They also have a well-balanced sound that ensures voices sound clear and natural. They have an open-back design and lack low bass, so they may not be ideal if you want to listen to genres like EDM or hip-hop in your downtime. For the same reason, they don'tblock out background noise, so it can be harder to hear your conversation well if you're calling from a noisy office.
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Recent Updates
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Mar 08, 2024: We've added the Devialet Gemini II True Wireless as a Notable Mention due to their excellent mic quality and noise handling. Otherwise, we've checked to ensure all our picks are in stock and their pricing remains consistent.
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Jan 11, 2024: We've made minor updates to the text and checked that the products are in stock.
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Nov 30, 2023: We've added the Samsung Galaxy Buds FE Truly Wireless as the 'Best Lower Mid-Range Earbuds For Phone Calls'. They offer a good overall mic performance and have an ANC feature to cut down sound.
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Nov 06, 2023: The TOZO NC7 Truly Wireless aren't widely available, so we replaced them with the JBL Vibe Beam True Wireless. Replaced the Bose QuietComfort Earbuds II Truly Wireless with the Bose QuietComfort UltraEarbuds Truly Wireless as an alternate to the top pick.
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Oct 06, 2023: We've removed the JBL CLUB PRO+ TWS True Wireless from Notable Mentions as they're no longer available.
All Reviews
Our recommendations aboveare what we think are currently the best earbuds forcalls for most people. We factor inthe price (cheaper headphones win over pricier ones if the difference isn't worth it), feedback from our visitors, and availability (no headphones that are difficult to findor almostout of stock everywhere).
If you would like to choose foryourself, here is the list of all earbuds sorted by phone call usage. Be careful not togetcaught up in the details.There are no perfectheadphones. Personal taste, preference, and listening habits will matter more in your selection.
