Sony LinkBud S in pink being used in four different settings, from exercise to travel to home

With Christmas gift giving only a few weeks away, now is the perfect time to pick up a pair of wireless earphones for someone on your gift list. If you’re looking for ideas or want to understand more about the differences between different pairs of in ear headphones, this is the place to start. In this post I’ll be going over some of the top brands and important features to keep in mind when choosing a new pair of wireless earphones.

Why choose wireless earphones as a gift?

Earbuds are an easy gift choice for almost anyone. Even if you carry the case with you, earbuds still have a compact size you can take everywhere. Because there’s an incredible amount of technology that can be packed into wireless earphones, you never have to trade audio quality for portability. Some earphones are compatible with an app so you can adjust the audio output. They also have a long battery life, and the case itself carries a charge. If you run out of battery in the middle of a playlist, you can always put your earphones in the case and quickly recharge them.

You can find out more about the features of wireless earphones in the true wireless headphone buying guide.

Earbuds vs earphones

 

earbuds vs earphones earphones vs earbuds

When choosing a pair of in ear headphones one of the important decisions you’ll make is between earbuds and earphones. The terms are often used interchangeably, but if you’re shopping for a gift you may want to know about a few differences between the two. Earbuds sit inside your ear but outside of your ear canal, are often made of plastic, and don’t offer different ear tips to customize your sizing. Earphones sit inside your ear canal and have a silicone tip that can be switched out to customize your size. Most earphones include several tips you can try out to find which fit works best for you.

If you’re buying a gift for someone who wants to use noise cancellation, the design and placement of earphones will let in less outside noise. Because they sit inside your ear canal, earphones may offer better sound quality too. In terms of your listening experience, earphones will provide much more comfort and a stable fit for long periods of wear.

Wireless earphones make great gifts

In my opinion, overall comfort and battery life are some of the top considerations when choosing a pair of wireless earphones. You’ll also want to look for extra audio settings and easy compatibility with the different devices your gift recipient may use. To help you narrow down your choices, here are a few examples of wireless earphones you can give as gifts.

Soundcore Anker Life Dot 2 is comfortable and reliable

Soundcore Anker Life Dot 2 Earphones on a white background

For the price point, the Soundcore Anker Life Dot 2 is a great deal. They are high quality in terms of design, have 8 hours of playtime with a 100-hour battery life when combined with the case, and have flexible silicone tips so they fit securely. They do lack active noise cancelling and advanced smartphone customization, but they are more than adequate for an easy-to-gift earbud. The integrated microphone and ability to swap between a single earphone for calls make it ideal for both general use or professional work needs.

Durable Sennheiser SPORT for the music fanSennheiser SPORT True Wireless earphones on white background with water droplets on them showing durability

The Sennheiser brand is a good choice for someone looking for balanced performance, comfortable design, and excellent sound quality. The Sennheiser SPORT earbuds offer smart control app that lets you tweak your sound preferences with different audio tests. When you perform the tests the settings will be adjusted perfectly for listening habits. These earphones are great for active lifestyles, and thanks to the included differently-sized inserts, they stay comfortable in your ears.

The adaptive acoustic inserts let you swap between different types of noise cancelling. They have immersive and isolated focus mode or the aware mode. This mode opens up to allow a small amount of sound from your environment to leak in, and that’s perfect for when you need to be conscious of your surroundings when out and about. For more information on these earbuds, I recommend checking out the detailed review on the Best Buy Blog.

Sony LinkBuds S are an all-in-one device

Sony LinkBuds S earphones on white background

When it comes to the Sony LinkBuds S, there is no compromise in terms of quality and features. The amount of tech in these small devices is quite astounding. They have exceptional audio quality and like the Sennheiser SPORT, these earphones come with an EQ customization app that lets you tailor your listening habits. 

The design of these earphones creates a very comfortable and immersive experience. To top it off, they have noise cancellation technology so you can switch between modes at a whim. They are reliable too, with up to 9 hours of listening. For more information and a detailed hands-on experience take a look at the Sony LinkBuds S Review.

Which wireless earphones will you choose?

As someone who’s been through a few pairs of earphones, I definitely know what a difference quality earphones can make. You can’t go wrong when giving a pair of these as a gift for the holidays. You can find all types of wireless earphones at Best Buy, and if you’re still looking for tech put under the tree you can find plenty of gift ideas on the Best Buy Blog.

Steven Garrard
Steven is a freelance journalist and tech enthusiast who enjoys keeping up with technological advancements and sharing them to improve our daily lives. He also runs a video game and tech review blog and can be found on twitter at @BiasedGamer101.