After weeks of savings, today's Cyber Monday event is likely bringing the deal-dash to its final curtain call. So, before deals disappear, be sure to snag deals on one of our favorite sectors of tech to cover, and what I personally believe is an accessory turned tech necessity - earbuds. Living in New York City, I rarely leave the house without some form of headphones as they're my connection to content, hands-free communication, and even concentration (who doesn't love jamming out to Mariah Carey to get through those last few work hours).
That said, I evaluate headphones on what I refer to as the three c's: comfort, clarity, and convenience. First and foremost, in-ear buds have to be comfortable. After all, if you're wearing them for hours on end, you don't want built-up pressure or sore inner-ears. The second factor, clarity, is important for both streaming sound and call quality, especially given I take most of my work meetings and personal phone calls with buds in-ear.
Finally, convenience might feel basic, but it often gets overlooked. Bluetooth makes connecting earbuds to a content source a wire-free, streamlined experience, but some connections are quicker than others. The last thing you want is to fiddle with your Bluetooth settings every time you go to listen to your commuting playlist or make a call, as that defeats the hands-free navigation these buds promote.
33 best Cyber Monday headphones and earbuds deals - last chance to save
Black Friday may have come and gone, but we're still hearing the sweet sound of discounts with these Cyber Monday price drops.During my time listening, I found that three sets of earbuds consistently met my 'three c' criteria, and luckily, all of them are still on sale for Cyber Monday. So, if you want to take advantage and snag them as a gift for the audiophile in your life or for your own enjoyment, here are three deals you don't want to miss.
3 Cyber Monday earbud deals ending soon that fit my "3 C criteria": comfort, clarity, and convenience
Bose QuietComfort Ultra Earbuds
Bose's latest in-ear buds offer unparalleled ANC and immersive audio while still managing a comfortable fit. While they've only been on the market for about a month, already the buds have a $50 price drop for the holiday savings season.
After reading our review of the new Bose QuietComfort Ultra Earbuds, I knew I had to try them. After seeing that at a surprising $50 discount, they were Pocket-lint's audiophile Verity Burns' recommended buds to buy for Black Friday / Cyber Monday, I bit the bullet. I ordered these earbuds last Tuesday in a pre-Black Friday deal, and they were delivered the very next day, and have been my favorite deal-hunting companion.
Fitting snuggly within my ears, the buds are true to their name and are very comfortable, and even come with a range of ear tips to fit different sized ears. Opting for the small, I've had a secure fit as I've gone for post-Turkey walks and runs and I don't even notice them in my ears even after hours at the computer. The sound, of course, is superb with a punchy bass that's not overwhelming but perfectly accentuates every drum and low frequency note while still highlighting higher pitched and brassy instruments.
Plus, these have scary-good noise cancelling abilities. I've ignored my doorbell, dog barking, and pings due to their absolute insane ability to prevent unwanted noise from trickling in. In short, if you want some of the latest and greatest buds on the market, I highly recommend getting these buds while they're still $50 off.
Bose QuietComfort Earbuds II
Preceeding the Bose QuietComofort Ultra Earbuds, the QuietComfort Earbuds II offer the same plush fit, industry-leading ANC, and epic bass.
Before buying their successors, the Bose QuietComfort II buds were the noise cancelling earbuds I recommended to most people, and they're still a great choice. In addition to conforming to my 'three c' test and promising a snug yet comfortable fit, ANC that's almost too isolating, and easy connectivity, the buds also earned a perfect score in our official Pocket-lint review, where we praised them for their "rich texture" when it came to sound performance and "refined design." At $50 cheaper than the newer version and also discounted for $50 for Cyber Monday, these are a worthy investment.
Apple AirPods Pro 2
The Apple AirPods Pro 2 are the perfect addition to any Apple ecosystem, offer great ANC and transparency mode, and a continually impressive battery life.
Succeeding the ever-popular AirPods Pro, the second iteration maintains Apple's AirPod icon status with the staple cut-off wired earbud aesthetic, a seamless fit and Apple ecosystem connection, and of course, incredible sound. Housing the faster H2 chip, these in-ear buds not only boast better bass and ANC, but an impressive transparency mode that actually allows me to participate in conversation without sacrificing in-ear sound quality.
Additionally, I've found that microphone quality is also the best out of the three. Plus, there's an on-stem volume control feature that I've grown to love. While a newer version of the AirPods Pro 2 debuted during Apple's September event sporting the universal USB-C charging port, I still think these are the best pick for most people - but you can read more about the differences between the iterations here. Grab either version on sale before Cyber Monday comes to an end.
More last-chance Cyber Monday deals
- Our pick for the best wireless Apple CarPlay adapter is nearly half-off for Cyber Monday
- The discounted Pixel 8 Pro is the only Black Friday phone deal you need
- The iPad 10th gen should be on your Cyber Monday list, but so should this accessory
- 33 best Cyber Monday headphone and earbud deals
- Cyber Monday's Apple Watch deals are here and the best we've seen