Buying guide · 4 picks compared

Best AirPods UK 2026

Apple AirPods Pro 3 is the best for most people.

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It adds heart rate sensing, built-in hearing features and water resistance to noise cancelling, with up to 8 hours of listening on one charge. Want noise cancelling without the extras? Choose Apple AirPods 5 (USB-C Charging Case). It has Active Noise Cancellation in an open-ear design, but no heart rate sensing or hearing features.

By Bez, Editor✓ Updated 25 October 2026

★ Our top pickApple AirPods Pro 3Image: AppleSee it on Amazon

Which one is for you?

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Which pick suits which need
Ifyou want the best all-round AirPods with fitness and hearing features	Apple AirPods Pro 3	See it on Amazon
Ifyou want noise cancelling at the lowest Apple price	Apple AirPods 5 (USB-C Charging Case)	See it on Amazon
Ifyou want to charge the case wirelessly without paying for Pro	Apple AirPods 5 with Wireless Charging Case	See it on Amazon
Ifyou prefer over-ear headphones to earbuds	Apple AirPods Max 2	See it on Amazon
Ifyou want to listen in lossless audio over a USB-C cable	Apple AirPods Max 2	See it on Amazon
Ifyou want heart rate tracking during workouts from your earbuds	Apple AirPods Pro 3	See it on Amazon

The 4 picks compared

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1★ Top pick
Apple
Apple AirPods Pro 3Best for best all-round
Block more noise, track workouts and get hearing features built in
See it on Amazon
2
Apple
Apple AirPods 5 (USB-C Charging Case)Best for lowest price with ANC
Block out the noise and hear more of your music
See it on Amazon
3
Apple
Apple AirPods 5 with Wireless Charging CaseBest for wireless charging case
Charge your AirPods wirelessly and hear up to 22 hours
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4
Apple
Apple AirPods Max 2Best for over-ear comfort
Over-ear comfort with up to 20 hours of listening
See it on Amazon

Side by side

From the makers' and retailers' published factsAffiliate

The picks side by side
Pick	Best for	Price	The fact that sets it apart	Where to buy
Apple AirPods Pro 3	best all-round	£219	Apple says up to 8 hours of listening on one charge with Active Noise Cancellation, and up to 24 hours with the MagSafe Charging Case.	See it on Amazon
Apple AirPods 5 (USB-C Charging Case)	lowest price with ANC	£119	Active Noise Cancellation in an open-ear design, powered by the H2 chip. Apple says it gives up to 1.5x more ANC than AirPods 4 with Active Noise Cancellation.	See it on Amazon
Apple AirPods 5 with Wireless Charging Case	wireless charging case	£139	The case works with USB-C, an Apple Watch charger and Qi chargers, and has a speaker for Find My.	See it on Amazon
Apple AirPods Max 2	over-ear comfort	£499	Apple says up to 20 hours of listening with Active Noise Cancellation on one charge, and 5 minutes of charging gives around 1.5 hours.	See it on Amazon

Prices from the maker or retailer named on each pick below, checked 25 October 2026. A dash means the price changes too often to quote: tap through for today's.

Have an iPhone and want AirPods with noise cancelling? Pick on fit first: AirPods 5 sit open in the ear, Pro 3 seal in it, and Max 2 go over it. Then compare battery life with noise cancelling on, and whether you want heart rate sensing and Apple's hearing features, which come on AirPods Pro 3.

Our picks in detail

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1★ Top pickBest for best all-round

Apple AirPods Pro 3

Block more noise, track workouts and get hearing features built in.

What it is: Apple's wireless earbuds that cut out unwanted background noise. Apple says you get up to 8 hours of listening on one charge, and up to 24 hours with the MagSafe Charging Case.
Perfect for: Suits commutes and workouts, if you want heart rate tracking and hearing features built in.
Why we picked it: Apple says these remove up to 2x more unwanted noise than AirPods Pro 2. Heart rate sensing is built in for workouts, and the earbuds and case are IP57 dust, sweat and water resistant, a rating Apple says is a first for AirPods. You also get a Hearing Test, a Hearing Aid feature (Apple says it is for mild to moderate hearing loss) and Hearing Protection, plus five ear tip sizes in the box.
What's new: Apple says it removes up to 2x more unwanted noise than AirPods Pro 2, and adds heart rate sensing and an IP57 rating (a first for AirPods).
Price: £219 (apple.com, checked 25 October 2026)

Apple says up to 8 hours of listening on one charge with Active Noise Cancellation, and up to 24 hours with the MagSafe Charging Case.
Heart rate sensing during workouts is built in.
Hearing Test, Hearing Aid and Hearing Protection features are included. Apple says the Hearing Aid feature is for mild to moderate hearing loss.
Five silicone ear tip sizes (XXS, XS, S, M, L) come in the box, and the earbuds and case are IP57 dust, sweat and water resistant.

The catch: At £219 it is the most expensive AirPods earbud, £100 more than AirPods 5 at £119.

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2Best for lowest price with ANC

Apple AirPods 5 (USB-C Charging Case)

Block out the noise and hear more of your music.

What it is: These wireless earbuds use Active Noise Cancellation to block out background sound in an open-ear design. The H2 chip powers it, and Apple says it gives up to 1.5x more noise cancelling than AirPods 4 with Active Noise Cancellation.
Perfect for: Anyone who wants noise cancelling AirPods at the lowest price, and likes an open-ear fit.
Why we picked it: Apple says you get up to 4 hours on one charge with ANC, and up to 20 hours with the case. Five minutes in the case gives around 1 hour. You also get Live Translation, Siri AI, Personalised Spatial Audio with dynamic head tracking and Adaptive Audio.
What's new: Apple says up to 1.5x more Active Noise Cancellation than AirPods 4 with Active Noise Cancellation.
Price: £119 (apple.com, checked 25 October 2026)

Active Noise Cancellation in an open-ear design, powered by the H2 chip. Apple says it gives up to 1.5x more ANC than AirPods 4 with Active Noise Cancellation.
Apple says up to 4 hours on one charge with ANC and up to 20 hours with the case. Five minutes in the case gives around 1 hour.
It has Live Translation and Siri AI, Personalised Spatial Audio with dynamic head tracking, and Adaptive Audio.

The catch: Apple lists no heart rate sensing and no Hearing Test, Hearing Aid or Hearing Protection on AirPods 5, and the standard case charges by USB-C only.

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3Best for wireless charging case

Apple AirPods 5 with Wireless Charging Case

Charge your AirPods wirelessly and hear up to 22 hours.

What it is: Apple AirPods 5 with Wireless Charging Case are wireless earbuds with Active Noise Cancellation, which blocks out background noise. Apple says you get up to 5 hours on one charge with ANC and up to 22 hours with the case.
Perfect for: Perfect if you already charge your phone or watch on a pad and want the case to sit there too.
Why we picked it: Charge the case with USB-C, an Apple Watch charger or a Qi charger. It has a speaker for Find My and adds volume swipe on the force sensor. You also get one more hour per charge than AirPods 5, 5 hours against 4.
What's new: Same Active Noise Cancellation as AirPods 5, plus a Qi and Apple Watch-compatible case, volume swipe and one more hour per charge (5 hours against 4).
Price: £139 (apple.com, checked 25 October 2026)

The case works with USB-C, an Apple Watch charger and Qi chargers, and has a speaker for Find My.
Apple says up to 5 hours on one charge with ANC and up to 22 hours with the case.
The force sensor adds volume swipe on this version.

The catch: Like AirPods 5, it has no heart rate sensing and no Hearing Test, Hearing Aid or Hearing Protection (Apple lists these as unavailable).

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4Best for over-ear comfort

Apple AirPods Max 2

Over-ear comfort with up to 20 hours of listening.

What it is: Over-ear headphones from Apple with Active Noise Cancellation, which quiets the noise around you. Apple says you get up to 20 hours of listening on one charge, and 5 minutes of charging gives around 1.5 hours.
Perfect for: A strong choice for long listening sessions, if you prefer over-ear headphones to earbuds.
Why we picked it: Apple says it gives up to 1.5x more Active Noise Cancellation than the original AirPods Max, and it comes with the H2 chip. Lossless Audio and ultra-low latency audio work over a wired USB-C connection to compatible devices and apps. Pick from five colours, and it comes with a Smart Case.
What's new: Apple says up to 1.5x more Active Noise Cancellation than the original AirPods Max, with the H2 chip, Live Translation and Lossless Audio over USB-C.
Price: £499 (apple.com, checked 25 October 2026)

Apple says up to 20 hours of listening with Active Noise Cancellation on one charge, and 5 minutes of charging gives around 1.5 hours.
Lossless Audio and ultra-low latency audio work over a wired USB-C connection to compatible devices and apps.
It is available in five colours (Midnight, Starlight, Blue, Purple and Orange) and comes with a Smart Case and a USB-C charge cable.

The catch: At 386.2 g and £499 it is the heaviest and most expensive AirPods model, and Apple lists no heart rate sensing for it.

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What we left out, and why

AirPods 4 with Active Noise Cancellation: Apple's UK range has moved on to AirPods 5, which Apple says gives up to 1.5x more Active Noise Cancellation than this model.
AirPods Pro 2: Apple says AirPods Pro 3 remove up to 2x more unwanted noise than AirPods Pro 2.
AirPods Max (original): Apple's UK AirPods Max page now sells AirPods Max 2, which Apple says gives up to 1.5x more Active Noise Cancellation than the original.

How we chose

Our buying criteria

There are four AirPods in Apple's UK range, so this guide covers all of them and sorts them by fit, battery life with noise cancelling on, and the health features each one has. Every figure is Apple's own, from its UK pages on the update date; we have not measured them ourselves. In short: Pro 3 is the dearest earbud, the two AirPods 5 models skip heart rate and hearing features, and Max 2 is the heavy over-ear option.

Fit: AirPods 5 are open-ear, Pro 3 are in-ear with five ear tip sizes, and Max 2 are over-ear.
Battery with noise cancelling: 4 hours on AirPods 5, 5 hours on AirPods 5 with Wireless Charging Case, 8 hours on Pro 3, 20 hours on Max 2.
Health features: heart rate sensing and the Hearing Test, Hearing Aid and Hearing Protection features are on Pro 3; the two AirPods 5 models have neither.
Charging case: plain USB-C, wireless charging, or the MagSafe case with Pro 3.

How we choose every pick

Your questions, answered

What's the difference between AirPods 5 and AirPods Pro 3?

AirPods Pro 3 add heart rate sensing for workouts and hearing features that AirPods 5 lack. The fit differs too: AirPods 5 sit open in the ear, while Pro 3 seal in the ear with five ear tip sizes. AirPods Pro 3 last up to 8 hours on one charge, against up to 4 hours for AirPods 5 with ANC on.

Can AirPods be used as hearing aids?

Yes, for mild to moderate hearing loss, on AirPods Pro 3: Apple says their Hearing Aid feature is made for it. They also include a Hearing Test and Hearing Protection.

Which AirPods can be charged wirelessly?

The AirPods 5 with Wireless Charging Case charges on a Qi charger or an Apple Watch charger, and the AirPods Pro 3 come with a MagSafe Charging Case, which Apple says gives up to 24 hours of listening. The standard AirPods 5 case charges by USB-C only.

Do AirPods Max 2 support lossless audio?

Yes, but only over a wired USB-C connection to a compatible device and app. Lossless Audio keeps the full sound quality, and the same wired connection also gives ultra-low latency audio.