Most recent earbuds tend more towards a rounded shape, but if you prefer the elongated look, these could be your most economical options. In this guide, we’ve gathered together the best fake AirPods that replicate the iconic stemmed design of the Apple AirPods and AirPods Pro — albeit without Apple’s premium pricing. All the earbuds highlighted below are unlikely to beat the very best wireless earbuds in terms of overall sound quality, but we know from our exhaustive hands-on product evaluations and comprehensive listening tests that each has genuine qualities to offer at the price. Read on to find out which of these fake AirPods models below are worth considering and don’t forget to also take a look at our recommendations for the best cheap wireless headphones overall based on our complete testing.
Top 3 best fake AirPods
The best fake AirPods to buy right now
A sleek all-black design and powerful specs for a budget-friendly price, EarFun has clearly taken cues from other sub-$100 competitors like Anker. The Air is a solid effort that’s well engineered on the audio end, giving high-pitched vocals prominence on recordings, while producing rich bass depth to balance out sound. We attribute the Air’s resonant output to the buds’ fit, as the tips create a tight seal around the ear to keep music from leaking out and noise from seeping in. You’re also getting much more playtime out of these than the regular AirPods or AirPods Pro; we appreciate the buds coming fully charged right out of the box. The case is wireless charging compatible, but it’s also larger and heavier than most other models. However, the Air’s biggest problem is the touch controls, which fail to work most of the time. Read our full EarFun Air review. The Donner DoBuds One are one of the most affordable ANC models we’ve seen and a fantastic fake AirPods-style design and one of the most competitive cheap noise-cancelling earbuds market. Any noise-cancelling earbuds that come with more playtime than the AirPods Pro (4.5 to 5 hours) are a win in our book, and the DoBuds One give up to 6.5 hours of play with ANC on, and 8 hours with ANC off. They undercut several mid-range models by delivering superb sound and surprisingly good ANC in an affordable package. Not everything hits its mark, such as app connectivity, comfort, and the EQ, but you’re still getting an incredible deal for the price. Read our full Donner DoBuds One review. In the conversation of overlooked wireless earbuds makers, RHA is a name that often gets brought up. The Glasgow, Scotland-based company continues to put out solid products, specifically the True Connect. You get a fun, dynamic soundstage with emphasized lows, along with decent playtime (5 hours on a full charge) and a handsome charging case that resembles an old-school Mophie portable charger. The premium design is covered in a soft-touch rubberized material and is IPX5 sweat- and splash-resistant. Bluetooth 5.0 is also onboard for steady wireless range: up to 33 feet. Being an older model, the TrueConnect does not come with a companion app or extra features. In addition, using the multifunctional button can cause discomfort. Despite these flaws, the sound performance alone makes the TrueConnect worth owning, especially for around $60. Read our full RHA TrueConnect review. With an MSRP of just $79, the Anker Soundcore Life P3 is a remarkably affordable noise-cancelling option with audio quality that has a warm and satisfying sound signature. Battery life stands up to the added strain of noise cancellation as well. Surely some corners must be cut to get premium features on a set of earbuds this cheap? Maybe slightly: the touch sensors and call quality could both be better. But as as ANC earbuds go, few are as affordable as the Soundcore Life P3, and even fewer can perform as well. And yes, it’s available in white. Read our full Anker Soundcore Life P3 review. The fragility of AirPods scares budget shoppers. Skullcandy created these sub-$25 wireless earbuds to afford you better protection and sound at an insanely lower price. Audio quality is high, and the charging case design — which saves space by cutting out holes in the lid for the earbuds themselves to fill — is distinctive, clever, and very sturdy. The company even allows you to purchase a lost or broken component for either the buds or case, which should save you a little more coin instead of buying another pair. Something else that is greatly appreciated is the number of unique color options: chill grey, dark blue/green, golden age red, golden age orange, light grey/blue, and true black. Battery life is short, at just 3.5 hours per charge, and with only 12 hours available from the case you will need to fill both up relatively often. But for short bursts, like listening on a commute or while doing chores, the Dime is comfortably one of the biggest cheap headphone bargains on the market right now. Read our full Skullcandy Dime review. These are Nothing’s second set of earbuds, and they follow the Ear (1) ANC in-ear ‘buds that launched last year. For anyone unfamiliar with the brand, Nothing is a young British company looking to shake up the relationship consumers currently have with tech through inspirational and functional product designs that offer a strong user experience at every level. These are a half in-ear design that sit outside of the ear canal with an AirPods-like drop stem. They’re comfortable and are IP54-rated for dust, water and sweat resistance. The sound balance may be a bit lacking in bass for some dies to the ‘open’ style, but there’s still plenty to appreciate, with great battery life, strong call quality, app integration and one of the most undeniably stylish pair of earbuds on the market right now. Read our full Nothing Ear (stick) review. We have always considered the Liberty Air True to be the first legitimate AirPods clone when it released back in 2019, and for a few good reasons. One, sound quality surpasses the performance on most of the models in its price class, as well as the current-gen AirPods, producing clear, bass-forward audio to enjoy contemporary music genres. Two, the inclusion of ear tips is a huge bonus, delivering a pleasant and stabilized fit. Three, the 5 hours of playtime you get is pretty close to what Apple’s buds offer and is longer than the AirPods Pro, though the latter requires extra juice to operate noise cancellation, which these buds don’t have. Had Anker managed to make the touch controls more reliable and the design less of a scratch-n-scuff magnet, then the Liberty Air could have been a bigger threat to the real thing. As it stands, it’s a still a worthy member of the best fake AirPods club, and cheaper than the newer Liberty Air 2. Read our full Anker Soundcore Liberty Air review. LG has really nailed sound quality on the Tone Free T90. These are some of the best wireless earbuds at the price, and their immersive performance elevates them a few levels further when enabling Dolby Atmos. They’re well featured too, and the electronics giant has added every feature you could possibly think of. On the checklist: Adaptive active noise cancellation (ANC), Bluetooth 5.3 with wireless transmission, a customizable EQ, multipoint technology, smart controls, spatial audio with headtracking, and UV-C light sterilization. Not everything performs quite as it should ― ANC is a considerable let down ― but when it comes to out-and-out sound, these flagship buds really make the grade. Read the full LG Free Tone T90 review. They probably look the most similar to Apple’s AirPods Pro that we’ve seen, and if you’re a fan of the style and white finish, these tick a lot of boxes. The come with an impressive feature set that includes ANC, reliable touch controls, personalized sound, and are sweat and water resistant. Read our full Oppo Enco Free2 review. At $89, this slightly more expensive model from EarFun has support for ANC. You won’t find many sub-$100 wireless earbuds that package this much functionality into a stylish design, and the Air Pro SV sound surprisingly good, are comfy, operate smoothly, and even more stylish than the AirPods Pro. ANC performs decently to keep you on task, but it’s not going to challenge the best noise-cancelling earbuds (opens in new tab). Playback time is on par with the AirPods, which isn’t among the strongest, but it should get you around 4.5 hours of ANC playtime and 6 hours without. If the mediocre ANC and battery life don’t bother you, then the Air Pro SV has decent enough audio performance and is a worthy AirPods substitute. Read our full EarFun Air Pro SV review. The Denon AH-C830NCW are an AirPods Pro clone with a bulkier cavity and much longer stems. Build quality is sturdy and details like the polished matte finish and silver accents offer up some nice levels of flair, and they’re IPX4 certified to protect from sweat and water splashes. The AH-C830NCW greatest strengths are the way they deliver music and the accuracy of the touch controls. Respectable ANC and call quality also make them a serviceable pair of wireless earbuds, however, poor comfort levels and mediocre battery life can count against them. With a $159 asking price, they’re more likely to appeal to brand enthusiasts. Read our full Denon AH-C830NCW review.
How to choose the best fake AirPods for you
If you’re here, you’ve probably decided you want to get a pair of the best fake AirPods instead of the real thing. Both AirPods and AirPods Pro regularly go on sale, so be sure to check out our updated AirPods sales (opens in new tab) pages to see if the Apple-made earbuds fall within your budget before spending money on AirPods copycats. Design: While many fake AirPods adopt Apple’s iconic white earbuds aesthetic, many compromise on sound quality and you’ll need to consider looks over performance. Rest assured, however, all the models above are full tested by our reviewers and will get you in the groove for commutes, workouts or phone calls, even if performance isn’t quite as good as the genuine article. Battery life: Wireless earbuds can last about 5 to 10 hours on one charge, and offer extended playtime with their bundled charging cases — always make sure one is included. Accessories: It’s disappointing spending money on a new pair of headphones only to find that you need to buy the accessories separately. Make sure a charging cases, charging cable, user guide, and extra ear tips are included as part of any purchase. Pricing considerations: Obviously, price is a big consideration when looking for the best headphones. Although there are always exceptions, big-name brands will typically command a bit extra, but generally speaking, the less you spend on a pair of headphones the greater the chance that sound and features will be compromised. Going for a budget option isn’t always the best choice, as any money you save on your purchase won’t do you much good if you’re constantly needing to recharge your audio gear, or the sound quality is poor. As the saying goes: timing is everything; and right now many of our favorite models are being discounted at online retailers, meaning you can bag a bargain for even less. Bookmark our Black Friday live blog (opens in new tab) for the all the latest savings on everything from TVs and laptops to appliances and more headphones.
How we test the best fake AirPods
For reviews of the best headphones (opens in new tab), design and appearance take a backseat to performance and battery life. But for this list of the best fake AirPods, we prioritize how much each pair looks like real AirPods, pointing out the aesthetic differences of the cases and buds. After we gauge design, we listen to music, catch up on podcasts and make calls using the best fake AirPods contenders. As with all our headphones and earbuds reviews, each model is worn over the course of a week for 2 hours at a time. During this time, our reviewer evaluates comfort and fit, ease of use, and audio. We test sound by listening to tracks across different music genres, including hip-hop, rock, jazz, classical, and pop. Volume, clarity, and fullness of sound are taken into consideration in our ratings. Movies, podcasts, and video games are considered, when necessary. Find out what we listen for during our testing process and how to get the best headphone sound for you (opens in new tab). The headphones listed here might not be perfect, but they’ve at least passed the test. We rate all our headphones and earbuds on a 5-point system (1 = worst, 5 = best). Products that excel in one or more particular fields and that’s rated 4 stars or above may also receive an Editor’s Choice award. Contributions from: Alex Barcetti, Simon Lucas
title: “Best Fake Airpods Of 2022” ShowToc: true date: “2022-12-31” author: “Jeanette Johnson”
Most recent earbuds tend more towards a rounded shape, but if you prefer the elongated look, these could be your most economical options. In this guide, we’ve gathered together the best fake AirPods that replicate the iconic stemmed design of the Apple AirPods and AirPods Pro — albeit without Apple’s premium pricing. All the earbuds highlighted below are unlikely to beat the very best wireless earbuds in terms of overall sound quality, but we know from our exhaustive hands-on product evaluations and comprehensive listening tests that each has genuine qualities to offer at the price. Read on to find out which of these fake AirPods models below are worth considering and don’t forget to also take a look at our recommendations for the best cheap wireless headphones overall based on our complete testing.
Top 3 best fake AirPods
The best fake AirPods to buy right now
A sleek all-black design and powerful specs for a budget-friendly price, EarFun has clearly taken cues from other sub-$100 competitors like Anker. The Air is a solid effort that’s well engineered on the audio end, giving high-pitched vocals prominence on recordings, while producing rich bass depth to balance out sound. We attribute the Air’s resonant output to the buds’ fit, as the tips create a tight seal around the ear to keep music from leaking out and noise from seeping in. You’re also getting much more playtime out of these than the regular AirPods or AirPods Pro; we appreciate the buds coming fully charged right out of the box. The case is wireless charging compatible, but it’s also larger and heavier than most other models. However, the Air’s biggest problem is the touch controls, which fail to work most of the time. Read our full EarFun Air review. The Donner DoBuds One are one of the most affordable ANC models we’ve seen and a fantastic fake AirPods-style design and one of the most competitive cheap noise-cancelling earbuds market. Any noise-cancelling earbuds that come with more playtime than the AirPods Pro (4.5 to 5 hours) are a win in our book, and the DoBuds One give up to 6.5 hours of play with ANC on, and 8 hours with ANC off. They undercut several mid-range models by delivering superb sound and surprisingly good ANC in an affordable package. Not everything hits its mark, such as app connectivity, comfort, and the EQ, but you’re still getting an incredible deal for the price. Read our full Donner DoBuds One review. In the conversation of overlooked wireless earbuds makers, RHA is a name that often gets brought up. The Glasgow, Scotland-based company continues to put out solid products, specifically the True Connect. You get a fun, dynamic soundstage with emphasized lows, along with decent playtime (5 hours on a full charge) and a handsome charging case that resembles an old-school Mophie portable charger. The premium design is covered in a soft-touch rubberized material and is IPX5 sweat- and splash-resistant. Bluetooth 5.0 is also onboard for steady wireless range: up to 33 feet. Being an older model, the TrueConnect does not come with a companion app or extra features. In addition, using the multifunctional button can cause discomfort. Despite these flaws, the sound performance alone makes the TrueConnect worth owning, especially for around $60. Read our full RHA TrueConnect review. With an MSRP of just $79, the Anker Soundcore Life P3 is a remarkably affordable noise-cancelling option with audio quality that has a warm and satisfying sound signature. Battery life stands up to the added strain of noise cancellation as well. Surely some corners must be cut to get premium features on a set of earbuds this cheap? Maybe slightly: the touch sensors and call quality could both be better. But as as ANC earbuds go, few are as affordable as the Soundcore Life P3, and even fewer can perform as well. And yes, it’s available in white. Read our full Anker Soundcore Life P3 review. The fragility of AirPods scares budget shoppers. Skullcandy created these sub-$25 wireless earbuds to afford you better protection and sound at an insanely lower price. Audio quality is high, and the charging case design — which saves space by cutting out holes in the lid for the earbuds themselves to fill — is distinctive, clever, and very sturdy. The company even allows you to purchase a lost or broken component for either the buds or case, which should save you a little more coin instead of buying another pair. Something else that is greatly appreciated is the number of unique color options: chill grey, dark blue/green, golden age red, golden age orange, light grey/blue, and true black. Battery life is short, at just 3.5 hours per charge, and with only 12 hours available from the case you will need to fill both up relatively often. But for short bursts, like listening on a commute or while doing chores, the Dime is comfortably one of the biggest cheap headphone bargains on the market right now. Read our full Skullcandy Dime review. These are Nothing’s second set of earbuds, and they follow the Ear (1) ANC in-ear ‘buds that launched last year. For anyone unfamiliar with the brand, Nothing is a young British company looking to shake up the relationship consumers currently have with tech through inspirational and functional product designs that offer a strong user experience at every level. These are a half in-ear design that sit outside of the ear canal with an AirPods-like drop stem. They’re comfortable and are IP54-rated for dust, water and sweat resistance. The sound balance may be a bit lacking in bass for some dies to the ‘open’ style, but there’s still plenty to appreciate, with great battery life, strong call quality, app integration and one of the most undeniably stylish pair of earbuds on the market right now. Read our full Nothing Ear (stick) review. We have always considered the Liberty Air True to be the first legitimate AirPods clone when it released back in 2019, and for a few good reasons. One, sound quality surpasses the performance on most of the models in its price class, as well as the current-gen AirPods, producing clear, bass-forward audio to enjoy contemporary music genres. Two, the inclusion of ear tips is a huge bonus, delivering a pleasant and stabilized fit. Three, the 5 hours of playtime you get is pretty close to what Apple’s buds offer and is longer than the AirPods Pro, though the latter requires extra juice to operate noise cancellation, which these buds don’t have. Had Anker managed to make the touch controls more reliable and the design less of a scratch-n-scuff magnet, then the Liberty Air could have been a bigger threat to the real thing. As it stands, it’s a still a worthy member of the best fake AirPods club, and cheaper than the newer Liberty Air 2. Read our full Anker Soundcore Liberty Air review. LG has really nailed sound quality on the Tone Free T90. These are some of the best wireless earbuds at the price, and their immersive performance elevates them a few levels further when enabling Dolby Atmos. They’re well featured too, and the electronics giant has added every feature you could possibly think of. On the checklist: Adaptive active noise cancellation (ANC), Bluetooth 5.3 with wireless transmission, a customizable EQ, multipoint technology, smart controls, spatial audio with headtracking, and UV-C light sterilization. Not everything performs quite as it should ― ANC is a considerable let down ― but when it comes to out-and-out sound, these flagship buds really make the grade. Read the full LG Free Tone T90 review. They probably look the most similar to Apple’s AirPods Pro that we’ve seen, and if you’re a fan of the style and white finish, these tick a lot of boxes. The come with an impressive feature set that includes ANC, reliable touch controls, personalized sound, and are sweat and water resistant. Read our full Oppo Enco Free2 review. At $89, this slightly more expensive model from EarFun has support for ANC. You won’t find many sub-$100 wireless earbuds that package this much functionality into a stylish design, and the Air Pro SV sound surprisingly good, are comfy, operate smoothly, and even more stylish than the AirPods Pro. ANC performs decently to keep you on task, but it’s not going to challenge the best noise-cancelling earbuds (opens in new tab). Playback time is on par with the AirPods, which isn’t among the strongest, but it should get you around 4.5 hours of ANC playtime and 6 hours without. If the mediocre ANC and battery life don’t bother you, then the Air Pro SV has decent enough audio performance and is a worthy AirPods substitute. Read our full EarFun Air Pro SV review. The Denon AH-C830NCW are an AirPods Pro clone with a bulkier cavity and much longer stems. Build quality is sturdy and details like the polished matte finish and silver accents offer up some nice levels of flair, and they’re IPX4 certified to protect from sweat and water splashes. The AH-C830NCW greatest strengths are the way they deliver music and the accuracy of the touch controls. Respectable ANC and call quality also make them a serviceable pair of wireless earbuds, however, poor comfort levels and mediocre battery life can count against them. With a $159 asking price, they’re more likely to appeal to brand enthusiasts. Read our full Denon AH-C830NCW review.
How to choose the best fake AirPods for you
If you’re here, you’ve probably decided you want to get a pair of the best fake AirPods instead of the real thing. Both AirPods and AirPods Pro regularly go on sale, so be sure to check out our updated AirPods sales (opens in new tab) pages to see if the Apple-made earbuds fall within your budget before spending money on AirPods copycats. Design: While many fake AirPods adopt Apple’s iconic white earbuds aesthetic, many compromise on sound quality and you’ll need to consider looks over performance. Rest assured, however, all the models above are full tested by our reviewers and will get you in the groove for commutes, workouts or phone calls, even if performance isn’t quite as good as the genuine article. Battery life: Wireless earbuds can last about 5 to 10 hours on one charge, and offer extended playtime with their bundled charging cases — always make sure one is included. Accessories: It’s disappointing spending money on a new pair of headphones only to find that you need to buy the accessories separately. Make sure a charging cases, charging cable, user guide, and extra ear tips are included as part of any purchase. Pricing considerations: Obviously, price is a big consideration when looking for the best headphones. Although there are always exceptions, big-name brands will typically command a bit extra, but generally speaking, the less you spend on a pair of headphones the greater the chance that sound and features will be compromised. Going for a budget option isn’t always the best choice, as any money you save on your purchase won’t do you much good if you’re constantly needing to recharge your audio gear, or the sound quality is poor. As the saying goes: timing is everything; and right now many of our favorite models are being discounted at online retailers, meaning you can bag a bargain for even less. Bookmark our Black Friday live blog (opens in new tab) for the all the latest savings on everything from TVs and laptops to appliances and more headphones.
How we test the best fake AirPods
For reviews of the best headphones (opens in new tab), design and appearance take a backseat to performance and battery life. But for this list of the best fake AirPods, we prioritize how much each pair looks like real AirPods, pointing out the aesthetic differences of the cases and buds. After we gauge design, we listen to music, catch up on podcasts and make calls using the best fake AirPods contenders. As with all our headphones and earbuds reviews, each model is worn over the course of a week for 2 hours at a time. During this time, our reviewer evaluates comfort and fit, ease of use, and audio. We test sound by listening to tracks across different music genres, including hip-hop, rock, jazz, classical, and pop. Volume, clarity, and fullness of sound are taken into consideration in our ratings. Movies, podcasts, and video games are considered, when necessary. Find out what we listen for during our testing process and how to get the best headphone sound for you (opens in new tab). The headphones listed here might not be perfect, but they’ve at least passed the test. We rate all our headphones and earbuds on a 5-point system (1 = worst, 5 = best). Products that excel in one or more particular fields and that’s rated 4 stars or above may also receive an Editor’s Choice award. Contributions from: Alex Barcetti, Simon Lucas
