Strapped for cash but need a good pair of earbuds? Here's a roundup of the best basic earbuds.

Wireless earbuds are your best friend when you want quality audio on the move. Whether you want to catch up to your favorite podcast on commute or spice up the morning jog, a pair of true wireless earbuds is hands down your best choice.

These audio devices are small enough to fit in your chest pocket, don’t cause wire tangles, and don’t compromise on sound quality or playtime despite their tiny size. Plus, they connect to other devices in a blink and have great microphones (often multiple ones on each bud). Technology is beautiful, isn’t it?

But all that power comes at a cost — literally. These days, the best wireless earbuds available on the market might not be the most affordable. However, that doesn’t mean you have to burn a hole in your pocket to enjoy a decent pair of wireless earbuds. Plenty of budget wireless earbuds are out there — and we’ve rounded them up for you.

The Skullcandy Dime wireless earbuds are an excellent choice for joggers since they never tend to drop out of your ears, even with a lot of headbanging, thanks to their snug fit. Moreover, the Dime earbuds offer decent passive noise isolation, which is great for immersion. Lasting 12 hours on each charge, they are good enough for everyday use. The mics are pretty sensitive on these and will pick up everything you say nicely enough.

The audio quality is good enough for something under 20 bucks; however, you’ll find better audio quality in the wired section for this price if that’s what you’re looking for. It’s tuned to reproduce original audio, not the artificially vibrant type you’ll find in most mid-range devices. So, the sound may seem a little less bombastic and more ‘warm’ to your ears. Of course, if you’re a sucker for vocals and classics like me, you’ll be right at home with this one. Editor’s choice winner right here!

Anker’s Soundcore series is one of the most recognized in the budget audio range, and the P2i wireless earbuds faithfully serve their niche. They deliver crisp listening for 28 hours through 10mm drivers with a quick toggle between music and voice equalizer modes, which we find very handy. The P2i are excellent communication devices since they offer noise cancelation on voice input using dual mics. But, sadly, the passive noise cancelation is not that great; it’s just average. These earbuds connect to Android or iOS devices using Bluetooth 5.2 and can resist sweat and rain.

What makes the Soundcore P2i earbuds a premium choice is their audio quality. You will notice the perfect bass and mid-tones, and podcasts or video will be crystal clear. You can raise the volume in these babies without fear of distortion; Anker did us a solid there. However, the call volume may be a little low.

Dying for a pair of decent earbuds yet strapped for cash? Look no further than the Kurdene S8. They have a great fit, come in 16 fun colors, last for 38 hours (case + buds), have touch controls, connect through Bluetooth 5.2, IPX8 waterproofing, and some admirable audio quality to boot. What more can you want for $17?

True, the sound feels artificially enhanced and may irritate some purists. But the tuning is still nice and sounds suitable for casual listening. Four microphones effectively filter out background noise while talking, making the S8 a great candidate for communication gear. And yeah, you can actually take a shower while wearing them.

The TOZO T6 wireless earbuds strike the perfect balance between price and quality, offering something for everyone. The IPX8-grade tiny earbuds look simple but stylish yet deliver great sound. You get Bluetooth 5.3, wireless charging, and touch control at this price, which is rare. The mics are good, and the input system also comes with a voice assistant activation feature, which is very handy.

Coming in six rich colors with a beautiful semi-gloss finish, the T6 sound good in your ear. The equalizer is V-shaped here, delivering thumping bass and crunchy highs. The buds are light, but the case is heavy, probably due to the heavy battery that supports more than 30 hours of regular usage. The touch controls may feel a bit laggy, though.

1MORE has always been a famed brand in the budget earbuds market, and their PistonBuds are pretty well-known. Though lagging a bit behind times with connectivity, waterproofing, and battery (Bluetooth 5.0, IPX4, 20 hours), they still offer excellent performance to make our list.

The 1MORE PistonBuds make a great communication device by offering environmental noise cancelation through quad mics and smart algorithms. They deliver a good experience through 7mm dynamic drivers and sound just short of perfect. What’s more, they are lightweight and look somewhat different from your regular run-off-the-mill buds.

Available in 15 cute colors, the lightweight iLuv TB100 earbuds sport a lovely design that is sure to charm you! With their price to performance to visual appeal ratio, they make great gifts — beautiful yet practical. These sweet little beasts offer Bluetooth 5.3 under 20 bucks which is pretty uncommon, and they are compatible with Apple, Android, and Windows.

Speaking of performance, the TB100 compete with the likes of Sony and Samsung earbuds. The IPX6-grade waterproof buds offer 20 hours of total playtime on a single charge, and the audio is near to stellar quality as well. The reproduced sound has excellent accuracy and clarity even at high volumes, making people compare them to even AirPods. You will have good voice pickup from the dual mics as well. On the downside, the touch controls may be somewhat janky.

The A1 Mini earbuds are tiny, both the case and buds, but they sport a very fun design in six different color finishes. They are very lightweight and fit snugly in the ears, so you can safely use them in serious physical activity. Just don’t swim with them on — they are only IPX5.

Speaking of audio quality, the TOZO A1 Minis pack a punch in their tiny enclosure. While not as good as Sennheiser, Bose, or Airpods, they are still good enough for this low price point. If you’re not an avid audiophile, you will love how the bass nicely curves low and how the mid-highs (~1kHz) swing clearly. The wireless charging feature is a nice add-on too! Communication through this device is enjoyable due to the dual mics and ENC.

Relatively new to the game, the JLab Go Air Pop earbuds deliver good performance and an unbelievably low price. With a 2-year warranty, these little wonders are easy to operate and decent sounding. They have a solo mode which can come in handy if you just use them for communication and want to increase usage time as long as possible. On that front, the mics on these babies perform admirably.

The IPX4-protected earbuds are built as cheap as they are, with simple light plastic and waxy finishes. They still manage to look nice, though. They connect via Bluetooth 5.1 and support SBC. Audio-wise, the Go Air Pops are decent enough with three equalizer presets thrown in (we’d recommend the V-shaped ‘JLab Signature’ sound most of the time). Perfect for gyms and jogs, these would serve well in a pinch.

Another small one on the list, the KT1 S20 wireless earbuds offer fantastic play time for the size — 150 hours in total! The buds can play for 7 hours, but the case has a massive 3500 mAh battery that backs it up till the end of the week. They are pretty durable with IPX7 grade moisture protection, so you can easily use them outdoors or in heavy workouts.

While clearly not intended for audiophiles, the KT1 S20 are good enough to cover regular purpose usage. Audio reproduction is clear through the dynamic drivers, and they shape the curve well enough to let you enjoy your melodies. We love the LED display on the case telling you the charging status; however, users report the fitting is somewhat left wanting. Vocal communication through the mics is not as great as the others in this list, but it will do for regular usage.

We have some options for you if you want the most out of your earbuds for the lowest price possible. And, of course, all of these options have a microphone. In the budget earbuds market, what you need to go for is the price-to-performance ratio. Don’t look for high-tech features like ANC or 3D audio at this price point. Instead, focus on how comfortable they are to wear and how good they are at regular day-to-day usage.

You’d do better buying two sets of earbuds — one good, expensive set for serious listening time and another for daily commute or exercise. And if the latter is your only usage scenario, you’re on the right track!

The Skullcandy Dime wireless earbuds bring the most experience and outstanding balance of audio quality and battery life in one tiny package; they are our go-to choice for a cheap wireless earbud. But if you are looking for better quality and can shell out a few more bucks, then Soundcore by Anker Life P2i will be more to your taste. However, if you don’t want to spend that much yet still make a gift-worthy purchase, better choose the Kurdene S8.

"It's only words / and words are all I have / to take your heart away." Swarna Karmakar from Kolkata seems to have taken the famous Bee Gees song lyrics as his career mantra. A lifetime Android user and audio/video enthusiast, Swarna specializes in writing about Android for entertainment.