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When you think of earbuds, your mind might conjure a pair of AirPods. Your initial picture makes sense, as even the most basic Apple AirPods are designed to pair with your Apple devices. Their capabilities vary as you encounter more advanced models, though. The recently released AirPods Pro 3 are defined by their in-ear heart rate monitoring and exceptional noise-cancelation, while the basic AirPods 4 are best for baseline features like accessing Siri and listening to music.

The current AirPods lineup includes the premium over-ear AirPods Max, the in-ear AirPods Pro 3, and budget in-ear options, such as the AirPods 4. I've tested every AirPods model and have strong opinions on which pairs are the best for specific use cases. Here's what you should know before making a purchase.

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