Best budget earbuds under £50 (UK)
The Sony WF-C510 is the pair to buy if sound and comfort come first. If you want noise cancelling for the least money, the CMF Buds 2a is the bargain.
Published 7 Nov 2026 · Last updated 14 Nov 2026
Quick picks
- Sony WF-C510 EDIT'S PICK · Anyone who wants the best-sounding cheap earbuds and a small, comfortable fit · around £30
- CMF Buds 2 · Listeners who want noise cancelling, lots of app features and very long battery life · around £39
- CMF Buds 2a BEST VALUE · Anyone who wants noise cancelling and good call quality for as little as possible · around £29
- JLab Go Pods ANC · Students, gym-goers and anyone who wants cheap noise-cancelling buds they won't worry about losing · around £30
No. 1 · EDIT'S PICK
Sony WF-C510
around £30 (price checked 14 Nov 2026)
Sony's entry-level true wireless earbuds, launched in 2024, with two-device multipoint, an adjustable ambient sound mode, a five-band EQ in the Sony app and an IPX4 rating. They come in black, white, blue and yellow.
Why we picked it
What Hi-Fi? has given them three Awards in a row and gave them five stars for sound and features, praising a fun, musical sound with solid bass and a comfortable, secure fit that suits smaller ears. Sony quotes up to 11 hours from the buds and another 11 from the case. The catches are no noise cancelling and a build that What Hi-Fi? says looks and feels cheap. They launched at £55, but are now widely around £30.
Best for: Anyone who wants the best-sounding cheap earbuds and a small, comfortable fit
Skip it if: You commute on noisy trains or fly often; there's no active noise cancelling.
| Battery | Up to 11 hours, 22 hours with case |
|---|---|
| Noise cancelling | No (ambient sound mode only) |
| Codecs | SBC, AAC |
| Multipoint | Yes (two devices) |
| Water resistance | IPX4 |
Retailer links coming soon.
No. 2
CMF Buds 2
around £39 (price checked 14 Nov 2026)
A budget pair from Nothing's CMF brand, released in 2025, with hybrid noise cancelling, Dirac Opteo tuning, dual-device pairing, an IP55 rating and the Nothing X app for iPhone and Android.
Why we picked it
Expert Reviews says it hasn't heard better noise-cancelling earbuds at this price, and praises the clear, Dirac-tuned sound and battery life of up to 55 hours with the case. Tom's Guide likes the EQ options and comfort. Expert Reviews calls the noise cancelling more of a polite muffle than a full hush, and found the case scuffs easily. The usual price is about £39, and Richer Sounds currently has it for £29 on pre-order.
Best for: Listeners who want noise cancelling, lots of app features and very long battery life
Skip it if: You need strong noise cancelling, or you want LDAC or aptX for hi-res Android streaming.
| Battery | Up to 55 hours with case (ANC off) |
|---|---|
| Noise cancelling | Yes (hybrid) |
| Codecs | SBC, AAC |
| Multipoint | Yes (two devices) |
| Water resistance | IP55 (buds) |
Retailer links coming soon.
No. 3 · BEST VALUE
CMF Buds 2a
around £29 (price checked 14 Nov 2026)
The cheapest of CMF's 2025 earbuds, with adaptive noise cancelling, a transparency mode, dual-device connection, six microphones and the Nothing X app with EQ.
Why we picked it
Tom's Guide gave it an Editor's Choice badge and calls it some of the finest budget earbuds you can buy, with balanced sound and excellent call quality. There's no control over the strength of the noise cancelling, no in-ear detection and the plastic feels cheap. Battery is shorter than the CMF Buds 2, at about 5 hours from the buds with noise cancelling on. It's usually about £29 and is £19 at some retailers for Black Friday.
Best for: Anyone who wants noise cancelling and good call quality for as little as possible
Skip it if: You want in-ear detection or a premium feel, or you often take calls outdoors in the wind.
| Battery | 8 hours (ANC off), 35.5 hours with case |
|---|---|
| Noise cancelling | Yes (adaptive) |
| Codecs | SBC, AAC |
| Multipoint | Yes (two devices) |
Retailer links coming soon.
No. 4
JLab Go Pods ANC
around £30 (price checked 14 Nov 2026)
JLab's cheapest stem-style noise-cancelling earbuds, released in 2025, with hybrid noise cancelling, Bluetooth multipoint, Google Fast Pair, an IP55 rating and a case with a built-in USB-C cable.
Why we picked it
TechRadar makes them its top pick among the cheapest earbuds, praising solid noise cancelling for the money, a lightweight build and a 10-band EQ in the JLab app. It found the supplied ear tips didn't grip well, the transparency mode is harsh and battery was nearer 5 hours than JLab's quoted 7.5. Sound is bright and clear, though TechRadar notes it is limited at this price.
Best for: Students, gym-goers and anyone who wants cheap noise-cancelling buds they won't worry about losing
Skip it if: Battery life matters to you, or you've struggled to keep earbuds in during exercise.
| Battery | 7.5 hours (claimed), 26 hours with case |
|---|---|
| Noise cancelling | Yes (hybrid) |
| Multipoint | Yes (two devices) |
| Water resistance | IP55 |
Retailer links coming soon.
How we chose
Under £50 you’re choosing between two things: better sound, or noise cancelling. We started from the current budget earbud guides at What Hi-Fi?, TechRadar and Tom’s Guide, then read the individual reviews for each shortlisted pair and checked UK prices today.
We considered around ten pairs. Several reviewers’ favourites, including the EarFun Air Pro 3 and Air Pro 4, the CMF Buds Pro 2 and Sony’s WF-C710N, now sell for £55 to £80 in the UK, so they didn’t make the cut. We also left out pairs without a reputable independent review we could read, such as some Soundcore and JBL models.
Sound, comfort and fit mattered most, then noise cancelling, battery and app features. The Sony WF-C510 wins on sound but skips noise cancelling, which is the main trade-off at this price. The CMF and JLab pairs add noise cancelling, but reviewers agree it takes the edge off noise rather than shutting it out.
This guide is based on manufacturer specs and the reviews listed below. We haven’t tested these earbuds ourselves. Prices are moving a lot around Black Friday, so we’ve used typical prices and mentioned current deals where we saw them.
Sources
- What Hi-Fi?: Sony WF-C510 review
- What Hi-Fi?: Why the Sony WF-C510 are still winning Awards
- Sony UK: WF-C510
- Sony UK: WF-C510 specifications
- PriceSpy UK: Sony WF-C510
- Expert Reviews: CMF Buds 2 review
- Richer Sounds: Nothing CMF Buds 2
- Tom's Guide: CMF Buds 2a review
- PriceSpy UK: CMF Buds 2a
- TechRadar: JLab Go Pods ANC review
- JLab UK: Go Pods ANC
- JLab UK: Go Pods ANC (Sage)
- What Hi-Fi?: Best budget wireless earbuds
- TechRadar: Best budget wireless earbuds
- Tom's Guide: Best cheap wireless earbuds
FAQs
What do you give up with earbuds under £50?
Mostly noise cancelling strength, build quality and hi-res codecs. Reviewers describe the noise cancelling on these pairs as useful rather than silencing, the cases and buds feel plasticky, and none supports LDAC or aptX. Sound, multipoint and app EQs are often surprisingly good.
Is noise cancelling worth having on cheap earbuds?
It helps with steady background hum on buses and in offices, but don't expect flagship results. If quiet on a plane matters, the Sony WF-C710N (around £60 to £70) or a pricier flagship will do far more.
Do these earbuds work with iPhone and Android?
Yes. All four use standard Bluetooth with AAC, which iPhones use, and their companion apps (Sony, Nothing X and JLab) are available on both.
Why isn't the Sony WF-C510 noise cancelling?
It's Sony's entry-level model. You get an ambient sound mode to hear your surroundings, but nothing to block noise out. What Hi-Fi? still prefers its sound to rivals at the price.
Last updated 14 Nov 2026.