The Amazon Echo Buds give Apple's AirPod Pros a run for their money at a fraction of the cost
— Recommendations are independently chosen by Reviewed’s editors. Purchases you make through our links may earn us a commission.
As anyone who's ever been shopping for wireless headphones can attest, the market is saturated with tons of options, with each brand battling it out for the title of the best of the best. Last month, Amazon threw its hat into the ring with the second generation of its true wireless Echo Buds, and in advance of Prime Day 2021 (coming up on Monday, June 21 and Tuesday, 22), Prime members can pick them up for a hefty price cut.
Get expert shopping advice delivered to your phone. Sign up for text message alerts from the deal-hunting nerds at Reviewed.
While these buds normally retail for $119.99 with a wired charging case and $139.99 with a wireless charging case, Amazon is currently offering them to its Prime members for $40 off, bringing the former down to $79.99 and the latter down to $99.99, respectively.
According to Amazon, these new-and-improved buds feature an active noise cancelation (ANC) mode that allows them to block out twice as much noise as the original 2019 Amazon Echo Buds (currently unavailable), which used active noise reduction. Our tester said this upgraded pair really delivered, silencing even jarring background sounds, such as weights slamming into the ground, with its ANC on. While they're not quite as good as one of our favorite wireless earbuds for iPhones, the Apple AirPods Pro ($197), in the ANC and feature departments,The new 5.7 millimeter drivers that are built into each earbud delivered as well, offering sound that our tested "exceptional across a wide variety of genres."
The second generation Echo Buds also addressed the biggest problem we had with the original: The comfort—or rather, the lack thereof. This new model is "remarkably comfortable," according to our reviewer, who said they felt "natural and unobtrusive." It's also 20% smaller, according to Amazon, and comes with four ear tip sizes and three ear wing sizes. There's an ear tip-fit test feature in the Alexa app to help get the fit dialed in. Sure, the battery life is still only average at up to five hours (up to six-and-a-half hours with active noise cancelation and Alexa turned off), but our tester said it will likely be adequate for most users.
If you're on the hunt for true wireless ear buds, the Echo Buds might be just what you're looking for.
Get the Amazon Echo Buds (2nd Generation) with Wired Charging Case for $79.99 with Prime Membership (Save $40)
Get the Amazon Echo Buds (2nd Generation) with Wireless Charging Case for $99.99 with Prime Membership (Save $40)
Need help finding products? Sign up for our weekly newsletter. It’s free and you can unsubscribe at any time.
The product experts at Reviewed have all your shopping needs covered. Follow Reviewed on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram for the latest deals, reviews, and more.
Prices were accurate at the time this article was published but may change over time.