One of the critical features of the best wireless earbuds is the ability to jump on a call regardless of whether you can physically reach your phone. Many also come with active noise cancellation (ANC) so that ambient noise does not distract you from the person you’re talking to when you're on that call. Plus, algorithms are often used on your voice to reduce that ambient noise, so you're also heard clearer.

Not all earbuds are equal, either. Some are better with hands-free or on-unit controls for making or taking calls. And some have better ANC or background noise reduction. If you're a heavy phone user and want earbuds that can keep up, you'll want to take a look at our top picks, where you'll find options for all budgets. Some earbuds also pair better with certain phones, such as the Samsung Galaxy Buds 2 Pro and Samsung Galaxy S22 series.

Wireless earbuds are all the rage these days, but not all pairs are alike. In fact, the lion’s share of the earbuds you’ll find online and in stores may be decent for listening to music and podcasts, but falter when it comes to taking phone calls. Fortunately, several brands prioritize the latter, while still delivering on the former.

This list of the best wireless earbuds for making calls will help guide you. There are options here for everyone — with notable names like Bose, Sony, and Samsung making more than one appearance.

Picking wireless earbuds for calls

You must remember a few things when picking wireless earbuds for call quality. First, since you'll probably be using them for other purposes, you should consider sound and comfort. And, when it comes to calls, they need a decent number of quality mics. Many implement beam-forming technology, meaning each earbud has a mic or two pointed toward your mouth to focus on your voice since that is where their signal meets. To that end, those earbuds also need some background noise rejection, which is often some sort of algorithm to limit ambient noise like wind or the sound of passersby.

That's only part of the equation, as you need to be able to hear the people you're speaking to. So, you should also be mindful of active or passive noise cancellation. The passive variety is present in almost all earbuds because they create a seal in your ear canals to physically keep sound waves out. On the other hand, ANC uses mics to monitor ambient noise and minimize it by playing that sound out-of-phase or inverted simultaneously.

Also, consider how easy it is to answer or end calls without picking up the phone. Most earbuds today come with on-unit controls, and a single press or gesture will answer for you. However, not all earbuds do as good of a job implementing those controls as others, so review the descriptions here and any linked reviews to find out more.

The right earbuds for you

Most wireless earbuds are designed to take phone calls, but not all pairs are up to the task. Depending on your preferences, you could spend as little as $30 on an entry-level set or upwards of $300 on flagship performance from brands like Bose and Sony. Most folks will be pleased with the Jabra Elite 10's incredible sound quality and terrific phone-call tech. While they’re a bit pricey, all-day comfort and features like Bluetooth Multipoint definitely sweeten the deal.

If you’re into premium options, the Sony WF-1000XM5 are a great pick. Long battery life, powerful noise cancellation, and beautiful music playback are just a few of the amazing wins you can look forward to with this top-shelf set of buds.

For limited budgets, there’s also the JLab JBuds Mini. Each earbud has a MEMS mic for next-level isolation and background sound filtering, so the bite-sized buds also deliver awesome treble, mid-range, and bass. They’re also available in several colors.