Grad gift guide: Best headphones for grads in 2023
Celebrate the graduates in your life with gifts they'll love, such as top-rated headphones and earbuds. We found some amazing deals on must-have headphones at Amazon and beyond, so you can get your grads something really special. No matter if they're completing middle school, high school or college, they'll need headphones to listen to their favorite tunes, make phone calls, hear movies and TV or even scroll through hours of TikTok without bothering the people around them.
- Related: How we select our products
The experts at CBS Essentials have rounded up customer-loved headphones and earbuds. All of these options have a four-star rating or higher and include tons of positive reviews. Ready to get your grad a gift? Keep reading to discover the best headphones for grads in 2023.
Top products in this article:
Apple AirPods Pro 2, $235 (reduced from $249)
Beats Studio3, $170 (reduced from $350)
Bose QuietComfort Earbuds II, $299
The best headphones and earbuds can improve your gaming, the quality of your phone calls and be easy on the ears. Better still, they don't have to cost a fortune -- the popular Apple AirPods Pro and Samsung Galaxy Buds2 are both available at deep discounts now at Amazon, even ahead of Amazon Prime Day 2023.
Keep reading to shop the best headphone gifts for grads.
Best headphone gifts for grads in 2023
Gift Apple AirPods, Samsung Galaxy Buds and more.
Apple AirPods Pro 2: $235
The latest Apple AirPods Pro 2 earbuds offer 30 hours of listening time with the included charging case. They have an upgraded wireless chip for improved audio functionality, a new low distortion driver for clearer audio and improved active noise cancellation. The Apple AirPods Pro 2 provide truly custom sound: You can use your iPhone's camera to analyze your unique ear anatomy and find the perfect audio settings for you.
The design of the AirPods Pro 2 is fairly similar to the previous generation, but Apple has introduced touch control to the AirPods Pro 2 to help users more seamlessly control their AirPods. Users will also get a new extra-small tip with their AirPods. The case did get a notable design upgrade with a new lanyard loop and a built-in speaker to help track the location of your AirPods case.
Apple AirPods Pro 2, $235 (reduced from $249)
Apple AirPods Max: $480
Apple AirPods Max use active noise-cancellation technology to block out unwanted noise and feature a transparency mode so you can hear what you need to. These headphones feature 20 hours of listening. They come in a variety of colors including blue, green, red and silver. They're also compatible with Siri.
Apple AirPods Max, $480 (regularly $549)
Apple AirPods (2nd Generation): $99
Your grad will love these Apple AirPods. They're not the latest model, but they're still one of the most sought-after earbud sets on the market.
Retailing for $159 at Apple, they're on sale at Amazon right now for just $99. Thanks to their wireless charging case, these AirPods can deliver more than 24 hours of listening time. They boast a foolproof, one-tap setup for Apple device owners.
Apple AirPods (2nd Generation), $99 (reduced from $159)
Samsung Galaxy Buds2: $110
Samsung's highly coveted earbuds, the Galaxy Buds2 are on sale. Featuring active noise cancelation and ambient sound passthrough, the lightweight Galaxy Buds2 are built for grads with active lifestyles.
Samsung Galaxy Buds2, $105 (reduced from $150)
Samsung Galaxy Buds Live: $100
Not to be outdone by the Samsung Galaxy Buds, the Samsung Galaxy Buds Live are available at an even deeper discount. Samsung designed these earbuds with 12mm speakers, and a form that allows them to deliver spacious sound quality. If your grads loves live shows, they may want a pair.
Samsung Galaxy Live, $100 (reduced from $170)
Beats Solo3: $129
No matter if your grad is partial to Machine Gun Kelly, Taylor Swift or SZA, the bright-sounding, on-the-ear Beats Solo3 will deliver. These headphones support spatial audio for a more immersive listening experience. They also offer soft ear foams for comfort, and deliver up to 40 hours of battery life on a single charge.
Beats Solo3, $129 (reduced from $200)
Beats Studio3: $170
Beats Studio3 headphones are currently on sale at Amazon for a whopping 51% off. On top of adaptive noise cancelation, the fast-charging Studio3 headphones feature real-time audio calibration, and easy iOS and Android connectivity. These headphones also support spatial audio, and, according to several Amazon user reviews, offer great comfort, even when they've been worn for hours.
While the list price puts these headphones out of many people's reach, they're now deeply discounted at Amazon.
Beats Studio3, $170 (reduced from $350)
Powerbeats Pro: $190
If your grad likes to stay active, the Powerbeats Pro may be a great fit -- literally. These wireless earbuds are designed with comfortable ear hooks for a secure fit, making them ideal companions for rigorous activities such as running. Rated IPX4 for water resistance, these earbuds are good to go even when you sweat. They come in several colors, including Cloud Pink and Glacier Blue.
These workout-ideal headphones from Beats are on sale at Amazon.
Powerbeats Pro, up to $190 (reduced from $250)
Bose QuietComfort Earbuds II: $299
Bose products are known for their excellent sound quality, and the new Bose QuietComfort Earbuds II are no exception. They claim to offer the world's best active noise cancellation, and have a new CustomTune technology that auto-adjusts music to your ears' liking. They also have an "aware mode" that pauses noise cancellation for when you need to hear your surroundings.
The Bose QuietComfort Earbuds II offer six hours of battery life in a single charge, and come with a charging case that holds three additional charges (24 hours of battery life in total). You can control music, answer calls and adjust the volume by simply tapping your earbuds instead of having to use your phone. These Bluetooth 5.3-compatible earbuds are available in black and soapstone colors.
Bose QuietComfort Earbuds II, $299
Bose QuietComfort 45 headphones: $329
The new, fast-charging Bose QuietComfort 45 headphones offer a nice set of features. They can deliver up to 24 hours of battery life. They have two different noise-canceling modes. They even have a USB-C port for charging. Your grads can personalize their listening experience with the Bose app.
Bose QuietComfort 45 headphones, $329
Bose Sport earbuds: $129
If you're looking for a pair of weather- and sweat-resistant earbuds for your grad, the Bose Sport Earbuds boast an IPX4 rating, which means they can stand up to water splashes. To make them easier to control during workouts, they feature a capacitive-touch interface. These earbuds offer up to 15 hours of battery life; a charging case is included.
Bose Sport Earbuds, $129 (reduced from $179)
Google Pixel Buds A-Series: $99
Google Pixel Buds A-Series earbuds feature adaptive sound that changes volume in response to your surroundings. They're water-resistant, too, so you can take them to the gym. The battery on the Google Pixel Buds A-Series lasts up to 5 hours of listening time per charge, for a total of 24 hours with the included charging case. Rated 4.5 stars on Amazon.
Google Pixel Buds A-Series, $99
Looking for a headphone upgrade over the A-Series? Amazon also the Google Pixel Buds Pro earbuds, which feature active noise cancellation and a longer-lasting battery (11 hours per charge). They're currently $149, a discount of $50 off their regular price of $199.
Treblab Z2 over-ear noise-canceling headphones: $70
The Treblab over-ear workout headphones feature advanced active noise-cancellation technology and great sound quality, making them a great gift for active grads. They offer 35 hours of playtime per charge and recharge quickly.
One Amazon reviewer wrote, "I use these at the gym, and they're perfect. They're comfortable, hold a charge for a long time, have great sound, are lightweight, and stay snug on my head."
Treblab Z2 over-ear noise-canceling headphones, $70 (reduced from $120)
LG Tone Free T90 earbuds: $177
These LG Tone Free T90 earbuds feature Dolby Atmos with Dolby Head Tracking to deliver an enhanced listening experience while listening to music, shows, movies or video games. The earbuds feature adaptive active noise cancelation with a 4-mic system that detects the noise around you to perfectly adjust the sound.
The earbuds are on sale now on Amazon, just in time for graduation gifting.
LG Tone Free T90 earbuds, $177 (reduced from $230)
JBL Tune 130NC noise-canceling wireless earbuds: $100
These JBL earbuds feature advanced noise-canceling technology for a solid price. You can connect the earbuds to the JBL app to activate noise-canceling or ambient-aware noise-canceling. They offer a 40-hour battery life without noise-canceling or 32 hours of battery life with noise-canceling engaged.
They are designed to offer JBL's pure bass sound, though users can easily adjust the sound to fit their preferences in the app. The earbuds are also water-resistant and sweat-proof. Plus, they're one of our favorite AirPods alternatives.
JBL Tune 130NC noise-canceling wireless earbuds, $100
JLab Go Air Tones wireless earbuds: $25
These JLab wireless earbuds are an affordable way to get in on the skin-toned earbuds trend. They come in seven neutral shades and offer 32 hours of listening time.
"These are the best overall earbuds that I own, and I have Samsung Live buds. The fit is comfortable, and battery life is long," wrote one Amazon reviewer. "The sound is amazing! It's not audiophile level, but the highs are crisp enough and the bass deep enough for a very pleasurable listening experience."
JLab Go Air Tones wireless earbuds, $25
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