When your pockets are too small — or you don’t have any at all — neckband earbuds are a convenient alternative to wearing larger over-ear or on-ear headphones. They lay around your neck and take away the weight from the earbuds for a more comfortable fit. If you’re looking for a dependable pair, the JBL Live 220BT Wireless are a good place to start for the best neckband headphones under $100, owing to their exceptional sound, battery life, and comfort.
Best overall: JBL Live 220BT Wireless
JBL made the Live 220BT good enough to stay at the top of our list, mainly because of its superb sound quality. You get a pretty balanced soundstage out of the box that stands out for the right reasons. Bass is present without it being too heavy, while the highs and lows complement each other well.
Finding the right fit will largely depend on which of the ear tips you feel offer the best seal. This part is critical to ensuring they fit right and getting the most out of the audio quality. It’s really the only caveat as far as comfort goes because the Live 220BT are lightweight and easy to manage, so that you can wear them for leisure or while working out. The Ambient Aware mode pipes in some background noise to hear your surroundings, while TalkThru lets you talk quickly and hear other people.
You can pair the Live 220BT with up to two devices simultaneously. It’s a great way to listen to audio from your computer while keeping your phone accessible for phone calls or notifications. The headphones will switch automatically when the phone rings, silencing the audio from the computer all at once. Amazon Alexa is also built-in through a dedicated button on the neckband, adding the voice assistant to the feature set.
Battery life is modest at up to 10 hours per charge. A quick 15-minute charge can get you up to an hour of playback. That’s pretty average for a set of Bluetooth earbuds and is really as good as it gets with Micro-USB.
Pros:
- Great sound quality
- Dual device pairing
- Ambient and TalkThru modes
- Alexa integration
- Color options
Cons:
- Comfort could be iffy
- Micro-USB charging
Best overall
JBL Live 220BT Wireless
$100 at Amazon
Superb sound for the price
The best value when it comes to wireless neckband earbuds, with the sound and comfort all in the right place.
Best value: Skullcandy Jib Plus Wireless
If you’re on a tight budget within various budget options, the Skullcandy Jib Plus Wireless are among the cheapest neckband earbuds you can find. They come in several different colors to stand out aesthetically, but you should measure your expectations with anything in this price range.
That’s not to say there aren’t some decent features and performance to give you bang for your buck. Sound quality belies their price, coming off better than you might expect. Bass is present, with decent highs and mids to make audio playback feel pretty resonant. Onboard controls also include an easy way to get to Google Assistant if you want to make any requests or commands. They are splash-resistant, so they should be reasonably safe to use for workouts and show they’ve got some durability.
You won’t get too far on battery life, with up to six hours per charge — potentially shorter depending on volume. You will be recharging them often, but you’ll also have to do it with Micro-USB.
Pros:
- Good sound quality
- Comfortable fit
- Voice assistant access
- Color options
- Great price
Cons:
- Battery life isn’t long
- Micro-USB charging
Best value
Skullcandy Jib Plus Wireless
$31 at Amazon
Tight sound, tight budget
The best value when it comes to wireless neckband earbuds, with the sound and comfort all in the right place.
Best battery life: Sony WI-C400
Sony may often play in the higher end, but there are affordable options, too. The WI-C400 were made for tighter budgets, and when battery life really matters, these neckband earbuds are up to the task. With up to 20 hours of battery life on a single charge, they’re among the longest-lasting neckbuds available. It’ll have more than enough juice to pace you over a few days or on a long flight.
These neckbuds don’t have ANC, nor many other bells and whistles, but you do get good sound quality worthy of Sony’s branding, with enough bass to make it all feel balanced. Unfortunately, you can’t tweak the sound signature in any way, as these earbuds aren’t compatible with Sony’s Headphones Connect app. What you hear is essentially what you get.
You should feel pretty comfortable wearing them, overall, though your mileage may vary. The wires attaching the two ends are a bit fragile, so the key is not to pull too hard and weaken them over time. Those ends are great, thanks to the array of buttons, and how they vibrate for incoming notifications and calls.
Despite the solid battery life, Sony went with the aging Micro-USB port for charging, negating any quick charging, as well as the inconvenience of bringing along a charging cable few devices use nowadays. At least it only takes about two hours to fully charge them back up.
Pros:
- Good audio quality
- Superb battery life
- Vibration notifications
- Comfortable fit
- Multiple color options
Cons:
- No ANC or ambient mode
- Wires are delicate
- Micro-USB charging
- Can’t tweak sound
Best battery life
Sony WI-C400
$50 at Amazon $70 at Best Buy
Long battery life
Just because they have a Sony logo, doesn’t mean they’re expensive, and with battery life for days, the Sony WI-C400 are ready.
Best sound quality: Creative Aurvana Trio Wireless
If you haven’t considered Creative as an option, you might want to give the Aurvana Trio Wireless a try. The sound quality is excellent for the price. What works so well is the solid bass complementing such a lively combination of mids and highs. Call quality is equally up to the task, with impressive clarity on both sides.
Much of the audio performance comes from the wired earbuds the company launched back in 2017. Going wireless is great, but codec support is what takes it to another level. You get aptX, aptX LL (Low Latency), aptX HD, and AAC support, making them great for higher-quality streams and no lag when watching video or playing games. Creative did include its amazing Super X-Fi (SXFI) technology; it only works with media files you’ve downloaded to your device — not anything you’re streaming.
The fit is comfortable, and with both silicone and foam tips included, the odds are good you’ll find the best possible seal. Whenever you’re not using them, the two earbuds connect with magnets. Battery life hits up to 20 hours, which is great, but you, unfortunately, have to charge them via Micro-USB.
Pros:
- Excellent sound quality
- Lightweight build
- Solid codec support
- Great battery life
- Comfortable fit
- Magnets hold earbuds together
Cons:
- Super X-Fi is too limited
- Outdated Micro-USB charging
Best sound quality
Creative Aurvana Trio Wireless
$100 at Amazon
Clear, concise and on time
Creative gives the Aurvana Trio Wireless the right tools to stand out. Putting sound first pays off.
Best for phone calls: Anker Soundcore Life U2
Hands-free phone calls are super convenient, and though any pair of earbuds are capable, not all are necessarily great at it. You may not think of Anker’s Soundcore brand meeting that challenge, but the Life U2 are a solid pair of neckband earbuds — not just for phone calls, mind you, but also for a number of other features. The key lies in the CVC 8.0 noise reduction technology that amps up the microphones to pick up your voice more clearly.
A flexible and lightweight neckband helps keep things comfortable, even when you want to go for a run or workout. They should feel comfortable to wear for longer periods — provided you’re OK with how light and flimsy they might feel. The IPX7 rating gives these earbuds some ruggedized clout to make them affordable and durable all at once. Sound quality is solid for the price, and may surprise you when you start pushing them. Unfortunately, they’re not compatible with the Soundcore app to get even more out of the sound.
You get up to 24 hours of battery life per charge, with USB-C charging to sweeten the deal. That’s excellent battery life that should last for days, and when you really need to start listening, a quick charge for five minutes will get you up to two hours of playback.
Pros:
- Great for phone calls
- Great sound quality
- Good for workouts and runs
- Long battery life
- Fast charging
Cons:
- Might be too flimsy
- No app support
- Can’t tweak sound with app
Best for phone calls
Anker Soundcore Life U2
$40 at Amazon $40 at Newegg
Hello? Are you there?
With long battery life and great convenience features, the Level U from Samsung are excellent in most scenarios.
Best workout buds: Philips Wireless
It’s never a bad time to work out, and you’ll need a great set of workout buds. As far as neckband earbuds are concerned, the Philips Wireless are standouts. They feature IPX5 water resistance, meaning they can withstand light or moderate workouts and heavy rain without issue. Just don’t dunk them in water or go swimming with them. They also feature a vibration motor to notify you when you’re getting a call. Both buds magnetically attach when not in use, so they’re not just dangling around your neck.
When you’re not working out, the Philips Wireless work well, letting you wear them for extended periods because of their comfortable fit. They sound great, with bass and treble-heavy sound that isn’t uncommon for headphones in this price range. They’re pretty vibrant and are in line with how sporty headphones generally sound.
Battery life is good at up to eight hours on a single charge. No fast charging, unfortunately, so it’ll take roughly three hours to charge from empty to full.
- IPX5 water resistance
- Superb comfort
- Long battery life
- Good bass and treble-boosted sound
- Call notifications
Cons:
- Micro-USB for charging
- No fast charging
Best workout buds
Philips Wireless
$45 at Amazon
Don’t break a sweat
Great workout buds that feature eight hours of battery life, excellent sound reproduction, and are IPX5 water-resistant.
Bottom line
Neckband earbuds may not be as popular as other headphone types, but at least there are some good options to select from, especially if you’re on a budget to find the best neckband headphones under $100. The JBL Live 220BT are worth a look at if you’re looking for neckband earbuds that do everything, and are also among some of the best JBL headphones available. The Creative Aurvana Trio Wireless are a nice alternative if sound quality is your main motivation.
Whether or not you consider neckband earbuds an acquired taste, they are a worthy option if you don’t want something big or don’t trust other wireless earbuds to be comfortable or stay in place. If you’ve broadened your search, you can always look at the best true wireless headphones.
Credits — The team that worked on this guide
Ted Kritsonis loves taking photos when the opportunity arises, be it on a camera or smartphone. Beyond sports and world history, you can find him tinkering with gadgets or enjoying a cigar.
