The best earbuds under $50: Expert tested and reviewed

I test earbuds for a living. I’m running in busy city streets and parks with them in my ears, playing my favorite songs and podcasts with them in on the subway, working with them in the office, and evaluating them for their performance, connectivity, battery life, comfort, and more. 

When I enjoy the sound of the earbuds, can wear them comfortably for the entire workday, or depend on them for my runs, I tell you, dear reader, all about them. I write reviews about and include the earbuds in lists like these. And when I don’t like a pair of earbuds, they are not included in any of these lists. We only write about products we can actually recommend to people, because we know that spending money on a pair of earbuds or another tech product is no pretty penny. 

If I haven’t tested the earbuds myself, I rely on the opinions of my coworkers and ZDNET staffers who have used the products we include. 

For more information on how we test headphones and earbuds, visit this article, which explores our process in-depth. 

Also: How we test headphones and earbuds