Ever since the first true wireless earbuds came out, many people have harped on the issue of fit. Many product releases in the category just aren’t designed with smaller ears in mind. As such, those with smaller ears usually experience plenty of discomfort with wireless earbuds, not to mention creating a bad seal and having it slip out multiple times throughout their listening sessions. With the category’s growth over the years, though, we’ve gotten a lot more designs that are better suited to different individuals, including those with smaller ears.
The best wireless earbuds for small ears isn’t just about switching to the smallest ear tips supplied in the box. There’s also the overall shape of the outer ear and the opening of the ear canal, both of which can limit what kinds of wireless earbuds are going to wear comfortably and securely. Additionally, the smaller the ears, the less comfortable it is to deal with earbud tips that push deep into the ear canal, making it a more nuanced issue that will require you to try out a few models to find the perfect fit.
Aside from delivering a good fit, the best wireless earbuds for small ears should provide an overall great user experience. From sound quality and active noise cancellation (ANC) to mic quality and battery life, we took all these things into account. What good is a secure and comfortable fit if the earbuds aren’t fun and easy to use, after all?
These are the best wireless earbuds for small ears.
JLabs JBuds Mini
Pros
- Very compact size
- Lightest earbuds we’ve used
- Surprisingly good sound for the size
Cons
- No ANC
- No hi-fidelity codec support
Weight: 3.3 grams per earbud
Drivers: 6mm
Battery life: 5.5 hours (up to 20 hours with charging case)
If you’re looking to get wireless earbuds for small ears, it makes to get a teeny tiny model. That’s exactly what you get with this pair, which weigh a whopping 3.3g per earbud, which is downright featherlight. In fact, it just might be the smallest and lightest wireless earbuds you’ll find in the whole category. They slot in nicely into smaller ears, with a secure fit that doesn’t show a hint of wobble during runs, all while being small enough to really wear comfortably even on the tighter creases and wells. For the size, the built-in 6mm drivers actually produce far better sound that anyone will anticipate at this size, although it’s notably lacking at the low end, so your bass-heavy tunes won’t quite have as much of a punch. Do note, there’s no ANC here, so you will hear a good load of ambient noises along with your music. There’s also limited codec support, so you can’t use it with aptX or LDAC. If you don’t mind those downsides, you’ll definitely appreciate this for what it’s able to bring to the table.
Anker Soundcore Space A40
Pros
- In-ear sits in shallow part of ear canal
- Effective noise canceling
- Plenty of EQ preset options
Cons
- Can fall out during vigorous exercise
Weight: 4.6 grams per earbud
Drivers: 10mm
Battery life: 10 hours (50 hours with charging case)
Sometimes, making your wireless earbuds work for small ears just comes down to the in-ear fit. In the case of this model, Anker made it so it doesn’t go as deep as other wireless earbuds they have in their roster. Paired with five sizes of ear tips, users with smaller ears should be able to really find a great fit for their distinct ear profile, while the light weight ensures you can keep it on without discomfort throughout most of the day. Do note, the fit doesn’t feel as secure as some of the other offerings in the list, so you might not want to use these earbuds for running and other vigorous exercise. More than being a comfortable fit for small ears, these wireless earbuds deliver excellent features for the price. For instance, it has terrific ANC that does a very good job of minimizing traffic noise and other droning sounds, while also delivering excellent sound, especially at the default Soundcore Signature EQ setting. You can play around with the tuning via the app (they have 22 EQ presets), of course, although we really liked the default preset much better, as it capably delivers a balanced sound without any overpowering elements. We also like the IPX4 water resistance, the Bluetooth Multipoint, and the LDAC codec support.
1More ComfoBuds Mini
Pros
- Very compact
- Super comfortable fit
- Good ANC performance
Cons
- ANC uses up a lot of battery
Weight: 3.7 grams per earbud
Drivers: 7mm
Battery life: 5 hours with ANC on (20 hours with charging case)
Another tiny wireless earbuds for small ears, this model’s earbuds are just very slightly bigger than the JLabs model above and fit just as comfortably, nestling itself snugly towards the opening of your ears. They’re so comfortable, in fact, it’s easy to forget you’re actually wearing them, allowing you to go about your day without having to fuss about with them. Unlike the tiny JLabs model, by the way, this one has ANC, so it can help you focus a bit more on your music, as it does manage to drone out a good deal of outside noise. It’s far from the best ANC, but it’s good enough to really minimize the distracting sounds around you. Sound quality is very good, albeit with a noticeably weaker soundstage than bigger earbuds, but it’s good enough for casual listening, especially if you value comfort as much as we do. It takes a bit of time to set up, by the way, as the app doesn’t have an equalizer, so it runs you through some tests to find the sound profile you’ll like better. We’d have preferred having proper EQ, by the way, but it’s good enough.
Sony WF-C700N
Pros
- Feature-packed
- Excellent adaptive ANC
- Sounds amazing at this price range
Cons
- Doesn’t turn off automatically when removed
Weight: 4.6 grams per earbud
Drivers: 5mm
Battery life: 7.5 hours with ANC on (15 hours with charging case)
While this is definitely not Sony’s best wireless earbud offering for small ears (that would be the Linkbud S below), it’s an option we recommend for those who want a more inexpensive model that still wears very comfortably. On top of fitting nicely for those with small ears, it also delivers excellent sound, with plenty of details and an immersive soundstage, all while coming with Sony’s DSEE upscaler to make the compressed music you listen to sound a whole lot bigger. Granted, it doesn’t have hi-res codec support, but it’s incredible-sounding all the same, especially at this price range. Not only does it sound good, it will help immerse you in the music further with adaptive ANC, which can optimize the noise cancellation based on your environment. There’s also an Ambient mode that you can manually control on a 1 to 20 slider, allowing you to fine tune how much sound it will allow through. If that’s not enough, this even has Sony’s 360 Reality Audio, an excellent noise-minimizing mic array, and a physical button control, which we always appreciate. Simply put, we still can’t believe Sony made wireless earbuds at this price range with this many features, all while making it fit great for smaller ears to boot.
Samsung Galaxy Buds FE
Pros
- Good, bass-heavy sound
- Comfortable, very secure fit
- Excellent ANC performance
Cons
- No iOS app
Weight: 5.6 grams per earbud
Drivers: 6.5mm
Battery life: 6 hours with ANC on (21 hours with charging ccase)
These earbuds are the heaviest in the list, but we do find them still comfortable enough to serve as excellent wireless earbuds for small ears. In large part, that’s because it’s designed to rest on the outer edge of the ear canal, so there’s no discomfort from pushing it deep, with each earbud being compact enough to slot nicely in smaller ear shapes. We particularly like the integrated wingtips at the top, which help secure them in place, as well as the grippy material that feels like it clings to the skin. Suffice to say, it wears very securely, allowing you to confidently work out with these things in tow. The sound profile is very bass heavy, which lends itself well to many modern pop, dance, and hip-hop tracks (which we like very much), although you can always tinker with the EQ settings to adjust it to your own liking. Basically, it’s the kind of sound your average person will appreciate. The ANC is very good, too, with very little ambient noise coming through, although it doesn’t do as good a job of canceling wind noises during your phone calls, so you might want to go indoors to take a call. Do note, it’s only rated for IPX2 water resistance, so avoid getting it wet as much as you can.
Sony Linkbuds S
Pros
- Fits so well it helps isolate noise
- Balanced and detailed sound
- Feature-packed
Cons
- Seems to attract dirt a fair bit
Weight: 4.8 grams per earbud
Drivers: 5mm
Battery life: 6 hours with ANC on (18 hours with charging case)
The WF-1000XM may be Sony’s best wireless earbuds, but they’re just not a good fit for small ears. For that, you need this model, whose compact size manages to squeeze inside more challenging ear shapes, while offering smaller ear tips that should ensure a comfortable fit for those with smaller canals. It wears so good, in fact, it produces impressive passive noise isolation. Sound quality is easily the best in the list, delivering chunky but controlled lows, as well as highly-detailed sounds across the spectrum. It crafts the soundstage in such a way that you can feel the vocals emphasized, regardless of the track, but everything feels well-integrated that you can’t help but be immersed in the overall sound. Being the most expensive option in the list, it’s naturally feature-packed, too, with LDAC codec support for hi-fi music tracks, powerful adaptive ANC that you can tweak a whole lot to your liking, Sony 360 Reality Audio, built-in Amazon Alexa, and a whole lot more. It’s also got undeniable solid fit and finish, so it’s definitely worth the premium price.
