Best wireless earbuds under R1,000 in South Africa

South Africans looking for the best bang-for-buck wireless earbuds will find plenty of high-quality options below R1,000.

Top-of-the-range earbuds like Apple’s AirPods Pro or Sony’s WF-1000XM could set you back over R5,000.

Pricing for even more premium models — like the Bose QuietComfort Ultra — can go over R8,000.

However, unless you are obsessed with high-fidelity noise or have serious in-ear comfortability issues, you won’t have to splurge nearly as much on a decent pair of earbuds.

Among the most important features to consider are active noise cancellation (ANC) support and battery life.

ANC blocks out external noise by using a microphone to listen to external sound. It then generates the opposite sound waves to cancel that noise out.

This enables you to fully focus on the sound coming through the earbuds, whether it’s music or an important call with the boss.

Good battery life is non-negotiable for many people who need to keep their audio private for a full day’s work. It also helps if a quick top-up in the case can add enough charge for continued use.

Another important attribute is environmental protection.

Many people use wireless earbuds to listen to music or podcasts while exercising or traversing the great outdoors.

The IP rating can give a good indication of how well the hardware in your earbuds is shielded from dust particles and liquids.

MyBroadband considered these features and looked at online ratings from reputable tech websites and users to compile a list of 10 of the best wireless earbuds you can buy for under R1,000 in South Africa.

Jabra Elite 3 — R999 (First Shop)

• Active noise cancellation: Yes
• Battery life: Up to 7 hours without case | Up to 28 hours with case
• Environmental protection: IP55

Anker Soundcore Life Note 3i — R899 (Incredible)

• Active noise cancellation: Yes
• Battery life: Up to 9 hours without case | Up to 36 hours with case
• Environmental protection: IPX5

Anker Soundcore Life Dot 3i — R999 (HiFi Corp)

• Active noise cancellation: Yes
• Battery life: Up to 9 hours without case | Up to 27 hours with case
• Environmental protection: IPX5

Anker Life Note 3 XR — R899 (Takealot)

• • Active noise cancellation: Yes
  • Battery life: Up to 7 hours without case | Up to 35 hours with case
  • Environmental protection: IPX5

JBL Wave Buds — R899 (HiFi Corp)

• Active noise cancellation:  No
• Battery life: Up to 8 hours without case | Up to 24 hours with case
• Environmental protection: IP54

Xiaomi Redmi Buds 4 — R799 (Takealot)

• Active noise cancellation: Yes
• Battery life: Up to 6 hours without case | Up to 30 hours with case
• Environmental protection: IP54

Oppo Enco W12 Buds — R899 (Takealot)

• Active noise cancellation: Yes
• Battery life: Up to 6 hours without case | Up to 24 hours with case
• Environmental protection: IP54

JBL Vibe 100TWS  — R899

• Active noise cancellation: No
• Battery life: Up to 5 hours without case | Up to 15 hours with case
• Environmental protection: IPX2

Sony Wireless Earphones W-C310 — R899 (New World)

• Active noise cancellation: No
• Battery life: Up to 15 hours
• Environmental protection: IPX4