5 Pairs of Earbuds That Work for Small Ears

• The smallest earbuds I've used
• Teen friendly price point
• Case clips on to keychains or backpacks

• Middling battery life

When it comes to mini earbuds, these are the smallest of the small. And yet they still fit in my (lets generously say regular) man-sized ears. If you're looking for small, affordable earbuds, JLab is my first recommendation.

The main draw here? They aren't just for tiny ears—they are tiny! This is the smallest, most "throw it in the jacket pocket and forget where they are for months" earbuds I've ever used. Plus, they have a little clip on the case—the only keychain sized earbuds out there, tbh.

Is it the best sound quality in the world? Far from it, but it's enough for your kid. Or for the next step up check out the noise-cancelling, but still compact, Go Pop ANC.

• Battery life designed to last overnight
• Twist lock design helps them fit snug
• Over 21 different fit options between the tips and wings

• Doesn't have real noise-cancelling, only sleep sounds
• Sound quality could be better

If you need earbuds for sleeping, yes these are some of the best. For everyone else, here's what they don't tell you. Any earbud designed for sleep is going to have two things: extra comfort and extra long battery life. The Soundcore Sleep A20 is the plutonic ideal of sleep earbuds for every size and shape of ear—but they are just as good for travelers and commuters.

These have been a hit with the small ear canal crowd because not only are the tips adjustable, so are the wing tips. With 21 different possible configurations, it gives options for users of all sizes. Once you've found the perfect fit and secure your earbuds, you can twist them in to lock them snug for the night. Even side sleepers have good things to report.

• Smaller and lighter than other clip-on buds
• Comfortable fit

• Sound isn't fully encompassing

You could go with the premium Bose Ultra Open earbuds, or you could save yourself $200 and a pair of aching earlobes. I would rather the latter, were I the one in your shoes. I've tried both and honestly find JLab's Flex open earbuds much easier to clip on and off. The design is much more friendly to small or sensitive earlobes.

In terms of sound, the quality is there (at least for the price range). But the open design does mean you always have one (metaphorical) ear in reality. You won't get a fully engrossing, immersive sonic experience with these the way you will with Shokz bone conducting open ear headphones.

• Super snug design
• Over-ear headphone quality noise cancellation
• Conversation and In-Ear Detection that work

• Expensive
• Has some Pixel exclusive features that shouldn't gatekept

These are my partner's go-to. She loves them and wears them almost every day. It may have something to do with her having a Pixel phone, but I've tried them too and can concur. Plus, if you have a Galaxy phone it will detect and connect your Pixel Buds to Bluetooth lickety-split, aka "AirPods" style.

In addition to getting the sound quality you pay for (and yes, they are a bit on the pricey side), these buds have remarkable noise-cancelling. That's not the easiest balance to achieve. On a technical level, everything that should work just works. When you take a single earbud out your music will pause and start playing again (reliably) when you're ready. Same deal if the earbuds can detect you've started up a conversation. It's all very natural feeling. As are the headphones themselves, which fit snug as a bug in smaller ears.

• Only AirPods with changeable ear tips
• Easy pairing with Apple devices
• Some of the best earbuds for calls

• Poor individual battery life for long sessions
• Some peers prefer the regular AirPods

You either like the way AirPods fit or you don't. Personally, I hated them. At least until the AirPods Pro 2—the first ones with interchangeable rubber tips. It's been a controversial decision around the Esquire office, but I agree with the general consensus across the internet that these are the best AirPods for smaller ears. At very least, it's the only one that offers a variety of fits via the changeable ear tips.

In addition to the seamless iPhone pairing that we all love AirPods for, these also boast more dynamic sound than even the new AirPods 4. It's also got more advanced and extreme noise cancelling. Really some high tech buds. Honestly, so high tech that they won't last you for more than five or (at most) six hours before you need to charge them again.

At Esquire, our testing process and combined expertise allow us to recommend the best tech for your hard-earned money. Whatever the product, we've tried it, and if we loved it you'll know soon enough. Whether that's in our annual awards or best of lists like these, our product reviews and gift guides are compiled by performing heavy research and testing, and the gadgets we choose to award are the ones we'd spend our own money on.