If you know where to look, there are often some great discounts available on Apple’s popular — yet oftentimes expensive — AirPods. Since Apple launched the third-gen AirPods last year, we’ve seen the starting price of the second-gen, entry-level models drop from $159 to $129. And now that you can buy the second-gen AirPods Pro and Black Friday is just around the corner, we’ll likely start seeing even better discounts on the last-gen Pro and other models.
If you can’t wait until then, though, fret not: we’re already beginning to see some good discounts ahead of the holiday season. Below, we’ve curated the best deals currently available on each model, including the entry-level AirPods, the AirPods Pro, the third-gen AirPods, and the AirPods Max.
The best entry-level AirPods (second-gen) deals
Last year, Apple lowered the list price of the second-gen AirPods — now the entry-level model — from $159 to $129. It now only sells the model with a wired charging case, however, which charges via a standard Lightning cable. Despite their age, we found that the easy-to-use, second-gen AirPods still offer great wireless performance and reliable battery life, making them a great pick if you can live without a wireless charging case.
Right now, you can purchase Apple’s most affordable pair of earbuds for $89.99 at Amazon, Targetand Walmart, which is about their all-time low price. You can also buy the model with the wireless charging case for $174.99 ($25 off) at Adorama.
The best AirPods (third-gen) deals
With support for the company’s MagSafe technology and an asking price of $179, Apple’s third-gen AirPods are often considered the middle child in Apple’s current AirPods lineup. The shorter stems make for a more subtle design, too, while improved sound and features like sweat and water resistance, support for spatial audio with dynamic head tracking, and improved battery life rendering them a nice improvement over the last-gen model.
In September, Apple quietly introduced a new option for the third-gen AirPods that comes with a Lightning-only charging case, one that retails for $10 less than the option with a MagSafe charging case. However, given you can currently buy the first-gen AirPods Pro with noise cancellation for the same price (about $169.99), we suggest buying those instead. We would not recommend buying the AirPods with a Lightning-only charging case regardless, as the MagSafe-compatible model is regularly on sale for less than the MSRP. Right now, for instance, you can buy them for around $169 ($10 off) at Amazon, Targetand .
The best AirPods Pro deals
In case you missed it, Apple announced the second-gen AirPods Pro during its “Far Out” event in September, a pair of earbuds that feature a similar build to the first-gen model but offer better noise cancellation. They also sport swipe-based controls, come with Apple’s new H2 chip, and feature an extra-small pair of swappable silicone ear tips for smaller ears. They arrived a little over a month ago, but they’re already on sale at Amazon and Walmart for $239 instead of $249. Read our review.
If the second-gen AirPods Pro are too expensive for you, rest assured that we often see discounts on the first-gen AirPods Pro. They have better sound quality than the non-premium models listed above, as well as active noise cancellation. They also come with swappable silicone tips — albeit three, not four — and support Apple’s spatial audio feature, which adds an immersive surround sound effect to select content.
Last year, Apple launched a new configuration of the AirPods Pro with a wireless charging case that supports Apple’s MagSafe technology, just like the third-gen AirPods. The noise-cancelling, MagSafe-ready earbuds typically retail for $249, but they’re currently available at Best Buy and Walmart for $169.99, which is $10 shy of their all-time low price.
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The best AirPods Max deals
The AirPods Max aren’t the iconic in-ears that have become synonymous with the AirPods name. They’re large and luxurious, comprised of aluminum, steel, and mesh fabric that remains comfortable during extended listening sessions. They also sport excellent noise cancellation, Apple’s spatial audio feature, and wide, balanced sound, even if they lag behind some of their peers when it comes to bass response. They’re not the best noise-canceling headphones for most people — blame the $550 sticker price — but it’s hard to find a pair of Bluetooth headphones that sound better and feature more intuitive controls.
Although Woot and other retailers have discounted the AirPods Max to as low as $409 in the past, prices have since increased across the board. Right now, for instance, the noise-canceling headphones are only on sale at Amazon and Walmart in select colors for $449.99. If you’re lucky enough to live close to a Micro Center, however, you can pick them up for $369.99.