Wireless and Bluetooth earbuds: how to choose the right pair in 2026
What matters when you choose
The best wireless earbuds for you depend on three things: where you wear them (for sport, at the office, on a plane), how much of your surroundings you want to hear and how many hours the battery has to last. Below is what each figure on the box means, and a comparison of the 8 TESNA earbud models, from 59 to 199 lei.
In short
For running and the gym: open-ear hook earbuds, such as the TESNA GOG100 or TESNA GOJ05.
For the office and calls all day: light open-ear earbuds, such as the TESNA EA16.
For planes, trains and the metro: active noise cancelling earbuds, such as the TESNA Ultra.
For small ears or for sleeping: the TESNA Free7, 3.9 g a bud.
For a small budget and phone games: the TESNA GTA02, 69 lei, with a gaming mode.
Wireless or Bluetooth earbuds: what is the difference?
In practice, none. "Wireless" means without a cable, which is why many shops also call them cordless earbuds, and Bluetooth is the technology almost all wireless earbuds use to connect to the phone. When you search for "wireless earbuds" or "Bluetooth earbuds", you are looking for the same thing. The real difference is between the types of earbuds, not between the two words.
True wireless earbuds (in-ear)
Two separate buds, with no wire between them, that go into the ear and charge in a pocket case. The silicone tips block outside noise, and many models also have active noise cancelling. They are the smallest and the most common. See TESNA true wireless earbuds.
Open-ear earbuds
The speaker sits in front of the ear, not in it. You hear the music, but also the cars, your colleagues or the announcements at the station. They are a good choice for running on the street and for anyone who cannot stand ear tips. They hold on with a hook, with a clip, or simply rest on the ear. How they differ from bone conduction headphones is explained in Air conduction or bone conduction.
Over-ear headphones
They cover the whole ear and have the biggest drivers and batteries. They suit long journeys and the commute, less so sport. Details in Over-ear headphones for the commute and the metro.
Battery life
The box shows two figures: how long the earbuds last on one charge, and how long they last in all with the top-ups from the case. "10 h + 32 h" means 10 hours of continuous music and another 32 hours from the case, so 42 hours in all. For an office day you need at least 6–8 hours on a charge. With ANC on, battery life drops.
Water and sweat resistance
The IP code shows how well the earbuds are protected. IPX4 handles splashes and sweat, IPX5 water jets too, so it is safer for running in the rain. Neither means you can swim with them. Every code is explained in What IPX4, IPX5, IP55 and IP67 mean.
Active noise cancelling (ANC)
Microphones in the earbuds listen to the noise around you and cancel it with an inverted signal. It works best on steady noise, such as a plane's engines or a train, and less well on voices. The figure in decibels (for example "up to 50 dB") shows how much noise it cuts at most. Adaptive ANC means the earbuds set the strength themselves. More in What adaptive ANC means.
The Bluetooth codec: SBC, AAC or LDAC
The codec decides how much audio information gets from the phone to the earbuds. SBC works everywhere. AAC is the codec iPhone uses. LDAC carries higher-resolution sound, but works only on compatible Android phones, not on iPhone. If you have an iPhone, look for AAC; if you have Android and care about quality, look for LDAC. Details in LDAC, AAC and SBC.
The Bluetooth version and multipoint
Newer versions (5.3, 5.4) keep the connection steadier and use less battery. Any 5.x version is enough for music and calls.
Multipoint earbuds stay connected to two devices at once, for example your laptop and your phone. It helps if you work from home or at the office. See What multipoint is.
Latency, if you play on your phone
Latency is the delay between picture and sound. You do not notice it in films, but you do in games. A gaming mode lowers it; the TESNA GTA02 get down to about 60 ms. More in Bluetooth earbuds for phone gaming.
Weight and fit
An in-ear bud under 5 grams is not felt after a few minutes. If you have small ears, look for XS tips in the box, as with the TESNA Free7. If you wear glasses or a bike helmet, a clip model such as the TESNA Ola 1 does not clash with the arms of your glasses. See Earbuds for small ears.
How much to spend on wireless earbuds
Under 100 lei: open-ear sport earbuds and true wireless earbuds with good battery life, Bluetooth 5.3–5.4 and sweat resistance. No ANC.
Between 100 and 200 lei: active noise cancelling arrives and, at the top, adaptive ANC and LDAC.
More tips for small budgets in Budget wireless earbuds: what you get and what to check.
Comparison: TESNA wireless earbuds
Model · type · total battery · resistance · weight per bud · price
GOJ05 · open-ear hook · 32 h · IPX4 · 8.1 g · 59 lei
GTA02 · true wireless, gaming mode · 36 h · IPX4 · 4.6 g · 69 lei
GOG100 · open-ear hook · 42 h · IPX5 · 9.4 g · 79 lei
Ola 1 · open-ear clip · 36 h · IPX5 · 6.8 g · 89 lei
GTA18 · true wireless, display, Qi · 40 h · IPX4 · 4.8 g · 89 lei
EA16 · open-ear for the office · 34 h · IPX4 · 7.4 g · 99 lei
Free7 · true wireless, 38 dB ANC · 30 h · IPX5 · 3.9 g · 109 lei
Ultra · true wireless, 50 dB adaptive ANC, LDAC · 40 h · IPX4 · 5.3 g · 199 lei
All of them connect to iPhone and Android, with delivery in 1–3 days, 14-day returns and a 12-month warranty.
Common mistakes
Choosing by total battery alone. How long they last on one charge matters more.
Buying LDAC for an iPhone. iPhone does not use it; AAC is enough.
Running on the street with ANC earbuds. You do not hear the cars. For the street, choose open-ear.
Ignoring tip size. A tip that is too big hurts; one that is too small lets noise in and loses the bass.