Apple AirPods Wireless Earphones offer iconic looks, exceptional convenience and excellent audio quality. However, they come at a hefty price, so it’s important to hunt for a good deal…or find a group of tech experts who will do it for you. This is where we come in.
In this article, we round up the best AirPods discounts and bundles to help you save money. We’ve got the best prices on 3rd Gen AirPods released in October 2021, new 2nd Gen AirPods Pro released in September 2022, and premium AirPods Max over-ear headphones of 2020. We’ve also negotiated deals on some older models , such as the second-generation AirPods from early 2019, where stock is still available.
Here are quick links to the best deals; you will find more detailed advice and price comparisons for each model below.
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Best AirPods deals
Apple sells two base sets of AirPods: the latest 3rd-gen model introduced in 2021 (MSRP $179 in the US and RRP £189 in the UK) and the 2nd-gen model from 2019 ($129/ £139). Best Buy is worth a look for great savings in the US, while UK customers can save a little money across the range.
AirPods deals (3rd generation, 2021)
Apple finally updated the ultra-popular AirPods in October 2021, after waiting more than two and a half years. The new models feature a more Pro design and a MagSafe-compatible charging case; they also have improved battery life and water resistance, as well as support for spatial audio. Get all the info you need in our AirPods 3 review.
You can buy direct from Apple, but you’ll find the best prices elsewhere in the automated table below. For specific advice, read our guide on where to buy AirPods 3. There are two 3rd-gen AirPods available – if you want the MagSafe charging option, that costs a bit more.
AirPods (3rd Gen, 2021, Lightning; MSRP $169 / £179)
$169.00
$169.99
B&H Photography
Not available
AirPods (3rd Gen, 2021, Magsafe; MSRP $179 / £189)
$179.00
$179.00
B&H Photography
Not available
AirPods deals (2nd generation, 2019)
Note that this version of the AirPods comes with a Lightning charging case that needs to be plugged in, as opposed to the MagSafe wireless charging case. (You can, however, purchase a wireless charging case separately.)
Check out the automated table below for all the deals that have popped up since this article was last updated.
AirPods (2nd Gen, 2019; MSRP $129 / £139)
$99.99
$129.00
B&H Photography
Not available
Best AirPods Pro deals
The AirPods Pro were released in 2019, but a new version was released in September 2022. There are some great deals to be had on older models. The comparison charts below round up the lowest prices on the 1st and 2nd generation AirPods Pro, so you can be sure you won’t miss any great deals.
AirPods Pro (2nd Gen, 2022) deals
Apple launched the second-generation AirPods Pro alongside the iPhone 14 in September 2022.
AirPods Pro (2nd Gen, 2022; MSRP $249 / £249)
$257.36
$259.00
$259.00
$259.00
$259.00
$264.41
$264.78
$274.99
$278.99
$299.00
AirPods Pro (1st Gen, 2019) deals
You can still find the original AirPods Pro on sale at a discount – be sure to consider whether they’re refurbished before deciding that’s a good discount. But the stock is starting to run out. If you don’t see a price comparison table below, it means there are no offers in your area.
AirPods Pro (1st gen, 2019; was $249 / £239)
$219.99
B&H Photography
Not available
Best AirPods Max deals
Right now, the AirPods Max are available to buy directly from Apple for $549 / £549.
Find the latest prices in our integrated automated table below. For a while now, we’ve seen third-party retailers undercut Apple by a significant margin.
AirPods Max (MSRP $549 / £549)
For an in-depth look at your options here, read Where to buy AirPods Max.
How to Get a Good Deal on AirPods
AirPods bargains are rare and tend not to last long. If you see one (and you’re sure the provider is legit: look it up on TrustPilot if you’ve never bought there before), grab it.
- The recommended price for the AirPods Max is $549 / £549.
- For the AirPods Pro, it’s $249 / £239.
- For 2021 AirPods with Lightning, it’s $169 / £179. With MagSafe it’s $179 / £189.
- For the early 2019 AirPods, it’s $129 / £119.
You should never pay more than these prices: we’ve seen unscrupulous retailers claim the MSRP/RRP is higher and calculate “savings” based on that.
The 2016 AirPods were pulled from sale as soon as the early 2019 models were released, so they never officially got a price cut from their $159/£159 launch price. But if you go for these much older models, you shouldn’t even be paying $100. If you can’t find a good deal, go for the newer ones instead.
Remember to factor in delivery and postage costs when evaluating offers; we include it in our price list, but most retailers won’t add it until you checkout. And watch out for deals that seem too good to be true, but turn out to have no stock. We see that a lot.
Bundles
The best way to get a good price on AirPods may be to bundle them with a phone, although that’s mainly an option in the UK.
Three offers a variety of plans that include AirPods. Visit the company’s accessories page to browse the best options for you.
EE lets you add AirPods to your plan for £16 per month spread over 11 months plus an upfront fee of £10. It’s the Lightning version, by the way. AirPods Pro, including a MagSafe case, cost £22 per month with an upfront fee of £5. In each case, you’ll need to click Apple, then your choice of AirPods model.
Vodafone and O2 do not currently bundle AirPods with their iPhone plans, although O2 only sells 2021 AirPods, Early 2019 AirPods and 2022 AirPods Pro.
Whichever plan you choose, be sure to check if you’re getting the AirPods Pro, the early 2019 AirPods (sometimes called the second generation or AirPods 2), or the new 2021 AirPods (third generation or AirPods 3). If you buy the AirPods Pro, find out if they include the new MagSafe charging case.
AirPods Buying Tips
Wondering if a pair of AirPods is right for you? Let’s discuss the pros and cons.
There have been five models of in-ear AirPods, several of which are still on sale, there are also the over-ear AirPods Max:
- the original 1st generation AirPods (2016), dropped
- THE 2nd Generation AirPods (2019), $129 / £139
- THE 1st generation AirPods Pro (2019), dropped
- THE 3rd generation AirPods (2021), Lightning: $169/£179, MagSafe: $179/£189
- THE 2nd Generation AirPods Pro (2022), $249 / £249
- AirPods Max (2020), $549 / £549
All four non-Max models are wireless, sitting in your ears and in theory staying there thanks to a snug fit. The benefits of this are clear – they let you run or train without worrying about snagging cables – but they can fall off once you pick up the pace. Our experience, however, is that the AirPods are some of the best headphones in this regard.
The AirPods Pro offer a tighter fit than others because they have a choice of flexible ear tips and are actually able to tell you whether you have selected the correct tip or not.
Sound quality is decent but not exceptional on the original and early 2019 models; the AirPods Pro are a cut above thanks in part to their better fit and the implementation of active noise cancellation. (We haven’t tested the audio quality of the 2021 AirPods yet, but Apple, as always, talks about a good game.) What AirPods still do better than non-Apple headphones is coordinate with other Apple products. , thanks to the W1 chip (in the 2016 model) and the H1 chip (2019 and 2021) which facilitates pairing with an iPhone.
Battery-wise, most non-Max AirPods will last around five hours, but that’s not the end of the story: they come with a small charging case with its own larger battery, so you can snap them back in for a quick charge. The case should offer another 24 hours (more or less) before needing to be recharged. The 2021 AirPods offer more in this department, however, with claimed figures of six hours out of the case and 30 hours in total. We have some tips for improving AirPods battery life.
Apple’s 2019 AirPods can respond to Hey Siri commands, charge wirelessly if you opt for the wireless charging case, and offer more talk time than the originals. These features are retained in the 2021 models, with Spatial Audio and Adaptive EQ added to the mix.
The AirPods Max are over-ear headphones and essentially a completely different product to the rest of the AirPods line. They are much more expensive and a totally different proposition to other AirPods. The audio quality is almost universally rated as exceptional, but whether it’s exceptional enough to justify the high price is debatable. And many reviewers have pointed out that the case is oddly designed, given that the part of the headset it doesn’t protect – the mesh headband – is the one most vulnerable to damage.
The AirPods Max are an attractive prospect, but they’re unlikely to be practical for most budgets.
For more in-depth advice and thoughts on the best alternatives to Apple’s three cheaper AirPods models, read our guides to the best wireless headphones and best wired headphones.
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