I tested 30 headphones in 2025 - these are the 4 sets I'd buy with my own money

I tested 30 pairs of headphones in 2025, and these are the 4 I still want to use Features (Image credit: Future) (Image credit: Future) (Image credit: Future) Tom Bedford published Narrowing the bunch to a wishlist Over the course of 2025 I tested a pleasingly-round 30 pairs of headphones and earbuds for TechRadar - the site’s esteemed audio editor is apparently responsible for keeping my rent paid - but of that bunch, there are four that I still really want to use. During that trip around the sun I’ve used plenty of over-ear headphones , in-ear earbuds and open-ear exercise buds , and loads of other audio gadgets which don’t count towards that grand total (because you don’t put them on your face). The best Bluetooth speakers are something for another article. But these four are the ones which I’ll remember as the highlights of the year, some of which I’ve used almost daily since the review period ended, and others which I’ve yearned for after returning them to TechRadar towers. Okay: they’re not the only four I’ve enjoyed. Honourable mentions go to the Huawei FreeArc for having great audio for open-ears, the JLab Go Pods ANC for showing just what you can get on a super-low budget, the OnePlus Buds 4 for bringing fantastic ANC to a non-Bose product and the Skullcandy Method 360 for offering fun audio and a runner design. But enough with the runner-ups. Shokz OpenDots One: the best of a new trend I began the year testing a load of sports hook-style open earbuds, and quickly became a naysayer with the form factor owing to just how many audio compromises were made in the interests of allowing in surrounding sounds. That all changed when I started reviewing clipping open earbuds later in the year; the Shokz OpenDots One were the first and best, although I’ve never tested a bad pair and continue to use a cheaper alternative every time I exercise. The OpenDots clip into your ear easily and comfortably; I found them easy to forget, and didn’t have wear issues. That was pretty lovely coming off a run of sports-hook buds, which flap and flail when you run or go prone. Like other open-ears, they let in surrounding sound so I felt safe on a run somewhere busy, but because clip-ones put the earbud right in your ear, music still sounded great. Sign up for breaking news, reviews, opinion, top tech deals, and more. Of all the earbuds I’ve tested this year, the Shokz would be the ones I’d pick up any time I needed to work out - if I hadn’t handed them in after testing. I’ve tried to explain the perks of clipping open earbuds to people although I understand how bizarre they can look initially: they’re a hard sell (unless you love the ear cuff look, which I fully support). But if you can get past the aesthetic, I’d really recommend testing a pair with this novel form factor, because...

Preview: ~500 words