Wireless earbuds are everywhere these days thanks to Apple killing off the headphone jack in 2016 so it could sell AirPods to iPhone customers. Thanks a bunch, Apple.
Every smartphone maker copied Apple, so now, oddly, you only really get headphone jacks on budget smartphones. If your phone doesn’t have the beloved jack, you’ll need wireless headphones of some description to keep the tunes coming in 2025.
I’ve been a tech reviewer for close to a decade, and in that time have reviewed scores of wireless earbuds. I’d say I have used about 30 different pairs at least, from the outrageously expensive to the cheap-as-chips.
While I love premium buds such as the Bose QuietComfort Ultra, my favourite current set of earbuds doesn’t cost the earth. Their RRP is £89, and right now they are on sale at Argos for just £69 – a true bargain.
The earbuds are the Nothing Ear (a), an oddly named and flashily-designed earbuds from Nothing, a UK-based tech firm. The brand is known for its well-priced phones with lights and transparent designs, but its affordable earbuds deserve just as much praise.
I regularly reach for the Nothing Ear (a) instead of my AirPods Pro 2 and various other earbuds I am lucky enough to have at my disposal at the moment that cost at least double what Nothing is charging.
View the Nothing Ear (a) at Argos
That’s because, most importantly, they are extremely comfortable for my ears. My ear canals are quite small, but something about the Nothing Ear (a) just works for me. I’d much rather this than jam other buds in my ears that hurt after an hour or so.
I also love the pocketable case, which is smaller and slimmer than competing buds’. It’s these two things, alongside the eye-catching design, that keep me coming back.
Sound quality is stellar, and the noise cancellation, while not on par with the most expensive earbuds, is very good. It’s far better than the price point suggests, as is the transparency mode that lets you hear the world around you.
Nothing promises 42 hours of battery overall when the case is fully charged, which is more than enough for me to only charge these once a week (if that). There’s no wireless charging in the case, but I don’t mind that as a cable is always quicker.
Unfortunately, Argos doesn’t stock the natty yellow version I have of the Nothing Ear (a) but you can still choose between the more subtle black or white versions.