Headphones and earbuds · Apple
Owners keep the AirPods 3 for strong noise cancellation and a fit that stays put through runs and workouts, though opinions on sound quality and comfort are divided.
Fit is clear praise. Several owners say these are the first AirPods that stay in their ears, including people who could never keep earlier Pro models in and now wear these for runs and gym sessions.
Owners are divided on sound quality. Some describe it as very good, with clarity that impressed them. Others found it middling next to rival earbuds, or kept them for the noise cancellation and not the sound.
AirPods (3rd generation) are Apple's wireless earbuds from 2021. They have an open fit that rests in the ear without silicone tips. They suit iPhone and other Apple device owners who want light everyday earbuds for music and calls.
| Type | Wireless in-ear earbuds (open fit, no ear tips) |
|---|---|
| Noise cancelling | |
| Battery life | Up to 6 hours per charge (5 hours with Spatial Audio on); up to 30 hours with the case |
| Charging | Lightning case or MagSafe case (MagSafe, Qi or Lightning); 5 minutes in case gives about 1 hour |
| Bluetooth and codecs | Bluetooth 5.0 |
| Weight | 4.28 g per earbud; case 37.91 g |
| Water resistance | IPX4 (earbuds and case) |
| Warranty |
From the maker's spec page, checked October 8, 2026. A blank row means the maker does not state it.
6 hours per charge covers a long workday of listening, and the case holds enough for about a week of normal use. IPX4 means sweat and rain splashes are fine, but they should not go in the pool or under a tap. At about 4 grams each, you barely notice them in your ears. Apple's spec page does not list noise cancelling, so expect to hear what is around you.
Newer model
AirPods 5 replaces this one. Apple says AirPods 5 have active noise cancelling for an open-fit design, which blocks up to 50 percent more noise than AirPods 4 with ANC. AirPods 3 have no noise cancelling. AirPods 5 charge over USB-C instead of Lightning, and the $149 Wireless Charging Case version also works with Qi and Apple Watch chargers. Apple says they are more resistant to dust, sweat and water. The model with the wireless case is rated for up to 5 hours per charge with noise cancelling on and 22 hours total with the case. The plain AirPods 5 cost $129.
Pick up to three. You get a page with just those, side by side, on the subjects owners raised.
The noise cancellation is what keeps winning people over. One owner took three premium sets on a trip and kept these over the other two because the noise cancellation was so good. Runners say the buds feel light enough that they forget they are wearing them, and they don't fall out mid-run.
The routine part is a small adjustment now and then to reseat a bud or bring the sound back to normal. Comfort is divided, though. Some owners found them comfortable for daily use, while others had ear pain within about an hour and went back to an older model. One owner also felt the price was hard to justify, saying an older pair of Galaxy Buds sounded and cancelled noise about as well.
There isn't much here yet on how these hold up over time. Battery life and durability each came up from only a handful of owners, which is too few to judge. Those accounts lean negative, but the battery comments mostly describe older AirPods wearing down after years of daily use, not this model.
The long-term evidence for the AirPods 3 is thin, and this page can't yet say how the battery or build hold up after a few years. One owner who got four and a half years out of an earlier pair hopes these will last as long. That is a hope, not a result, and the picture will change as more long-term accounts come in.
From 4 owner accounts that said how long they have had it. Own one? Add how long yours has lasted.
Counted from the owners who raised each subject, not from everyone. A subject is judged once at least 4 owners raise it.
17 more subjects came up from fewer than 4 owners each, which is not enough for a fair reading. To see how it stacks up, compare it with another machine.
The same owner, asked again at each point. Fills in as owners answer.
Two questions: how long you have had it, and anything you would like to say about it. Then we ask again as it ages. This helps our mission.
More in headphones and earbuds: Sennheiser Momentum 4, Sony XM6, Sennheiser M5.
Among the 4 owner accounts here that gave a duration, 1 described a failure. Parts named most: earbud.
Before you buy one used, ask the seller: how old it is, whether it was ever repaired and by whom, and whether any of the parts above have been replaced. Ask to see it run. A receipt tells you the warranty start date; most makers honour the term only for the first owner.
Public discussions we read and summarised in our own words. Nothing here was submitted to Still Kicks.
Counted from public accounts by people who said they own it, and summarised by Still Kicks in its own words. Not a manufacturer claim, a lab test or an estimate.
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