All three current in-ear AirPods are up to 32% off at Amazon – here's which pair you should buy

The AirPods 4 and AirPods Pro 2 in their charging cases standing side by side on a wooden surface with a hand out flat behind them.

(Image credit: Future)

Here's something you don't see every day: all three current AirPods models are on the end of generous discounts. At Amazon, the standard AirPods 4 are $100 (down from $129), the AirPods 4 with active noise cancellation are $149 (down from $179), and the flagship AirPods Pro 2 are $170 (down from $250).

That's the best price we've seen for the cheapest AirPods pair, although in December the ANC version was $10 less than it is now while the Pro 2 plummeted to $154 last Black Friday. Still, today's deals certainly aren't bad considering we are outside of the year's big sales events.

If you've been looking to upgrade your AirPods, now is a great time to snap up an AirPods deal. But if you're on the fence as to which pair is best value – and best for you – let us help...

So which pair should you buy? Your budget may well have narrowed your choice down to just one anyway, and if that is the case, the standard AirPods 4 are great buys, offering the latest AirPods 4 design, improved sound and call quality over the AirPods 3, and current AirPods features such as spatial audio and Audio Sharing.

But if noise cancelling and/or sound quality is important to you and you can spend a bigger chunk of cash, your decision will be between the two higher-priced models. We have a full AirPods 4 vs AirPods Pro 2 comparison, but in short we believe the flagship Pro 2 are the better buys – especially now that there is only $21 between the two pairs.

The AirPods Pro 2 are five-star performers, while our expert in-house reviews team gave the newer AirPods 4 with ANC a four-star rating. More specifically, the Pro 2 perform better in the sound or noise-cancelling departments and have a better in-bud battery life of six hours compared to four (with ANC activated).

If you prefer the AirPods' traditional 'open' design to an eartip one, however, the AirPods 4 with ANC will still serve you very well indeed, while giving you the opportunity to elsewhere spend (or save) that $21!

MORE: Check out our guide to the best wireless earbuds for every budget

Becky is the managing editor of What Hi-Fi? and, since her recent move to Melbourne, also the editor of the brand's sister magazines Down Under – Australian Hi-Fi and Audio Esoterica. During her 11+ years in the hi-fi industry, she has reviewed all manner of audio gear, from budget amplifiers to high-end speakers, and particularly specialises in headphones and head-fi devices. In her spare time, Becky can often be found running, watching Liverpool FC and horror movies, and hunting for gluten-free cake.