The best deals on AirPods that are too good to miss

Bluetooth headphones have come a long way since the early 2010s, when unreliable sound and connectivity issues were the norm. Today, wireless earbuds are everywhere, with Apple‘s AirPods leading the charge.

Now, nearly a decade after their debut, Apple is on its fourth generation of AirPods – available with or without active noise cancellation. Released in September 2024, they run alongside the company’s flagship AirPods Pro 2, which were first launched in 2022, and are continuously updated with new features.

While finding cheap AirPods deals can be challenging, third-party retailers often run sales on Apple’s earbuds, and we’ve seen discounts across all three models in the past. We’re constantly on the lookout for the best AirPods bargains, including on the AirPods Max. Having reviewed every pair, we can confidently vouch for their performance. They’re a smart investment, especially when they’re on sale. Keep reading to discover how you can snag a pair at a more affordable price.

With impressive sound and noticeably better noise cancellation than the first-generation pro earbuds, the AirPods Pro 2 also feature touch controls on the buds themselves. In his review, tech critic David Phelan said: “Noise-cancelling was good enough to reduce continuous sounds such as engine noise on a train”.

Now, you can save £40 while they’re discounted at Currys. We’ve spotted other retailers with this offer too, including Laptops Direct and Very.

The AirPods 4 are rarely discounted, but right now, you can pick up the AirPods 4 with active noise cancellation with a modest discount at Laptops Direct. In his review, tech critic David Phelan said that music quality with the AirPods 4 was “exemplary, even with noise-cancelling off, offering decent breadth of sound and fidelity in vocals and mid-range notes”. He added that he found the buds themselves to be “amazingly small and light”.

This is an excellent deal on the Apple AirPods Max. Priced at £499 elsewhere, they’re currently discounted to £457.97 at Laptops Direct. In my review, I found that “They cover your ears so fully that you get an exceedingly good amount of passive noise cancellation without even having to turn on ANC – even better than some of the active noise-cancelling headphones we’ve tried.” I loved their “spatial audio” – a feature which means sounds come from all directions around your head.

Want to read more about Apple’s newest pair of earbuds? Head to our review of the AirPods 3rd gen