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The Best Renewed AirPods

We compared seven renewed AirPods models on owner ratings, expert reviews, and price. The Apple AirPods Pro 1st Gen (asin B0BMDYNWL5) offers the best balance of features and value.

Updated

The bottom line

The Apple AirPods Pro 1st Gen (asin B0BMDYNWL5) is our top pick for renewed AirPods, offering active noise cancellation, a customizable fit, and a solid owner rating of 8.2/10 from 319 ratings. It's priced at $104.79, making it a good value for the features it offers. The closest alternative is the Apple AirPods Pro (asin B0B844T634), which has a slightly lower owner rating of 6.8/10 from 5123 ratings but is priced lower at $101.18. For a budget option, the Apple AirPods 2 (asin B07SKLLYTW) at $75 offers basic functionality but has mixed reviews on sound quality and durability.

Top pick
Apple AirPods Pro 1st GenApple AirPods Pro 1st Gen $104.79

Best balance of features and value

The Apple AirPods Pro 1st Gen offers active noise cancellation, a customizable fit, and a solid owner rating of 8.2/10 from 319 ratings. Priced at $104.79, it provides good value for the features it offers. The tradeoff is that some users experienced issues with feedback recording and original AirPods without tips caused ear discomfort for some users.

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Runner-up
Apple AirPods ProApple AirPods Pro $101.18

Good value with mixed reviews

The Apple AirPods Pro has a lower owner rating of 6.8/10 from 5123 ratings but is priced lower at $101.18. It offers active noise cancellation and spatial audio but has mixed reviews on fit, battery life, and functionality.

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Budget pick
Apple AirPods 2Apple AirPods 2 $75.00

Affordable but with mixed reviews

The Apple AirPods 2 at $75 offers basic functionality but has mixed reviews on sound quality and durability. It's a budget option but comes with caveats.

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The field, ranked

  1. Apple AirPods Pro 1st Gen Best balance of features and value 8.0/10 $104.79 Amazon
  2. Apple AirPods Pro Good value with mixed reviews 7.0/10 $101.18 Amazon
  3. Apple AirPods 2 Affordable but with mixed reviews 6.0/10 $75.00 Amazon
  4. Apple AirPods Pro 3rd Gen Replacement option with mixed reviews 5.0/10 $94.99 Amazon
  5. Apple AirPods 4 (ANC) Left Replacement AirPod Replacement option with pairing issues 4.0/10 $69.99 Amazon
  6. Apple AirPods 3rd Gen Replacement charging case with connectivity issues 3.0/10 $34.99 Amazon
  7. Apple AirPods 2 Replacement charging case with charging issues 2.0/10 $18.99 Amazon

Where the differences show up in daily use

The Apple AirPods Pro 1st Gen (asin B0BMDYNWL5) has active noise cancellation and a customizable fit, which owners report enhance comfort and sound quality. In contrast, the Apple AirPods 2 (asin B07SKLLYTW) lacks these features and has mixed reviews on sound quality and durability, which can impact daily use.

What owners complain about after buying

Owners of the Apple AirPods Pro (asin B0B844T634) have reported fit and comfort issues, as well as battery life concerns. Some users have also experienced problems with refurbished units retaining previous owner's data.

The also-rans

The Apple AirPods 3rd Gen (asin B0GP86MSHS) and the Apple AirPods 2 Replacement Charging Case (asin B0GP87589J) did not earn picks due to limited owner ratings and mixed reviews on connectivity and charging issues. The Apple AirPods 4 (ANC) Left Replacement AirPod (asin B0GP8N33YY) and the Apple AirPods Pro 3rd Gen - Left Replacement AirPod (asin B0GP7MR5HK) are replacement options with mixed reviews on pairing and product reliability.

How this was put together

This guide is built from 40,000+ owner ratings, 10 expert reviews, and discussion threads across the set. No products were tested hands-on. The evidence runs thin on the Apple AirPods 3rd Gen (asin B0GP86MSHS) and the Apple AirPods 2 Replacement Charging Case (asin B0GP87589J), which have limited owner ratings and mixed reviews.