Apple’s AirPods wireless headphones offer an iconic look, exceptional convenience, and strong audio quality. They come with a premium price tag, however, so it’s important to shop around for a good deal… or find a bunch of tech experts who’ll do this for you. That’s where we come in.
In this article, we round up the best AirPods discounts and bundle deals to help you save money. We’ve got the best prices on the 3rd-gen AirPods that were released in October 2021, the 2nd-gen AirPods Pro that launched in September 2022 as well as the updated 2nd-gen AirPods Pro with USB-C that launched in September 2023, and the premium AirPods Max over-ear headphones from 2020. We’ve also got bargain deals on some older models, such as the early-2019 second-gen AirPods, where stock is still available.
Here are quick links to the best deals; you’ll find more detailed advice and price comparisons for each model further down.
U.S.
- Amazon, AirPods (2nd gen): $99 ($30 off, MSRP $129)
- Amazon, AirPods (3rd gen, wired case): $149 ($20 off, MSRP $169)
- Amazon, AirPods Pro (2nd gen, USB-C): $189 ($60 off, MSRP $249)
- Amazon, AirPods Max: $529 ($20 off, MSRP $549)
U.K.
- eBuyer, AirPods (3rd gen, MagSafe case): £171.64 (£7.36 off, RRP £179)
Right now we aren’t seeing many deals in the U.K.; there were some moderate savings to be had shortly before Christmas but most of these have now disappeared. In fact, we’d advise readers to hold off on buying a set of AirPods, if that’s an option, until decent discounts come back.
How much do AirPods cost?
Some changes were announced at Apple’s September 2023 launch event, so make sure you’re up to date with the latest prices.
- AirPods Max: $549 / £499 (was £549)
- 2nd-gen AirPods Pro with USB-C (2023): $249 / £229 (2nd-gen AirPods Pro with Lightning was $249 / £239)
- 3rd-gen AirPods with Lightning (2021): $169 / £169 (was £179)
- 3rd-gen AirPods with MagSafe (2021): $179 / £179 (was £189)
- 2nd-gen AirPods (2019): $129 / £129 (was £139)
You should never pay more than the price above: we’ve seen unscrupulous retailers claim the MSRP/RRP is higher and work out ‘savings’ based on that.
Remember to take delivery and postage fees into account when evaluating deals; we include it in our list of prices but most retailers won’t add it until you’re at the checkout. And watch out for deals that seem too good to be true, but turn out to have no stock. We see this a lot.
Good AirPods deals are rare and tend not to last long. If you see one (and you’re sure the supplier is legit: look it up on TrustPilot if you’ve not bought from there before), grab it.
Best AirPods deals
Apple sells two sets of basic AirPods: the 3rd-gen model introduced in 2021 and the 2nd-gen model from 2019. Best Buy is worth a look for some worthwhile savings in the U.S., while U.K. customers can save a little money across the range. The 1st-gen AirPods have long been discontinued.
You can buy direct from Apple, but you’ll find the best prices elsewhere in the automated tables below.
AirPods (3rd gen, 2021, MagSafe) deals
Apple updated the ultra-popular AirPods in October 2021, after a wait of more than two and a half years. The new models feature a more Pro-like design and a MagSafe-compatible charging case; they also have improved battery life and water resistance, and support for Spatial Audio. Get all the info you need in our AirPods 3 review.
MSRP: $179 / £179 (was £189 in the U.K. prior to September 2023)
AirPods (3rd gen, 2021, Lightning) deals
There is also a cheaper version of the AirPods 3rd generation with a case that has to be charged via Lightning, rather than wirelessly.
MSRP: $169 / £169 (was £179 in the U.K. until September 2023)
AirPods (2nd gen, 2019) deals
Apple still sells the older version of the AirPods. Note that this version of the AirPods comes with an Lightning charging case that needs to be plugged in, as opposed to the wireless MagSafe charging case. (You can buy a wireless charging case separately, however.)
Check the automated table below for any deals that have popped up since we last updated this article.
MSRP: $129 / £129 (U.K. price was £139 prior to September 2023)
Best AirPods Pro deals
The AirPods Pro came out in 2019, but a 2nd-gen version was released in September 2022. Rather than introduce the third generation in 2023, Apple instead tweaked the 2nd gen AirPods Pro in 2023 to support USB-C for charging (including charging via the iPhone 15) For a while both the Lightning and USB-C powered AirPods Pro will be on sale, so be sure to make sure you are getting the model you want. The comparison tables below gather the lowest prices on the AirPods Pro 1st and 2nd gen Lightning and 2nd gen USB-C, so you can be sure not to miss out on any appealing deals.
AirPods Pro (2nd gen, 2023, USB-C) deals
This is the 2023 version with USB-C charging. You can also use an iPhone 15 to charge the case.
MSRP: $249 / £229
AirPods Pro (2nd gen, 2022, Lightning) deals
This is the older version with a Lightning port for charging the case. You may still find them on sale.
MSRP was $249 / £249
AirPods Pro (1st gen, 2019) deals
You may still find the original AirPods Pro on sale at a discount–make sure you factor in if they are refurbished before you decide it’s a good discount. But stock is starting to run short. If you don’t see a price-comparison table below, that means there are no deals at all in your region.
MSRP was $249 / £239
Best AirPods Max deals
Right now, the AirPods Max are available to buy directly from Apple for $549 / £499 (they were £549 in the U.K. before September 2023).
Find the latest prices in our automated table embedded below. For some time now, we’ve been seeing third-party retailers undercut Apple by a significant margin.
For an in-depth look at your options here, read Where to buy AirPods Max.
Other ways to save: AirPods Bundle deals
The best way to get a good price on AirPods may be to bundle them with a phone, although this is mainly an option in the U.K.
Phone network Three offers a variety of bundles that include the AirPods. Visit the company’s accessories page to browse the best options for you.
EE also lets you add AirPods to your plan for £16 a month spread over 11 months plus a £10 upfront fee. That’s the Lightning version, by the way. The AirPods Pro, including a MagSafe case, are £22 a month with a £5 upfront fee. In each case you’ll need to click Apple, then your choice of AirPods model.
Vodafone and O2 aren’t currently bundling the AirPods with their iPhone plans, although O2 sells the 2021 AirPods, the early-2019 AirPods and the 2022 AirPods Pro on their own.
Whichever bundle you go for, remember to check if you’re getting the AirPods Pro, the early-2019 AirPods (sometimes called the second gen or AirPods 2) or the new 2021 AirPods (third-gen or AirPods 3). If you’re getting the AirPods Pro, find out if they include the new MagSafe charging case.
AirPods buying advice
Wondering if a pair of AirPods is right for you? We have a guide to the Best AirPods, and you could read AirPods Pro vs AirPods to find out how the models compare, but let’s quickly discuss the pros and cons.
Apple has launched various AirPods versions, several of which are still on sale:
- 1st-gen AirPods (2016), discontinued
- 2nd-gen AirPods (2019)
- 1st-gen AirPods Pro (2019), discontinued
- 3rd-gen AirPods (2021), Lightning and Magsafe variants
- 2nd-gen AirPods Pro (2022/2023), Lightning and USB-C variants
- AirPods Max (2020)
All four non-Max models are wireless, sitting in your ears and in theory staying there through snugness of fit alone. The advantages of this are clear–they allow you to go running or work out without worrying about snagging the cables–but they may fall out once you pick up the pace. Our experience, however, is that the AirPods are among the best earbuds around in this regard.
The AirPods Pro offer a snugger fit than the others because they have a choice of flexible ear tips, and are actually able to tell you whether you’ve selected the right tip or not.
Sound quality is decent but not exceptional on the original and early-2019 models; the 2021 AirPods are better, while the AirPods Pro are a step above thanks in part to their better fit and implementation of active noise cancellation. What AirPods consistently do better than non-Apple headphones is coordinate with other Apple products, thanks to the W1 chip (in the 2016 model) and H1 chip (2019 and 2021) which makes pairing with an iPhone a breeze.
Battery-wise, most non-Max AirPods will last around five hours, but that’s not the end of the story: they come with a little charging case with its own larger battery, so you can pop them back in for a quick charge. The case should offer another 24 hours (give or take) before it’ll require charging. The 2021 AirPods, however, offer more in this department, with claimed figures of six hours out of the case and 30 hours in total. We’ve got some advice on getting better AirPods battery life.
Apple’s 2019 AirPods can respond to Hey Siri commands, charge wirelessly if you opt for the Wireless Charging Case, and offer more talk time than the originals. Those features are kept in the 2021 models, with Spatial Audio and Adaptive EQ added to the mix.
The AirPods Max are over-ear headphones and essentially a completely different product to the rest of the AirPods range. They are a lot more expensive and a totally different proposition to the other AirPods. Audio quality is almost universally considered to be exceptional, but it’s debatable whether it’s exceptional enough to justify that premium price tag. And many reviewers have pointed out that the case is oddly designed, given that the one part of the headphones that it doesn’t protect–the mesh headband–is the one that’s most vulnerable to damage.
The AirPods Max are an appealing prospect, but may not be practical for most budgets.
For more detailed advice and thoughts on the best alternatives to Apple’s three cheaper AirPods models, read our guides to the Best wireless earbuds and the best wired headphones.
Apple Inc, Headphones, Home Audio