Best cheap AirPods deals and sales for December 2023

If you know where to look, there are often some great discounts available on Apple’s ever-popular AirPods. Since Apple launched the third-gen AirPods toward the end of 2021, we’ve seen the starting price of the second-gen, entry-level model slowly dip to around $100. And now that the second-gen AirPods Pro has been on the market for a year, we’re also seeing their price fall more often, too. We’re even seeing great deals land on the newer updated AirPods Pro with USB-C.

Here, we’ve curated the best deals currently available on each model, including the entry-level AirPods, the AirPods Pro, the third-gen AirPods, and the AirPods Max.

In 2021, Apple lowered the list price of the second-gen AirPods — now the entry-level model — from $159 to $129. It now only sells the model with a wired charging case, however, which charges via a standard Lightning cable. Despite their age, we found that the easy-to-use, second-gen AirPods still offer great wireless performance and reliable battery life, making them a great pick if you can live without a wireless charging case.

For Black Friday, Apple’s most affordable pair of earbuds dropped to an all-time low of $69 ($60 off) at Walmart and other retailers. At the moment, however, the second-gen earbuds are only on sale at Amazon and Walmart with a Lightning charging case for $99 ($30 off), a $30 increase. The model with the wireless charging case, meanwhile, is on sale at Adorama for $119.99 ($30 off).

Read our AirPods (second-gen) review.

With support for the company’s MagSafe technology and an asking price of $179, Apple’s third-gen AirPods are often considered the middle child in Apple’s current AirPods lineup. The shorter stems make for a more subtle design, too, while improved sound and features like sweat and water resistance, support for spatial audio with dynamic head tracking, and improved battery life render them a nice improvement over the last-gen model.

Last year, Apple quietly introduced a new, slightly cheaper option for the third-gen AirPods that comes with a Lightning-only charging case, which is currently available at Amazon and B&H Photo for $164 ($5 off) — a full $25 more than during Black Friday. Thankfully, you can also pick up the wireless earbuds with a MagSafe charging case at B&H Photo and Costco (if you’re a member) for $169.95, which is a mere $6 more and a better deal overall.

Read our AirPods (third-gen) review.

Apple announced the second-gen AirPods Pro during its “Far Out” event last year, a pair of earbuds that feature a similar build to the first-gen model but offer better noise cancellation. They also sport swipe-based controls, come with Apple’s new H2 chip, and feature an extra-small pair of swappable silicone ear tips for smaller ears.

During this year’s “Wonderlust” event Apple also announced an updated version of the AirPods Pro with a USB-C charging case. The buds also feature an upgraded IP54 rating for water and sweat resistance, as well as support for lossless audio when used with Apple’s forthcoming Vision Pro headset.

Right now, you can buy the updated AirPods Pro for $189.99 ($60 off) at Walmart, which matches the all-time low we first saw during Black Friday. They’re also currently in stock at Amazon, B&H Photo, and other retailers, though, in most instances, you’ll have to pay either $237.99 ($11 off) or their full retail price of $249.

Read our hands-on impressions of the AirPods Pro with USB-C.

The AirPods Max aren’t the iconic in-ears that have become synonymous with the AirPods name. They’re large and luxurious, comprised of aluminum, steel, and mesh fabric that remains comfortable during extended listening sessions. They also sport excellent noise cancellation, Apple’s spatial audio feature, and expansive, balanced sound, even if they lag behind some of their peers when it comes to bass response. They’re not the best noise-canceling headphones for most people, but it’s hard to find a pair of Bluetooth headphones that sound better and feature more intuitive controls.

Although Woot and other retailers have discounted the AirPods Max to as low as $409 in the past, prices have since increased across the board. That said, you can still buy the AirPods Max for $479.99 at both Amazon and Best Buy.

Read our AirPods Max review.