The best AirPods deals for December 2024

If you know where to look, you can often score discounts on Apple’s ever-expanding AirPods lineup. The new AirPods 4 and the updated AirPods Max are just starting to receive discounts, while both the second- and third-gen AirPods often go on sale. The same goes for the original Max headphones, which are nearly indistinguishable from the previous model aside from the switch to a USB-C connector.

Here, we’ve rounded up the best deals currently available on each model, including the second-gen and third-gen AirPods, both iterations of the AirPods 4, the latest AirPods Pro with USB-C, and the last-gen AirPods Max.

Before they were discontinued alongside the AirPods 4 announcement, the second-gen AirPods were Apple’s entry-level earbuds. Despite being released in 2019, they still offer terrific wireless performance, great ease of use, and reliable battery life, making them a solid pick if you can live without a wireless charging case or some of the more advanced software features afforded by Apple’s newer H2 chip.

The second-gen AirPods originally launched for $159; however, Apple eventually lowered their list price to $129, and we now often see them on sale for far less. Right now, for instance, you can buy them for $89 ($49 off) at Walmart.

Read our AirPods (second-gen) review.

With support for the company’s MagSafe charger and an asking price of $179, Apple’s third-gen AirPods were once considered the middle child in the AirPods lineup. The shorter stems made for a more subtle design, too, while improved sound and features like sweat and water resistance, support for head-tracking spatial audio, and improved battery life rendered them a nice upgrade over their predecessor.

However, the AirPods 4 and AirPods 4 with Active Noise Cancellation have since replaced the third-gen AirPods in Apple’s lineup. The new earbuds run $129 and $179, respectively, with the step-up model offering a few perks once reserved for the Pro models, including ANC, a helpful transparency mode, and a case with a built-in speaker. You can also squeeze the stem to control media playback — a feature also available on the entry-level AirPods 4.

We recently saw the third-gen AirPods with a Lightning charging case drop to $94 at Walmart. However, the best deal you can get right now is only available at Costco, where members can buy them with a MagSafe charging case for $129.99 ($40 off). However, given you can currently buy the AirPods 4 at Amazon for $119 ($10 off), we recommend that you buy Apple’s newer earbuds instead.

Read our AirPods (third-gen) review.

During Apple’s “It’s Glowtime” event in September, the company introduced the AirPods 4, a pair of wireless earbuds available in two flavors: a $129 standard model and a noise-canceling version for $179. Both models represent significant upgrades over the second-gen AirPods, with a more comfortable design and improved audio performance. They’re also better for taking calls thanks to Apple’s Voice Isolation feature, which better isolates your voice so that you can more clearly be heard in noisy environments.

For $50 extra, you can also buy the AirPods 4 with Active Noise Cancellation, which offer ANC, a helpful transparency mode, and several more Pro-like features. Admittedly, the latest AirPods Pro do a better job of tuning out noise, but Apple’s newest pair of wireless earbuds still do a good job of reducing sound. They also offer other perks formerly reserved for Apple’s highest-end earbuds, including wireless charging and a case with a built-in speaker that allows you to easily track it down via Apple’s Find My app. 

Although they were just recently released, we’ve already started seeing slight discounts on both versions of the AirPods 4. Right now, for instance, Amazon is offering the standard AirPods 4 for $119 ($10 off) and the AirPods 4 with ANC for $164.99 ($15 off).

Read our AirPods 4 review.

In 2022, Apple released the second-gen AirPods Pro, which feature a similar build to the first-gen model but offer better noise cancellation, swipe-based controls, and an extra-small pair of swappable silicone ear tips for smaller ears. Apple followed them up last year with a minor refresh, one that features a USB-C charging case and an upgraded IP54 rating for water and dust resistance. The newest model also supports lossless audio when used with Apple’s new Vision Pro headset and now double as FDA-approved hearing aids.

Apple’s updated AirPods Pro are currently available at Walmart for $169.99, which is just $1 shy of their all-time low. You can also buy them at Amazon for the same price, though they’re temporarily unavailable and Amazon hasn’t provided a shipping estimate.

Read our AirPods Pro with USB-C impressions.

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 and features. They’re not the best noise-canceling headphones for most people — blame the sticker price — but it’s hard to find a better pair of Bluetooth headphones if you’re an iPhone user.

At the beginning of September, Apple replaced the first-gen Max with a new model that features support for USB-C charging and a few new color options. They’re currently on sale at Amazon starting at $529.99 ($20 off) — which matches their second-best price to date —while the first-gen model is on sale at B&H Photo starting at $429 ($120 off). That’s about $34 shy of the lowest price we’ve seen on the original model, which dropped to $394.99 several times this year.

Read our original AirPods Max review.