Soundcore Liberty 4 Pro by Anker Noise Cancelling Wireless Earbuds

Why it's worth it

The Soundcore Liberty 4 Pro packs seven sensors, a 10.5 mm bass driver with a titanium-coated tweeter, and a charging case with a touch bar and display. Anker rates 10 hours per charge and 40 with the case — the longest here.

Battery is the headline, and it matters more than people admit. Consumer Reports found 78% of earbud owners name battery life as their top satisfaction driver, ahead of sound quality and noise cancellation. Anker claims up to 10 hours in the buds and 40 with the case. Even discounting for real-world use with noise cancelling on, that's several days of commuting between charges.

The case display is more useful than it looks. A touch bar on the case lets you swipe through noise-cancelling levels without pulling out your phone or tapping blindly at your ear. It's the kind of small ergonomic win you notice every day. The case also charges twice as fast as the previous generation — five minutes gets you about four hours of playback.

From our review of 8 wireless earbuds, by David Sinclair, Managing Editor

What we like

• +Battery is the headline, and it matters more than people admit
• +The case display is more useful than it looks
• +Sound comes from a two-driver setup: a 10.5 mm bass driver paired with a titanium-coated tweeter and a digital crossover
• +Six microphones plus a wind-noise algorithm handle calls, and owners who use these as everyday carry buds — shopping, mowing,…

What to know

• –Reliability is the reason these aren't the top pick
• –Pairing to a computer alongside a phone has tripped up some owners, requiring Bluetooth toggling to get both connected