If you know where to look, there are often some great discounts available on Apple’s ever-popular Air Pods. Since Apple launched the third-gen Air Pods 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 Air Pods Pro has been on the market for a year, we’re seeing their price fall more often, too. The same discount also occasionally extends to the updated set of Air Pods Pro with a USB-C charging case that Apple released in September.
Here, we’ve curated the best deals currently available on each model, including the entry-level Air Pods, the Air Pods Pro, the third-gen Air Pods, and the Air Pods Max.
1. The best Air Pods (second-gen) deals
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.
Apple’s most affordable pair of earbuds have dropped to as low as $79.99 before, but right now they’re only on sale for around $99 ($30 off) at Amazon and Walmart. Alternatively, if you prefer the model with the wireless charging case, it’s available at Adorama for $109.99 ($40 off).
2. The best Air Pods (third-gen) deals
With support for the company’s MagSafe technology and an asking price of $179, Apple’s third-gen Air Pods 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 Air Pods that comes with a Lightning-only charging case. They are currently on sale at Amazon and Walmart for $149.99 ($20 off). However, we’d recommend buying the wireless earbuds with a MagSafe charging case from Costco if you’re a member as they’re also on sale for $149.99 ($30 off) through October 16th. Non-members can also get a discount but will have to pay a five percent surcharge, which increases the price to $157.49.
3.The best Air Pods Pro deals
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.
So it’s no surprise that during this year’s “Wanderlust event” Apple also announced an updated version of the Air Pods 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.
Save for a small $5 discount at Amazon and B&H Photo, there are no other notable discounts available at the moment on the updated Air Pods Pro. However, you can save some money on the original model with a MagSafe charging case. They typically retail for $249, but right now they’re on sale at Walmart, Verizon, and Costco (for members) for $199.99 ($50 off).
4. The best Air Pods Max deals
The Air Pods Max aren’t the iconic in-ears that have become synonymous with the Air Pods name. They’re large and luxurious, comprised of aluminium, 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-cancelling headphones for most people — blame the $550 sticker price — 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 Air Pods Max to as low as $409 in the past, prices have since increased across the board. That said, you can buy the Air Pods Max starting at $479.99 in select colours from Amazon and for $20 more in other shades from Amazon and B&H Photo. If you live near a Micro Centre, you can also buy a pair in-store for $474.99.
