Best cheap AirPods deals and sales for July 2024

If you know where to look, you can often score discounts on Apple’s ever-popular AirPods. Since Apple launched the third-gen AirPods at the end of 2021, we’ve seen the starting price of the second-gen, entry-level model consistently dip below $100. And now that the second-gen AirPods Pro have been on the market for nearly two years, we’re also seeing their price fall more often, too. We’re even seeing great deals land on the updated AirPods Pro with USB-C.

Before we dive into the deals, though, we wanted to remind you that Prime Day will be taking place this year from July 16th through 17th. In the past, we’ve seen some excellent deals on AirPods, so if you’re looking to purchase a pair it may be worth it to wait. If you can’t, though, here are 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 numerous retailers. Right now, however, the second-gen earbuds are only on sale at Amazon and Walmart with a Lightning charging case for $89 ($40 off), which matches their second-best price to date.

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.

In 2022, Apple quietly introduced a new, slightly cheaper option of the third-gen AirPods that comes with a Lightning-only charging case. Unfortunately, they’re only on sale at B&H Photo right now for $159.99 ($10 off), with neither Amazon nor Walmart offering their usual discount of $30 off. That being said, the MagSafe option is available to Costco members for $149.99 ($30 off) or at B&H Photo for $169.99 ($10 off).

Read our AirPods (third-gen) review.

In 2022, Apple announced 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.

Apple’s updated AirPods Pro are currently on sale at Amazon for $199 ($50 off), which is about $20 shy of the all-time low we saw at the end of April. They’re also available at Best Buy, Walmart, and Target, though only for their full retail price of $249 or so.

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 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.

Woot and other retailers have previously discounted the AirPods Max as low as $409. Right now, though, the best you can do is $479.95 (about $69 off) at Amazon and B&H Photo — which is still one of the best prices we’ve seen so far this year.

Read our AirPods Max review.