I'd pick the AirPods Pro 3 over the AirPods 5, unless you hate ear tips

I’ve been using both the AirPods 5 and AirPods Pro 3, and the AirPods Pro 3 win in almost every category: noise canceling, battery life, bass, and features. But at $249 versus $129, the price isn’t really what decides this one. It’s whether you can stand having ear tips in your ears.

Ear tips are the whole decision

The AirPods Pro 3 use silicone ear tips that seal off your ear canal. That seal is where their strong noise canceling and bass come from, but some people can’t stand the feeling of silicone in their ears or the slight pressure the seal creates.

Before giving up on them, try the other tip sizes in the box. I use medium tips with most earbuds, but small tips fit me best on the AirPods Pro 3. If none of the included sizes work, softer third-party tips made of memory foam are worth a shot.

If you still can’t get comfortable, the AirPods 5 have an open fit with no ear tips, so there’s no in-ear pressure at all.

The tradeoff is there’s no soft material either, and depending on your ear shape, the hard plastic can rub over long sessions. Apple designed them to fit as many ears as possible, but the fit is hit or miss. That matters, because a poor fit on the AirPods 5 means worse sound and worse noise canceling.

The seal makes the AirPods Pro 3 quieter and fuller

The AirPods Pro 3 are far better at active noise canceling (ANC). They quiet airplane cabins, screeching subway cars, and noisy offices in a way the AirPods 5 can’t match.

Still, the AirPods 5 have the best ANC we’ve tested on open earbuds. On my subway commute and walks down the street, they didn’t block everything, but they cut enough noise that I didn’t have to crank my music. They even worked a bit better for me than our measurements suggest, so your results may vary with fit. When you want to hear what’s around you, both work equally well in transparency and adaptive modes. Voices sound clear, and it almost feels like nothing is in your ears.

The seal also gives the AirPods Pro 3 much more bass, including the deep low end you feel more than hear. Kick drums and bass synths come through clearly, though they’re a bit louder than I’d like. On the AirPods 5, kicks and bass guitars are still audible but quieter than you may be used to. If you listen to a lot of EDM or hip-hop, get the AirPods Pro 3.

Both over-emphasize the treble a bit, so cymbals and hi-hats can come across too loud. Turning down the treble slider in the iPhone’s EQ settings fixed it for me. Both also use loudness-dependent EQ, which adjusts the sound so music sounds about the same at any volume. You can’t turn it off, and while most people won’t notice, some find it annoying.

Our MDAQS testing, which predicts how a panel of a few hundred listeners would rate the sound, shows listeners are more likely to prefer the default sound of the AirPods Pro 3. Both sound fine for most people, but the AirPods Pro 3 are the better pick if sound is a priority.

The AirPods Pro 3 also last longer and do more

Apple rates the AirPods Pro 3 for up to 8 hours with ANC on. The standard AirPods 5 get 4 hours, and the $149 version with the wireless charging case gets 5. That’s enough for a commute or two, but for long flights, study sessions, or a full workday, the AirPods Pro 3 are the way to go.

Both get Apple’s iPhone extras, like live translation, spatial audio, conversation awareness, and EQ adjustments. The AirPods Pro 3 add hearing aid and hearing protection features, plus a heart rate sensor for tracking workouts. Both have volume swipes on the stems, but on the AirPods 5 you only get them with the $149 version.

If you take a lot of calls, you won’t notice much difference between the two. Both use Apple’s H2 chip and dual beamforming mics, and both keep your voice clear even in loud places.

AirPods 5 microphone demo (Ideal conditions):

AirPods Pro 3 microphone demo (Ideal conditions):

Who should get the AirPods 5

If ear tips are a dealbreaker, or you just want to save money, the AirPods 5 are still a good buy. They have the best ANC I’ve used on open earbuds, the sound is fine, and the battery lasts through a daily commute. Spend the extra $20 on the wireless charging case version if you want volume swipes and an extra hour of battery.

I’d buy the AirPods Pro 3

Ear tips don’t bother me, and they’re the reason you get Apple’s best noise canceling and sound. The heart rate sensor and hearing aid features make the $249 price even easier to justify. Just try the AirPods 5 first if sealed earbuds have never been comfortable for you. Check out our list of the best AirPods for more options.