Which? Don't Buy headphones

Our expert lab tests sort the best headphones from the worst. From terrible sound to uncomfortable pairs you'll want to remove before you've even got through your favourite tunes, we highlight the Don't Buy headphones that aren't worth your money.

Join Which? to find out which headphones we've named as Don't Buys.

What makes a Don't Buy set of headphones?

Which? has reviewed the latest headphones, including models by Apple, Beats, Bose, Samsung and Sony, to help find the best headphones for you. Our in-depth testing means we can recommend those headphones that offer excellent sound quality and comfort, along with telling you which ones will mangle your music.

• Our lab experts put every pair of headphones through the same set of tests, including sound quality, comfort, sound leakage and durability – so you'll know exactly what to expect and can compare the star rating results directly against each other.
• We give every pair of headphones a Which? test score so you can immediately see at a glance which are the best and worst, plus how each model compares to each other in features and specifications.
• Our tests cover a wide range of brands, prices and headphone types; including in-ear, on-ear, over-ear, wireless and noise-cancelling headphones.

The headphones we recommend as Best Buys sound great no matter what you are listening to. But we also find plenty of headphones that fall short in our tests - from big-brand headphones with small sound to good-looking sets that are literally a pain to wear.

Which? is independent – we work for you, the consumer, so you can be sure that our product recommendations are influenced only by our test results. We're not influenced by third parties and we don't accept freebies from product manufacturers or retailers. We buy all the products that we test ourselves, so our advice helps you to make the right choice first time and avoid costly mistakes.

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