7 Best Lightning Headphones In 2022 (Under $20 to Over $50) (2024)

Apple fanatics everywhere want the best headphones and earbuds around with a lightning connection already available.

Or at least there needs to be an inexpensive adapter available to get the job done.

I’m sure you’ve spent way too much time trolling the Internet trying to find the best lightning headphones at this stage of the game.

You love listening to music, podcasts, and audiobooks on your iPhone and iPad but your headphones leave a lot to be desired so you’d like to find a better pair.

I’ve decided to review my top seven lightning headphones recommendations. Read through them and see if any of my endorsem*nts catch your eye.

Quick List: Top 7 Lightning Headphones In2024

1. RHA MA650i Earbuds – Best Overall
2. Libratone Lightning Earbuds – Best for iPhone 7
3. Apple Earpods with Lightning Connector – Best Cheap Option
4. PALOVUE Lightning Headphones
5. Pioneer Rayz Lightning Earbuds
6. Beats Flex Wireless Earbuds
7. ADPROTECH Lightning Headphones

Researching Lightning Headphones

No one ever said finding awesome lightning headphones was going to be easy. In fact, if they did they were likely yanking your chain.

Everyone has certain things they like about a pair of headphones or earbuds and things that they dislike as well. But when it comes down to it, there are some things that we all look for when choosing new headphones to connect to our favorite Apple devices.

One example is finding high quality MFI certified headphones that meet the strict standards put forth by Apple. While it’s still possible to find earbuds that are great even without MFI certification, you’ll feel a lot better and sleep better at night knowing that Apple has given your earbuds or headphones their stamp of approval.

Obviously the lightning connection is also of the utmost importance unless you’re buying wireless Bluetooth headphones or earbuds. But as far as wired headphones are concerned, you must find the best option with a lightning connector otherwise you won’t be able to use it with your favorite Apple iPhone or iPad or other device.

Other things that I took into consideration were noise cancellation, headphones that don’t have a negative impact on your overall battery life, sound quality, comfort, durability, warranties, and more.

If you are into gaming we have a great article on some of the most awesome gaming earbuds and headphones available. Alternatively if you are a gym goer and love exercising in the outdoors you will love these wireless workout headphones.

The Best Lightning Headphones In2024

1. RHA MA650i Earbuds – Best Overall

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The RHA MA650i Earbuds are considered the best overall because they deliver powerful audio with a 380.1 dynamic driver, noise isolation ear tips to limit or eliminate background noises, and they were made with a lightning connector specifically for Apple products like iPods, iPads, and iPhones.

✔️ What we like: Built-in microphone, in-line remote with volume control

❌What wedon’tlike: Fragile lightning connector breaks easily

Standout Features

• Lightning connector equipped
• Noise isolation ear tips
• Deep bass
• Detailed treble
• Aerophonic design

Besides all the great features mentioned above, these earbuds come with other exciting accessories including a clothing clip, a soft carry pouch, a stainless steel ear tip holder, six silicone ear tips sized small, medium, and large, and two silicone double phalange ear tips sized small and large. It also comes with a pair of comfortable foam ear tips that are medium-sized.

Unfortunately, a few reviewers complained that the lightning connector broke very quickly within a matter of months. While this certainly sounds like it could be possible, it also seems to be relatively isolated. Why do I say that? I only read about this from two people out of thousands of people who have owned these earbuds. If this was a regular problem I would’ve read about it a lot more but I haven’t.

I like the RHA MA650i Earbuds because of their awesome noise cancellation capabilities and the stellar sound. The earbud will fit securely but comfortably in your ear, effectively blocking all of the noise from the background. So I get to go about my day listening to my favorite audiobooks at work without having to be distracted by the conversations going on around me.

This may seem antisocial but it’s what I like to do and my boss doesn’t seem the mind so it’s a win-win situation. Similar situations like this can be great for you too.

2. Libratone Lightning Earbuds – Best for iPhone 7

The Libratone Lightning Earbuds are the frontrunner for the best for iPhone seven users because they have impeccable noise cancellation, they are MFI certified by Apple, the sound quality is splendid, and they provide convenient four button controls so you can skip tracks, raise or lower the volume, answer calls, and turn on the noise cancellation quickly.

✔️ What we like: Lightning powered headphones, comfortable ear tips

❌What wedon’tlike: Ear tips don’t fit well and difficulty connecting to iPhone X

Standout Features

• Libra tone Q adapt
• MFI certified
• Premium sound quality
• 4 button remote control
• IPX5 waterproof rating

Everyone interested in getting new earbuds for their Apple device will love these lightning earbuds. They are waterproof, so if you’re the type of person that likes to go running and all types of inclement weather, you’ll absolutely want to get your hands on these.

You can run during a huge snowstorm, or massive amounts of sleet falling from the sky, or your average and ordinary rainstorm without having to worry about your earbuds fizzling out from the exposure to water.

Some reviewers weren’t very impressed by the ear tips. They didn’t like how they fit because they said they had a difficult time getting them to fit inside their ear canals. Sometimes they are too large. Other times they are too small. And one reviewer also had a tough time connecting his earphones to his iPhone X, which is certainly disappointing.

At the end of the day, I wholeheartedly recommend Libratone Lightning Earbuds because of their four levels of noise control, the glowing recommendation from Apple through their MFI certification, and the Libra tone Q adapt feature that allows you to customize your listening experience from start to finish.

3. Apple Earpods with Lightning Connector – Best Cheap Option

The Apple Earpods with Lightning Connector come directly from everybody’s favorite company. The Earpods are designed to fit comfortably inside of your ear, unlike traditional earbuds, and they have excellent sound output, minimal loss of sound, and support iOS 10 or later.

✔️ What we like: Comfortable design and built-in remote control

❌What wedon’tlike: One earbud and microphone broke quickly

Standout Features

• Rich and deep bass tones
• Protects against water and sweat
• Answer and end calls via remote
• Control music and video via remote
• Patented Apple design

The great thing about these Earpods from Apple is they will work with any of your iOS 10 devices or later as long as they have an available lightning connector. Otherwise you’ll find it impossible to make them work if you try to connect them to a device that doesn’t meet these specifications.

On the other hand, I also like them because they were officially designed by Apple so I know they are a high quality product. Some of the earbuds from other companies never seem to meet my expectations. Something ends up going wrong with them and I wind up out of money and out of luck and I can no longer enjoy my music. Apple never seems to disappoint in this regard.

Although a few reviewers are complaining that their microphone and one of the earbuds broke very quickly, like within a few months. This is obviously due to a defective device. So if they let Apple know about the defective Earpods they’ll definitely receive a replacement. Apple isn’t in business to upset their customers so you know they’ll send you new ones.

Overall, I appreciate the Apple Earpods with Lightning Connector because the audio quality is excellent; the earbuds themselves are comfortable, they connect with all of my favorite Apple devices, and their relatively inexpensive when compared to other options.

4. PALOVUE Lightning Headphones

The PALOVUE Lightning Headphones are not only MFI certified, they also deliver high-quality digital audio, they’re comfortable, lightweight, and stylish, they’re magnetic so they are easy to carry around, and they have a microphone and universal controls.

✔️ What we like: Tangle free design and dynamic drivers

❌What wedon’tlike: Earbuds were giving off sparks

Standout Features

• Compatible with iPhone/iPad/iPod
• Built-in microphone
• Compatible with Siri
• Lightweight aluminum body
• Comfortable in-ear design

Do you enjoy listening to music on your iPhone while running on the beach? Or do you want a wired connection because you’re afraid a wireless connection will get lost too easily? Then you should consider the Earflows because they have a lightning connector, they are MFI certified, and they will not kill the battery on your iPhone, iPad, or iPod because they were designed to use minimum power.

The other great thing about these earbuds is they are completely lightweight. You don’t have to worry about putting heavy earbuds in your ears that feel like they are weighing your head down. In fact, the lightweight aluminum design is comfortable, convenient, and it’s even tangle free.

These earbuds attached to each other magnetically so you can put them around your neck and not have to worry about them tangling up on you anytime soon.

An unhappy reviewer shared an unexpected and slightly scary tale about these earbuds. After using them for a while, he noticed that he was starting to see sparks coming out of the earbuds themselves. They were very low level sparks that really couldn’t hurt him, but they were happening nonetheless. Is it upsetting? Sure it is. But it’s not the norm since this doesn’t happen all the time with these earbuds.

At the end of the day, I still feel comfortable recommending PALOVUE Lightning Headphones because of the lightweight design, the three beautiful colors in silver, black, and red, the dynamic driver delivering high quality sound, the in-line controller, and the lightning connector.

5. Pioneer Rayz Lightning Earbuds

The Pioneer Rayz Lightning Earbuds are making a name for themselves because of their hands-free Siri connectivity, lightning connection, iPhone, iPad, and iPod compatibility, MFI certification, and active noise cancelling abilities.

✔️ What we like: Adaptive noise cancellation functionality and smart mute technology

❌What wedon’tlike: Not that great for making phone calls

Standout Features

• Compatible with numerous Apple devices
• Connect to Pioneer Rayz app
• Smart mute feature
• Ear tuning calibration
• Auto pause feature

Are you looking for earbuds with all of the latest bells and whistles? You’re going to absolutely fall head over heels in love with these from Pioneer Rayz. Why? They have a smart button one touch remote, adapt to personalize all of your settings, a sleek and compact design and other unique features like auto pause, smart mute, and customized tuning to match the audio with your preferences.

One reviewer wasn’t happy because the built-in microphone didn’t work that well when it came to making phone calls. He was upset because the quality of the phone call wasn’t that great.

He couldn’t really hear the person on the other end of the phone and he also said that the earbuds kept falling out of his ears. He probably didn’t put the right sized ear tips in but that’s neither here nor there. The low-quality phone calls are a little bit disheartening to say the least.

On the whole, the Pioneer Rayz Lightning Earbuds are a new kind of earphone because they have great smart features, you can adjust them to your personal preferences, and they are tiny enough that you can carry around in your pocket without really noticing that there even there. And let’s not forget about the MFI certification and lightning connector to hook up to many Apple products.

6. Beats Flex Wireless

The Beats Flex Wireless Earbuds is an excellent choice for lightning earbuds because they are Apple compatible, Bluetooth connectable, and they have 12 hours of battery life.

✔️ What we like: Developed by hip-hop pioneers Beats by Dre

❌What wedon’tlike: Volume controls remain loose

Standout Features

• Flex form custom fit
• Apple headphone chip
• Audio sharing
• Volume and device controls
• Class 1 Bluetooth

First off, one of the best things about these lightning connective earbuds is the 12 hours of listening time. I don’t know about you, but I hate it when my earbud rechargeable batteries die suddenly out of nowhere. These earbuds last for 12 hours, so I know that I’ll be able to continue listening to my favorite songs and audiobooks all day without any interruptions.

Next, you’ll never have to worry about running into Apple connectivity problems again. Since these earbuds are powered by the Apple W 1 headphone chip, you’ll always experience seamless connectivity every time.

On a side note, one of the interesting things about these earbuds is that they provide easy access to volume and device controls, but the unfortunate part is that one previous customer said their volume controls were loose. Ultimately, because the controls were loose, it didn’t work very long, so he couldn’t make the most of this excellent feature because it broke very quickly and he was really disappointed.

In the end, I think you’re really going to like the Beats Flex Wireless Earbuds because of the 12 hours of battery life, the customized fit, the Apple lightning connectivity, the audio sharing feature, the Class 1 Bluetooth extended range, the on-device controls, and many other exciting features including a built-in microphone and Android and Apple connectivity.

7. ADPROTECH Lightning Headphones

The ADPROTECH Lightning Headphones are a step above the rest because they are affordable, have a built-in microphone and in-line remote combination which allows you to answer and end calls, skip songs, listen to the previous track, and even activate Siri.

✔️ What we like: Sports workout compatible, magnetic earbuds

❌What wedon’tlike: Noise isolation isn’t 100% effective

Standout Features

• MFI certified
• Hands-free microphone
• Compatible with many Apple devices
• Durable wire
• Stable connection

The beauty of owning these earbuds is the hands-free microphone is so convenient that it literally puts the use of your audio devices in your control, whether through voice activation or the handy in-line microphone/remote. These earbuds are perfect if you like to play sports including basketball, baseball, tennis, racquetball, or solo sports like running, lifting weights, or CrossFit workouts.

The other interesting thing is these earbuds are very comfortable and easy to use. They do not require extra adapters. You don’t have to connect them via Bluetooth and hope the connection remains stable. And even better, they are MFI certified by Apple, which means the lightning connectivity is flawless, the design is perfect, and they’ll plug and play with just about any available Apple audio device.

Most reviewers seemed to be very happy with their purchase, but one person said that the noise isolation was in 100% effective. While it doesn’t have noise isolation features per se, if you get the right sized ear bud tips you should be able to block out background noise very easily. It’s a matter of choosing the perfect size that’s still comfortable enough that you can wear them all day long without regret.

Ultimately, I’m a big fan of ADPROTECH Lightning Headphones because of the high fidelity stereo sound, the 18 month warranty, the crystal-clear audio, the magnetic earbuds that make it easy to wrap them around my neck, and all of the other fantastic features that I love.

A Guide to Choosing the Best Lightning Headphones

Sometimes you read recommendations and even though you can tell that the reviewer is genuine in their assessment of the products, you just don’t seem to find whatever it is you’re looking for. Maybe you happen to be the person that read my reviews and said these sound okay but they aren’t exactly what I came here to discover.

Guess what? This is going to happen often enough that I felt it necessary to mention it. But don’t feel sad or upset if you didn’t find the perfect lightning headphones based on my recommendations.

Instead, begin looking online for your ideal choice and use the following areas of focus to guide you.

Noise Cancellation Capabilities

If you’re anything like me, having high quality noise cancellation lightning headphones is an absolute must. I like to become fully immersed in the music or the audiobook that I happen to be listening to at the time. I do not want noise in the background ruining my experience by overpowering the music or the story. So I always focus in on noise isolation and how effective it is based on information shared by other reviewers.

MFI Certified

Although there are plenty of non-certified lightning headphones that seem to do a great job, I always look for the ones that have been certified by Apple.

Why? Because I spend thousands of dollars every year on Apple products and I trust them. If they tell me these lightning headphones meet their highest standards then I believe them. I have faith in them. And I’m going to trust their certification process and consider it a recommendation. You should too!

Discover Awesome Lightning Headphones

Before I go, I just want to reiterate that it’s more than possible to find the right lightning headphones to meet your high standards.

You do not have to settle for less than the best.

I reviewed the best headphones and earbuds that I can find after I dug through dozens, maybe even hundreds of reviews to find the earbuds and headphones that I shared with you today.

Please trust these recommendations and consider buying them if you’re in the market for top quality lightning headphones in the near future.

Further Reading:

• Unveiling the Magic: How Do Noise Canceling Headphones Work?
• Best Bluetooth Headphone Adapter: Top 5 In 2024 (All Under $30)