Has JLab lost its actual mind with these earbuds and headphones prices? This one’s $9!”

JLab headphones and earbuds on purple background with TR's Black Friday deals badge

(Image credit: JLab)

Normally I'd begin this roundup with something about Black Friday (which is today!) being a great time to buy discounted earbuds or over-ear headphones, but right now all I can say is "JLab, you cannot be covering costs here?!"

I mean, the fantastic 4.5-star JLab Go Pop are now just $9.88 (was $29.99) – and the JLab JBuds Lux ANC (which are actually over-ears, not buds) are slashed in price to just $27 (was $79.99) both at Walmart!

• Shop Walmarts's full Black Friday sale

And these products are emphatically not junk! The buds gained 4.5 stars under intense review at their original MSRP (I know, because I reviewed them) and the while the over-ear JBuds Lux ANC (yes, a tad confusing because they're not buds at all) gained a respectable 3.5-star review, I felt that was a little harsh – and that was at more than double the price they are now!

Not looking for cheap earbuds or noise-canceling headphones? That's OK, TechRadar's more general (but still human-curated, and still only containing deals we personally love) Black Friday deals page will set you on the right path. Otherwise, there's my roundup of the best Sennheiser headphones and earbuds deals, my collection of the best Bose Black Friday headphones deals, my guide to the only 5 Black Friday headphones and earbuds deals you need, or our dedicated Black Friday headphones deals live blog, if any of these things is what you're after.

Today's outrageous JLab Black Friday deals

Before we get super carried away, the JLab Go Air Pop are not the last word in sonic brilliance – if JLab had managed that for around the price of a Frappuccino, we could all go home. But they're only $9.88! They've never dipped below $17.99 before now, and they also aren't half bad – in fact they're alarmingly good for this outrageous asking fee. If this is truly where your budget maxes out, you'll get reliable Bluetooth connectivity, killer battery life, comfortable and light earpieces, and solid musicality on the go. It would be churlish to expect more. I've been testing earbuds since 2019 and I love them. Secret Santa gift with a $10 spending cap? Sorted, my friend…

While they're not sonically perfect (the sound is a little bass-heavy – but it could be ideal for those who like that kind of presentation) for this ultra-low, never before seen fee,the audio is much better than it's any right to be. Also, the build feels far more premium than even the MSRP suggests and the battery life, at up to 70 hours, or 44 with ANC deployed, is unheard of for the level. Read our full JLab JBuds Lux ANC review for more, but know this: JLab is a trusted name in affordable head-fi and they've never been discounted to less than $49 before now. A steal for Black Friday, available in the Cloud, Graphite or Mauve finishes… but selling fast!

OK, so a little more on the products: as I said in my glowing 4.5-star JLab Go Air Pop review: "We've all been burned by buying cheap – buy cheap, buy twice, right? Not here. If you're thinking that one bud will cease to pair after a week, or the case lid will snap off within a day, or a glancing blow from a wet jacket sleeve will kill them, or a speck of dust will put paid to the case registering anything inside it worth charging… well, you're wrong."

The JLab Go Air Pop belie their lowly price-point and are emphatically unbeatable for this money. (I know, but try to see past the name; there are no audible pops here.)

OK, there's still little out there to challenge these reputable-brand earbuds other than JLab itself – plus an option from Sony which I'll link to below – but if this is where your budget maxes out for non-essentials such as true wireless earbuds in a trying financial climate (yes, me too), you will find a reliable product here.

Now, the JBuds Lux ANC (which aren't 'buds' at all – they're teardrop-shaped over-ears) tote 40mm drivers that'll treat your ears like fans of thumping bass tunes. They also pack lots of features you’d expect from premium alternatives, including active noise cancellation which works very well in its standard setting (although do note that the ambient mode leaves something to be desired) as well as multi-point so you can jump between different devices, spatial audio for improved movie or TV show watching and Google Fast Pair so you don’t have to spend ages setting up the device. Not bad, eh?

And that’s before I mention the 70-hour battery life (when ANC is off, mind – it’s reduced to 40 hours when ANC is on), handy on-cup button controls and the ability to fold them right down for easy storage. If the aesthetic isn't to your liking, see my guide to the best cheap headphones for more, but do note that few come as cheap as this.

My advice? You can pay more and get better, more neutral and integrated hi-fi grade sound in a set of headphones, obviously. But for this super-cheap budget price, JLab is in a winning spot – and isn't it better to have the best thing for this money rather than no headphones at all?

More Black Friday cheap ANC earbuds and headphones deals

These just came out – and I mean just, because I only just finished my fully star-rated CMF Headphone Pro review. And for this money (under $80!) they're an insanely good deal. I don't need to insult your intelligence by telling you it's the first time they've ever been discounted (see the first sentence of this deal block) but I do need you to know that I've heard them and for this money, the 'Energy slider', the excellent on-ear volume wheel and Nothing's phenomenal hearing tests (to create one of the most detailed personal sound profiles I've heard at the level) make this a top deal. Highly recommended.

Sony's newest mid-range wireless earbuds for less than $80 in Amazon's early Black Friday sale? Yup: this is a real bargain. For this money, you're getting Sony quality for the kind of money you'd expect to pay for a much lesser brand. In our Sony WF-C710N review, we heaped praise on these buds for their bolstered battery life, fantastic sound quality and upgraded ANC. At this price point, my recommending them is a no-brainer – at a third of the price of the high-end Sony WF-1000XM5 earbuds, we think these are the better-value buy.