Best cheap AirPods deals and sales for October 2022

If you know where to look, there are often some great discounts available on Apple’s popular — yet oftentimes expensive — AirPods. Since Apple launched the third-gen AirPods last year, we’ve seen the starting price of the second-gen, entry-level model drop from $159 to $129. And now that you can buy the second-gen AirPods Pro, we’ll likely start seeing even better discounts on the last-gen Pro and other models.

If you can’t wait until then, though, fret not: we’re already beginning to see some good discounts ahead of the holiday season and with the arrival of the second-gen AirPods Pro. Below, we’ve curated the best deals currently available on each model, including the entry-level AirPods, the AirPods Pro, the third-gen AirPods, and the AirPods Max. Be aware though, that with the second Amazon Prime Day just around the corner on October 11th and October 12th, we may see even more great AirPods deals soon. We’ll keep you updated, but in the meantime, start preparing for Prime Day 2.0 with our guide to finding the best deals.

The best entry-level AirPods (second-gen) deals

Last year, Apple lowered the list price of the second-gen AirPods — now the entry-level model — from $159 to $129. It only sells the model with a wired charging case now, 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.

In the past, we’ve seen Apple’s most affordable pair of earbuds plunge to as low as $89. Right now, however, you can purchase them for around $119 at Amazon, Target, and Walmart. You can also buy the model with the wireless charging case for $134.79 ($65.16 off) at Adorama.

The best AirPods (third-gen) deals

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.

Earlier in September, Apple quietly introduced a new option for the third-gen AirPods that comes with a Lightning-only charging case, one that retails for $10 less than the option with a MagSafe charging case. However, given Apple’s MagSafe-compatible option is on sale for less than the MSRP of the version with the Lightning Charging Case, we suggest opting for the former option instead. Right now, you can buy them for $169 ($10 off) at Target, B&H Photo, and Adorama, which is a far cry from the all-time low of $89 we just saw Walmart set earlier today for its Walmart Plus members. It’s possible we’ll see this deal again during the second Amazon Prime Day next week, though, so keep an eye out.

The best AirPods Pro deals

In case you missed it, Apple announced the second-gen AirPods Pro during its “Far Out” event earlier in September, which the company claims should cancel “up to twice as much noise” as their predecessor. They also offer swipe-based controls, come with Apple’s new H2 chip, and feature an extra-small pair of swappable silicone ear tips for smaller ears. They were only just released in stores on September 23rd, but they’re already on sale at Amazon and Walmart for around $239 instead of $249. Read our review.

If the second-generation AirPods Pro are too expensive for you, though, we often see discounts on the first-gen AirPods Pro too. Despite their being older, we still think these are the best wireless earbuds an iPhone owner can buy. They have better sound quality than the non-premium models above, offer active noise cancellation, and come with a MagSafe-ready charging case. The earbuds also come with swappable silicone tips — albeit three, not four — and support Apple’s spatial audio feature, which adds an immersive surround sound effect to select content.

Last year, Apple launched a new configuration of the AirPods Pro with a wireless charging case that supports Apple’s MagSafe technology, just like the third-gen AirPods. The noise-canceling, MagSafe-ready earbuds typically retail for $249, but they’re currently available at Amazon and Walmart for around $179.98, which is about $20 more than their best-ever price.

The best AirPods Max deals

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 wide, balanced sound, even if they lag behind some of their peers when it comes to bass response. They’re not the best noise-canceling headphones for most people — blame the $550 sticker price — but it’s hard to find a pair of Bluetooth headphones that sound better and feature more intuitive controls.

Although Woot and other retailers have discounted the AirPods Max to as low as $409 in the past, prices have since increased across the board. Nonetheless, the noise-canceling headphones are currently on sale at Amazon (in select colors) and Sam’s Club (for members only) for $479. If you live close to a Micro Center, you can also pick them up for about the same price as well.