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JLab Go Pods ANC: Two-minute review
I’ll admit that it was with reticence that I agreed to test earbuds clearly angling for the title of ‘cheapest ANC buds’ but let me dispel any similar cynicism you may have: the JLab Go Pods ANC are, for their price, excellent.
Perhaps I shouldn’t be surprised, because these new cheap earbuds come from esteemed affordable audio brand JLab, which has a lot of experience with affordable audio options. But anyone who’s tried to save a buck by buying lower-cost tech knows that you can’t take anything for granted, even with legacy brands.
Let’s first address the selling point in the headline: are these the best noise-cancelling earbuds available on the market? No, however when you add ‘low-cost’ to that query, fairly probably. They are low-cost, they do have noise cancellation, and so they definitely are earbuds. Plus, they’re actually good at what they do, and so I can provide them a tick there. However are they the most cost effective buds with ANC?
I used to be anticipating to have the ability to discover loads of low-cost Amazon rivals with ANC, however I used to be mistaken; one or two ANC-toting choices from unnamed manufacturers sit on the similar worth because the JLabs right here, however there’s not a lot on provide for much less that additionally has ANC. So from the best angle, the Go Pods ANC tick that field too.
What same-price rivals in all probability don’t provide is first rate audio high quality. For price range earbuds these sound actually good, with (relying on the way you arrange the equalizer) crystal-clear treble, hearty mids or scooping bass, and a broad soundstage that you just don’t typically get in buds twice the value.
The ANC itself additionally works properly, plastering over background sounds with little tact however with coronary heart. That stated, the transparency mode is a nightmare which can trigger you to listen to each little factor occurring round you with scary accuracy.
Like all good earbuds, the JLabs are additionally good and light-weight, so you possibly can put on them for ages with out getting earache. Related could be stated of the tiny plastic carry case, which utterly disappears right into a trouser pocket.
I can’t fake that these earbuds are good, and so they do have a couple of issues which irritated me throughout testing. For one, JLab has changed a charging port with a charging cable, so that you plug the case into one thing, moderately than plugging one thing into the case, to energy it up. Good in concept, however functionally I discovered it much less helpful than the usual choice which each different firm makes use of, of merely letting you plug a cable into the case.
The in-box ear suggestions additionally didn’t provide a lot in the best way of grip, so after I walked or ran within the buds they’d a behavior of falling out fairly rapidly. This can be a downside you possibly can clear up with the added expense of third-party eartips (or utilizing ones you may have left over out of your final earbuds).
However at the same time as earbud shortcomings go these aren’t the largest I’ve ever confronted, and even an enormous situation in any respect within the case of the primary one. Know this: these are fantastic-value earbuds.
JLab Go Pods ANC review: Price and release date
- Released in summer 2025
- Costs $36.99 / £29.99 (roughly AU$60)
The JLab Go Pods ANC were announced in May 2025 and put on sale in the months after. It took them barely any time to go on offer, but more on that in a moment.
The default retail price for these buds is $36.99 / £29.99 (roughly AU$60), so they’re some of the most affordable noise cancelling earbuds you can find, and the few alternatives I can find at this price tag almost all come from unknown brands on Amazon.
I say ‘default price’ because only a few months after release, the Go Pods ANC can easily be found for a discount. In the US I found them for $29.99 and in the UK they’re at £24.99, making these super-cheap buds even cheaper. And that’s before Black Friday.
JLab Go Pods ANC review: Specs
|
Drivers |
10mm |
|
Active noise cancellation |
Yes |
|
Battery life (ANC off) |
7.5 hours (buds) 26 hours (case) |
|
Weight |
4.2g (buds) 27.6g (case) |
|
Connectivity |
Bluetooth 5.4 |
|
Waterproofing |
IP55 |
JLab Go Pods ANC review: Features
- Battery life of just 5 hours with ANC on
- Good ANC but iffy transparency
- JLab app brings a few useful extras
During my testing time, I didn’t once have any kind of connection issue with the JLab Go Pods ANC, so you don’t need to worry about them having an unreliable Bluetooth link.
The buds have some extra features via the JLab app, though it’s mostly just some customization and tweaks rather than anything truly novel.
It took my while to get my head around the Noise Control Modes tool, which lists ANC on, off and Be Aware mode, but with toggles by all of them, so it’s easy to turn two or all three of them on at the same time… right? That’s what I thought, until I realized that toggling these selects whether you can switch to them via the buds via touch controls. The real way to switch ANC modes is to physically select the mode you want, not toggle its slider.
Another option via the app is an equalizer, which comes with three unnamed presets and a custom mode. It’s a 10-band equalizer so it’s pretty advanced, and audiophiles will be able to get a lot of depth in how they customize their tunes.
Running down its list, the app also lets you set a max volume limit for safety, change what touch controls do, switch between a Music Mode and Movie Mode (which seems to increase the sound spread but decrease quality) and… set up a workout interval timer? That’s not exactly a standard headphone feature but it might prove useful to a few people.
The battery life of the Go Pods sits at 7.5 hours, according to JLab – that’s with ANC turned off and, from my testing, you’re looking at about 7.5 hours with it turned off which isn’t exactly a competitive figure. The company puts the extended play time offered by the charging case at 26 hours.
One final thing we probably need to touch on is the ANC itself – is it any good in these cheap buds? Surprisingly, it really is. It hushes your surroundings pretty substantially, and while it obviously doesn’t reach the heights of rivals in the market – a light background hum always got through, and sharper noises weren’t dimmed as much – it’s a lot better than JLab could have got away with for the money.
I wasn’t as impressed, though, with Be Aware mode (JLab’s take on Transparency). While using it I was too aware – not only did it not cancel noise, it seemed to amplify every little thing that occurred around me in a jarring experience overall.
JLab Go Pods ANC review: Design
- Both buds and case are super lightweight
- Case has a built-in charging cable
- Ear tips don’t offer much grip
The JLab Go Pods ANC have one small design difference that sets them apart from the vast majority of other samey wireless earbuds, and it’s built into the case.
The buds’ charging case is a 4.52 x 6 x 2.61cm pebble which opens lengthwise along the side; it’s made of plastic so it only weighs 27.6g (for context, most buds I take a look at have circumstances double that weight). That is all to say that it’s fairly small and really gentle.
Whereas most charging circumstances are nondescript save for maybe a brand and a USB-C charging port, JLab does away with the latter and replaces it with its personal USB-C cable; you possibly can plug this right into a port to simply energy up the buds.
In concept I get why JLab would use this as an alternative of a easy port: it means you possibly can energy it up by way of your telephone or laptop computer without having an additional cable. In observe although I discovered it annoying, because it meant I couldn’t use the usual USB-C charger I deliver for my different devices. I couldn’t energy up the case from my telephone if I used to be additionally charging stated telephone, and I couldn’t plug it into wall shops on public transport or adaptors at my dwelling (all of which use customary USB).
Onto the buds: these weigh 4.2g every in order that they proceed the Go Pods model of being lighter than the competitors. They’re stem-style buds, consisting of a giant physique, suggestions angled barely downwards and a flat stem bearing JLab’s brand.
There are contact controls on every of stated logos, which labored fairly properly though there have been a couple of mis-touches after I was readjusting the buds or instances when one press can be picked up as two. Additionally the default controls are slightly odd so I’d suggest leaping into the app to customise them your self.
I actually admire low-weight buds just like the Go Pods as they have been straightforward to make use of for lengthy intervals of time with out feeling any ache or put on. That was solely the case if I used to be sitting nonetheless although.
The in-box eartips appear to supply so little friction that they might as properly be made out of WD40: as quickly as I went for a stroll, or heaven forbid a run, the earbuds started slipping from my ears (sure, I attempted all three choices included within the field). Even placing in or eradicating the buds usually, you possibly can really feel how little they’re inclined to remain within the ear – not nice for lively individuals.
Whereas the case doesn’t have any official safety, the buds have an IP55. This implies they’re principally protected towards mud ingress and might stand up to low-press jets of water (together with rain and sweat) however aren’t appropriate for swimming.
The JLab Go Pods ANC are available in three shade variations: black, lilac and inexperienced, and as you possibly can inform I examined the previous.
JLab Go Pods ANC review: Sound quality
- Single 10mm driver
- Can handle regimented bass and clear treble
- High max volume
I’m going to wager that your expectations for the JLab Go Pods ANC’s audio chops probably match what mine were going into the testing: you see the price and shudder at the thought of those cheap buds you bought on Amazon once and know what to expect. But banish the thought.
The JLab Go Pods ANC actually sound pretty good; I’m not sure I’d pick them over something like the Samsung Galaxy Buds 3 Pro however for the value, they’re surprisingly succesful.
By default (that’s, with the JLab Signature equalizer mode), music sounds vivid with outlined treble and mids, and a laudable breadth of soundstage so you possibly can hear totally different passages and harmonies within the music surrounding you.
There’s clearly slightly distortion crackling away when too many alternative devices are enjoying without delay, or when the hi-hat will get going, however solely in mixes that may hassle a lot pricer buds too.
I’ll admit that I largely listened with some heavy equalizer tweaks, however I used to be shocked by how a lot bass the Go Pods have been able to when requested. There’s scope for hearty, scooping bass with the best tune and proper EQ set-up. However even with out this set-up, lower-register traces felt well-defined.
The buds’ max quantity is actually excessive – larger than you’d ever usually want, until you by chance held down the ‘quantity up’ button in your telephone like me – and doesn’t distort as a lot at louder settings as many different buds do.
JLab Go Pods ANC review: Value
The JLab Go Pods ANC are basically the cheapest noise-cancelling earbuds that are actually worth buying.
Because of their feature set and audio quality, these aren’t just ‘good for the price’; they’re good full stop. JLab didn’t need to offer them for such a low price but in doing so, it’s made them a fearsome value proposition.
Should I buy the JLab Go Pods ANC?
|
Attributes |
Notes |
Rating |
|---|---|---|
|
Features |
The ANC is good, as is the general feature set, though the battery life is poor. |
4/5 |
|
Design |
The buds are lovely and lightweight, but the eartips don’t stick well and I’d have preferred a charging port. |
3.5/5 |
|
Sound quality |
For the price, the JLabs sound really good: cheap and cheerful. |
4/5 |
|
Value |
These offer fantastic value for money given how cheap they are. |
4.5/5 |
Buy them if…
Don’t buy them if…
JLab Go Pods ANC review: Also consider
| Header Cell – Column 0 |
JLab Go Pods ANC |
JLab Go Pop ANC |
Earfun Air 2 |
JBL Wave Beam |
|---|---|---|---|---|
|
Drivers |
10mm |
10mm |
10mm |
8mm |
|
Active noise cancellation |
Yes |
Yes |
No |
No |
|
Battery life |
7.5 hours (buds); 26 hours (case) |
7 hours (buds); 24 hours (case) |
9 hours (earbuds), 40 hours (total) |
8 hours (buds) 24 hours (case) |
|
Weight |
4.2g (buds) 27.6g (case) |
4.1g (buds); 22g (case) |
4.5g (buds) 45g (case) |
8.8g (buds) 39.5g (case) |
|
Connectivity |
Bluetooth 5.4 |
Bluetooth 5.4 |
Bluetooth 5.3 |
Bluetooth 5.2 |
|
Waterproofing |
IP55 |
IP55 |
IPX7 |
IP54 |
How I tested the JLab Go Pods ANC
- Tested for four weeks
- Tested at home, in the office, working out and on walks
I tested the JLab Go Pods ANC for about four weeks, which is longer than the standard TechRadar testing process, but is a testament to their audio chops.
I used the buds while they were connected to my Android phone, mainly for Spotify but also for streaming movies, games and listening to voice notes. I used them while at home, at the gym, on runs and on walks around my neighborhood.
I’ve been testing gadgets for TechRadar for over five years now and in that time have used other JLab products as well as some of their biggest competitions.
- First reviewed in August 2025