When your pockets are too small, neckband earbuds are a good alternative. They lay around your neck and take the weight off your earbuds for a more comfortable fit. The JBL Live 220BT Wireless are a good place to start when it comes to the best neckband headphones under $100 because of their exceptional sound, battery life, and comfort.

JBL Live 220 BT

Source: JBL (Image credit: JBL )

The Live 220BT was good enough to keep it at the top of our list. For the right reasons, you get a balanced soundstage out of the box. Bass is present without being too heavy, while the highs and lows complement each other well.

Finding the right fit will depend on which ear tips you like. Ensuring they fit right and getting the most out of the audio quality is what this part is about. The Live 220BT are lightweight and easy to manage, so that you can wear them for leisure or while working out. The TalkThru mode lets you talk quickly and hear other people, while the Ambient Aware mode pipes in background noise to hear your surroundings.

You can pair the Live 220BT with up to two devices at the same time, such as your best phone and a game console. It is a great way to listen to audio from your computer while keeping your phone accessible. When the phone rings, the headphones will shut the audio down from the computer all at once. Through a dedicated button on the neckband, the voice assistant is added to the feature set.

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The battery life can be up to 10 hours per charge. You can get up to an hour of viewing with a 15-minute charge. It is as good as it gets with Micro-USB and is an average set of earbuds.

Skullcandy Jib Plus

Source: Skullcandy (Image credit: Skullcandy)

Skullcandy Jib Plus Wireless are among the cheapest neckband earbuds you can find, if you are on a tight budget. They come in several colors, but you should measure your expectations with anything in this price range.

There are some decent features and performance that will give you a bang for your buck. Sound quality is better than you might think. The bass has decent highs and mids that make audio play well. There is an easy way to get to the assistant with the onboard controls. They are splash resistant, so they should be safe to use for workouts and show they have someDurability.

Depending on the volume, you can get up to six hours per charge. You will need to use Micro-USB to charge them often.

Sony WI-C400

Source: Sony (Image credit: Sony)

Sony plays in the higher end, but there are also affordable options. When battery life matters, the neckband earbuds of the WI-C400 are up to the task. They have up to 20 hours of battery life on a single charge. It has enough juice to pace you over a few days or a long flight.

These neckbuds don't have ANC, nor many other bells and whistles, but you do get good sound quality worthy of Sony's branding, with enough bass to make it all feel balanced. These earbuds aren't compatible with Sony's Headphones Connect app, so you can't change the sound signature. What you hear is what you get.

You should feel comfortable wearing them. The key is not to pull the wires too hard and weaken them over time because they are fragile. Thanks to the array of buttons and how they vibrate, those ends are great.

Despite the solid battery life, Sony went with the old Micro-USB port for charging, negating any quick charging, and the hassle of bringing along a charging cable. It takes about two hours to fully charge them.

Aurvana Trio Wireless

Source: Creative (Image credit: Creative Labs)

Creative Aurvana Trio Wireless

It was clear, concise and on time.

If you haven't considered Creative as an option, you might want to give the Aurvana Trio Wireless a try. The sound quality is good. The combination of mids and highs works well with the solid bass. Call quality is equally up to the task.

The company launched wired earbuds in the summer of 2017. Going wireless is great, but codec support is what makes it even better. aptX, aptX LL, and aptX HD are great for higher-quality streams and no lag when watching a video or playing games. Creative's Super X-fi technology only works with media files you have downloaded to your device, not anything you are streaming.

The fit is comfortable, and with both foam and silicone tips included, the odds are good that you will find the best seal. The earbuds have magnets on them whenever you are not using them. The battery life is good, but you have to charge them via Micro-USB.

Anker Soundcore Life U2

Source: Anker (Image credit: Anker)

Not all earbuds are good at hands-free phone calls. You may not think of the Soundcore brand meeting that challenge, but the Life U2 are a solid pair of neckband earbuds, not only for phone calls, but also for several other features. The CVC 8.0 noise reduction technology is the key to picking up your voice more clearly.

Even when you want to go for a run or workout, a lightweight neckband helps keep you comfortable. If you are okay with how light and flimsy they are, they should feel comfortable. The IPX7 rating makes these earbuds affordable and durable at the same time. When you start pushing them, you may be surprised by the sound quality. They are not compatible with the Soundcore app to get more out of the sound.

You can get up to 24 hours of battery life per charge with the help of theusb-c charging. When you really need to start listening, a quick charge for five minutes will get you up to two hours of audio.

Philips Wireless earbuds

(Image credit: Philips)

It is never a bad time to work out, and you will need a great set of workout buds. The Philips Wireless are the best neckband earbuds. They feature IPX5 water resistance, which makes them impervious to light or moderate workouts and heavy rain. Do not dunk them in water or swim with them. When you get a call, they have a vibrating motor. The buds are not just dangling around your neck when not in use.

The comfortable fit of the Philips Wireless allow you to wear them for extended periods when you are not working out. They sound great, with bass and treble- heavy thumps that are not uncommon for headphones in this price range. They are in line with how sporty headphones sound.

The battery can last up to eight hours on a single charge. It will take roughly three hours to charge from empty to full.

Listen up!

Even though neckband earbuds are not as popular as other headphones, there are some excellent options to choose from, especially if you are on a budget. The Live 220BT are among the best neckband earbuds that do everything and are also some of the best JBL headphones available. If sound quality is your main motivation, the Creative Aurvana Trio Wireless are a nice alternative.

If you don't want something big or don't trust other wireless earbuds to stay in place, neckband earbuds are a good option. You can always look for the best true wireless headphones if you broaden your search.