Which AirPods should you buy on Prime Day 2022?

Behold, the pinnacle of all Prime Day deals: AirPods. What, you thought it was TVs? That’s an argument worth having. But consider for the moment that this likely is one of the best times to be on the lookout for new AirPods deals this year.

That raises a question, however: Which AirPods should you be on the lookout for on Prime Day?

It’s all a matter of taste, of course. And budget. And, for that matter, whether there actually are any Prime Day AirPods deals to be had in the first place. But we’re going to play devil’s advocate here and assume there will be.

So strap in, because we’re going down the rabbit hole that is Prime Day Apple deals to help you decide which AirPods you should be on the lookout for.

Which AirPods should you buy on Prime Day 2022?

AirPods Max

There’s a reason why we tend to immediately turn to AirPods Max on Prime Day. These are the most expensive headphones Apple has to offer on any normal day of the year. Prime Day is no normal day, of course, so if there’s any chance at getting a better price on the best over-the-ear headphones Apple has to offer, it’s now.

AirPods Max look great. That should come as no surprise to anyone, if only because they’ve been around for more than a year and you’ve no doubt seen them by now.

They also sound great — perhaps not the best, but that’s subjective. And if you’re able to get an AirPods Max discount, they’ll start to sound that much better, right?

Here’s how we put things in our AirPods Max review: “The AirPods Max are darn-near perfect, with best-in-class noise canceling, the most remarkable transparency mode I’ve ever heard, balanced and detailed sound with plenty of deep and musical bass, and a very premium feel.”

That’s tough to beat, especially if you’re able to get them at Prime Day prices.

AirPods Pro

If you’re looking for something a bit smaller and in-ear — and a good bit less expensive — then the next place you’ll turn is AirPods Pro. (And if you’re still trying figure out which way to go when it comes to AirPods Max vs. AirPods Pro, we have your back.)

First things first — we’re sort of in a holding pattern when it comes to AirPods Pro. That doesn’t mean AirPods Pro 2 are coming any day now (and chances are they’ll just keep the “AirPods Pro” name.) But it does mean that the current generation is getting up there in age.

And that’s the perfect time to be on the lookout for some sweet AirPods Pro Prime Day deals.

In addition to being of the in-ear variety and sporting some sweet sound and even better noise cancellation given their size, AirPods Pro are exactly what they’re meant to be: the better version of Apple’s iconic AirPods.

That doesn’t mean they’re necessarily the best true wireless earbuds you’ll find. But they’re well above average and work great in the Apple ecosystem. They’re also nearly half the cost of AirPods Max. That’s maybe the most important stat of all, and all the more reason to hope for an AirPods Pro discount on Prime Day.

AirPods (3rd generation)

Apple AirPods 3 sit in their charging case. — Simon Cohen / Pro Well Tech

OK. The Pros still cost a lot of money, and some folks just don’t like noise cancellation. So we now turn to the regular-old AirPods, which are currently in their third generation. That’s still not nothing and is a price that a Prime Day discount could definitely take a slice out of.

They actually look more like AirPods Pro than not these days, so you’ll get that cool factor. And they’ll still sound great and connect seamlessly to all your Apple devices, which is one of those features that you’ll come to wonder how you lived without.

And it wouldn’t surprise us to find that these AirPods (as opposed to the “Pro” and “Max” models) may well end up being one of the better Prime Day headphone deals you’ll find this time around. We’ll just have to see — but definitely don’t miss out.