Best Replacement iPhone Lightning Cable Earbuds & Headphones

It’s easy to lose the Apple Lightning cable earbuds that come with your iPhone, but fear not: there are plenty of Lightning cable replacement earbuds and headphones available today. A lot of these earbuds are more affordable than Apple earpods, plus they come in cool colors and noise isolating design. Here is a rundown of some of the best replacement lightning cable earbuds & headphones on the market.

These lightning headphones are compatible with iPhone 8, XR, 11, and 11 Pro.

Shark Lightning Headphones Tear Resistant Cable with Volume Control Apple MFi Certified for use with iPhone, iPads, iPods

High Quality Lightning Cable

Not every pair of lightning earbuds offers a volume control like the original Apple earbuds, but these do. They’re also a distinctive blue color which makes them stand out from the original manufacturer headphones that come with your iPhone. These also have soft earbuds for noise isolation, which means you may find them more comfortable than other earbuds and they may sound better in loud environments. Works with iPhones, iPads & iPods.



Brightech Pure Lightning Earphones

Best Lightning Cable Earphones Earbuds

Brightech offers a generally well-reviewed pair of Lightning connector earbuds in a sporty green color. They plug directly into the Lightning port on your iPhone, iPad or iPod and offer great sound and noise-canceling technology. They also offer a play/pause and volume adjustment control midway through the cable, just like the original Apple iPhone headphones do.

JBL Reflect Aware Lightning Earphones

Best Lightning Cable Earphones Earbuds

JBL also offers a pricier earphone/earbud option with an Apple Lightning connector: the noise-canceling Reflect Aware Lightning Earphones, which also include a remote along the Lightning cord. The Reflect Aware is available in blue, black, teal, and red, and is only available for pre-order on their website with availability starting in May 2016.

Frequently asked questions about Lightning cable headphones

Will these work with any iPhone or iPad?

Yes, these will work with any iPhone or iPad new enough to have a Lightning port. It doesn’t matter if your iPhone or iPad also has a legacy 1/8th inch headphone jack– these will work as headphones regardless.

What are the advantages of Lightning cable headphones vs regular headphones with a 1/8th inch jack?

Lightning cable headphones allow for devices to be built thinner, and they also can provide advanced noise-canceling technology and better waterproofing. Read more about the pros & cons of Lightning cable headphones here.

Can I get larger over-ear headphones with a Lightning cable, or am I stuck with earbuds?

It’s not just lightning earbuds; you can get lightning cable over ear headphones too.

What are the Best Lightning Headphones for iPhone?

Now that lightning connectors are standard on all iPhone models, there are lots of great headphones with lightning connectors available. When you’re shopping for the best lightning headphones, there are tons of options that provide great sound quality and are comfortable to wear. Here are some of the best-reviewed Lightning connector headphones available today:

The lightning connector headphones in this article will work for all current iPhone models including iPhone 7, iPhone 7 Plus, iPhone 8, iPhone 8 Plus, iPhone X, iPhone Xs, iPhone Xr, iPhone SE, iPhone 11, iPhone 11 Pro, iPhone 11 Pro Max, iPhone 12, iPhone 12 mini, iPhone 12 Pro, and iPhone 12 Pro max. You can also use them with iPads and iPad Pros.

Best Lightning Headphones for iPhone

Apple EarPods with Lightning Connector

No surprise, but one of the best lightning headphones out there are the ones that Apple makes themselves. The Apple EarPods are the ones that come with your new iPhone purchase and they are a great budget option for listening to music, watching videos, or making phone calls. The lightning connector comes with a built in remove for volume adjustment and music control. You can also use it to control calls and it has a built in microphone for clear audio.

Easy to use and perfectly designed for iPhone, EarPods are a great choice.



Beats urBeats3 Earphones with Lightning Connector

If you’re looking for better audio quality than the default Apple EarPods and don’t mind spending a little money to get it, check these out. Beats is making fantastic lightning headphones that are the perfect audio companion to your iPhone. With ergonomically designed eartips in a variety of sizes, they’re not only comfortable to wear but provide noise isolation to help you hear your music or podcast over background noise. The back of the earbuds are also magnetic so they stick together and prevent cord tangling in your bag or pocket. It also has a built in mic with button to easily control your music on the go. With a bunch of fun color options, this is a great option for lightning earbuds.

Available Colors: blue, yellow, coral, satin gold, satin silver

iDars in-Ear Lightning Headphones

Built specifically for iPhones, these lightning headphones from iDars are MFi Certified to be compatible with Apple devices. Ergonomically designed, the earbuds are noise isolating to make it easy to listen to music or podcasts anywhere. They also come with three different sized eartips so you always have a comfortable fit. These headphones have a built in controller to change the volume and pause/play music and other audio. Use it to easily accept and disconnect calls without taking out your phone.

Available in black, red, and white. Comes with a 12 month warranty.


Audeze Sine On-Ear Headphone
Best Lightning Cable Headphones & Earbuds

Audeze also offers a smaller set of on-ear Lightning headphones, which you can pre-order from their website. It’s about half the price of their flagship EL-8 Lightning headphones, and is more lightweight, plus it folds flat for easy ease of use while traveling.