JLab JBuds Air (2018) vs JLab JBuds Air Icon

The JLab JBuds Air (2018) is widely considered to be a great Earphone at its $30 budget. The JLab JBuds Air Icon, however, while also a good product at this price point, doesn't stack up against its competitors quite as well.

The JLab JBuds Air (2018) was loved by reviewers at Tom's Guide, a highly trusted source that performs reliable in-depth testing. It did great in its "The best cheap wireless earbuds in 2021" roundup where it was named its "The best cheap wireless earbuds overall", which, in itself, makes it a product worth considering.

As for the JLab JBuds Air Icon, it was really well-received by reviewers at TechGearLab, a reliable source that's known for conducting its own, high-quality, in-depth testing. It performed great in its "Best Waterproof Earbuds of 2020" roundup and was named its "Long Distance Bluetooth Connection", which, on its own, makes it a product that warrants a closer look.

Sources that tested and scored both products, like SoundGuys and PCmag, haven't shown a preference for either in their reviews.

We also examined the available data to learn which sources liked these two Earphones best and found that the JLab JBuds Air (2018) managed to get its highest, 8.4, review score from Headphone Review, whereas the JLab JBuds Air Icon got its best rating from SoundGuys - 7.6.

Lastly, we calculated their review averages and compared them to their competitors. The average review score for Earphones in general is 7.3 out of 10, while the JLab JBuds Air (2018) and JLab JBuds Air Icon earned averages of 7.0 and 7.3, respectively.