UGREEN HiTune T3 Wireless ANC Earbuds review: AirPods for people who love themselves

There are two kinds of shoppers: the ones who will pay anything for name-brand products, and ones who value fiscal solvency. UGREEN's products aren't for the former, since let's be honest, odds are no one will know what you're talking about if you say "UGREEN" out loud. But if you want something that looks like an AirPod, sounds like an AirPod, and costs the same as a low-key dinner for two at Denny's, you're in luck. These buds are inexpensive, perfect substitutes for the pricier competition their aesthetics are designed to compete with.

UGREEN HiTune T3 Wireless ANC Earbuds: What I like

Here's the long and short of it: The T3 buds have solid mic quality, surprisingly capable sound quality, act as an aesthetic Trojan horse for people who want to fit in with the AirPod crowd without financially embarrassing themselves, and are all around a great value.

Even though I don't personally like the white elephant trunk aesthetic, there's no denying it's popular in the mainstream right now, so for those of you who want to fit in and want an inexpensive way to do it, the T3s rule. Furthermore, they're genuinely fine earbuds. You might not hear the absolute deepest rumbles of some songs or the sparkling clarity of certain tunes' highest notes, but you aren't going to get that with most of the high-priced earbuds either. Real audiophiles know to get a dedicated pair of cans for that sort of thing.

There's also the battery life of 6-ish hours (24 hours if you count the case), which could be considered a "pro" given the T3 buds' price bracket. Not an amazing battery life, but perfectly fine for what these gadgets are.

One neat thing to note is that no matter what I do, be it playing games on my PC, chatting with coworkers, or going for jogs with my Android phone in hand, these buds are ready for anything I throw at them. They're lightweight, relatively discrete (as discrete as white elephant trunks can be), and versatile.

UGREEN HiTune T3 Wireless ANC Earbuds: What I don't like

What I don't like about the T3s is what tends to be an annoyance with all Bluetooth earbuds. They're finicky on PCs as a result of having separate sound "devices" for communication and music listening, meaning your audio won't always sound proper until you do some sound settings tinkering (this is a non-issue on phones), and touch controls remain a pain.

That's really it in terms of dislikes, and they're not even specific to the T3s. Just about every wireless bud will put you through those same inconveniences. As usual, if you want to avoid the annoyances of touch controls and a lack of optimization for Windows PC usage, go buy proper headphones and don't rely on wireless buds.

UGREEN HiTune T3 Wireless ANC Earbuds: The competition

In the T3 buds' price range, the only real competition is UGREEN's HiTune X6 ANC Earbuds. They're grey and bean-shaped instead of white and elephant trunked, but are otherwise the same overall deal for the same price.

If you want something with more visual flair, there are the EKSA GT1 Cobras. And for those in need of something a bit more professionally and recreationally versatile for a PC-driven setup, check out the best wireless headsets for the office and home.

UGREEN HiTune T3 Wireless ANC Earbuds: Should you buy?

You should buy this if ...

• You prioritize bang for the buck
• You want AirPod style without the price
• You like core functionality sans frills

You should not buy this if ...

• You want the absolute best earbuds on the market
• You require name brands for purchase validation

UGREEN's HiTune T3 Wireless ANC Earbuds get the job done, plain and simple. If you want music to sound good, people's voices to be clear, and your own voice to be transmitted without issue, these buds fit the bill. Whether you're jogging, sitting, or anything in between, UGREEN's product will keep you connected.

For under $40, such a degree of competency is hard to come by. So appreciate what UGREEN brings to the table in contrast to the brands charging significantly more for similar options, and fit in with the AirPod crowd while doing so.