Earbuds for when over-ears are too much: the gym, a run in the rain, a jacket pocket. Pod Mini puts active noise cancellation into buds that weigh 0.17 oz each, and a graphite pebble-shaped case holds nearly three more charges. Three microphones in each bud pick up your voice on calls and keep wind and traffic in the background.

We wore them for a week of bike commutes and gym sessions. They stayed put through a 3-mile run, and after a 25-minute ride in steady rain they worked as before; IPX5 covers sweat and rain, not swimming. What ANC can and cannot do in buds this small is in our guide to noise cancellation.

Battery and charging

Up to 8 hr per charge, 30 hr in total with the case
10 minutes in the case gives 2 hr of listening
Charge over USB-C or set the case on any Qi wireless pad
The small lime LED on the case shows it is charging

Fit and connection

Bluetooth 5.4 with multipoint: a phone and a laptop at the same time
AAC for iPhone and SBC for everything else; no LDAC, which only Arc ANC has
A 1.6 oz case that fits the coin pocket of your jeans

Worth knowing

Pod Mini comes in Graphite only. On long flights, where comfort and battery count for more than size, Arc ANC lasts 40 hr with noise cancellation on. Like everything we make, Pod Mini has a 2-year warranty.