Do Beats Flex earbuds offer unbeatable value, or should they just beat it?

Good value; 12 hour battery life; Decent sound quality

You’re still paying for the brand; Neckband is a little too long

The Beats Flex bring the brand-name wireless headphones to the masses at a lower price, but it’s not without making some big sacrifices in sound quality and design. We don’t love them as much as the top-tier AirPods Pro or even the Powerbeats Pro, but if you just bought a new iPhone and want a pair of affordable Beats earbuds to go with it, the Flex could fit the bill.

Affordable price; Fast-charging; Auto-play/pause;

Sound is a steep v-shape; Tricky fit without wingtips; Limited codec support

Available for just £50, the Beats Flex do nearly everything you could ask for at this price

Excellent sound for the money; Auto-pause; Solid battery life;

No waterproofing; Nothing else of note at this price;

The Beats Flex are decent for mixed use. They have a comfortable, lightweight fit and are stable enough for moderate exercise. They also have a bass-heavy sound profile to keep you pumped up at the gym or office.

Comfortable, stable fit; Good build quality.

No EQ; Struggles to cut down bass-range noise.

For the price, you can't beat the Beats Flex. These earbuds offer a lot of the cool features that the AirPods do but at a cheaper price. While they're lacking in sound quality and the microphone could be better, these are a solid pair of inexpensive wireless earbuds.

Price; Consistent connection strength; Intuitive controls; Earbuds snap together; Auto play/pause

Sound quality; Microphone isn't great; No official IP rating or sweat-resistance

The Beats Flex are a set of good value, feature-rich Bluetooth earbuds from Apple. They are significantly cheaper than their predecessors and Apple’s AirPods, but little has been sacrificed in sound or function.

long battery life; good sound; W1 chip; good with Android or iPhone; seamless device switching; instant pairing; good controls; USB-C charging; good value for premium earbuds.

not water resistant; W1 older than H1 and lacks automatic switching between Apple devices; neckband design may not suit everyone; not repairable; battery not replaceable.

The Beats Flex wireless headphones pack solid sound and intuitive design into a valuable package....

Great price; Solid audio quality; Great materials

Not workout ready; No noise canceling

It's hard to imagine a more complete pair of affordable neckband in-ears on the market right now, whether you're an iPhone or Android user. If all you need is something that stays around your neck all day and lets you conveniently answer calls and listen to music, Beats' budget in-ears will fit the...

Flexible and durable design; Lightweight and convenient to wear; Sound is genuinely brilliant for the money; W1 chip for easy iPhone pairing

In-ear feel a bit pressured at times; Fit sometimes needs adjusting as no ear fins; No official waterproof rating (although is weather resistant)