Cillso H97

The Cillso H97 still offers 40 hours of battery and stable Bluetooth 5.4 for $22, but user sentiment has cooled to 73 out of 100. Sound and mic quality remain solid for the price, though the cheap build and loose fit are bigger drawbacks now that the competition has stepped up.

Under the hood, Bluetooth 5.4 is the real hero here. We're seeing connection range stretching to 15 meters with noticeably lower power draw than 5.3, which helps that 8-hour per charge earbud figure. In our testing, audio latency is low enough for casual gaming, though serious competitive players might still want a dedicated gaming mode. The 14.2mm dynamic driver isn't the largest we've seen, but with a 20Hz bass floor and treble up to 20kHz, it pushes more low-end than most earbuds in this weight class. Sound quality sits in the 85th percentile, meaning it's a standout for the price—vocals are clean, and the soundstage feels wider than you'd expect from buds this cheap. Call quality is another surprise. The four-mic ENC setup cancels around 85% of background noise, according to Cillso, and our database puts mic performance at the 90th percentile. Wind and traffic get filtered out effectively, so your voice comes through clearly even on a busy street. Active noise cancellation is solid but not mind-blowing; it lands at the 80th percentile, good enough for an office or coffee shop but won't silence a jet engine. Comfort is decent with the 4-gram weight per bud, but the fit might not stay locked in during intense movement—hence that mediocre fitness score.

When stacked against the EarFun Air Pro 4+, the Cillso H97 holds its own with a longer 40-hour case battery and more stable Bluetooth, but the EarFun offers better app support and ANC that's a notch above. The Soundcore P31i brings richer bass with its BassUp mode, though its mic quality trails the Cillso's impressive ENC. For gym rats, the JBL Endurance Race 2 has a far more secure fit and higher durability, but it costs nearly double and can't match the Cillso's connectivity scores. The budget landscape has also shifted with heavy hitters like the Technics EAH-AZ100, Sony WF-1000XM6, Samsung Galaxy Buds3 Pro, Bose QuietComfort Ultra, and Apple AirPods Pro 3 dominating the top tier. While those are in a different price class, their presence raises the bar for what users expect, and the Cillso's aging design feels the pressure.

At $22, the Cillso H97 still delivers a lot for the money, but the value proposition has softened. You're still getting connectivity that matches earbuds twice the price, battery life that outlasts most commutes, and an IP7 rating that shrugs off rain. But with the price creeping up and user sentiment dropping to 73 out of 100, the trade-off in build quality and long-term durability feels more pronounced. For a few dollars more, you can now find refurbished or sale-priced options from bigger names that offer better app support and sturdier construction.

The Cillso H97 earbuds hit a rare sweet spot for budget true wireless, scoring in the 97th percentile for user sentiment across our database. That's right, owners absolutely love these things, giving them a 4.9-star average across almost 500 reviews. The standout numbers: 40 hours total battery life with the LED case, Bluetooth 5.4 connectivity that lands in the 95th percentile for stability, and a 14.2mm driver that pushes surprisingly clear sound with respectable bass down to 20Hz. But there's a catch, and it's the build quality. At the 33rd percentile, the plastic construction feels cheap compared to pricier options, and the fitness score of 42 suggests they might not survive a truly punishing workout routine. Still, for under $40, you're getting best-in-class connectivity, solid ENC mic performance, and an IP7 rating that handles sweat and rain without breaking a sweat.

If you're hard on your gear or need earbuds that can take a beating, the Cillso H97's 33rd percentile build quality is a red flag. The plastic housing feels cheap and may crack under heavy use. Fitness enthusiasts who prioritize a rock-solid, locked-in fit during intense workouts should look elsewhere—our fitness score of 42 means you'll be adjusting them more than you'd like. And with user sentiment slipping to 73 out of 100, it's clear that buyers are finding more to complain about over time. If top-tier ANC, premium codec support, or long-term reliability are must-haves, you'll need to step up in price.

The Cillso H97 is a capable budget pick that still nails connectivity and battery life, but the glow has dimmed. A 15-point drop in overall score and a user sentiment slide to 73 out of 100 suggest that as the market matures, expectations have risen and the H97's cheap build is harder to overlook. We can still recommend them for someone who needs dependable daily drivers on a tight budget and can treat them gently, but the case for them being a no-brainer isn't as strong as it once was.