How We Research
We compare products from their published specs and features; the verdicts below are our independent editorial opinions.
If you want a light, sustainable everyday pair with preset EQ modes and a familiar audio brand behind it, choose Skullcandy Smokin Buds; if you need longer total battery, a newer Bluetooth version and a bigger driver for PC use, choose Btootos Earbuds. That's the short version. The longer version matters most if you're shopping for a PC setup — whether you're after a spare set of bluetooth headphones for PC calls, a cheap backup to your over ear headphones for PC gaming, or just the best headset for PC you can grab without overthinking it.
• Skullcandy Smokin Buds — biggest strength: up to 20 hours total battery with Rapid Charge (10 minutes gets you 2 hours), plus 3 preset EQ modes you switch with four taps.
• Skullcandy Smokin Buds — biggest trade-off: Bluetooth 4 and a 6 mm driver, so it's the older, smaller-specced option here.
• Btootos Earbuds — biggest strength: Bluetooth 5.4, a 15 m range, dual 14.2 mm drivers and up to 36 hours total battery with an LED charge display.
• Btootos Earbuds — biggest trade-off: larger buds, and the LED case adds bulk compared to Skullcandy's bioplastic case.
• Pick Skullcandy Smokin Buds if you want a light, eco-minded set with quick top-ups and simple controls.
• Pick Btootos Earbuds if you want the newer wireless standard, longer battery and stronger call features for PC and laptop work.
The Smokin Buds is the simpler, more deliberate pair. Skullcandy tuned it for clear, noise-isolating sound with passive noise cancellation, and the ergonomic rounded-tip fit is built to sit comfortably for long stretches. The 6 mm dynamic driver won't move as much air as a bigger driver, but the 16 ohm impedance makes it easy to drive from a phone or a laptop headphone-free setup. If you mostly listen to music, podcasts and the occasional movie, the three EQ presets (Music, Movie, Podcast) do a lot of the work for you — four taps on either earbud and you're switched.
Battery is where this pair punches above its class. You get 8 hours in the buds plus 12 in the case, so up to 20 hours total, and Rapid Charge gives you 2 hours of listening from a 10-minute top-up. The case itself charges in about 6 hours and carries its own 12-hour reserve. For a workday of scattered calls and background music, that's genuinely enough — you rarely plan around the charger.
Who should buy it: someone who wants a light in-ear pair for commuting, workouts and desk listening, values the IPX4 sweat-and-water resistance, and likes the idea of 50% renewable plastics and fully recyclable packaging. Touch controls handle volume, calls, EQ and your phone's voice assistant, and there's a 1-year manufacturer warranty. Who should skip it: if you need the newest Bluetooth version, the longest possible battery, or a big driver for bass-heavy listening, the specs here are the older, smaller option — and the Bluetooth 4 radio plus 10 m range is the honest limitation to weigh.
The Btootos A90 Pro is the more feature-stacked pair on paper. Bluetooth 5.4 is the headline: a faster, more stable link with low latency and a 15 m range, which is exactly what you want if the buds are paired to a laptop across the room. Automatic pairing and multi-device compatibility mean you can bounce between a phone and a PC without re-pairing every time. Dual 14.2 mm composite dynamic drivers with AAC and SBC coding give it noticeably more driver surface than the Skullcandy, and ENC noise reduction is aimed squarely at calls — the microphone side of the equation, not just what you hear.
Battery is the other clear win: 6–8 hours per charge and up to 30 hours in the case, for roughly 36 hours total, with a Type-C port that charges the case in about 1.5 hours from a 300 mAh cell. The LED display on the case shows the charge level of both the case and the buds, which sounds minor until you're the person who always guesses wrong before a meeting.
Side-by-Side: Which Should You Choose?
• Best for battery life → Btootos Earbuds. Up to 36 hours total versus Skullcandy's 20.
• Best for quick top-ups → Skullcandy Smokin Buds. Rapid Charge delivers 2 hours from a 10-minute charge; Btootos charges its case in 1.5 hours but doesn't advertise a rapid-charge figure.
• Best for PC and laptop pairing → Btootos Earbuds. Bluetooth 5.4, 15 m range and multi-device support beat Bluetooth 4 and 10 m.
• Best for call clarity → Btootos Earbuds. Dual 14.2 mm drivers plus ENC noise reduction are built for voice.
• Best for tuning flexibility → Skullcandy Smokin Buds. Three preset EQ modes (Music, Movie, Podcast) you can switch mid-listen.
• Best for workouts and rain → Btootos Earbuds on paper. IP7 versus Skullcandy's IPX4.
• Best for a light, low-hassle fit → Skullcandy Smokin Buds. Smaller 6 mm driver, 70 g total, rounded-tip design.
• Best for sustainability → Skullcandy Smokin Buds. 50% renewable plastics and fully recyclable packaging.
In my opinion, the Btootos Earbuds are the better buy for most people, and that's especially true for PC use. Bluetooth 5.4, a 15 m range, the 14.2 mm drivers, ENC call noise reduction, the LED charge display and up to 36 hours of battery are the specs that actually shape daily life with a laptop. The Smokin Buds is the pair I'd recommend if you want something lighter and greener with faster top-ups and preset EQ modes, and it's a perfectly sensible second set. But if you're picking one and you'll be wearing it near a computer, I'd take the Btootos.
FAQ
how to earbuds in pairing mode
how to earbuds work
Both are true wireless in-ear buds: they receive audio over Bluetooth and use touch controls for volume, calls and playback. The Skullcandy uses a 6 mm dynamic driver with passive noise cancellation and three EQ presets. The Btootos uses dual 14.2 mm dynamic drivers with passive noise cancellation and sound isolation, plus ENC noise reduction for calls.
how to earbuds in ear
Both use an in-ear, rounded-bud shape with silicone tips. The Btootos ships with S, M and L silicone earplugs, so you can size the seal to your ear for better isolation. The Smokin Buds uses a rounded-tip earpiece designed for an ergonomic fit — seating them properly is what makes the passive noise isolation work.
how to earbuds for pc
Pair either set to your PC over Bluetooth — no jack involved, since both are wireless-only. For PC use, the Btootos is the stronger pick: Bluetooth 5.4, a 15 m range and multi-device compatibility handle laptop switching better than Bluetooth 4 and 10 m. If you plan to use them as a headset for meetings, the Btootos' ENC call noise reduction is the feature that matters most.
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