Before you can go Pro, you first have to determine which Pixel Buds Pro color is right for you

Google's first pair of premium earbuds since 2020 is finally here. At long, long last, we can purchase the Google Pixel Buds Pro with Google's amazing fit and Active Noise Canceling. Whether you've known you were going to buy these the moment they appeared on-screen at Google I/O or if you're just grabbing them because they're some of the best wireless earbuds around, that wait is finally over. Before you buy, please take a final moment to consider a small but vital decision: what color buds do you want to see inside that pearly white case?

See at AmazonSee at Best Buy

This year, Google's entire mobile tech lineup seems to be playing into a neutral, natural theme — except for the hands-down best Pixel Buds Pro color. This fiery flex of color exists somewhere between red and orange, kind of like that Oh So Orange Pixel 4 or the much more recent "Red" Samsung Galaxy S22 Ultra. It's vibrant, it's bold, and it will absolutely brighten up your day.

Having a bright, popping color for your earbuds does call attention to them, for better or worse. Bright side of bright colors: if a bud drops, you'll be able to find it pretty quickly compared to the Charcoal. Dark side: if you wear your buds all the time and just use Transparency mode to talk to people, they're more likely to notice the buds and judge you for it. Forget them, though; if they knew how comfortable these buds were, they'd wear them all day, too.

See at AmazonSee at Best Buy

At first glance, these might have seemed like white earbuds, but no! These do actually have some color in them: a very, very, very pale blue. It's reminiscent of the Barely Blue Pixel 4a, or the Sky remote for the Google Chromecast with Google TV if maybe a few shades lighter. As someone who owns that Sky blue remote, I absolutely adore this color — but it comes with one very specific drawback.

Now, we can't be sure exactly what material or protectants they put on the touchpads on the new Buds Pro yet. However, having the remote in the same color, I'm worried about how the color will hold up over time. I've watched the beautiful Sky blue buttons on my remote slowly grow browner and browner as the oils on my thumb have eaten away at the plastic. I'm hoping Google is using a more durable material here that will keep the color fresh and almost-white forever, but it's something to be mindful of.

All that said, this is the color Pixel Buds Bro that I am personally buying for myself with my own money, because I'm blue. (Da ba dee da ba die...)

See at AmazonSee at Best Buy

These matte black buds are tailor-made for the MKBHD crowd because matte black has all the slimming sexiness of the abyss without the yucky, messy look of glossy, shiny, or metallic black seen on the Galaxy Buds Live or Galaxy Buds Pro. Granted, the tips of these buds aren't technically hex black; they're more of a very, very, very dark gray, but once the buds are seated in your ears, black is what they look like.

Charcoal is the most unassuming colorway for the Pixel Buds Pro, and the set most likely to go with any hats, glasses, scarves, or masks you're wearing simply because they'll blend into the background rather than clashing the way Coral and Lemongrass likely will. They're less fun, but more functional.

See at AmazonSee at Best Buy

Is it yellow? It is lime green? I don't quite know, but it's a choice Google made. If you bought a Sorta Seafoam Pixel 6, or you're planning to buy whatever Pixel 7 was teased with this shade at Google I/O, this is the color for you; otherwise, I'm not entirely sure if I see the appeal. They're not quite bold enough to feel like the high-visibility "sport" colors earbuds often come in, and like the Fog colorway, the lighter color makes me question how it might discolor down the line.

There is one secret benefit to this color, at least, it's that earwax or dead skin from your ears is less like to actually be visible on these earbuds and make them look gross. I'm all for color, but I'd even take Charcoal over this Lemongrass oddity.

Considering the Pixel Buds A-series only came in white or forest green, it's nice to see actual color options for the Pixel Buds Pro, even if the color lineup for the Pixel Buds (2020) was a bit stronger. Hey, those buds had serious connectivity issues, but you can't deny the Quite Mint and Oh So Orange were fire. The paler Fog blue and Lemongrass yellow here don't mesh as well as the Coral, but they still pop in their own way.

Ara is Commerce Editor for Android Police and a lover of all things theming, customization, and accessorizing. After seven years of writing how-tos, buyer's guides, and reviews at Android Central, Ara brings a unique flair to her writings (and a lot of Disney references). When she's not writing, she's running around Walt Disney World with her trusty shoulder holster and a Key Lime Dole Whip. If you see her without headphones, run.