Sony WF-C700N
The WF-C700N is the pair we'd hand to almost anyone shopping under $100. Its hybrid noise cancellation is genuinely effective on commutes and in offices, the tuning is warm but balanced rather than bass-heavy, and the compact shell sits securely without the fatigue larger buds cause after a few hours. It isn't flashy — no LDAC, no fancy spatial audio — but it nails the fundamentals more consistently than anything else at this price.
Best for: most people, especially commuters. Watch out: no hi-res codec, so Android audiophiles may want #3 instead.