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Noise-canceling headphones were once a niche category, dominated by high-priced over-ear cans. Throughout most of the 2010s, those seeking to drown out ambient noise distractions at work or during travel had to spend a significant amount (around $300) to get a pair that were up to the task.
These days, that’s no longer the case. The market is jam-packed with quality noise-canceling headphones, including reliable models that start below $100. Having so many options to choose from can rightfully be overwhelming even for tech-savvy shoppers. To help you to find the best noise-canceling headphones worth investing in, I spent months testing highly-rated options from leading brands, and create this buying guide to share my recommendations.
Read more related reviews in our best wireless headphones and best wireless earbuds buying guides.
Best Noise-Canceling Headphones
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Best Overall: Bose QuietComfort Ultra
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Best Budget: 1More SonoFlow-Pro
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Best for Bass: Skullcandy Crusher ANC 2
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Best for Apple Hardware: Beats Studio Pro
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Best for Exercising: Skullcandy Icon ANC
What to Consider
Noise Cancellation
Noise cancellation relies on built-in microphones that continuously monitor your surroundings. A dedicated chip processes the sound captured by the microphones before sending its exact aural opposite to your ears via the headphones’ audio drivers.
This sophisticated technology naturally contributes to the cost of noise-canceling headphones. Translation? The more you spend, the better you’ll isolate yourself from your surroundings. Prepare to drop north of $300 if you are looking to achieve (almost) complete silence from your purchase.
Sound
High-quality sound is also a must for a great pair of noise-canceling headphones. Support for immersive spatial audio is particularly important for top-shelf headphones. It makes live albums and video content more immersive and the listening experience more lifelike, especially if dynamic head tracking is available.
Spatial audio is available on most top-shelf noise-canceling headphones. High-end sets without this functionality make up by producing pristine stereo sound, which makes them worth investing in.
Speaking of stereo sound, today’s best headphones in this space, including budget-friendly models, support lossless audio over a wireless and wired connection. If you are using a streaming service that offers lossless audio, keep an eye out for this feature. It will serve you well.
Battery Life
Your next set of headphones should get you at least 20-30 hours of wireless playback between power-ups with noise cancellation. That’s the bare minimum for these products, with class-leading sets by Apple, Bose, and Sony delivering battery endurance in this ballpark. That’s enough to get you through a long flight or hectic workday in silence.
Remarkably, cheaper cans now have much longer battery life. Some will give you double the endurance of the class-leading options with noise cancellation and a three-digit number of hours without it. Those numbers are remarkable, but trust me, stronger noise cancellation and higher-quality sound are worth the more frequent charging sessions.
Additional Features
A companion app for customizing the sound and the noise cancellation, among other things, is essential for any set of wireless headphones or earbuds today, so look for it while shopping. Apple AirPods and Beats products don’t have an iPhone app. Their settings are easily accessible directly in iOS, iPadOS, and macOS.
How I Selected Tested
I’ve been testing consumer tech products, including audio gear, since 2011. Before I began testing, I spent a day sifting through product specs and features to handpick up-to-date products from reputable makers across the price spectrum—from budget to premium.
My testing routine included spending at least a week with each headset on this list. I used it at work, during my daily commutes, and, of course, while traveling domestically and internationally. These scenarios allowed me to properly evaluate the products’ design and ergonomics.
To evaluate the audio performance of the headphones, I streamed a carefully curated Apple Music playlist with tracks in various genres, including live albums. The eclectic music selection helped me experience the ability of the headphones to produce bass, treble, and mid-range. I also used the cans to stream podcasts, watch video content, and play video games.
Traveling by plane and working in a large open office gave me perfect scenarios to test the noise-canceling capabilities of all headphones. I paid close attention to how each set performed in this critical area, keeping in mind its form factor and price tag.
Ambient mode for being aware of your surroundings is just as essential, and a key component of my testing routine. I also made sure that the headphones performed well during telephone, FaceTime, Microsoft Teams, and Zoom calls.
Regarding battery life, I meticulously observed how frequently I have to charge every headset. Spending days without battery anxiety was a benchmark for excellence in this department.
Lastly and where available, I tinkered with the companion app of every pair of headphones. I looked for tools to customize sound and additional features that help enhance the overall experience.
With all of the above tips in mind, enjoy a more peaceful daily and travel routine by switching to one of the products I vouch for below.
QuietComfort Ultra Wireless Headphones
Bose QuietComfort headphones (and earbuds) have been synonymous with best-in-class noise cancellation for years. It stands to reason, then, that the Ultra cans top this product category.
The headphones’ ability to tune out ambient noise distractions by generating almost complete silence is commendable and alone worth splurging on. What’s more, their companion app offers the option to customize its intensity and save the setting for easy access in a specific scenario. Such a level of modularity sets the product apart from its rivals, just like the core feature’s performance.
On the audio front, the Bose QuietComfort Ultra headphones deliver a balanced sound that’s customizable via an app. Dubbed Bose Immersive Audio, the cans’ ability to deliver multi-dimensional spatial sound with optional head tracking is superb and, crucially, easy to access. I like that the feature works with any audio content rather than requiring Dolby Atmos-enhanced audio. I successfully used it to make live music albums and videos more lifelike during my testing.
The 24-hour battery life of the QuietComfort Ultra headphones leaves a little to be desired by today’s product category’s standards. Competitors, including those in lower price tiers, can last longer. However, the Bose product’s ergonomics, audio performance, and onboard features more than make up for this minor shortcoming.
$449.00 at amazon.com
SonoFlow-Pro Wireless Headphones
With an under-$100 sticker before additional and frequent discounts, the SonoFlow Pro HQ51 noise-canceling headphones by 1More are a legit impulse buy for such a product without skimping on design, ergonomics, performance, and battery life. The cans are surprisingly sleek and comfy, capable of delivering a high-quality audio experience across the board, as well as long battery life.
The sound quality of the headphones thoroughly exceeded my expectations when I put them through their paces. Tuned by a master audio engineer, the cans treated me to a balanced sound that made me feel like I was using a much pricier set. The tools for customizing the sound via their companion app are just as impressive.
When it comes to noise cancellation, the SonoFlow Pro HQ51 is among the best for the money. The headphones did a solid job in tuning out distractions, but couldn’t match the serenity of costlier cans. That’s totally fine considering their agreeable price.
With up to a staggering 65 hours of battery life with noise cancellation, the SonoFlow Pro HQ51 leaves rivals that cost several times more in the dust. I could easily spend a week using them without battery anxiety. And believe it or not, you can get up to 100 hours of wireless playback from the 1More headphones by disabling the core functionality.
$89.99 at amazon.com
Studio Pro Wireless Headphones
The Beats Studio Pro headphones are a must-have for owners of multiple Apple devices. Just like AirPods (and other Beats products), the cans will instantly connect to Apple devices that are linked to the same iCloud account. Once I paired them with my iPhone, I could instantly use the cans with an iPad, a MacBook, and a Mac mini, as well as keep tabs on their whereabouts in the Apple Find My app.
In addition to the seamless hardware compatibility mentioned above, the Beats Studio Pro headphones deserve the attention of Apple users for their ability to deliver a superb spatial audio experience. Accessing the functionality on an iPhone or an iPad is as easy as long-pressing the volume control button in the command center.
The Studio Pro headphones’ audio quality and noise cancellation are among the best in their price category. Their sound is balanced, melodic, and versatile, making it suitable for a wide range of music styles. There is no option to customize it via an app, but I didn’t feel like I had to make any changes while using the cans.
Unlike many competitors, the Beats Studio Pro headphones can deliver lossless audio over a direct USB-C link to phone, tablet, or computer. Listening in higher fidelity doesn’t include noise cancellation. Thankfully, I could access the latter via the standard audio jack when I needed to use the entertainment system during a flight.
The Beats headphones can integrate nicely with Android and Chrome OS hardware, too, but I prefer the Apple experience for the superior spatial audio and because I don’t need to install a companion app. Consider the AirPods Max over the Beats Studio Pro if you have a bigger budget for Apple-ready headphones. Their build is more luxurious, and their controls are more convenient. However, you’ll have to settle for a shorter battery life, as well as spend extra on a suitable protective case and an audio cable with a standard audio connector.
$199.95 at amazon.com
Crusher ANC 2 Wireless Headphones
The Skullcandy Crusher ANC 2 headphones are all about delivering an incredibly powerful bass that’s available and adjustable via a dedicated button on the left cup. The sensory experience is truly remarkable and unlike anything rivals can offer, even though it predictably impacts the overall audio fidelity. The headphones’ noise cancellation is solid, if not on par with pricier sets from leading makers.
I didn’t reach for the Crusher ANC 2 when I felt like streaming classical jazz, but I grinned every time I played my favorite downtempo tracks on the product. Using the cans for playing action-packed games with the bass cranked up was also a ton of fun.
Disabling the thunderous low-end brought me a more “grown-up” sound, customizable via an app. That’s not what I’d recommend the product for, however. This Skullcandy Crusher ANC 2 is all about celebrating bass.
The Crusher ANC 2 is also comfy to wear and equipped with convenient button controls. I also like the headphones’ integrated Tile tracker, as well as their sleek design with a contrasting, brightly colored button for activating the Crusher experience. There are tons of color options.
$229.99 at amazon.com
Icon ANC Wireless Headphones
Skullcandy’s Icon ANC wireless headphones are handily the best for exercising on this list. The surprisingly affordable cans have a compact on-ear design, a secure fit, and an IPX4 rating for sweat- and water resistance. These qualities, together with convenient button controls, make the Icon ANC equally suitable for indoor and outdoor workouts.
The default sound of the headphones has an enhanced bass, which helped me stay motivated during my workouts. The Skullcandy app has several presets for customizing the sound, as well as a graphic equalizer to create your own. The noise cancellation worked, but it didn’t stop me in my tracks with its efficiency. That’s hardly a surprise considering the product’s price category.
I found the Skullcandy Icon ANC’s multi-directional control knob to be incredibly convenient during my testing. Their 50-hour battery life with noise cancellation exceeded my expectations, too. I didn’t expect this longevity from a compact pair of wireless headphones.
Skullcandy offers the Icon ANC in several colors. Every set comes bundled with a soft carrying pouch.
$69.99 at amazon.com
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