The 9 best noise-cancelling headphones

Read our full review of the Bose Quiet Comfort Ultra headphones.

Who it's for:

Over-ear headphones can be great for blocking out noise, but less great for comfort when they're too heavy or squeeze your head too much. If you're someone who wants to wear your headphones all day, the Bose QuietComfort line was made for you. We've previously tested the QuietComfort 35 IIs and the QuietComfort 45s, and the QuietComfort Ultra was easily the most comfortable of the three. They're also the most expensive at $429, so you will be paying a premium.

Why we picked this:

The Bose QuietComfort Ultra headphones are the latest flagship headphones from Bose, giving you all-day wear, active noise-cancellation, and spatial audio. The QuietComfort line has been popular for years, but the Ultras truly up the ante.

We wore these headphones for hours — on flights, with glasses on, all day at work — and they never felt heavy or squeezed the head. To drop the royal Mashable we for just moment, I (Lead Shopping Reporter Bethany Allard) can attest that I can easily wear these headphones all day, and I'm not the only one who feels that way. Shopping Reporter Sam Mangino also tested these headphones and found that their biggest draw was their comfort, noting that she didn't experience the same earaches she gets after wearing her Sony WH-1000XM4 for the same amount of time.

She did say that their active noise cancellation and sound profile were good, but not great. In her opinion, she found them to be a bit lacking, noting that the ANC "is really good at blocking out low-pitched noises, [but] it can't wholly block high-pitched sounds unless you turn up the sound to unhealthy volumes." Personally, I found the ANC to do the job for me, but most of the noise I block out on a day-to-day basis isn't super high-pitched.

Where Mangino and I really agreed is that the ear cup controls and multipoint pairing leave much to be desired, especially at this price point. It can be difficult to easily connect with the button that acts as the Bluetooth pairing button — sometimes it's immediately responsive, and sometimes you have to press it a few times, and wait in between for it to properly turn on and connect. Like past QC headphones, these are also touch and go with multipoint pairing, but I found them to function better than my old QC 45 headphones, which often made audio have small skips with more than one device connected.

Finally, these headphones weirdly don't offer passive playback, so you will need to keep them charged whether you're listening wired or wirelessly. Thankfully, I found that it's surprisingly hard to run down the battery on the Ultras, even if you're regularly using ANC and spatial audio. Ultimately, if what you prize above all else is comfort, we think these flaws will feel worth the trade-off.

Read our full review of the Sony WH-1000XM5 headphones.

Who it's for:

If you want good ANC but also value clear and well-rounded sound, these are your headphones. Whether you really like to blast your music, or just want to hear the lows, highs, and mids of a song, the WH-1000XM5s are the headphones on our list most likely to deliver.

Why we picked this:

Sony's flagship noise-cancelling headphones produce a balanced sound that let your music shine, while giving you enough ANC to block ambient noise.

Here's what Mashable Deputy Reviews Editor Miller Kern had to say about listening to Brandi Carlile’s “Right on Time” on the XM5 headphones: "The vocals and instruments all got to shine, and the headphones made it feel like I was there in the studio. These are probably the best-sounding headphones I’ve ever tried." That audio quality, combined with their comfort and effective noise cancelling, are what earned them a Mashable Choice Award. And if you're intimidated by messing around with an equalizer, the app presets along with the "Find Your Equalizer" feature make it easy to find the sound settings that hit just right.

Their portability factor could be a little better — the ear cups don't fold in — but chances are, you'll want to be listening to them most of the time, anyway. When you are on the go, the microphone is another standout feature. Kern relayed that even on a walk home in New York City, she could hear who she was calling perfectly, and be heard herself without any background noise getting in the way. As an added bonus, they have a battery life that beats the Bose QC Ultras by a good six hours, offering some of the best battery we've seen from premium over-ear headphones.

Read our full review of the Sony ULT Wear headphones.

Who it's for:

If you don't need a fancy custom equalizer to know you like punching up the bass ten out of ten times, the new Sony ULT Wear headphones are made for you. Our reviewer praised these headphones for offering balanced sound and powerful bass, a rare combo. These are also a great pick for those looking for a more affordable alternative to the WH-1000XM5s.

Why we picked this:

Sony released the new ULT line in April, and considering the price, they're some of the best Sony headphones ever made. They're designed for anyone who's a fan of bass. In addition to the equalizer in the app, the headphones have a dedicated ULT button that lets you bump up the bass on demand. The 40-millimeter driver keeps it sounding clear and not crispy, making these headphones a worthy competitor to the WH-1000XM5s, our top pick for the best-sounding noise-cancelling headphones.

When testing the two headphones side by side, Mashable's Miller Kern found that while both headphones sounded great, "the ULT Wear’s sound was fuller and felt more like surround sound. And even on the standard setting, the bass sounded richer on the ULTs." We still stand by the WH-1000XM5s as a better pick for audiophiles, but Kern makes a strong case for buying these over the XM5s. "[To] the average person, I’d say the ULT Wears are the winners — especially for those who prioritize bass and fullness in their audio." For $100 cheaper, these are a more than fair alternative to Sony's flagship headphones.

Read our full review of the Bose QuietComfort Ultra earbuds.

Who it's for:

The Bose QuietComfort Ultra earbuds are for anyone who wants top-of-the-line ANC, sound quality, and comfort in the form of a pair of earbuds. You'll have to shell out for them, but these earbuds earned the Mashable Choice Award for a reason, and wowed both Mashable contributor Timothy Beck Werth and Shopping Reporter Sam Mangino.

Why we picked this:

When we were considering the best of the best noise-cancelling earbuds, the Bose QuietComfort Ultras stood out as offering an excellent all-around package. First and foremost, the active noise cancellation works, as Timothy Beck Werth writes in his review, "Do they offer 100 percent sound dilution? No, but all but the loudest and closest sounds should disappear. On airplanes, they significantly reduced noise, making it much easier to take a nap. I have to warn my partner when I'm putting on these earbuds, otherwise, she'll think I'm giving her the silent treatment."

As for the audio quality, these earbuds come with Bose's immersive audio, which is essentially the brand's version of spatial audio. While both Mangino and Beck Werth enjoyed the feature, it's not necessarily the selling point of these earbuds. In fact, Mangino noted that "it felt like the music was all around me even when I wasn't using [immersive audio]" when she used the earbuds.

Still, even earbuds that sound great are of little use if they don't stay in your ears. Again, both of our testers found these earbuds to be incredibly comfortable, thanks to the combination of the various ear tip sizes and stability bands. Mangino wrote of her experience: "Whenever I wear earbuds on a walk, I constantly push them in, but I swear I didn't have to adjust these once on my entire three-mile loop."

The only real downsides of these earbuds are that they can be sometimes difficult to get out of the case, and more significantly, that they suffer from one issue that you'll find on other Bose headphones: Their Bluetooth connection isn't always as automatic as what you'd get from earbuds like AirPods, especially when it comes to multipoint pairing. If all of the above is worth disconnecting and reconnecting your earbuds every now and then, then you'll likely be more than happy with these earbuds, but if it's a deal breaker, you'll probably want to check out other options on our list.

Who it's for:

Love high-quality audio but not so fond of the feeling of headphones over your ears? These Sony earbuds are the earbud model of the flagship WH-1000XM5 headphones we recommended above.

Why we picked this:

These earbuds deliver a rich, well-balanced sound profile, without the weight of over-ear headphones. The ear tips material is not the usual silicone found on AirPods and other earbuds, but a more foam-like material you'd find on an ear plug, allowing for all-day wear that creates a firm seal without sacrificing comfort. People who aren't fans of the stemmed design made popular by AirPods will appreciate that Sony didn't attempt to make a carbon copy. Plus, these Sony earbuds still offer functional touch controls.

The Sony companion app allows for a ton of customization, including for those aforementioned touch controls, paired devices, and of course, an equalizer. Those who feel a bit intimidated by a completely custom equalizer will appreciate the "Find Your Equalizer" feature, which gives you two rounds of options to select from while listening to music to narrow down what settings actually sound the best. Once you've made your selection, a final before and after sound test confirms you're happy with the mix, making it easier than ever to get the most out of your music.

We also enjoyed the Adaptive Sound Control, which switches the earbuds automatically from noise-cancelling to ambient sound transparency modes based on whether you're sitting or walking around (settings that can be adjusted). Multipoint pairing also lets you switch between two devices with next to zero lag. If you hate using transparency mode because of how it amplifies outside sounds, you can adjust that, too.

Who it's for:

We don't think these earbuds perform quite as well as the AirPods Pro, but they also cost $80 less. The Beats Studio Buds+ offer solid ANC performance, the same compatibility with Apple products as AirPods, and they're often on sale for just $130 (making them the cheapest Apple earbuds with active noise cancelling). Plus, with Google Fast Pair support, they're better suited for Android users than the AirPods Pro.

While they're an okay value at full price, we recommend waiting for one of their (frequent) markdowns, which we'll almost certainly be tracking in our deals coverage.

Why we picked this:

Not all that long ago, if Apple fans wanted AirPods with ANC, they were stuck with the AirPods Pro. We recommend the Beats Studio Buds+ as an alternative, as the Apple-owned earbuds offer the same instant pairing with Apple devices, six hours of battery life (that matches the Pro's exactly), and a more affordable $170 price tag.

Last year, we had to do some re-evaluating for our mid-range pick when the AirPods 4 with Active Noise Cancellation hit the scene, especially as they clock it at a similar price of $179. After deliberating, we maintain that the Beats are the better noise cancellers for most folks. Price-wise, the Studio Buds+ are often marked down to $129.95, while the AirPods 4 typically only drop to $168.99. For folks who like the functionality of AirPods but don't like the fit, the Beats earbuds also come with four pairs of silicone ear tips.

Of course, this is a guide about the best noise-cancelling headphones, so how do the Beats stack up? They don't perform quite as well as AirPods Pro, but they still do a good, if not great, job of blocking out ambient noise around you. If noise cancellation is more of a priority for you, then we'd recommend spending the extra cash on the Pros or even the Bose QC Ultra earbuds instead. Finally, these earbuds do a surprisingly good job on delivering clear and well-rounded bass, while offering plenty of balance on the higher frequencies.

Ultimately, we felt the Beats still offer more for the price. And not for nothing, they're available in four colorways: black, silver, ivory, and transparent.

Read our full review of the Apple AirPods Pro (Generation 2).

Who it's for:

If you want ANC without all the bulk, the AirPods Pro are small, discreet, and (thanks to the long-awaited USB-C charging port) easier to charge. Though over-ear headphones typically provide superior ANC, these AirPods have impressive noise cancellation for a pair of buds. You'll probably enjoy them a little extra if you have other devices within the Apple ecosystem.

Why we picked this:

Are they pricey? Absolutely. Is their ANC worth it? Here's what Mashable Senior Editor Stan Schroeder had to say: "These are the first pair of earbuds I'd actually consider taking on an airplane (instead of my much larger and clunkier over-ear headphones)." Though these aren't the only Apple headphones with ANC, we highly prefer these over the AirPods Max, which we think are way overpriced (they're double the cost of these Pros) and don't have the performance to justify that price tag.

Other than that killer ANC, AirPods are great for travel because they take up minimal space in your carry-on, they sound great, and they have a Conversation Awareness mode which automatically lowers the volume when you're talking, so placing a drink order is easy as can be. And with their new USB-C port, you can charge them directly from an iPhone 15.

To get a perfectly snug fit to maximize your listening experience, you'll have your choice between four ear tips. Apple claims these buds support lossless audio, but as of right now, only with the Apple Vision Pro, so you'd have to shell out an additional $3,500 for that experience.

You can find AirPods on sale with some regularity if you shop from Amazon or Walmart — we recommend waiting until they at least drop down to $199 at either retailer before buying a pair during any time of year.

Who it's for:

If you're on a tight budget but still want to enjoy noise cancellation, the Anker Soundcore Life P3i earbuds offer a surprisingly solid performance. Don't expect elite ANC, but these affordable earbuds don't require too much of a sacrifice in sound quality.

Why we picked this:

We're going to start with the major hitch of these earbuds: switching between devices sucks. They don't have multipoint pairing, and if you want to use them with your phone after using them with your laptop, you have to manually disconnect them (or in our experience, sometimes outright unpair them), with your laptop first. It's easily their biggest flaw, and where we most obviously felt their price point during testing.

With that out of the way, these earbuds still have a lot going for them. For starters, they cost $50 and can often be found on sale for even less. Though inexpensive, these earbuds are comfortable to wear all day, have a custom equalizer in the app plus 21 presets (we're fans of the Treble Booster), customizable touch controls for each earbud, and a battery life that outdoes the Apple AirPods Pro. You won't have extras like spatial audio, and the ANC leans on background hiss more than premium models, but not terribly so.

For a pair of $50 earbuds, we're impressed. We recommend them for anyone who doesn't want to shell out $100 plus for a pair of noise-cancelling earbuds.

Check out our full review of the Dyson OnTrac headphones.

Who it's for:

The Dyson OnTrac headphones aren't perfect, but if long-lasting battery life is your top priority and you're willing to pay for it, these provide the best battery life we've ever seen on a pair of noise-cancelling over-ear headphones. They're also extremely comfortable, too.

Why we picked this:

Short answer: 55 hours of battery life with noise-cancelling turned on.

That's what Dyson claimed with these headphones, and what Mashable contributor Timothy Beck Werth confirmed when he tested them out over the period of a month. And that noise cancellation works well.

As for the longer answer, let's begin with a couple of questions: Are these headphones Dyson-level expensive? Yes (though they're still $50 cheaper than AirPods Max, which max out at 20 hours of battery life). Is the Dyson logo on the headband kind of tacky? Also yes. And the multipoint pairing is lacking, which really shouldn't be an issue on a pair of $500 headphones. However, if you can live with that, you'll get headphones that Werth called "the best...I've tested yet," with excellent sound quality, solid ANC, swappable ear plates (for a price), and again, 55 full hours of battery life with the active noise cancellation turned on.

They certainly won't be everyone's cup of tea (or in everyone's budget), but if you want the best battery life money can buy, Dyson's OnTrac headphones are for you.