If you’ve ever taken a long flight or sat in a loud room while you’re trying to work, you can understand how difficult it can be. Thankfully, to help drown out the sounds around you, noise-canceling headphones were created so you can work in peace or while listening to your favorite songs or podcasts.
On a recent trip, one which we forgot our noise-canceling headphones, we started looking around at all of those wearing them. It made us wonder what the best noise-canceling headphones were and how you can pick the ones that were right for you.
So, without further ado, let us start by taking a look at how you might go about choosing the over-ear best noise-canceling headphones / earphones so you know what to look for.
See here for our post on the best in-ear headphones.
Ready? Let’s go!
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How Do You Choose the Best Noise Cancelling Headphones?
While you can go online to just about any retailer and buy a pair of headphones, buying noise-canceling headphones requires a little bit more research to make sure you get exactly what you are looking for. Here are some tips for finding exactly what you need:
Noise-Cancelling vs Noise Isolating
Many people tend to confuse these two terms and while they are similar, their technology works a bit differently.
Noise isolation headphones work by blocking external noise through physical means. Essentially, they block out noise by creating a good seal between your ear and the headphone. For example, in-ear headphones block external noise with a snug fit while over-ear models will fit over your ears and have thickly padded cups that are designed to block as much outside noise as possible.
Noise cancellation headphones use digital signal processing (DSP) which actively cancels out sound waves from ambient noise. This means that the headphones have an internal microphone and audio processor which listens to the sounds around you and plays an opposite sound to cancel it out. This process is called destructive interference.
Type of Headphones (In-Ear vs On Ear vs Over Ear)
When you start shopping around, you should know the different options that are out there for you to choose from. This can help you decide on what works best for you. These options include in-ear headphones, which are also known as earbuds, earpods, or full-sized headphones including those that fit around your entire ear. The one you choose will be greatly influenced by personal preference. Many users may like the simplicity of earbuds but not the bulkiness of full-sized headphones and vice versa.
Fit & Comfort
No matter which type you go with, making sure that they fit and you are comfortable using them is important. You want to make sure that they fit snugly without falling out in the case of earbuds or aren’t so big that you feel like you’re wearing earmuffs. Headphones that fit right should feel like a part of you so to speak. You shouldn’t be able to realize that you’re wearing them.
Price
Noise-canceling headphones are designed with an audio processor and the processor’s quality can be a major factor in the pricing of the headphones. Which is why it’s not very common to see affordable headphones. This doesn’t mean that you can’t find a great deal now and then but if you’re spending less than $100 on noise-canceling headphones, you’re only going to get what you’re paying for.
Battery Life
Many noise-canceling headphones are wireless and will rely on either batteries or regular charging to keep the audio processor working and providing you with quality sound. Make sure to check reviews online to see the length of the battery life so you can tell if that new pair you like can get you through your day.
Warranty
With all of the technology that goes into making these headphones, there is a lot that can go wrong even through regular use. When they fail, you will want to get them fixed or replaced. Be sure to check the warranty on the headphones you’re looking at and do online reviews of their customer service policies so if you do need to get in touch with them, you know what to expect.
The Best Noise Cancelling Earphones & Headphones in 2019
Knowing what to look for in a great pair of noise-canceling headphones should make the process of choosing your next pair easy, right? Well, we wanted to make it even easier by giving you our list of the Best Noise-Canceling Headphones in 2019.
You can view our choices below, or if you’re interested in learning more, keep reading below!
- Sony WH-1000XM3 -$348
- Bose QuietComfort 35 II – $314
- Sony WH-1000XM2 – $348
- Plantronics Backbeat PRO 2 – $240
- Bose Noise Cancelling Headphones 700 – $399
- Sony WF-1000XM3 True Wireless Earbuds – $228
- Jabra Elite 85H – $299
- Bose QuietComfort 25 – $177
- JBL Live 650BTNC – $159
- Microsoft Surface headphones – $249
The Best Noise Cancelling Headphones in 2019 Compared
Sony WH-1000XM3
The Best Noise-Canceling Headphones Overall
Type: Over-ear, wireless | Battery life: 30 hours | Weight: 1.71lbs
Combining top-quality sound and outstanding noise cancellation, the 1000XM3 from Sony are easily the best headphones on our list and we’re not alone, as these have picked up multiple awards. With a USB-C port as well as more padding along the bridge, the XM3 features aptX HD and Sony LDAC, providing great ways to listen to hi-res music wirelessly. With Google Assistant and Alexa support included, these headphones are more than worth their price.
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Latest Price on Amazon:
- DIGITAL NOISE CANCELING: Industry leading ANC lends a personalized, virtually soundproof experience
- VOICE ASSISTANT: Alexa enabled for voice access to music, information and more. Activate with a simple touch
- QUICK ATTENTION MODE: Cover the right ear cup to turn down your music for instant, easy conversation
- SMART LISTENING: Adjusts the ambient sound to your activity to give you the best noise cancellation
- TOUCH CONTROLS: Control music tracks and volume, activate your voice assistant and take phone calls
Bose QuietComfort 35 II
A Close Runner-Up for Best Overall Headphones
Type: Over-ear, wireless | Battery life: 20+ hours | Weight: 1.3lbs
While it finishes a very close second to the 1000XM3 is the QuietComfort 35 II which beats Sony when it comes to noise-cancelation. Bose is still king in that regard. The ANC on these provides you with an incredible, soft, balanced, and clear sound experience. While it may not be of interest to everyone, the QC35 IIs incorporate Voice Assistant from Google requiring just a button push to use. The headphones can also read back notifications so you aren’t always hunting for a cell phone. For many, these are the best headphones you can get and they are also more affordable than their competition.
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Latest Price on Amazon:
- BUNDLE INCLUDES: Bose QuietComfort 35 (Series II) Wireless Headphones, Noise Cancelling, with Alexa voice control - Black + 1 Year Extended Warranty + Deco Gear 6.35mm to 3.5mm Adaptor
- world-class noise cancellation for better listening experience in any environment
- Alexa for voice access to music, information, and more
- Noise rejecting microphone system for clear sound and voice pick-up
- Hassle-free Bluetooth pairing, personalized settings, access to future updates, and more through the Bose Connect app
Sony WH-1000XM2
Best Noise-Cancelation Performance
Type: Over-ear, wireless | Battery life: Up to 30hrs | Weight .60lbs
While these are technically considered to be old, the older brother of the MX3, the MX2 is still some of the best headphones on the market and are getting hard to find. With incredible sound right out of the box, the MX2 support aptX for streaming hi-res audio via Bluetooth. These do a great job blocking out lower frequency audio although not at as well as the Bose headset. Sony gave the MX2 gesture controls meaning that if you swipe up or down on the right earcup, it will affect the volume while tapping stops and starts playback. You can even place your hand over the earcup to allow ambient noise to come into the headphones. Although they aren’t the newest kid on the block, they still have some fight in them.
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Latest Price on Amazon:
- DIGITAL NOISE CANCELATION: Industry leading noise canceling eliminates distracting background noises
- SMART LISTENING: Quickly detects your activity to automatically adjust the ambient sounds you hear
- QUICK ATTENTION MODE: Cover the right ear cup to turn down your music for instant, easy conversation
- TOUCH CONTROL: Skip a track, change the volume and take or make calls just by touching a headphone
- FAST CHARGING: Enjoy up to 30 hrs of cordless NC and a 10 min quick charge for 70 more mins of play
Plantronics Backbeat PRO 2
The Best Headphones for Commuters
Type: Over-ear, wireless | Battery life: Up to 24hrs | Weight: 0.63lbs
If you’re looking for headphones to help with your daily commute on the subway or bus, the top of the wish list is noise-cancellation to block out the sounds during rush hour while others may cite long battery life as the first thing they look for. For some, comfort is the number one criteria and with the Backbeat PRO 2 from Plantronics, all three boxes are checked. With a weight of just over half a pound, the PRO 2s can be worn for extended periods without discomfort and also have an impressive range of 330 feet which means you don’t have to be tied to your phone when you’re listening at work. What makes these a great deal for commuters is that the price can be much more affordable than some of the other options on our list, making them a budget-friendly option.
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Latest Price on Amazon:
- Audio Quality: Immersive, high-res sound, and powerful speaker drivers deliver the right balance of rich bass, crisp highs, and natural mid-tones for your music
- Active Noise Cancelling Headphones (ANC):Switch on active noise canceling (ANC) to minimize ambient noise while working or traveling
- 24-Hour Streaming: Enjoy up to 24 hours of wireless music, movies and calls before choosing the cabled connection or recharging.
- Wireless Freedom: Stream rich, lifelike audio up to 100 meters/330 feet away from your Class 1 Bluetooth smartphone or tablet
- Rigid Travel Case: Ear cups swivel flat to slip into the protective travel case ; Frequency response: 20-20,000 Hz
Bose Noise Cancelling Headphones 700
The Best Phone Noise Cancellation
Type: Over-ear, wireless | Battery life: 20hrs | Weight: 0.05lbs
Traditionally, noise-canceling headphones are built to block out the sounds around you so the music around you can be heard more clearly without any distractions. However, when it comes to phone calls, the person on the other end of your phone can still hear everything around you. The Noise Cancelling Headphones 700 from Bose seeks to correct this by applying the noise cancellation technology to phone calls as well. This is an amazing feature to have especially if you live in an urban area where the subway and other traffic are going on around you. While the sound quality that the Bose headphones are undeniably good, the battery life leaves a lot to be desired but can easily be ignored for the experience they offer.
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Latest Price on Amazon:
- Keep your phone in your pocket and your head up to the world with easy access to voice assistants for music, navigation, weather, and more
- Confidently take a call or speak to Alexa in any environment, with an unrivaled adaptive four-microphone system that isolates your voice from surrounding noise
- Personalize your environment with 11 levels of noise cancelling: control distractions or let ambient sound in
- Access Alexa with the push of a button, or use the wake-up word. Carrying case- 8.6 x 7 Width x 2.4 Depth inches
- Optimized for the Google Assistant. Access your voice assistant with a simple button press
Jabra Elite 85H
The Best Up-and-Coming Headphones
Type: Over-ear, wireless | Battery life: 36hrs | Weight: 0.65lbs
The Elite 85H headphones from Jabra are the company’s first attempt at releasing noise-canceling headphones and the result is good enough to make fans of other manufacturers take notice. With amazing battery life and terrific style, the 85H headphones were easy to add to our list. The performance that these provide is excellent although some may lament the lack of high-end codec support, these can be a good alternative to the WH-1000XM3 at a more affordable price.
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Latest Price on Amazon:
- BLOCK UNWANTED BACKGROUND NOISE: Jabra Elite 85h Wireless Headphones are engineered for the best wireless calls and music experience with SmartSound*. Smart Active Noise cancellation responds to the...
- SMARTSOUND AUDIO: The revolutionary SmartSound Audio technology in these Bluetooth headphones analyze your sound environment and automatically applies your personalized audio to give you the sound you...
- LONG BATTERY LIFE HEADPHONES: Up to 36 hours of battery on a single charge (with ANC switched on), and fast charging of 5 battery hours in 15 minutes; Listen from the start of the day to the end with...
- UNMATCHED CALL QUALITY: The advanced technology uses 6 of the 8 built in microphones to enhance call quality and block out background and wind noise; This enables crystal clear sound, so you can make...
- WATER RESISTANT: No matter the elements, you're prepared to go anywhere with certified water and rain resistant headphone technology and nano coating of the internal components; Plus, there are no...
Bose QuietComfort 25
The Best Previous Model Noise Cancelling Headphones
Type: Over-ear, wired | Battery life: 20+ hours | Weight: 0.68lbs
Unlike other options on our list, the QuietComfort 25 headphones from Bose aren’t a wireless option but it doesn’t keep these headphones from achieving a spot on our list. The design provides an elegant look with high-quality noise-cancellation from a single AAA battery that can last upwards of 35 hours. While Bose has released more than one update to these headphones since its first release in 2014, the sound that is provided by the QC25s is extremely well balanced and warm provides an entertaining experience every time and is still a quality set of headphones at a much more affordable price.
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Latest Price on Amazon:
- Apple compatible devices Applies to: QC 25 noise cancelling headphones Apple devices The remote and mic are compatible with the following Apple devices: iPhone 3GS or later iPad iPod touch 2nd...
- Deep, powerful sound for the music you love
- Lightweight, comfortable around ear fit you can wear all day long
- Control your music and calls on Apple devices with inline mic/remote
JBL Live 650BTNC
The Best Noise-cancelling Headphones If You’re On A Budget
Type: Over-ear, wireless | Battery life: 20 to 30 hours | Weight: 0.54lbs
Look, we get it. Not everyone has enough disposable income to buy the best noise-canceling headphones out there which is why the JBL Live headphones are such a great option. With a great battery life of up to 30 hours on a single charge regardless if you use them as a wireless option or through the wired option. The sound quality can be fine-tuned using JBL’s Headphones app and it offers both Google Assistant and Amazon’s Alexa voice assistant for you to choose from. You don’t always have to buy the best product available and with the Live headphones from JBL, you can buy a pair of high-quality headphones and upwards of 50% off the higher-end models.
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Latest Price on Amazon:
- JBL Signature Sound
- 30 Hours Battery Life | 2 Hours Recharging Time
- Bluetooth technology
- Active Noise Cancellation
- Ambient Aware and TalkThru Technology
Microsoft Surface headphones
The Best Outside-the-box Noise-cancelling headphones
Type: Over-ear, wireless | Battery life: 15hrs | Weight: 0.64lbs
When you look at our list, many of the manufacturer names you may instantly recognize such as Sony and Bose, are known for making high-quality noise-canceling headphones. When we came across the Surface headphones from Microsoft, we were pleasantly surprised. Even though they aren’t at the level that their competition is, these headphones are quite remarkable with a warm sound and impressive bass. While the noise-canceling works well when listening to music, they won’t block out all ambient noise, especially if you’re somewhere noisy. While they aren’t at Sony and Bose’s level in terms of quality, it may only take the manufacturer some time to reach their level.
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Latest Price on Amazon:
- Hear crisp, clear audio. Omnisonic Audio wraps you in your favorite music, shows, and more
- Lightweight, breathable, and a comfortable size you can wear for a full day of travel or at the office. Noise cancellation Up to 30 dB for active noise cancellation, Up to 40 dB for passive noise...
- Your built in assistant can do it for you. Just ask Microsoft Cortana to play your favorite artist, set a reminder, make a call, get answers to questions, and more. Compatibility Windows 10, iOS,...
- Use your voice and simple, intuitive controls to adjust the volume, skip tracks, mute your mic, or hang up calls. Audio pauses when you take your headphones off , USB cord length 1.5 meter , Audio...
- Keep it quiet with active noise cancellation you can adjust with an easy on ear dial. Or, turn it all the way down to better hear conversations without removing headphones. Frequency response:20 20...
Looking for in-ear Earphones?
Although this post was mainly focused on over-ear headphones, it is worth sharing two in-ear options for your consideration! Check out out these bad-boys from Sony and Bose.
Sony WF-1000XM3 True Wireless Earbuds
The Best Noise-Canceling Earbuds
Type: In-ear, wireless | Battery life: 18hrs (charging case) | Weight: 0.15lbs
It comes as no surprise to us that the same company that makes the best noise-canceling headphones on our list also makes the best earbuds. The WF-1000XM3 earbuds from Sony provide a truly wireless experience along with very good noise-cancelation. While they don’t offer the same noise-canceling performance as over-ear headphones, but if you’re looking for a sleeker design then you can’t go wrong. The only thing better than the noise-canceling performance offered by Sony’s earbuds is the music performance they provide. These can be a great alternative if you aren’t interested in carrying around large headphones around all day.
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Latest Price on Amazon:
- Industry leading noise canceling with HD Noise Canceling Processor QN1e
- 24bit Audio signal processing delivers dramatically improved sound quality
- Battery life up to 24 hours with carrying case (with 10min quick charge for 90min of play time
- Truly wireless design with uninterrupted L/R simultaneous Bluetooth transmission
- Smart listening by adaptive sound control automatically switches to ambient sound mode based on your activity
The Best Noise Cancelling Overear Headphones in 2019
Finding the best noise-canceling headphones may not be as easy as the first pair that you buy. For some, it can take a bit of trial and error before you find the best ones that work for your needs. We hope that our list of the Best Noise-Cancelling Headphones in 2019 can help you find the ones that you’re looking for so you can enjoy some peace from the outside and great music coming from your headphones.
Do you use a pair of noise-canceling headphones that you love but they didn’t make our list? Let us know about them in the comments below!!
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