Table of Contents Whether you work from home, spend a lot of time on airplanes, or simply want to turn down the volume of the outside world, noise-cancelling headphones are exactly the tool you need.

Even the best value headphones will feel lacking if they don’t come equipped with halfway decent noise cancellation. Besides, there are simply too many headphones on the market (our testing pool gets bigger by the month) for you to pay hundreds only to get subpar ANC.

To help you wade through the top options from brands like Apple, Beats, Bose, Sony, and Sonos, Mashable editors and reviewers tested dozens of headphones and earbuds. From flagship models to budget buds, we picked out the best noise-cancelling headphones of 2025.

How do noise-cancelling headphones actually work?Even cheap headphones can block some noise from the outside world. And you can always blast your music loud enough to drown out nearby conversations and street noise via passive noise cancellation. However, if you really want to turn the volume of the world down to the limit, then you need headphones with active noise cancellation.

Active noise-cancelling headphones electronically cover up the sounds coming from your surroundings. They use internal microphones to listen to the world around you, then invert the noise and send it to the speakers. The idea is that both the output and the input will cancel out, leaving you with near-silence. The best over-ear headphones also create a tight seal around your ears, providing an extra layer of passive sound blocking.

Testing the Apple AirPods Max headphones, which didn’t make the final cut for this guide. Credit: Zlata Ivleva / Mashable

Getting up close and personal with Sony WH-1000XM5 noise-cancelling headphones. Credit: Molly Flores / Mashable

If you’ve tried a pair of noise-cancelling headphones before and haven’t been impressed, don’t be discouraged, as not all ANC performs equally. For instance, cheaper ANC headphones may have a more noticeable hissing sound that you’ll hear when the noise cancellation is turned on, which can be distracting for some folks.

Other headphones may be great at blocking at low tones, but more prone to letting in high-pitched tones. Typically, premium headphones will yield better results all around, but we have budget picks below that still do a solid job.

In the past, not many wireless earbuds featured active noise cancellation that was comparable to over-ear headphones, but newer iterations like the AirPods Pro and Bose QuietComfort Ultra earbuds hold their own in the ANC space. However, even these earbuds can’t quite get the same seal (or fit as many mics) that headphones can, so if you’re looking for maximum silence, stick with over-ear headphones.

What are the best noise-cancelling headphones?Bose is often a top name (and in our top picks) when it comes to noise-cancelling audio, often leading the industry for the best ANC available.

With that said, it’s not the only brand worth checking out. If you want top-notch ANC with great sound quality, Sony makes excellent options. On the other hand, folks looking for a more affordable option might be drawn to EarFun, which brings great value to the noise-cancelling space. Essentially, what makes the best noise-cancelling headphones depends on what other features and price range you’re looking for in a pair of headphones — our guide below lays out where each of our picks shines.

Our Pick

The most comfortable headphones on the market (for most people) Good noise cancelling Excellent sound quality Ear cups fold in, making the headphones easier to take on the go All day-battery life, even with ANC on Plenty of color options available On sale relatively often Multipoint connection can be touch and go, especially at this price point On-ear controls could be better No passive playback available Noise-cancelling isn’t as strong for higher pitched sounds Read our full review of the Bose Quiet Comfort Ultra headphones.

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 — we recommend grabbing them on sale, if you can.

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 a 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.

Excellent sound quality Some of the most comfortable earbuds we’ve ever tried Some of the best active noise cancellation we’ve seen on a pair of earbuds Immersive audio feature Good battery life Multipoint connection can be hit or miss Can be difficult to get out of the case Read our full review of the Bose QuietComfort Ultra earbuds.

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 Tech Editor Timothy Beck Werth and Shopping Reporter Sam Mangino.

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 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 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 sometimes be 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.

Incredibly balanced sound Excellent equalizer in companion app (even for folks who aren’t audio savvy) Comfortable enough for all day wear Great battery life Ear cups don’t fold in, so can be on the clunkier side Not the absolute best ANC out there Design includes lots of plastic Read our full review of the Sony WH-1000XM5 headphones.

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.

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 Shopping and 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, is 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.

Excellent sound quality Fit might be more comfortable for folks who typically don’t like AirPods Great multipoint pairing On the pricier side for earbuds 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.

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.

Super portable Pair seamlessly with Apple products Conversation Aware mode makes it easy to switch between total ANC and talking USB-C compatible charging Some of the best ANC you can find on earbuds Active noise cancellation can’t compare to over-ear headphones Lossless audio only supported with Apple Vision Pro Read our full review of the Apple AirPods Pro (Generation 2).

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.

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.

Same battery life as the more expensive Sony WH-1000XM5 headphones Sound quality comparable to Sony flagship headphones Budget-friendly price Microphone quality could be better Definitely on the clunkier side Read our full review of the Sony ULT Wear headphones.

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.

Sony released the ULT line in April 2024 (and added to it in April 2025), 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, 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.

Some of the best noise-cancelling you can get under $100 Different levels of noise cancellation available App offers similar customization to earbuds at higher price point Great EQ functions Functional multipoint pairing Great battery life Touch controls are just OK Case is on the bulky side The EarFun Air Pro 4 earbuds may not come from one of the more well-known audio brands, but they have some of the best battery life and noise cancellation we’ve experienced on any earbuds, not just those in the budget price range. That said, these are our pick for budget shoppers.

Frankly, these earbuds have no business offering as many features as they do while costing less than $100.

While it is possible to use them straight out of the box, with the app, these earbuds offer more, including five different levels of noise cancellation. While the differences between some modes were negligible, the “strong ANC” setting didn’t mess around (even if it did have the slightest detectable hiss without music), and the “wind noise cancellation” setting actually diminished the sound of a bathroom fan and hair dryer even more than the standard ANC. Basically, the noise cancellation worked — we found it outperformed the Beats Studio Buds+ (our former mid-range pick priced at $169.95) easily on the ANC front, and felt on par with headphones and earbuds that cost double their price. Plus, having different levels of ANC isn’t a common feature on cheaper or more expensive earbuds — neither the Apple AirPods line nor Bose QuietComfort lines offer these features.

Along with the impressive ANC, these earbuds fit comfortably, staying in place even during runs (which isn’t always a given for earbuds without stems). The battery life lasted an impressive amount of time, leaving us only recharging the case once after a week of regular use. A light indicator on the case also easily shows you how much juice you have left. While waiting for these earbuds to start showing their price point, we thought they might struggle with their multipoint connection, but they easily connected and switched between two devices, and toggled easily between two selected devices with the help of the app. Oh, and they sounded great, with the app offering a custom and preset equalizer (which is, again, very much not a given feature at this price point, or price points $50 higher).

So were there any downsides? The case was a little bulky, and the touch controls remained finicky, even after we got used to how they worked (but you can toggle them off). If EarFun switched to a button for on-ear controls instead, these might just be perfect earbuds, but as they stand at their price now, we’re really not complaining.

Sound quality is impressive for price point Companion app has a nice equalizer Comfortable Switching between devices requires you repairing the device (even when not using multipoint) ANC is just okay 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.

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.

Incomparable battery life Excellent noise cancellation Top-of-the-line sound quality for mids, highs, and lows Super comfortable Way too expensive Design could be less Dyson-forward Read our full review of the Dyson OnTrac headphones.

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.

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

That’s what Dyson claimed with these headphones, and what 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.

If you’re into the battery life but can’t justify the price, we also found that the Sennheiser Momentum 4 headphones boasted an impressive 60 hours of battery life with ANC turned on, plus clock in at a good $120 cheaper than the Dyson headphones (and are often on sale). The main drawback is that their ANC is good but not great, but if you’re willing to sacrifice that (and get some excellent sound quality in the process), the trade-off might be worth it.

Every single pair of headphones we included in this guide was hands-on tested by a Mashable reporter or editor. You can learn about our in-depth process by taking a look at our standardized testing methodology we developed for headphones and earbuds.

We pulled these recommendations from our existing pool of headphone reviews and from hands-on testing performed specifically for this buying guide. A couple of options that didn’t make our updated guide include the AirPods Max, which do have good ANC and sound quality but also a less impressive feature-to-price ratio, especially compared to options from Sony and Bose.

For a condensed version of what exactly makes good noise-cancelling headphones, here’s what we considered:

Active noise cancellation performance: Though we always weigh this feature when testing headphones, we paid extra attention to it for the purposes of this guide. For the headphones tested specifically for this guide, we made sure to use them indoors and outdoors, to wear them while someone was trying to speak to us, while playing loud music externally, and while going about our usual workdays. (Many headphones not specifically tested for this guide, including the AirPods Pro and Sony WH-1000XM5s underwent very similar testing conditions).

Comfort: Though this category can be extra subjective due to different user preferences and head and ear sizes, we also look at how adjustable headphones are in terms of suiting different wearers, whether with earbud ear tips or headphone band adjustments. A good fit can also factor in improved noise cancelling in headphones, so we made sure to pay extra close attention to how these headphones wore.

Audio quality: While testing headphones, we listen to music across a variety of genres, as well as podcasts to tell how they perform in different audio settings. Where applicable, we test out different equalizer presets and play around with equalizer settings to see how they affect headphones’ performance.

Value: We considered all the above features combined in relation to the headphones’ price points, and compared them against each other to determine which products are worth it. Where applicable, we noted where the value for one feature made sense and where it didn’t — for instance, in the case of the Bose QC Ultra headphones, their price point makes sense for something seeking incredibly comfortable headphones, and less so for someone who wants the best sound experience possible. We also looked at where headphones justified higher price points, whether it be in more premium features like well-thought out companion apps or especially long battery life.

Recent testing updatesAs of May 2025, we’re considering whether the Panasonic Technics AZ100 earbuds, Sony WF-C710N, and Skullcandy Method 360 ANC earbuds deserve a place on this guide.

Our testing in February 2025 saw the addition of the EarFun Air Pro 4 earbuds as our favorite earbuds pick under $100. We decided that they deserved to knock the Beats Studio Buds+ off the list (after the Apple-owned earbuds beat out the newer AirPods 4), due to the Air Pro’s superior noise cancellation, battery life, and value. We also added the Sennheiser Momentum 4 headphones as an alternate pick for the best battery life headphones in March 2025.

In September 2024, we tried out the JBL Live Beam 3 earbuds, and we enjoyed their sound, unique design, and touchscreen case that made it easy to check the headphones’ battery life and control audio. However, their noise cancellation wasn’t quite up to par for $200 earbuds. We’ve also added the Dyson OnTrac headphones as our pick for the best battery life, thanks to the impressive 55-hour battery life.

In August 2024, we said goodbye to the Bose 700 headphones as our recommendation for the best noise-cancelling headphones with adjustable ANC. This was a long time coming — these headphones have technically been discontinued since the release of the Bose QC Ultra headphones in September 2023, but remained available from retailers other than Bose. We’ll be on the lookout for any new models that match the adjustable noise cancellation that these Bose headphones once offered.

Frequently Asked Questions Absolutely. While some people prefer to stay more in-tune with their surroundings, virtually all ANC headphones come with a transparency mode that makes this possible. In recent years, we’ve seen huge improvements in the quality of ANC from top brands like Bose, Sony, and Apple. So, even though flagship noise cancellers are usually a minimum of $300, we think they justify the investment.

The quick answer is that pretty much any headphones, even the best of the best active noise-cancelling headphones, will let in some sound, but they can significantly dampen down sounds in your environment. With more constant hums of sound like folks talking or loud fans, good ANC headphones are more likely to provide better cancellation.

If you’re looking for the most insulation from the outside world possible, we recommend giving your headphones an ANC boost by playing music or a video. That extra bit of audio will make it even harder to hear your surroundings.

Wearing noise-cancelling headphones for long stretches of time is safe, sound-wise. However, we do recommend being careful with what situations you use ANC — if you’re walking around in a city, for instance, spatial awareness doesn’t hurt. You’ll also want to avoid blasting music all day to spare your eardrums from damage.

Likely, the bigger issue you’ll run into is comfort. We recommend trying out a pair from the Bose QuietComfort line if you’re particularly sensitive to the sensation of wearing headphones or earbuds for long stretches of time.

In our testing, we preferred headphones from Bose and Sony, with Bose often coming out on top for providing the most comprehensive noise cancellation, and Sony offering the best balance between sound quality and noise cancellation.

Bethany Allard is a Los Angeles-based shopping reporter at Mashable covering beauty tech, dating, sex and relationships, and headphones. That basically means she puts her hair through a lot, scrolls through a lot of dating apps, and rotates through a lot of different headphones. In addition to testing out and rounding up the best products, she also covers deals for Mashable, paying an especially obsessive amount of attention to Apple deals and prices. That knowledge comes in handy when she’s covering shopping holidays like Prime Day and Black Friday, which she’s now done for three years at Mashable.