Top 5 compared
The best noise-cancelling headphones
A long flight or a loud commute made quiet enough to hear a podcast without turning it all the way up.
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The top 5 at a glance
Noise-cancelling headphones use small microphones to hear the sound around you and play back its opposite, so much of it disappears before it reaches your ears. They work best on steady drones like jet engines, subway rumble and office ventilation; voices and sudden sounds get through more. Over-ear pairs close around the ear and block more noise on their own, while on-ear pairs are lighter and fold smaller.
Battery life is quoted twice, with the noise cancelling on and off, and the lower figure is the one a long flight will give. Every pair here has a hear-through mode that lets announcements and voices in without taking them off, and every one stays connected to a phone and a laptop at once.
What matters
- Battery life with noise cancelling on, not the bigger figure.
- A quick charge that buys hours of listening in minutes.
- Weight, if they’ll be on your head for a whole flight.
#1soundcore by Anker Q20i Noise Cancelling Headphones (Black)
$75–$100
Four microphones drive the noise cancelling, which takes the edge off engine drone and office hum, and the battery lasts 40 hours with it switched on. They stay connected to a phone and a laptop at once and switch to whichever one starts playing.
What owners say: Clear, full sound and noise cancelling that does its job win owners over, and one charge carries them a long way. Durability is the one thing they disagree on.
A closer look: There’s no case in the box, just a 1.2 m (4 ft) audio cable and a short USB-C cable, so a soft pouch is worth adding for a backpack. Flip to Transparency mode before crossing a street or listening for a station announcement, then back once the doors close.
- Four mics for noise cancelling
- Transparency mode
- 22 sound presets in app
- 40mm drivers
Best for: Daily commutes and open-plan offices
- Battery (ANC on)
- 40 hrs (60 off)
- Quick charge
- 5 min = 4 hrs
- Weight
- 259 g (9.1 oz)
- Multipoint
- Yes
- Wired listening
- 3.5mm cable
#2JBL Live 770NC Wireless Noise Cancelling Headphones
$100–$150
For long trips between charges: the battery runs 50 hours with noise cancelling on, the most here, and JBL’s True Adaptive cancelling tunes itself to the noise around you as it changes. Lift them off and the music pauses; put them back on and it carries on.
What owners say: Owners praise a rich, detailed sound and noise cancelling good enough to hear quiet music on a busy street without turning it up, and they like the automatic pause. Comfort, fit and durability are where opinions part.
A closer look: The audio cable in the box is only about 20 cm (8 in) long, which suits a phone in a pocket or a plane’s seat socket rather than a TV across the room. The JBL Headphones app runs a short hearing test to shape the sound to your ears, and holds the EQ and the Spatial Sound setting.
- Cancelling adapts to changing noise
- Pauses when taken off
- Hearing test tunes the sound
- Folds, carry pouch included
Best for: Days away from a charger
- Battery (ANC on)
- 50 hrs (65 off)
- Quick charge
- 5 min = 4 hrs
- Weight
- 256 g (9.0 oz)
- Multipoint
- Yes
- Wired listening
- 3.5mm cable
#3soundcore by Anker Life Q30 Noise Cancelling Headphones (Black)
$100–$150
Built for travel: three noise-cancelling modes are tuned for where you are, Transport for plane and bus engines, Outdoor for traffic and wind, Indoor for office chatter, and a travel case comes in the box. With an Android phone, a tap on the right ear cup pairs them over NFC.
What owners say: Superb noise cancelling and cushions that stay comfortable for hours stand out for owners, along with sound they rate highly and a pair they find dependable. Fit draws mixed views, and a few doubt how long they’ll hold up.
Heads up: Noise cancelling switches off when the audio cable is plugged in, so on a plane’s seat screen they work as ordinary wired headphones.
A closer look: Switch to Transport for the drone of a flight or a highway bus and to Indoor once you’re at a desk; the noise-cancelling button cycles through the modes. The soundcore app adds 22 EQ presets and white noise for dozing off, and the memory-foam cups stay soft through a long travel day.
- Transport, Outdoor and Indoor modes
- Carry case included
- Tap-to-pair with Android phones
- Soft memory-foam ear cups
- White noise for dozing off
Best for: Trips by plane, train or bus
- Battery (ANC on)
- 40 hrs (60 off)
- Quick charge
- 5 min = 4 hrs
- Weight
- 260 g (9.2 oz)
- Multipoint
- Yes
- Wired listening
- 3.5mm cable
#4Bose QuietComfort Wireless Noise Cancelling Headphones (Sandstone)
Over $300
Amar Bose worked out the idea for noise-cancelling headphones on a flight home from Europe in 1978, and these carry it on: Quiet mode shuts out what it can, Aware mode lets an announcement through, and plush cushions stay comfortable for a long-haul flight. A carry case and a cable come in the box.
What owners say: The sound and the noise cancelling earn top marks from owners. Almost everything else splits them: the price, reliability, the Bluetooth link, battery life, fit and durability.
Heads up: Bose also makes the QuietComfort Headphones (2nd Gen), which add lossless wired listening over USB-C, so compare the two before buying.
A closer look: Plug in the cable and they keep playing even with a dead battery, so the seat screen on a long flight is covered either way, and the in-line mic still takes calls. The ear cushions come off, so a worn set can be replaced rather than the whole pair.
- Aware mode lets announcements through
- Wind-noise blocking mode
- Plays wired with battery flat
- Ear cushions come off
- Carry case included
Best for: Frequent flyers
- Battery (ANC on)
- 24 hrs
- Quick charge
- 15 min = 2.5 hrs
- Weight
- 236 g (8.3 oz)
- Multipoint
- Yes
- Wired listening
- 3.5mm cable with mic
#5JBL Tune 770NC Wireless Noise Cancelling Headphones (White)
$75–$100
Adaptive noise cancelling: it adjusts to the noise around you by itself, and the battery runs 44 hours with it on. They fold flat for a bag, weigh 232 g (8.2 oz) and stay paired with a phone and a tablet at once, so a call can cut in while a show plays.
What owners say: Owners call them good value, with noise cancelling that does what they hoped, decent sound and a battery they can rely on. Fit is where they part ways, and a few wonder how long they’ll last.
A closer look: Ambient Aware and TalkThru, switched on in the JBL Headphones app, let the world back in for a gate announcement or a quick word at a counter. A detachable audio cable in the box suits a plane’s seat screen, and the app’s EQ presets can rein in the bass if JBL’s tuning is too much.
- Hear announcements with them on
- Folds flat for a bag
- Sound presets in JBL’s app
Best for: A light pair for all-day listening
- Battery (ANC on)
- 44 hrs (70 off)
- Quick charge
- 5 min = 3 hrs
- Weight
- 232 g (8.2 oz)
- Multipoint
- Yes
- Wired listening
- Audio cable
How they compare
Swipe sideways or rotate device to see all 5.
| Feature | #1soundcore Q20i | #2JBL Live 770NC | #3soundcore Life Q30 | #4Bose QuietComfort | #5JBL Tune 770NC |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Best overall | Longest battery | Best premium | Best budget | ||
| Picked Rating | 9.2 | 8.8 | 8.6 | 8.6 | 8.6 |
| Price | $75–$100 | $100–$150 | $100–$150 | Over $300 | $75–$100 |
| Battery (ANC on) | 40 hrs (60 off) | 50 hrs (65 off) | 40 hrs (60 off) | 24 hrs | 44 hrs (70 off) |
| Quick charge | 5 min = 4 hrs | 5 min = 4 hrs | 5 min = 4 hrs | 15 min = 2.5 hrs | 5 min = 3 hrs |
| Weight | 259 g (9.1 oz) | 256 g (9.0 oz) | 260 g (9.2 oz) | 236 g (8.3 oz) | 232 g (8.2 oz) |
| Multipoint | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Wired listening | 3.5mm cable | 3.5mm cable | 3.5mm cable | 3.5mm cable with mic | Audio cable |
| Best for | Daily commutes and open-plan offices | Days away from a charger | Trips by plane, train or bus | Frequent flyers | A light pair for all-day listening |
| Buy now | Amazon | Amazon | Amazon | Amazon | Amazon |
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