The best noise-cancelling headphones in 2022
The best noise-cancelling headphones aren’t just great for everyday music playback. By engaging active noise cancellation (ANC) tech, they make irritating and distracting sounds from the world around you a lot quieter. With ANC tech enabled, the world carries on of course but you can bask in a tranquil pool of peace and quiet as the noise around you is cancelled out.
They're great on all forms of public transit as anyone who's worn a pair of ANC headphones on a flight will tell you, and with new features like LDAC and aptX codec support, they offer a significantly improved sound quality to boot.
ANC headphones can even help to get a better night's sleep, or you can simply play music and experience the sound of your favorite band or artist, or listen to podcasts and eBooks without distraction or interruption.
We're maintaining a separate list of the best noise-cancelling earbuds as well, but our picks below represent the greatest ANC headphones across any form factor. The best over-ear headphones can aid the noise-cancelling effect by forming seals around your ears, though in-ear buds can still deliver high-performance ANC, just in a more portable package. Whichever you prefer, you’re sure to find the right pair in our best noise-cancelling headphones picks below.
Top 3 best noise-cancelling headphones
Best overall: Sony WH-1000XM5
Taking the top spot in our best noise-cancelling headphones list is the recently introduced Sony WH-1000XM5. These build on their similarly excellent predecessor the XM4 to blend superb sound quality with elite active noise cancellation, comfy design, great companion app, and eco credentials.View Deal
Best ANC performance: Bose 700
The Bose 700 has unrivaled ANC performance boasting 10 levels of ANC that can be adjusted in its Connect app and works flawlessly to silence the majority of external sounds. Sound is crystal clear when listening to music and taking calls. We also love the svelte, contemporary design with comforting ear pads and touch controls. View Deal
Best ANC battery life: Sennheiser Momentum 4 Wireless
The 60-hour battery life is a real crowd pleaser and the ANC model to beat. Add in the easy-going Sennheiser sound and effective noise cancelling, and the Momentum 4 is one the most practical ANC headphones we've seen, perfectly built for a life on the road rather than tethered to a power socket needing regular battery top ups. View Deal
The best noise-cancelling headphones you can buy right now
1. Sony WH-1000XM5
The best noise-cancelling headphones overall
Weight: 8.8 ounces | Battery life (rated): 30 hours (ANC on); 40 hours (ANC off) | Bluetooth range: 33 feet | Codec support : SBC, AAC, LDAC
Articulate and engaging sound
Great control options
Impressive noise-cancelation
Redesign and eco credentials ups the price
Gets hot around the ears during longer listening
Sony has been steadily closing the noise-cancelling gap on Bose, and the new Sony WH-1000XM5 comes closer than ever to beating the Bose 700 (below) in this regard. It has two processors controlling eight microphones, where the XM4 before it had just one processor controlling four, and the result, in our testing, is near-seamless ANC. But the Sony's overall quality would make the XM5 our #1 option even if that weren't the case.
Audio quality is superb, the 30-hour battery life (with ANC) is excellent and everything from the touch controls to the ability to tweak the EQ via the Sony Headphones Connect app is well thought out and seamlessly integrated. Call quality has also been improved greatly and there's really nothing to criticize here beyond the slightly bland styling and the $50 price increase over the XM4.
Read our full Sony WH-1000XM5 review.
2. Bose 700
The best noise-cancelling headphones on ANC performance
Size and weight: 8 x 6.5 x 2 inches; 9 ounces | Battery life (rated): 20 hours (ANC on) | Bluetooth range: 30 feet | Special features: Customizable EQ
Adjustable active noise cancelation
Svelte, attractive design
Precise, balanced audio
Fantastic noise cancelling on calls
Shorter battery life than the 1000XM5
It truly is a close run thing between the Bose 700 and the Sony WH-1000XM5 (above) for the best overall noise-cancelling headphone crown, and there is no denying that Bose has the most effective active noise cancelling technology on the market. Period.
The Bose 700s reap those benefits, boasting 10 levels of ANC that can be adjusted in its Connect app and works flawlessly to silence the majority of external sounds. Most importantly, the 700s achieve this without compromising sound quality, allowing listeners to enjoy clean, well-balanced sound reproduction. Bose’s companion app also lets you adjust the EQ for personalized audio.
We love the ultramodern design, and the slim, sexy silhouette is as much of an engineering feat as the ANC performance. But we need to address the elephant in the room – battery life, which at 20 hours with ANC enabled and outperformed by the Sony.
Read our full Bose 700 review.
3. Sennheiser Momentum 4 Wireless
Best-ever battery life for a wireless headphone with ANC
Size & weight: 7 x 7.67 x 1.82 inches; 10.3 ounces | Battery life (rated): Up to 30 hours (with ANC) | Bluetooth range : > 30 feet | Special features: Customizable EQ
Spectacular battery life
Great sound
Effective noise-cancelling performance
Reliable touch controls
Robust design with plain styling (if you like that sort of thing)
Anonymous styling
Earpads may make ears hot
Flaky connectivity issues with Smart Control app
Although the revamped design of Sennheiser's fourth generation Momentum Wireless headphones don't stand out quite like their classic-looking predecessor, the 60-hour battery life is a real crowd pleaser and make these the one to beat. Add in the easy-going Sennheiser sound and effective noise cancelling, and the Momentum 4 are one the most practical wireless headphones we've seen, perfectly built for a life on the road rather than tethered to a power socket needing regular battery top ups.
Sennheiser's smooth house sound handles a wide range of music content, from pounding beats to more mellow tunes with aplomb. It has Bluetooth 5.2 and aptX Adaptive support, and there's a supplied 3.5mm cable for audiophile wired connections. ANC performance is effective, and auto Wind Noise Reduction is very impressive when stood on a windy train platform on daily work commutes.
Read our full Sennheiser Momentum 4 Wireless review.
4. Bose QuietComfort Earbuds 2
Best performing ANC earbuds in the world
Size and weight: 1.2 x 0.68 x 0.88 inches (per bud); 0.21 ounces (per bud) | Battery life (rated): 6 hours; 24 hours (charging case) | Bluetooth range: 100 feet | Code support: SBC, AAC
Unbeatable noise cancellation
Refined and well-balanced sound
Excellent call quality
Great customization settings
More compact and stylish design
Battery life bettered by rivals
Poor comfort levels
Finicky touch controls and app connectivity
After weeks of leaks, the QuietComfort Earbuds 2 are now official, and they've gone straight to the top of the best noise-cancelling earbuds list for their outstanding ANC capabilities. They perform even better than the original QC Earbuds (below) that are still available. These are a remarkable follow-up that delivers better sound, great call quality, and unrivaled ANC. Proprietary technologies like ActiveSense and CustomTune balance sound and noise neutralization extremely well.
Bose’s redesign also makes these buds less of an eyesore compared to the original, and only the high price and mediocre battery life count against them. CustomTune automatically calibrates ANC and the sound frequency profile to the unique properties of your ear and optimal performance that's right for you. Sadly, there's no wireless audio codec support for aptX or LDAC.
Read our full Bose QuietComfort Earbuds 2 review.
5. Bose QuietComfort Earbuds
The best noise-cancelling wireless earbuds
Size and weight: 1.5 x 1 x 1.1 inches; 0.3 ounces | Battery life (rated): 6 hours; 18 hours (with charging case) | Bluetooth range: 30 feet | Special features: Self Voice mode for enhancing calling
Best-in-class ANC
Dynamic sound
Excellent call quality
Disappointing battery life
The original QuietComfort Earbuds are still available and so take second place in the wireless ANC earbuds category. They come with 10 levels of ANC that can be adjusted in the Bose Connect app, which also blends with an ambient listening mode to allow full awareness of what’s happening around you. Sound is warm and clean, though call quality is the product’s unsung feature, producing excellent clarity whether you're making or receiving a call.
Aside from the bulky design (both earbuds and charging case), battery life isn't great compared to rivals. A single charge is rated at 6 hours, but that number drops quickly to 5 hours when factoring in the listening modes and heavy streaming. The charging case only offers an additional 18 hours as well, a major letdown when seeing how huge it is.
Read our full Bose QuietComfort Earbuds review.
6. Bose QuietComfort 45
Best Bose headphones for ANC playtime
Size and weight: 7.25 x 6 x 3 inches; 8.5 ounces | Battery life (rated): 24 hours (ANC on) | Bluetooth range: 30 feet (10 meters) | Special features: Pairs with other Bose products; Active EQ
Elite active noise cancellation
Refined sound signature
Good battery life
Fantastic comfort and connectivity
Can’t turn ANC off
Lacks several features found on previous Bose headphones
The latest entry in the QC over-ear series is the best yet, welcoming several improvements, including better active noise cancellation, sound, and battery life. ANC is as effective as it is on the 700, blocking out nearly 90 percent of ambient sound at a high rate. Bose’s ambient-listening mode (Aware) does a fantastic job of piping in external sounds for increased awareness. The combination of proprietary TriPort acoustic architecture and a volume-optimized Active EQ gives these headphones a refined, well-balanced sound signature to enjoy most music genres. Having 24 hours of ANC playtime is also huge, considering all the older Bose models only give you 20 hours.
Not being able to turn off ANC means the battery will drain more quickly, plus the absence of some features found on the 700 and QC35 II might have you hesitant about choosing this model over the others. Well, just know that the ANC, sound quality, and battery life make up for any shortcomings.
Read our full Bose QuietComfort 45 review.
7. Apple AirPods Max
The best noise-cancelling headphones for iOS
Size and weight: 7.4 x 6.6 x 3.3 inches; 13.6 ounces | Battery life (rated): 20 hours (ANC on) | Bluetooth range: 33 feet | Special features: Spatial Audio; Audio Sharing; Siri
Luxury design
Excellent noise cancellation
Spatial audio sounds great
Expensive
No aux jack
Although there’s only one level of active noise cancellation on the ultra-premium AirPods Max, it works like a charm. The cans do a great job of blocking out ambient sounds, especially at the lower end of the frequency spectrum. It’s almost as good as Bose’s ANC, which is a fine showing for Apple’s first pair of over-ears.
Elsewhere, the AirPods Max sound great, especially with the surround-sound spatial audio feature switched on, and there design standards and build quality are so high you can almost forget that these headphones cost $549. That’s a lot more than the Sony and Bose headphones higher up the list, so this is a luxury purpose, but can very much be a worthwhile one.
See our full Apple AirPods Max review.
8. Sony WF-1000XM4
The best Sony wireless noise-cancelling earbuds
Size and weight: 1 x 0.8 x 0.8 inches; 0.2 ounces | Battery life (rated): 8 hours (ANC on); 24 hours (with charging case) | Bluetooth range: 30 feet | Special features: Transparency mode; Customizable EQ
Substantial yet balanced sound
Excellent ANC effectiveness
Substantial battery life
Lots of features via Sony Connect Headphones app
Fit may not be secure for all
When the WF-1000XM3 launched, they set the standard for active noise cancellation on wireless earbuds. What would Sony do for an encore? Release an even more advanced version that trumps the original and other category leaders in several areas, including ANC, battery life, design, sound, and touch controls. Sony tweaked its noise cancellation to better deal with louder frequencies and rumblings, while also completely silencing common disturbances in home and office environments.
Audio remains unbeatable with the WF-1000XM4 given a more dynamic, well-defined sound profile ideal for all music genres, video content, and other media (e.g., podcasts, eBooks). The plethora of features in the Sony Headphones Connect app opens the lane to personalize your listening experience, from the multiple well-engineered EQs to spatial audio via 360 Reality Audio for immersive 3D sound. A full charge gets you 8 hours of ANC playback, some of the highest in the category,
The revamped design is sleeker and more practical than its predecessor, though the fit feels looser this time around.
Read our full Sony WF-1000XM4 review.
9. Bowers & Wilkins Px7 S2
Premium over-ears with great sound
Size and weight: Not specified; 10.8 ounces | Battery life (rated): Up to 30 hours | Bluetooth range: Not specified | Special features: ANC
Balanced, engrossing and confident sound
Improved noise-cancelation over its Px7 sibling
Sophisticated looks (if you like that sort of thing)
No touch-controls and featured are a bit basic
Noise cancelation is bettered by rivals
Anonymous looks (if you don’t)
The Bowers & Wilkins Px7 S2 over-ear headphones are priced the same as Sony's Sony WH-1000XM5. The active noise-cancelation proves ‘good’ rather than great’ — that’s to say, it will be perfectly acceptable to anyone who doesn’t insist on absolute silence, and this next-gen model are a worthy purchase if you prioritize overall sound quality. They feel good, are beautifully constructed and are either good-looking in an understated way or a bit too understated for their own good — it depends on your taste. They have active noise-cancelation and a control app — but ‘extended functionality’ is not their thing.
They’re designed to deliver the best wireless sound this sort of money can buy, and they do. The entire frequency range hangs together well, with nothing overstated and nothing struggling for representation. Tonality is clean, consistent and entirely convincing. If you want every wireless headphone feature under the sun, you have plenty of choice. If, however, you want headphones that make the most of the digital audio information you give them, the Px7 S2 really needs to be in your thinking.
Rear our full Bowers & Wilkins Px7 S2 review.
10. Yamaha YH-L700A
Elite spatial audio headphones with effective ANC
Size and weight: 3.5 x 8 x 10.5 inches; 11.64 ounces | Battery life (rated): 11 hours (with ANC) | Bluetooth range: 40 feet | Special features: 3D sound; Head-tracking technology
Excellent spatial audio performance
Great sound quality for music and calls
Contemporary design
Respectable ANC
Huge and heavy
Uneven battery life
You’re probably wondering how a pair of $500 wireless headphones with adequate noise cancellation could sneak its way onto this list. The answer is simple: spatial audio. We know these are two separate talking points, but hear us out. The YH-L700A are an excellent-sounding model that have a better 3D sound experience than the AirPods Max. They're equipped with accurate head-tracking technology and multiple well-engineered listening modes for different content. Even with spatial audio turned off, these headphones produce spacious sound with full bass presence, delivering rich lows, palpable mids, and crisp highs. And though Yamaha’s ANC won’t match what Apple, Bose, or Sony offers, it’s still effective to enjoy premium sound in most environments.
You just have to live with its large, heavy design and uneven battery life, which fluctuates when listening with 3D enabled.
Read our full Yamaha YH-L700A review.
11. OnePlus Buds Pro
Premium noise-cancelling earbuds at an attainable price
Size and weight: 1.25 x 0.9 inches; 15 ounces | Battery life (rated): 5 hours (ANC on); 28 hours (with charging case) | Bluetooth range: 40 feet | Special features: Ambient listening mode; Warp charging
Rich, well-balanced sound
Powerful ANC
Handsome, luxe design
Ridiculously powerful charging technology
ANC playtime could be better
Some features are unreleased or exclusive to OnePlus devices
The first-gen OnePlus Buds were a notable entry in the audio space for the Android mobile manufacturer, but their noise-cancelling brethren have already left an even greater impression, rivaling the AirPods Pro in aesthetics, ANC, and audio. A more premium design with a dual-tone finish and aluminum plating, alongside IP55 water-resistant protection for the buds and an IPX4-rated charging case, show OnePlus can create buds that complement their high-end smartphones. The 11mm drivers produce well-balanced audio with substantial frequency range to enjoy a nice blend of lows, mids, and highs. Three-level ANC is also impressive, filtering noise levels almost up to 40dB. Warp Charge technology generates 10 hours of use on a 10-minute charge, which you’ll be grateful for since ANC playtime is shorter than specified.
Read our full OnePlus Buds Pro review.
12. Apple AirPods Pro
The best in-ear AirPods for noise cancelling
Size and weight: 2.4 x 1.7 x 0.9 inches; 8.8 ounces | Battery life (rated): 4.5 hours (ANC on); 24 hours (with charging case) | Bluetooth range: 30 feet | Special features: Spatial Audio; Siri
Active noise cancelling
Water-and sweat resistant
Excellent call quality
Multiple eartips with fit test
Battery life could be longer
The AirPods Pro land on our list of best noise-cancelling headphones because these ANC earbuds blocked out noise quite well in our testing, whether we were commuting or walking around New York City. It's also easy to activate the ANC with just a long press on the earbud stem. And for those times when you need to be aware of your surroundings, there's Transparency mode that lets ambient noise in so you can listen to music and listen to the world around you. The latest iOS 14 update brings new features like automatic switching and spatial audio, which creates 3D-like sound for listeners, into the mix.
The AirPods Pro offer a very comfortable and secure fit, which you can personalize thanks to three sets of silicone tips and run an acoustical test from your iPhone to make sure you're getting the best sound. Sweat- and water-resistance mean these buds are great for working out and battery life with noise cancelling activated gives only 4.5 hours, but you can get 24 hours of juice through the wireless charging case.
See our full Apple AirPods Pro review. We also hope the AirPods Pro 2 brings better audio quality beyond ANC.
13. Cleer Enduro ANC
The best noise-cancelling headphones for value
Size and weight: 7 x 6.6 x 3 inches; 10.6 ounces | Battery life (rated): 60 hours (ANC on) | Bluetooth range: 30 feet | Special features: Ambient mode; Digital assistant support; Android Fast Pair 2.0; NFC pairing; EQ customization
Great value
Class-leading battery life
Bass-rich sound
Effective ANC
ANC mics pick up wind noise
Comfort wanes over time
How's this for an ANC headphones bargain: great sound, a modern and flexible design, ample features, a useful app, a full set of accessories and the best battery life in its class, all for $150? That's the Cleer Enduro ANC, currently the #3 spot taker on our best cheap wireless headphones list.
The Enduro ANC aren't without their foibles — there's a fair bit of wind noise in ANC mode, and they are seemingly made with smaller ears in mind — but there's no arguing about the incredible value for money. Cleer's noise-cancelling headphones are particularly good for travelers, and we got 50 hours and 15 minutes of ANC playback time form a single charge in our testing.
Read our full Cleer Enduro ANC review.
14. Anker Soundcore Space Q45
Another great ANC alternative for less than $150
Size & weight: 6.3 x 3.4 x 7.4 inches; 10.3 ounces | Battery life (rated): Up to 50 hours (ANC on); up to 65 hours (ANC off) | Bluetooth range: 80 feet | Special features: Ambient Sound, Safe Volume, Sound Effects, Sound Mode, Wind Noise Reduction
Big sound with plenty of bass
Lengthy battery life
Loaded with special features
Effective ANC
Bluetooth 5.3 with multipoint and LDAC support
Clunky
Digital assistant needs work
Call quality could benefit from better wind resistance
No Find My Headphones function
Like the Cleer Enduro ANC (above), Anker's Soundcore Space Q45 are quite the bargain with a remarkable set of features and effective ANC performance. They offer remarkable battery life, quality ANC, and superb sound powered by upmarket specs and special features. Sound quality has a liveliness that pulls listeners to the front row of the performance on whatever music you're listening to. The sonic soundstage is wide and immersive, and have a ramped up low end, rich mids and crisp highs.
Anker engineered the Space Q45 with a versatile Ambient Sound mode that features dual settings for both Noise Cancellation and Transparency settings. And they all work well when used in proper situations. These headphone are not without some flaws, but nevertheless they have compelling sound and noise neutralization for half the price of Bose and Sony’s flagship models and are worth tracking down.
Read the full Anker Soundcore Space Q45 review.
15. Beats Fit Pro
The best noise-cancelling wireless sport earbuds
Size and weight: 0.75 x 1.18 x 0.94 inches; 0.2 ounces | Battery life (rated): 6 hours (ANC on); 27 hours (with charging case) | Bluetooth range: 40 feet (12 meters) | Special features: Adaptive EQ; Spatial Audio
Powerful ANC and Transparency modes
Dynamic soundstage with Spatial Audio support
Respectable battery life
Comfy, secure fit
Some H1 features exclusive to Apple devices
Android app offers very few extras
Take the Beats Studio Buds’ body, add wingtips and the coolest features from Apple's AirPods Pro, and you get Beats’ best wireless earbuds to date. The Fit Pro is an excellent workout companion that produces better clarity and punchier bass than Apple’s flagship buds, plus it comes with Spatial Audio to enjoy 3D-like sound when listening to select tracks on Apple Music, watching movies or jumping on FaceTime calls. Five of the six mics are used during calls, which, along with a voice accelerometer, helps isolate speech for interference-free voice and video chats. We also appreciate the updated design — granted wingtips were the only real change, but they reinforce stability when performing lateral-heavy exercises.
Despite operating on the H1 chip, these buds lack a few features found on current AirPods models, including Adaptive EQ and Enhanced Find My mode. The Android app doesn’t offer much extended functionality either. Besides those complaints, these are a top-tier product for both fitness and casual music lovers.
Read our full Beats Fit Pro review.
How to choose the best noise-cancelling headphones for you
Active vs. passive noise cancellation
The first item to check off the list when shopping for the best noise-cancelling headphones is active noise cancellation, which shouldn’t be confused with passive noise cancellation. What are the differences?
ANC uses advanced circuitry and microphones to pick up noise signals and create inverse waves that cancel out these sonic disruptions, whereas PNC physically isolates high-pitched sounds through the headphone design and materials. Most headphones advertised with noise cancellation are categorized under ANC.
Battery life
Noise-cancelling headphones have a reputation for sucking up lots of power, so you’ll want a pair that holds a charge long enough to get you through a long business flight or weekly commutes. Thanks to the arrival of Sennheiser's Momentum 4 over-ear headphones battery life standards have increased up to 60 hours, although more typical figures are anywhere between 15 to 30 hours. Noise-cancelling wireless earbuds are usually rated for 4.5 to 8 hours.
Sound quality
ANC technology can compress sound and reduce dynamics, which may affect audio performance when turned on. In some cases, you’ll notice a background hiss when listening to music. However, there are noise-cancelling headphones out there that limit these disruptions to deliver full, crisp sound.
Design
Design is just as important when selecting the best noise-cancelling headphones. Over-ear headphones tend to give the best noise cancellation, though some of the more recent wireless on-ear and in-ear models are proving to be just as effective.
How we test noise-cancelling headphones
We've judged the best noise-cancelling headphones on several factors: audio performance, battery life, Bluetooth range, call quality, comfort and fit, and the effectiveness of the noise cancellation. We also weigh special features, such as included apps, and how easy they are to use.
During the testing phase, our reviewers wear each pair of headphones for 2 hours at a time throughout the course of a week, to test comfort over time.
ANC, meanwhile, is tested in both indoor and outdoor environments where ambient sounds are produced at high levels. This includes airplanes, city parks, convenience shops, offices, and public transportation. ANC headphones programmed with transparency modes are also tested thoroughly to determine how well the listener can hear their surroundings.
For sound quality, we listen to many different sample tracks and span as many music genres as possible, including hip-hop, rock, jazz, classical and R&B, while evaluating volume, clarity and fullness. Find out what we listen for during our testing process and how to get the best headphone sound for you.
And now that more streaming music services are offering high-resolution audio, be sure to read our audio codec FAQ for all you need to know about FLAC files, MP3s and everything in between.
Once we complete our testing, we rate headphones based on our five-point system (1 = worst, 5 = best). If a product hits nearly every mark, it’s awarded an Editor's Choice badge.
