The 11 Best Noise-Cancelling Headphones for Travel
Block out roaring engines and upset children with these high-performance headphones
Noise-cancelling headphones are a must for flying | Jaromir Chalabala / Shutterstock
Whether you’re flying long haul or hopping short, you can always guarantee at least one of the following; a crying baby, an unbearably loud departure lounge or the roar of the engines that turn the cabin into one big hairdryer.
And even if you aren’t flying, there’s nothing better than sliding on a pair of noise-cancelling headphones to focus on your music or podcast while the world around you continues to be abrasively loud.
But with so many brands and models on the market, additional effort is needed to compare features, prices, durability and everything else. So here’s a handy list of the latest noise-cancelling headphones out there to make your research a little easier!
In case you didn’t already know: How do noise cancelling headphones work?
Before we dive in, noise cancelling headphones work using two main factors. First is the actual body of the headphones, specifically the cups, which insulate your ears and help to block out a lot of noise.
Second is the smart part, where small microphones on the outside of the headphones listen to external noise. Then, a sound wave opposite to the external noise is generated, ‘cancelling’ it out. This is known as destructive interference, or more commonly active noise cancellation, or ANC. So now you know!
1. Sony WH‑1000XM6
Now in their six generation, these high-performance noise cancelling headphones from Sony act as the brand’s flagship when it comes to over ear audio. They certainly pack a punch and are up there when it comes to all-round quality, price and performance.
The magic happens thanks to the two QN2E processors built into the headphones. These processors sample exterior sound 1,000 times per second to generate the opposite sound wave.
Battery life is a solid 30 hours, but you a ten minute boost using USB-C will give you a further five hours of listening, ideal when you have a quick connection or limited access to an outlet. WH-1000XM6s look sleek and they fold nicely into the carry case they come with to tuck away in backpacks or carry ons.
The other big feature of Sony Sony WH‑1000XM6 headphones is their built-in AI upscaling. Edge-AI DSEE Ultimate aims to boost sound quality and enhance audio, making for a crisp listen.
2. Bose QuietComfort Ultra
Bose have set plenty of benchmarks over the years when it comes to headphones and these superior quality noise cancelling headphones are no different. Using eight microphones that drive something Bose calls CustomTune Adaptive ANC, the noise canceling actually adapts to each ear, handy when that crying baby is sitting next to you on the plane.
This also makes the headphones motion aware, so you can enjoy spatial audio – try holding your phone or tablet to the right, and it’ll sound like the sound is coming from the right, rather than right in your ear.
The battery extends to around 24 hours in quiet mode, or about 18 with the heavy-duty ‘immersive’ mode engaged to truly remove the very loudest sounds. These are probably the best headphones for extra-loud settings thanks to this.
Again, you get serious sound quality thanks to powerful onboard Snapdragon processing (the type of chips used to power phones) delivering aptX Adaptive. You can tailor sound quality extensively thanks to this, with AI doing the hard work.
At 250g with a fold-flat chassis, Bose QuietComfort Ultra headphones are perfect for handbags or small carry ons, taking up very little space.
3. Apple AirPods Max
If you love your iPhone, iPad or Mac, then you’ll obviously love Apple’s over-ear headphones, Apple Airpods Max. Out of the box, they’re incredibly easy to set up and you’ll never need to switch them on or off, or connect – they’re just on and ready when you need them.
Apple contrarians will argue the sound quality doesn’t match up to other noise-cancelling headphones in the same price bracket, but others will argue that these headphones are class-leading. There’s no shortage of Apple’s signature smart tech, with a pair of H2 chips, designed specially for Apple’s range of headphones, delivering superb noise-cancelling performance.
Apple’s big sell with Airpods Max has been its spatial audio twinned with Dolby Atmos, which brings cinema-style surround sound even if you’re playing back a film on a small iPad screen at the back of a plane. It’s also super-handy if you use Siri regularly, with your headphones picking up the voice commands and delivering messages, answers or summaries privately through the headphone speakers.
Design feels extremely premium, with machined aluminium headcups and a rubberised band that’s designed specifically for all-day wear. AirPods Max headphones feel heavy at 384g, but the mesh headband and ergonomics spread the weight and are designed specifically for all-day wear.
You’ll get a solid 20 hours of a single charge even with active noise-cancelling switched on, and an hour and half of playback with a 5 minute charge blast.
4. Sennheiser Momentum 4 Wireless
Sennheiser’s Momentum range has favoured retro designs in recent generations, but the latest swaps iteration all of that out for simplicity and hardcore power and performance. Often chosen by DJs and Sound Engineers, Sennheiser is one of those brands where all of the innovation goes directly into the performance of the product over style and marketing anyway.
The 42mm drivers inside these 293g headphones certainly feel studio-worthy, with some of the best bass and punch of any noise-cancelling headphones out there. The four external microphones also do a superb job of blocking out jet engines etc.
However, the headline for Momentum 4 is the 60-hour playback, meaning you’ll barely have to charge these things across the entire trip, never mind a single flight.
Another favourite feature is the SmartControl app available on your phone or device, allowing you to tweak the EQ to your preferences or find your headphones if you lose them.
5. Bowers & Wilkins Px8
If how your headphones look is almost as important as how they sound, then you’ll want to splurge on these super-refined noise cancelling headphones that borrow elements from some of B&W’s most expensive audio tech.
Once you get past the gorgeous but entirely unnecessary Nappa leather surround, zinc logos and aluminum arms, the 40mm CarbonCone drivers inside these things mimic the same ones you’ll find in B&W’s ultra-high end Nautilus floor speakers.
The premium build and sound quality is backed up by a 24-bit enhancement package, meaning you can tuck into fully lossless audio you’d expect in a studio setting if your device is capable of delivering it.
Add in 30 hours of battery life and actual physical buttons to control volume and your smart assistant, and these make for seriously expensive, but seriously impressive noise cancelling headphones.
6. Shure AONIC 50 Gen 2
It’s tough trying to stand out from the crowd in the several hundred £/$ range, but Shure AONIC 50 Gen 2 have focussed on a natural, revealing tone alongside all the usual build quality and features you’d expect at this price.
The drivers are relatively huge at 50mm, with an amp-like feeling and some pretty serious depth in terms of headphone performance. There are also spatializer presets to give cinema-style sound to movies and a wider range to music.
If you can live with a cable, then you can connect to your laptop with USB-C for 32-bit sound quality, which is overkill, unless you’re planning on editing music or video, or are just a serious audiophile.
You’ll get 45 hours out of them with ANC switched off, and around 38 with it on. Add in a tough aluminium frame and fold flat design, and you have a heavy-hitting studio-ready set of noise cancelling headphones that won’t take up space in your luggage.
7. Focal Bathys
French audio experts Focal have designed a set of noise-cancelling headphones specifically with travel in mind with their Bathys model. They’ve somehow managed to pack seriously powerful performance and 40mm drivers into a pair of headphones that both look and feel light.
Bluetooth sounds fantastic, but again you can clip in with USB-C for 24‑bit/192 kHz playback for superb clarity and an extra level of sound detail.
If you find that noise-cancelling headphones can crush sound slightly in favour of the cancelling properties, then these headphones offer two options; silent and soft. Silent blocks out pretty much everything, whereas soft focuses on sound dynamics and performance, at the barely noticeable cost of some noise getting through.
Similarly, you’ll get 30 hours of listening and up to 42 if you’re connected by cable and 5 hours from a 15-minute fast charge. Leather and a magnesium yoke make these feel soft yet sturdy but the protective zip case adds an extra layer of premium.
8. Technics EAH‑A800
If you’re loathed to spend go over the £300/$300 mark for a pair of headphones, then Technics EAH‑A800 offer an excellent middle ground for about £200/$200, with no serious loss in sound or build quality.
Although missing a few of the big-hitting sound quality and sound cancelling features you’ll get elsewhere, things still sound great and you can do all the usual quick connectivity and EQ tweaking in the companion app.
However, the 50 hour playback benchmark is one of the best out there, so you won’t need to pack the charger if you use them for a few hours a day on a week-long journey.
9. JBL Tour One M3
Performance-wise, these noise-cancelling headphones from JBL deliver as you’d expect them to, with 40mm Mica Dome drivers giving plenty of punch and super-sampling provided by TrueAdaptive ANC 2.0 technology.
That being said, the clever party trick, especially for travellers, is the ability to use the included Smart Tx transmitter. With this, you can plug straight into the in-flight entertainment system, treadmill or Peloton, or hotel TV and beam audio straight to your Tour One M3s. It’s also super-handy if you’re still reliant on an iPad or older mp3 players with no bluetooth option.
This is a great feature if you don’t want to burn through your phone or tablet battery on the plane – just don’t forget to grab the transmitter once you’re done!
10. Master & Dynamic MW75
Taking things one step further on the looks front, MW75s are just as much a piece of jewelry as they are headphones. With materials like tempered glass, lambskin and anodised aluminium, as well as a unique shape, these are the ones to pick if fashion is high on the priority list.
That being said, MW75 headphones still pack a punch in terms of performance, with the 40mm beryllium drivers hitting high and low ranges to create punchy sound. There are three ANC modes, Adaptive, Max and All‑Day, allowing you to choose between silence, transparency or battery life.
Playback clocks in at 28 hours of a single charge, but you can get this up to 32 by switching ANC off. Choose these if you need your headphones to match your business class credentials.
11. BeatsStudio Pro
Beats seem to have been playing catch up in recent years, but they seem to be there or thereabouts with the latest iteration of BeatsStudio Pro.
The onboard Full AdaptiveANC recalibrates 48,000 times a second, giving some pretty serious performance in terms of cancelling out roaring trains and loud coffee shops. The 40mm drivers have been redesigned to go much deeper in terms of sound quality too.
BeatsStudio Pros borrow the same spatial audio and Dolby Atmos features from Apple’s Airpods Max at a much lower price point, so they’re a great alternative. You can listen for 24 hours from a single charge or up to 40 with it off.
Build quality feels decent yet simple, but it does still feel you’re paying a little extra for the Beats brand in terms of look and feel.
Wrapping Up
Chiociolla / Shutterstock
Whether it’s complete silence with Sony’s optimised ANC or the marathon battery life of Sennheiser’s Momentum 4s, you should now have an idea of the noise-cancelling features and benefits out there.
Factoring in how you’ll listen, whether that’s with your phone in your pocket over bluetooth, or jacked into your iPad using USB-C for superior sound quality can make a big difference, so really thinking about how you’ll use them may alter your buying decision.
Noise-cancelling headphones may seem expensive, but with excellent build quality and robust technology that doesn’t take gigantic leaps year-on-year, a solid investment now will likely last you several years or longer, so think of it as a one-off purchase rather than something you’ll need to do once a year. Happy listening!
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