Bose QuietComfort Ultra Headphones
Our new top headphones sound good, and they’re also very comfortable. A test tone calibrates the noise reduction to your ear shape, and it works well to reduce a lot of noise in the airplane band.
Other things to know: Available in four colors. Noise reduction is second only to the Apple AirPods Max, and a little better than our previous top pick, the discontinued Bose 700. Not as many bonus features as the price would suggest, and we wish the microphones did better in loud environments.
Read more: The Best Noise-Cancelling Headphones
JBL Tour One M2 Bluetooth Wireless Headphones
Comfortable to wear, lightweight, and easy to use, these also offer great sound and mic quality plus a 50-hour battery life. Voice control is available with a simple button press, and the JBL app lets you adjust EQ to your liking.
Other things to know: Touchpad controls can be a bit over-sensitive. Active noise cancellation is good, but not as effective as that of our noise-cancelling headphones picks. New low.
Read more: The Best Bluetooth Wireless Headphones
Sony WH-1000XM5 Bluetooth Wireless Headphones
These headphones are extremely comfortable, sound great, and are suited for a variety of uses. The battery life is a solid 24 hours, and the physical and touch-based controls are more intuitive compared to those of our top pick.
Other things to know: Makes only mild improvements over its predecessor. You can’t adjust the ANC level, and you need to tweak the EQ to make this set sound as good as possible. We hoped to see a better price during Black Friday, but that’s unlikely to happen.
Read more: The Best Bluetooth Wireless Headphones
Soundcore Space One Noise-Cancelling Headphones
If you prefer over-ear headphones, the Soundcore Space One are an excellent option. The active noise cancellation is nearly as powerful as our top Bose pick, and the sound quality is decent overall.
Other things to know: The three noise-reducing microphones can make voices sound compressed and somewhat distant to callers. Layout of physical control buttons makes sense, but they’re small and take some practice to master. Customizable sound via Soundcore app.
Read more: The Best Noise-Cancelling Headphones
Sony WF-1000XM5 Noise-Cancelling Earbuds
Small but powerful, these earbuds sound fantastic and offer eight hours of battery life. Features include a simple hear-through mode, Alexa and Google voice-activation, dual-device connectivity, and noise-reducing microphones.
Other things to know: Includes four sizes of tips, but may still prove challenging to keep in place for folks with small ears or who are very active. No wired mode. Available in three colors.
Read more: The Best Noise-Cancelling Headphones
Anker Soundcore Sleep A20 Earbuds
Get better ZZZs by blocking and masking sounds as you snooze with our top-testing sleep headphones. They’re especially customizable, with three different sizes of wings and seven sets of ear tips for comfort. They offer Bluetooth connectivity, plus a long battery life of 10 hours streaming or 14 hours when using pre-loaded sounds.
Other things to know: Long battery life: lasts 10 hours streaming or 14 hours when using pre-loaded sounds. Charging case provides around five full charges. Built-in alarm, plus a sleep-tracking function when used with the app.
Read more: The Best Sleep Headphones
