Over-ear headphones are everyone's usual go-to solution for blocking out the world. And listen, I get it. You couldn't pry my Sony WH-1000XM6s out of my cold, dead hands. But honestly, as much as I love them, carrying around a clunky pair of headphones on the go isn't always ideal. I want a pair of headphones to tuck in my pocket that will still block out noise. That's the promise of the best noise-cancelling earbuds.

Overview

These are the tech, tools, and products — from laptops to e-readers, from earbuds to robovacs, and more — that Mashable ranks best in class.

Table of Contents

Every top brand has its own take on ANC earbuds, each with a unique style and a plethora of features. Since you can't possibly try all the latest earbuds, the Mashable team has taken on the task of reviewing the best ANC earbuds for you.

What are the best noise-cancelling earbuds?

While there are plenty of audio brands that provide good sound quality and noise cancellation, audio leaders Bose and Sony are in a league of their own. Not only do they offer phenomenal ANC, but they also make music and podcasts sound better. On a good pair of headphones, Olivia Rodrigo's latest album is even better, somehow.

Earbuds usually aren't as comfortable as over-the-ear headphones. I know this well, as I've found many pairs of earbuds that just plain don't fit in my ear. Others are downright uncomfortable. Once again, Bose offers the most comfortable headphones and earbuds. However, Bose and Sony aren't the only brands out there. That's why we set out to test the best the market offers and see what makes a great pair of wireless earbuds.

The Good & The Bad

• The best ANC we've ever encountered on earbuds
• Sound quality with depth and clarity easily comparable to over-ear headphones
• Plenty of customizability in sound profile with equalizer
• Great battery life

• Redesigned earbud shape from previous gen fits more snugly, allowing for more comfortable wear and better passive ANC

• Touch controls aren't as easy to use as expected for the price point

• On the expensive end of the spectrum, even compared to other premium earbuds

Our review

Who it's for

Not everyone will want to shell out over $300 for earbuds, but for folks who budget for having the best of the best, the Sony WF-1000XM6 are what we recommend.

Their combination of excellent sound quality, noise cancellation, and design is unmatched by any other option currently available, making them the best overall earbuds we've tried.

Why we like it

If the asking price on a pair of earbuds is $330, it better have little to no faults — thankfully, that's exactly the case with the Sony WF-1000XM6 earbuds.

Going into our testing, we expected the XM6 earbuds to sound great — Sony products typically do. We didn't expect them to sound the best out of every Sony earbud and headphone we'd previously tested. Whether we listened to Stravinsky's "The Firebird" or a live performance from Daft Punk, these earbuds highlighted the richness, clarity, and layers of each track we played on them.

What surprised us even more than the excellent sound quality, however, was the active noise cancellation. Sony products generally have pretty good ANC, but not necessarily the best of the best. With the XM6 earbuds, they're making a strong play to change that reputation: the ANC felt at least on par with the Bose QC Ultra 2 earbuds, which had been the best we'd experienced on a pair of earbuds. Sony even shone over the Bose when we tested the ANC without streaming any audio: the slight hiss of the ANC at work is more detectable on the Boses than the Sonys.

Sony also upgraded the design of the case and earbuds between the XM5 buds and the XM6s. Though the case feels like more of an aesthetic change, the earbuds take on a more oval-like shape than the rather circular XM6s, helping them sit more flush and naturally in the shape of the ear. The result? One, the earbuds cause noticeably less fatigue after hours of wear. Two, the tighter seal helps provide more passive ANC.

The short of it? These earbuds aren't cheap — but we totally get why.

Details

The Good & The Bad

• Incredible noise cancellation
• Great sound quality
• Comfortable and secure fit
• Wireless charging case
• Easy connectivity

• Solid vocal clarity during calls

• Battery life could be longer

• Touch controls could be a little better

Our review

Who it's for

For earbuds that have noise cancellation that performs better than many over-ear headphones, you'll want to look no further than the second-generation QuietComfort Ultra earbuds. Though they're not drastically different from their predecessor (first-gen owners should skip this release), they provide some of the best ANC and all-day wear available on the market.

Why we like it

We were big fans of the first-generation QC Ultra earbuds, thanks to their rich sound profile, class-leading ANC, and comfortable fit. With the second-generation buds, Bose didn't exactly reinvent the wheel — but it did make some minor improvements that helped make an already standout pair of earbuds even better.

For starters, the QC Ultras come with a wireless charging case, which helps make the case for shelling out $299 for them. They also include Bose SpeechClarity tech, which we noticed helped voices sound noticeably clearer on calls than with the first-generation buds. The ANC also got a boost, somehow blocking even more than the first-generation buds. Though less exciting, they also added an earwax guard to the bud tips, which did help in the cleaning process.

While there were no dramatic improvements, we appreciated that Bose understood you don't want to mess with a good thing. In this case, that's the stability band/ear tip combo that makes wearing them snugly for long periods of time feel possible without any discomfort, a robust sound profile that can make all genres sing out of the box, and overall, a premium earbud that feels like it's worth its price tag.

Details

The Good & The Bad

• Produces some of the best balanced sound among earbuds and headphones
• Excellent adaptive ANC
• Multipoint pairing works seamlessly with up to three devices
• Impressive amount of battery per charge with ANC

• Supports LDAC lossless audio

• Not as great for long-term wear as the Bose QC Ultra earbuds

• You pay premium prices for premium sound

Our review

Who it's for

Audiophiles who wants the best of the best sound quality should look to the Panasonic Technics AZ100 earbuds. They've flown under the radar since their December launch, but they have unmatched sound clarity. Multiple Mashable team members found that they stood out, even compared to flagship over-ear headphones.

Why we like it

There are earbuds sounds good enough, and there are earbuds that sound so good they make you understand what audiophiles are always going on about. These fall into the latter category. Simply put, if you're looking for the best earbuds for audiophiles, it doesn't get better than the AZ100.

Thanks to the earbuds' Magnetic Fluid Driver, they're capable of producing sound closer to the original recording than most consumer audio devices. In his review of the earbuds, Mashable's Timothy Beck Werth wrote that these earbuds let you appreciate all the layers of your favorite tracks, concluding, "[they] deliver richer, fuller, more detailed sound than any earbuds I've ever tested. The only buds I've tried that achieved similar clarity and sound separation were next-gen in-ear monitors that used ultrasound technology."

In addition to sounding incredible, these earbuds also have excellent (and adjustable!) active noise cancellation that stands up to other premium options. They support lossless audio via LDAC codec, multipoint connection with up to three devices, 10 hours of battery life per charge — and they come with a metal case and accent, lending them an overall more premium experience.

So why aren't they our top pick? Well, these earbuds can cause some soreness after a few hours wear, so they're not a great option if you like to wear earbuds for long stretches of time (like during a work day). They also rarely dip down from their $299 price tag, making them a less accessible option for most people.

Details

The Good & The Bad

• Amazing sound quality
• Solid noise cancellation
• Comfortable, secure fit

• More affordable than other premium options

• App UX could use some improvement

Our review

Who it’s for

If you want good-quality sound but don’t want to spend over $200, the Bose QuietComfort is an affordable answer to the brand’s line-up. They’re focused on a great fit, as they not only come with multiple ear tips but multiple bands that can be changed out on the earbuds for a better fit on the crest of your ear.

The accompanying app lets you adjust audio levels, but you won’t need to, as these earbuds make all your music sound better. They’re reliable, have a long battery life, and are sure to please the pickiest of audiophiles.

Why we like it

I’ve sung the praises of the QuietComfort Ultra, but Bose’s latest earbuds, the entry-level QuietComfort, are also fantastic, especially with their under-$200 price tag. Even after adjusting the ear tips and bands, I didn’t find the fit on these quite as secure as the Ultras. However, my colleague Bethany Allard, who also tested the QuietComfort earbuds, said they were the best earbuds that have ever fit her.

The QuietComfort’s sound quality is just phenomenal. With these earbuds, listening to Ethel Cain’s A House in Nebraska immersed me in the orchestrations. When Brick House by The Commodores came on, the earbuds elevated the snappy drum beats so that I may have been listening live.

The noise cancellation on the QuietComfort earbuds isn’t as sophisticated as the Ultras; I found they had more sound leakage and that classic ANC buzz when I was in noisy environments. However, the ANC on these is still great, especially in quiet spaces.

One tiny beef I have with the Bose QuietComfort earbuds is that they require a different app than the standard Bose one. This is annoying if you’re an existing Bose user and need to download another app; plus, this earbud app just isn’t as good as Bose’s flagship app.

All in all, these are a solid pair of headphones that, for $179, are an unbeatable value.

Details

The Good & The Bad

• Great sound
• Solid noise cancellation
• Long battery life
• Great features like heart rate monitoring and live translation

• Easy connection to iOS and Mac devices

• Works best on iOS

• No customizable equalizer
• No dedicated app to operate AirPods

Our review

Who it's for

If you're an iOS user who wants to avoid dealing with an auxiliary app, Apple AirPods Pro 3 are your best bet. They have impressive noise cancellation and seamlessly connect to iOS systems. To pair them to your iPhone, just open the charging case. Need to go hands-free? The AirPods will announce your texts to you.

Why we like it

iPhone users have long been fans of the AirPods Pro line, and for good reason. The earbuds offer excellent quality ANC and connect with Apple devices with record speed and consistency.

In the Pro 3 buds, Apple's upped the ante. In his review, Mashable contributor Adam Doud noted that the earbuds noise cancelling ability gave him a "personal cone of silence," even in the midst of a busy conference. Doud found the sound profile was flat, but balanced. Considering many earbuds these days can leave bass heavy, this is a huge plus in Apple's direction. To round out the basics, these earbuds also come with eight hours of battery life per charge, putting them on par with other earbuds leading in this category.

Apple didn't stop there, though. These earbuds can perform live translation across six different languages, making them an excellent travel companion. And for anyone who likes to track their workouts but not so much that they're ready to invest in a fitness tracker, the built in heart rate monitor is an added boon.

Details

The Good & The Bad

• Ear hook adds extra stability during high movement activities
• Built-in heart rate monitor
• Solid sound out of the box
• Tactile controls ideal for no accidental commands during exercise
• Great battery life
• IPX4 rated

• On sale somewhat often

• Proper fit can be challenging to find at first

• Not the lightest wearing ANC earbuds available
• Noise cancellation itself is just OK

Our review

Who it's for

Tired of your earbuds falling during exercise? Even more tired of blaring music at the gym killing your vibe? The Beats Powerbeats Pro 2 kill two birds with one stone, offering an exercise-forward design with an ear hook that can still be used as an in-ear earbud with ANC.

Why we picked this

It can be hard enough to motivate yourself to exercise without a pair of earbuds adding friction to the process.

The Beats Powerbeats Pro 2 are designed to fit seamlessly into your workouts and elevate them. After testing them, we found the Mashable Choice Award winner was more than worthy. The ear hook/in-ear combo design is unique and can take some adjusting to get used to, but once you do, these buds aren't going anywhere. While providing top-notch ANC isn't the highest priority on these earbuds, the ANC you do get is workable, especially if you're (most likely) listening to music.

The thoughtfulness of the design extends beyond the ear hook. Tactile on-ear controls are perfect for not accidentally switching songs during reps, IPX4 water and dust resistance is great for keeping the buds safe from sweat, the expansive battery life means you aren't too likely to run out of battery mid-workout, and the built-in heart rate monitor is a nice fitness tracking bonus to an all-over well-rounded pair of earbuds.

Sure, these probably won't be your daily driver in every situation, but for workouts, these are sure to get the job done.

Details

The Good & The Bad

• Sound quality is impressive for price point
• Companion app has a nice equalizer

• Comfortable

• Switching between devices requires re-pairing the device (even when not using multipoint)

• ANC is just OK

Who it's for

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.

Why we picked this

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 $40 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.

Details

How do noise-cancelling earbuds work?

All noise-cancelling headphones, including earbuds, have some passive noise cancellation. While over-the-ear headphones naturally block out noise by wrapping around the ears, earbuds don't block sound as effectively. Instead of covering your ears, wireless earbuds deliver sound directly into the ear canal to drown out other noises. They rely more on active noise cancellation (ANC) to reduce environmental noise.

ANC is an electronic process within the headphones. Internal microphones listen to your surroundings and then invert the sound, effectively canceling it. Sometimes, with noise-cancelling headphones and earbuds, you'll hear a slight buzzing or humming in the background, and that's the ANC at work. The best ANC earbuds shouldn't have this buzzing, however.

Mashable shopping reporters, editors, and contributors regularly test new noise-cancelling earbuds and headphones from brands such as Apple, Beats, Bose, Dyson, JBL, Marshall, Sonos, and Sony.

Samantha Mangino, Bethany Allard, and other Mashable team members tested each pair of earbuds in this guide over several weeks. Similar to how we test the best noise-cancelling headphones, here's what we considered:

Though we always consider this feature when testing headphones, we paid extra attention for the purposes of this guide. We made sure to wear these earbuds indoors and outdoors, while someone was trying to speak to us, and went about our usual workdays.

Though this category can be extra subjective due to different user preferences and head and ear sizes, we evaluated comfort and ear fatigue for each model we tested. We also examined how adjustable headphones will suit different wearers, including whether they come with extra ear tips in varying sizes.

While testing the earbuds, we listened to music across a variety of genres with our standard Mashable headphone playlist, songs we're very familiar with, and podcasts to see how they perform in different audio settings.

With the above features in mind, we compared the earbuds' price points to determine which products are worth it. For premium headphones, we evaluated if they came with interesting extra features through their companion apps, or particularly smart designs. We also made sure every pair checked the basic boxes, like having decent battery life.

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.