Go back to school in peace with the 5 best noise-canceling headphones of 2024
Heading back to school? Make sure you take a pair of noise-canceling headphones with you. They're perfect for blocking out all the noise that crops up when you're trying to get through a study session or finishing your homework. And if you aren't heading to school, maybe you have a child who might benefit from some improved concentration at school or home.
Audio from the best headphones sounds lifelike and immersive, but there are other benefits to noise cancellation: It can be used on its own, so you can just bliss out in near total silence. Plus, since noise-canceling headphones have built-in microphones, they also deliver clear, hands-free calls via your smartphone, tablet, smartwatch or computer. Many of the latest noise-canceling headphones have other features, too, like spatial audio with dynamic head tracking and Dolby Atmos support.
What are the best noise-canceling headphones?
- Best noise-canceling headphones overall: Bose QuietComfort Ultra
- Best budget noise-canceling headphones: Soundcore Space One
- Best noise-canceling headphones for music: Sony WH-1000XM5
- Best noise-canceling headphones for Apple users: Apple AirPods Max
- Best premium noise-canceling headphones: Bowers & Wilkins Px8
The best noise-canceling headphones
For the best listening, our in-house consumer technology experts have curated the best of the best on the market.
Best noise-canceling headphones overall: Bose QuietComfort Ultra
Head back to school with one of Bose's best options in terms of noise canceling. These headphones not only excel at keeping noise out; they're also sturdy and extremely comfortable as well for long stretches of listening.
It also supports spatial audio. This makes audio sound more immersive -- as if it's emanating from all around you. If you're listening to music, it'll sound more like you're in the middle of a live show. If you're watching a battle scene in an action movie, it'll sound as if you're actually on the field.
We also like the plush ear cups and headband, which make these headphones extremely comfy, even for extended listening sessions. Battery life is up to 24 hours, but there's a quick-charge feature. Just a 15-minute charge adds up to two hours of listening time -- with the immersive audio feature turned on.
The QuietComfort Ultra headphones work with any Bluetooth smartphone, tablet or computer. They'll also pair with any Bose TV soundbars to allow for private TV viewing and listening. When it comes to hands-free audio calls, a dozen microphones ensure your voice is heard clearly, while ambient noise is eliminated. This makes them the perfect candidate for jumping into virtual classes or chatting on the phone.
Best budget noise-canceling headphones: Soundcore Space One
Don't want to spend too much on great quality audio that includes fantastic noise-canceling? School books and supplies can be pricey enough. Don't break the bank and opt for this affordable pair of headphones instead.
Priced under $100, they offer great sound quality and impressive active noise cancellation for the price. Soundcore promises that these headphones can reduce ambient sound by up to 98%. But when you need to communicate with someone in the real world, you can select between five levels of transparency.
The Space One headphones offer 40-millimeter drivers. When compressed audio is played, the headphones capture up to three times more data than standard Bluetooth codecs, so you'll hear more nuance in whatever you're listening to. You'll also enjoy up to 40 hours of playtime with ANC turned on. A quick five-minute charge will keep the headphones functioning for up to four additional hours.
From a quality standpoint, these headphones don't compare to what you get from premium brands like Bose, Sony, Apple or Bowers & Wilkins, so keep your expectations in check. After all, these headphones are less than one-third the price. What the Space One headphones do provide is a really good value with impressive sound quality for the money. And if you're buying them for a student or just for use during the school year, there's no reason to pay more than you feel comfortable with.
Best noise-canceling headphones for music: Sony WH-1000XM5
The WH-1000XM5s are Sony's top-of-the-line consumer headphones. They offer superior noise cancellation, up to 30 hours of battery life and support for hi-res audio. These headphones also make hands-free calls sound crystal clear. If you're in school for music specifically, or you don't mind spending a bit more, these make a great choice for multipurpose listening.
Keep in mind, while the WH-1000XM5 headphones support spatial audio, this feature can only be used with a supported streaming music service (such as Amazon Music Unlimited or Tidal); Sony PlayStation games; a "360 Reality Audio Certified Smartphone," or a compatible Sony TV. You also need to use the Sony app to make use of spatial audio and to customize your listening experience.
One feature we love in these headphones is their support for DSEE Extreme. This tech upscales compressed digital audio files in real time to restore high-range sounds that would otherwise be lost to compression. Overall, the WH-1000XM5s does a superior job playing any type of music.
The headphones work well with spoken audio -- whether it's from a podcast, audiobook or hands-free phone call. And these headphones have an elegant form factor, so they'll fit nicely in a work environment and can be used for hands-free calls, or when you just want to block out ambient noise.
Yes, these are expensive headphones, but you get the quality audio that Sony is known for. You're also paying a slight premium for the Sony brand name.
Best noise-canceling headphones for Apple users: Apple AirPods Max
You want the best noise-cancelling tech possible, but also something stylish to take to school, right? Apple has you covered. If you can get past the hefty price tag, you'll be rewarded with amazing audio, adaptive noise cancellation and spatial audio with dynamic head tracking -- amazing listening overall.
Whether you use these headphones with Apple Music, Apple TV+, Apple Podcasts or Apple Arcade, the audio will be clear and robust, no matter the type.
The AirPods Max are relatively lightweight and comfortable. But it's the spatial audio with dynamic head tracking that makes them truly stand out, especially with supported movies or TV shows. These headphones also work with Apple's Find My feature and will automatically pair with whichever Apple device you're using, such as an iPhone, iPad, Apple Watch, MacBook, or iMac.
The one drawback is that these headphones come with a rubber housing that protects just the ear cups, not the headband, so you need to be careful when transporting them. The ear cups are connected to the headband using magnets, without the casing to keep them in place, so they could fall off and get lost.
What's great about these headphones, however, is that they don't require a special app. AirPods Max control features are incorporated into the operating systems for Apple devices. You also get intuitive onboard controls.
Best premium noise-canceling headphones: Bowers & Wilkins Px8
When it comes to cars, you could drive a budget-friendly Mazda, or spend more for the unparalleled luxury of a Rolls Royce. Think of the Bowers & Wilkins Px8s as the ultimate in luxury listening. If you have an excess of cash to spend on back-to-school headphones, then you're getting the absolute best of the best with these cans.
The Px8s come in your choice of black, tan or burgundy. Prepare to hear 24-bit audio that uses digital sound processing to eliminate distortion and enhance high-frequency detail. When you stream music or audio from the internet, these headphones decompress the audio in a way that delivers far more detail.
While the headphones work to improve audio quality, the active noise-cancellation feature simultaneously removes ambient sounds. This also applies when using the Px8 headphones for hands-free calls.
Sure, sound quality is essential, but the Px8s also focuses on comfort and appearance. The ear cups and headband are covered with napa leather and use memory foam to provide added comfort, while the metal (not plastic!) frame adds durability and a more sophisticated and premium appearance.
These headphones might be a little excessive for younger students, but for adults seeking to further their education, they're fantastic as long as they won't bankrupt you.
What to look for in noise-canceling headphones
Thinking about locking in a noise-canceling headphone purchase to get your favorite student or yourself ready to head back to school? Regardless of the brand name, design or price, what's most important when it comes to headphones are sound quality, comfort and performance. Here are seven key things to consider:
- Design: The size, weight and shape of headphones contribute to their comfort level, but can also impact sound quality and the accessibility of onboard controls. Build quality contributes to durability and overall performance.
- Driver size and audio quality: The larger the drivers in the headphones, the better the audio quality. That said, it's the tech plus the hardware that determines clarity, level of distortion and the overall quality of the sound. Features like hi-res audio, spatial audio and Dolby Atmos, along with digital signal processing capabilities all make a difference.
- Number of microphones: The microphones measure ambient sound, so the ANC technology can reduce or eliminate unwanted noise. The microphones also pick up your voice, so you sound clear on calls. In some cases, the microphones know that you're speaking with someone close by and automatically activate transparency mode. The more microphones built into the headphones, the better.
- Noise-canceling technology and transparency mode: Active noise cancellation reduces or removes ambient sound. Adaptive tech adjusts the level of noise cancellation. Some headphones, like the Bose QuietComfort Ultra, let you manually adjust the level of noise cancellation.
- Battery life: The longer the battery life, the better. Seek out headphones that offer at least 15 hours of listening time per charge. You may also find a quick charge feature useful; plug the headphones into an external power source for just a few minutes to extend listening time by up to several hours.
- App: Except for Apple AirPods Max, most of the best headphones work with a free mobile app. The app often lets you choose from a handful of audio presets, tweak the audio EQ, use transparency mode, or customize noise cancellation. The AirPods Max offer some of this functionality integrated into iPhone, iPad, Apple Watch, MacBooks and iMacs, so a separate app is not needed.
- Special features: We recommend headphones that support features like spatial audio (or better yet, spatial audio with dynamic head tracking), Dolby Atmos support, or the ability to generate hi-res audio.
If you find regular headphones too bulky to carry around at school or don't like wearing them for extended periods, you can always opt for a pair of noise-canceling wireless earbuds instead.
