The Best Noise Canceling Headphones For Travel in 2024

Strap on your traveling shoes. Pack your bags. And, most of all, don’t leave home without the savvy traveler’s most vital piece of equipment: noise-cancelling headphones for travel. By cutting through the din of aircraft turbines and railway clatter, they create a pocket of tranquillity, a bubble of soundproof bliss just for you. The following article will take you step-by-step through the process by which the right set of noise-cancellers can make a dreary journey blissful.

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Introduction to Noise Canceling Headphones for Travel

There is no greater sensory assault than travel – the wailing babies on planes, the relentless chug and screech of trains, the incessant buzz of city streets. So it is that noise-cancelling headphones have fast become the traveler’s best friend. They are a sanctuary of serenity in an oceanic cacophony of travel. Equipped with tech that chops ambient sound, they allow you to immerse yourself in your music or podcasts, or else just the sweet sound of silence.

Understanding Noise-Cancellation Technology

Noise-cancelling headphones come in two flavors: active noise cancellation (ANC), which is the more effective method, and passive noise cancellation. ANC involves using small microphones embedded into the earcup to pick up some of the ambient noise and then countering it with a second stream of sound waves. Generally, this process works quite well on lower-frequency sounds, such as an airplane engine drone, or the hum of approaching train tracks.

The other method is passive noise cancellation, which doesn’t use any electronics at all, but just applies physical occlusions such as padding to impede sound. Although it’s far less effective than ANC, passive noise cancellation does attenuate higher frequency sounds that might be left unaddressed by ANC.

Varieties of Noise-Canceling Headphones

When it comes to buying noise-cancelling headphones, travelers can choose from a veritable cornucopia:

Wireless Headphones: These babies liberate you from the prison of cords. You can freely walk around and move while wearing them, and they are easy to use for commuting. The vast majority features Bluetooth magic for easy pairing with devices. The Sony WH1000XM5 and Bose QuietComfort series are kings of this category, known for their great ANC performance, sound quality and enduring battery life.

Wired headphones: Not as sexy as their wireless ‘sisters’ but they will (hopefully) stay put without the battery anxiety, oh, and they’re cheaper.

Earbuds: For those who require portability without compromise, noise-cancelling earbuds step up to the plate. Ideal for the minimalist traveler, the Bose and Sony earbuds deliver big noise cancellation and audio punch in a small package.

Budget picks: Don’t worry if you’re watching the dollars; there are lots of bargains out there – and they tend to sound as good as they are cheap. Anker’s Soundcore Life range, for example, is a sweet spot for value.

Key Considerations for Purchase

When on the hunt for noise-canceling headphones, keep these pointers in mind:

Battery Life: For wireless wonders, nothing is more important than length of time between charges, especially when you’re on a marathon travel leg. With ANC, a draining function, this is even more important.

Comfort and Fit: You’re probably going to be wearing these things for a while, so comfort is important. Find headphones that have soft padding and adjustable features so they’ll fit all head sizes.

Sound Quality: If you’re going to spend $100 on a pair of headphones, you might as well make sure said headphones offer excellent sound. Look for ones that are as good as it gets, and a large frequency range. (Bonus points if the headphones support multiple audio codecs.)

Bonus features: Some models come with extras such as touch controls, built-in voice assistant integration, and adapting noise-cancellation settings, which add a layer of sophistication and convenience on top of the pre-existing sound quality.

Benefits of Noise Canceling Headphones for Travel

Travel brings excitement as well as annoyances, and there aren’t many that are as annoying as noise. Whether it’s the continuous engine noise of a jet, the cacophony of a crowded train station, or the overall sonic cacophony of a city street, noise fatigue can sap your energy and detract from your enjoyment of travel. And that’s where noise-cancelling headphones can help – by providing a haven of blissful relief and silence that excludes some of the most troubling annoying sounds. But are they useful for travel? Let’s look at the benefits, and some common questions that travelers ask about noise-cancelling headphones.

Are Noise-Canceling Headphones Worth It for Travel?

Well, yes. If you are a traveler who needs a quiet moment in a noisy place, noise-cancelling headphones are extremely useful. The major benefit is that these devices are not only sound-dampening, but specifically noise-cancelling. This refers to a set of electronic audio technologies capable of attenuating unwanted sound. The device works by taking the ambient sound as recorded by an external microphone, generating an inverse wave, which is then sent through the headphones at the same frequency. In short, the resultant noise is significantly lower than the original, and you can find it easier to relax, concentrate, or sleep while traveling.

Do Noise-Canceling Headphones Help on Airplanes?

Planes are the classic application for noise-cancelling headphones. Engine noise and the ambient roar of flight in a long aluminum tube can be maddening after a few hours of travel, and the headphones help to reduce the sound of engines and other background noise, making your flight more comfortable. You might end up turning down the volume on your entertainment experience, be it films or music, and so avoid some additional auditory damage. And finally, with noise-cancelling headphones, you can sleep, and get to your destination more rested.

Can Noise-Canceling Headphones Prevent Airplane Ear?

Noise-cancelling headphones won’t prevent airplane ear, the annoying pressure sensitivity that results when an aircraft takes off and lands, causing a difference in air pressure within your inner ear. In such cases, low air pressure makes your ear canal feel vacant and forces you to feel uncomfortable with the hurt.

The same reason noise-cancelling headphones help you not hear the plane sound will prevent the plane noise from your headphones. And this will have two positive outcomes: first, you’re likely to relax – hence to better cope – with the airplane ear issue. Second, the volume of the plane ambient sound will be lower, which makes the flight less painful.

Types of Noise Canceling Headphones

Wireless Noise Canceling Headphones for Travel

On the never-ending quest to block out airports, planes, trains, stations, buses and all the rest of the traveling world, you might be trudging through the quagmire of wireless noise-cancelling headphones, where portability and battery life rule supreme. At the pinnacle? Bose QuietComfort 45 and Sony WH-1000XM5.

Here’s what you need to know: The Bose QuietComfort 45 is a juggernaut of noise-cancelling headphones, a champion of jet engine droning. This 8.5-ounce set doesn’t just silence the world around you. It allows your music to play for up to 22 hours on a single charge. They play nice with Alexa, too: a dual-microphone system keeps your calls crisp and clear.

Back to Sony’s WH-1000XM5: the audiophile traveler’s headphones. At 8.8 ounces they’re not exactly featherweight, but they’ll see you through with up to a full 30 hours of battery life, music to the ears of anyone who finds themselves on those long-haul flights. The sound? Immaculate, thanks in part to 40mm drivers and fine-tuned by Sony’s latest noise cancellation processor. And when you actually do need to hear the flight attendant, of course, Sony’s Speak-To-Chat and Quick Attention mode means you don’t have to strip off your audio armour. Just pause, chat, and dive back in.

Wired Noise Canceling Headphones for Travel: Why You Might Choose Them Over Wireless

While wireless headphones are all the rage these days, I would argue that wired noise-cancelling is still the way to go. They’re more reliable than their wireless counterparts, and they never run out of power because they don’t need to be recharged.

Why Go Wired?

The biggest benefit of wired headphones is the simplest one: they just work. No batteries means no power problems whatsoever – so you’re left with continuous, uninterrupted sound when you’re working a marathon session and can’t stop to charge. Moreover, a wired connection can offer a superior sound quality and there will be no issues with Bluetooth.

Top Picks for Wired Noise Canceling Headphones

Sony MDRZX110NC: Highly regarded for their ability to block out ambient noise, these headphones allow you to get lost in your tunes or podcast. They’re supremely comfortable and lightweight, with long-haul travel in mind.

Sennheiser HD 660 S2: These are a sure bet because of the sound quality. And because of the plush velour ear pads and balanced feel, it’s easy to spend long hours listening. The enhanced bass and wider soundstage will appeal to anyone who wants their audio a step up.

Bose QuietComfort 35 II: The best noise cancelling and best sound quality available, with the wired and wireless worlds perfectly combined. Use them wired and battery life is a non-issue, which can be a huge plus.

Finding Your Match

What it comes down to is that finding the right pair of wired noise-cancelling headphones for travel, if you have to use the wires, is about where you’ll be using them and how. Mid-to-high-end models offer the best combination of comfort and sound quality. With comfort, you’re looking for soft ear pads and other adjustments to accommodate different head shapes and sizes. If sound is your thing, what you hear from your favorite playlist is just as important as having comfy ears, so the Focal Utopia and the Sennheiser HD 660 S2 are both high-end models that deliver top-of-the-line sound and build quality, at a cost – literally.

Noise Cancelling Earbuds

For the best noise canceling earbuds of 2024, you can’t go wrong with the Bose QuietComfort Ultra and the Sony WF-1000XM5, which boasts the best noise cancellation on the market. Both epitomise great earbuds for frequent flyers, commuters and city dwellers who need a premium noise cancelling experience.

Noise cancellation in everyday objects is making gadgets much better at helping us focus. The Bose QuietComfort Ultra buds have best-in-class active noise cancellation (ANC), which makes them seem like an enormous noise-cancelling headset that can completely block out everyday noises like your typing or even city traffic. They’re great for focusing in loud places, or for listening to music on long subway rides and losing yourself in your tunes.

They feature multiple microphones to block out background noise when taking calls. And they have immersive audio settings that make your music sound like it’s coming from room speakers and not earbuds. The downsides? They don’t have multipoint Bluetooth pairing, and they have a six-hour battery life, which might be a dealbreaker for some.

Sony WF-1000XM5

At the same time, the Sony WF-1000XM5 earbuds are praised for having the best sound – they have been described as ‘the best-sounding noise-cancelling earbuds you can buy’ and they will totally deliver a bright, high-resolution listening experience capable of a wide range of music styles. And their noise-cancelling tech automatically adapts to ambient noise, making them a great fit for places with dynamic noise levels. Finally, they support a wide range of Bluetooth codecs.

Selecting the Best Noise Canceling Headphones for Travel

Sound Quality

Sound quality matters to many travelers – and so do noise-cancelling features. The Sony WH-1000XM5 headphones are hard to beat here, with class-leading noise-cancelling and high-end sound, thanks to their 40mm liquid crystal polymer drivers. They’re built for a powerful, immersive audio experience and are great for a long flight when you want to cut out the world and lose yourself in music or movies.

Comfort

Comfort is the first priority on long journeys. Bose QuietComfort 45 Wireless ANC Headphones are designed for comfort: they are light, soft and come with noise-rejecting microphones that ensure good quality audio, while voice control features such as Alexa make them a great choice for tech-savvy travelers.

Battery Life

Long battery life is a real help while traveling – the SONY WH-1000XM5 can run for up to 30 hours on a charge, more than enough to cross continents without worrying about a battery pack. One of the worst feelings on a long trip is if your music or work is interrupted because you forgot to keep your headphones charged.

Which headphones are best for plane travel?

And the best headphones for flying are the Sony WH-1000XM5 and the Bose QuietComfort 45 Wireless, both of which feature excellent noise cancellation (the main requirement when it comes to in-flight listening, as the constant drone of airplane engines can get pretty loud). Both have comfortable builds and long-lasting battery life, ensuring that you can zone out peacefully and enjoy your music on the longest of flights.

What headphones offer noise cancellation on flights?

ANC works really well in the air. Premium ANC headphones such as Sony WH-1000XM5 and Bose QuietComfort 45 have smart algorithms that filter out the low-frequency hum of airplane engines, making them an excellent recommendation for a quieter, more pleasant flight.

Exploring Budget-Friendly Noise Canceling Headphones For Travel

If you’re looking for the best noise‑cancelling headphones for less, your quest will be a short one. While not all budget offerings may be up to par with the big boys, there are a few that deliver and keep more expensive pairs on their toes. People who travel often can cut down on the white noise from a long-haul flight and make the process far more tolerable.

Top Budget-Friendly Noise Cancelling Headphones

Anker Soundcore Life Q30: The best budget option; with excellent ANC, comfort and battery life. These headphones offer up to 44 hours of battery life with ANC on, plus memory foam ear pads that are comfortable enough to wear all day. The earcups are made from a combination of plastic and aluminum, and the whole thing comes with a neat travel case.

EarFun Wave Pro: Offering around 51 hours of playback on a single charge with ANC switched on, these are a great option under $100. The sound is well-balanced and you can tweak it to your liking with EQ settings, the Bluetooth connection is solid, the noise cancellation is effective for noisy flight journeys.

Anker Soundcore Life Q20: (For the real budget-friendly option) Almost 33 hours of battery life and great at blocking low-end sounds, such as those commonly found on transport. These aren’t the most high-end headphones, but there’s no scrimping with sound quality or noise cancellation.

Finding the Best Deals

To maximize your savings, consider these tips:

In-depth reviews: Sites such as RTINGS.com and HeadphonesAddict do all the research for you and weigh up features and prices in fine detail.

Watch for Sales: Look out for online retailers such as Amazon offering sales, especially during special ‘sales’ periods such as Black Friday and Amazon Prime Day.

Price Comparison Tools: Services such as Google Shopping or CamelCamelCamel will track prices over time and notify you if something you’re interested in goes on sale.