The Best Headphones For Travel Provide Rich Audio And Peaceful Journeys

Battery life: 24 hours (with ANC) | Drivers: 35mm | Weight: 9 ounces | Storage: Comes with carrying case | Noise canceling: Yes

Pros:

• Excellent audio quality
• Comfortable fit
• Effective moise cancellation 

Cons:

• Expensive

The Bose QuietComfort Ultra Headphones stand out from the competition for their impressive audio quality, effective active noise cancellation (ANC) and excellent battery life. “I’ve taken them on multiple flights, including a 13-hour international flight, and they lasted me the whole time,” says Rebecca Isaacs, tech and electronic editor at Forbes Vetted. “A quick 15-minute charge also gave me another two hours in a pinch.” There are customizable listening modes to help you focus, including quiet mode (maximum noise cancellation), aware mode (where you can still hear some background noise) and immersion mode (which combines noise cancellation with a three-dimensional soundscape). 

The plush earcups are comfortable for long flights, and the controls on the earcups are easy to use, whether you’re answering a call or skipping a track. One change from the earlier version is that users “swipe” the earcups rather than use physical touch buttons to adjust volume. The Bose app also gives you complete control of your audio experience, as you can create custom modes with a specific amount of noise cancellation and adjust EQ settings.

Battery life: 40 hours (with ANC) | Drivers: 40mm | Weight: 9.6 ounces | Storage: None | Noise canceling: Yes

Pros:

• Affordable
• Multiple EQ presets for listening across music genres

Cons:

• Materials feel cheap compared to other options 

While this pair doesn’t feel as luxurious as our best overall pick, the Anker Soundcore Space Ones are an excellent affordable option that don’t compromise sound quality. The detailed audio offers an enjoyable listening experience, and the different EQ presets can be adjusted based on what you’re listening to. “The Space One headphones outshone some of the midrange options I tested,” says Isaacs. “The bass feels strong without feeling overpowering, and it balances out the mids and trebles really well.”

These headphones last up to 40 hours with ANC turned on, they can pair with multiple devices simultaneously and built-in sensors automatically pause the music when you remove the headphones. Isaacs notes that the materials feel a bit cheaper than other options she tested and the ear cups aren’t replaceable. But if you’re looking for wireless headphones that don’t cost a fortune, the adaptive noise-cancelling, multiple EQ presets and quality audio make these a great choice.

Battery life: 10 hours (with ANC) | Drivers: 10mm | Weight: 1.8 ounces | Storage: Wireless charging case | Noise canceling: Yes

Pros:

• Detailed sound across different music genres
• Spatial audio responds to head movement
• Good battery life

Cons:

• The ANC could be better 

If you prefer the look or feel of earbuds compared to over-ear headphones, we recommend the Technics EAH-AZ100s. They have a sturdy, durable build and a nice balance of battery life (10 hours with active noise cancellation, 12 hours without ANC) and audio quality. “Underneath that durable build, each earbud sports a 10mm magnetic fluid driver,” says Isaacs. “That helps make these earbuds sound great when I tested them across a slew of genres.” Isaacs also notes that you don’t have to fuss with different settings—they sound great right out of the box. 

The advanced spatial audio responds to head movements, so when you’re watching a movie or video, you’ll feel completely immersed in the experience. You can also pair with up to three devices at once, and the touch controls are intuitive to use. The wireless charging case is another helpful feature similar products don’t have. “They feature wireless charging, which came in handy on the rare occasions when I needed to charge them,” says Isaacs.

Battery life: 76 hours | Drivers: 40mm | Weight: 7.8 ounces | Storage: Does not come with carrying case | Noise canceling: No

Pros:

• Foldable design
• Incredible battery life
• Foldable design makes it easy to pack

Cons:

• No ANC

If you travel frequently for work or use your headphones to listen to music and make calls throughout the day, the impressive 76-hour battery life of the JBL Tune 720BT headphones are a helpful feature. (A quick five-minute charge also gives you another three hours of playtime.) Like the Bose QuietComfort Ultras, the app lets you choose from several preset modes or adjust the EQ based on your preferences. 

Online reviewers say the audio quality and clarity are excellent and enhance the entire experience when gaming or watching movies with a lot of dialogue. The bass is deep without being overpowering, with a balanced sound profile. The lightweight plastic construction doesn’t feel as high-end as other picks on this list, but they’re a good value for the price.

Battery life: Up to 20 hours (including case) | Drivers: Custom high-excursion Apple driver | Weight: 0.1 ounces | Storage: Wireless charging case | Noise canceling: Yes

Pros:

• Compact and portable
• Dust, sweat and water-resistant
• Spatial audio and transparency mode

Cons:

• No multi-device audio streaming
• Limited customization
• No ear tips

For iPhone users who prefer the convenience of using Apple headphones, you can’t go wrong with the Apple AirPods Pro 4 With ANC. The lightweight yet durable earbuds are comfortable for long journeys and feature active noise cancellation, allowing you to drown out the sounds of the airplane engine, loud passengers and more. “One of my biggest surprises was just how good the audio quality is despite the modest price tag,” says Isaacs. “I pitted them against two earbuds—the Denon PerL Pros and the Bowers & Wilkins Pi8s—and I struggled to hear any audio quality differences among the three. That speaks pretty well about the audio fidelity that these affordable AirPods can output.”

Transparency mode is also helpful when navigating unfamiliar areas, and you want to let the outside world in. Other thoughtful details include seamless integration with other Apple products, touch controls, personalized spatial audio and Siri Interactions. They don’t offer ear tips, which may be frustrating for some, as those can help prevent these AirPods from falling out. If you absolutely need ear tips, you can opt for the Apple AirPods Pro 2.

Battery life: 30 hours | Drivers: 30mm | Weight: 8.8 ounces | Storage: Comes with carrying case | Noise canceling: Yes

Pros:

• Excellent sound quality
• Quick-charging option (3 hours of playback with a 3-minute charge)
• Comfortable design 

Cons:

• Expensive
• Lackluster app

The Sony WH-1000XM6 headphones are versatile, sleek and feature advanced noise cancellation, allowing you to stay focused, regardless of the noise level in your environment. They can be used as wired headphones, and when you start speaking to someone, the music automatically pauses (the music also pauses when you remove the headphones). If you hold your hand to the right ear cup, the headphones temporarily shift to transparency mode so you can order in a coffee shop, too. 

The 30 hours of battery life, intuitive touch controls and multi-device pairing are additional features that can enhance your overall travel experience. “There are a slew of other features, like spatial audio, scene analyzers (which can analyze your environment and make audio adjustments on the fly) and listening habits, the latter of which can help you maintain safe listening levels,” says Isaacs. While the app may be less intuitive than Bose’s, it still offers multiple EQs. They also offer a custom EQ setting. If you’re unsure how to set it to your preferred style, the Sony app also offers the option to blindly listen through a couple of different modes so you can find what sounds best to you.