Experts Weigh in on the Best Noise-Canceling Headphones

Anyone who travels frequently or commutes daily can attest to the chaos that can exist within our airports and subway systems. The ability to disconnect from that energy and reclaim some sense of sanity is absolutely vital. Whether you retreat into some thumping beats, classical concertos, audiobooks, or your favorite podcast to achieve this sense of calm; you will need a good set of noise-canceling headphones to help you get the job done. At Vacationer, We took a look at what the experts had to say and compiled this list of the best noise-canceling headphones for every budget.

Bose Noise-Canceling Headphones 700

The New York Times recently proclaimed this model one of their top picks for those that prefer circumaural  (over-the-ear) headphones. Lightweight and wireless, these headphones provide the superior noise-canceling quality that Bose is known for. The headphones feature an adjustable ANC (active noise cancellation) scale from levels 0 through 10. While providing exceptional comfort and portability, they were found to be lacking with respect to battery life (around 20 hours). It is an exceptional product but it is an investment, currently priced at $329 on Amazon.

Sony WF-1000XM4 Ear Buds

For those that prefer earbuds to over the ear headphones, Consumer Reports recommends these Bluetooth, wireless noise-canceling earbuds from Sony. CR researchers found these headphones to have outstanding sound quality and sound-blocking performance. Special features include variable noise cancellation, “monitor” mode to actively bring in audio from your surroundings, and “Speak-to-chat” which will automatically pause your music when you start speaking. The earbuds come with 5.5 hours of battery life and a portable charging case that holds 16 hours’ worth of power. They are a bit steep in price at $229 but deemed well worth it for the quality. You can pick these up at Best Buy.

Sennheiser HD 450BT Headphones

 According to PC Magazine, the HD 450BT headphones deliver solid noise cancellation for the price. They add as much “hiss” to the sound quality as most affordable ANC headphones do and manage to eliminate a lot of lower-frequency rumble. This makes them particularly useful on planes and trains as the background noise will be tamped down significantly. High frequencies were found to be less controlled though so you might still pick up on chatter or loud music nearby. However, it still does a remarkable job and at $149.95 it is a bit easier on the wallet. Get yours here.

Anker Soundcore Liberty Air 2 Pro

At $89 these wireless earbuds will get you the most bang for your buck. PC Magazine gave these a fantastic review. They noted how easy it is to switch listening modes using the Anker Soundcore app. You can go from Fully Transparent mode which allows all sound to Vocal mode which only highlights nearby voices. The earbuds also offer noise cancellation in four easy-to-adjust settings: custom, indoor, outdoor, and transport.  With the Custom mode, you can move an in-app dial to focus on eliminating different sections of the frequency range. It’s not perfect, but it could work well in specific noisy environments. They found the Transport mode to be the most effective of the three other modes. Get yours here.