Jonathan Zavaleta
Contact Jonathan Zavaleta by Email View all posts by Jonathan Zavaleta April 23, 2026
Sony, Bose, Sennheiser If you purchase an independently reviewed product or service through a link on our website, Rolling Stone may receive an affiliate commission.
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Noise-canceling headphones have come a long way since 1989. That’s the year Bose released the first commercially available active noise-canceling (ANC) headsets, which were originally designed for airline pilots. Many people still buy ANC headphones for the same reason they were invented — to reduce jet engine noise while on a flight. But these days, they’re capable of reducing distractions everywhere, from the office to train rides and even at home.
Given the fierce competition in the headphone market, noise-canceling headphones are expected to do more than just cancel background noise. Good sound quality is obviously paramount, as is comfort, particularly if you’re wearing them for hours on a plane. Other features to consider include microphone quality for calls, battery life, and travel-friendliness.
At a Glance: Best Noise-Canceling Headphones
Best Overall Bose QuietComfort Ultra Headphones 2
BUY NOW $449.00 Jump to Details runner up Sony WH-1000XM6
BUY NOW $429.99 Jump to Details best sound Sennheiser Momentum 4
BUY NOW $299.99 Jump to Details best value Cambridge Audio Melomania P100 SE
BUY NOW $299.00 Jump to Details best for iPhone Apple AirPods Max 2
BUY NOW $529.99 Jump to Details Best Splurge Bowers & Wilkins Px8 S2
BUY NOW $799.00 Jump to Details best controls Bose QuietComfort Bluetooth Headphones
BUY NOW $359.00 Jump to Details Also Great JBL Live 780NC
BUY NOW $249.95 Jump to Details best design Nothing Headphones (1)
BUY NOW $299.00 Jump to Details most compact Beats Studio Pro
BUY NOW $199.99 Jump to Details best budget OneOdio A6
BUY NOW $55.99 Jump to Details View more +Most ANC headphones also have an ambient or aware mode, letting in an amount of noise to keep you tuned in to your surroundings. But some, like Bose and Sennheiser, also let you further customize the ambient setting to your liking.
How We Picked the Best Noise-Canceling Headphones
All of the options on our list were hand-tested. We prioritized factors that are hard to evaluate without hands-on testing, such as comfort, fit, and sound quality, while also looking at the spec sheet for factors like battery life, Bluetooth codecs, and more.
Clockwise, top left: Sennheiser, Nothing, Sony, Beats While it would be tough to test every option on a plane without burning through some serious miles, we tested the noise-canceling in real-world (flights, busy streets) and simulated (table fans, loud TVs) settings, all to see how well they handle a variety of distractions.
