I have pretty much always been an Apple devotee when it comes to personal tech: I own an iPhone, two Mac computers and am on my third pair of AirPods. I understood that many say there is better (and far cheaper) tech out there — for battery life and general usability, for sound quality, etc. — but it always made the most sense to me to stay within the Apple ecosystem. That is, until I bought the Tozo NC9 noise-cancelling earbuds on a whim during Black Friday sales.There were a few reasons these earbuds in particular caught my eye. With impending travel planned, I’d been curious about active noise-cancelling (ANC) headphones for a while. I’d only used Apple’s second and third-generation AirPods, which don’t have the feature. I also liked the variety of colors these came in (you can choose from seven; I got the summery pale green). Finally, I’d read my colleagues’ previous coverage of them on sale, which showed reviewers that preferred them to AirPods for the sound quality, battery life and far cheaper price.Better than AirPods for less than $40? I was willing to put it to the test.Immediately upon receiving the earbuds, I was impressed by the sound quality. The noise-cancelling does work; I’ve used the feature on my daily commute, as well as on crowded planes. It’s not completely silent, but it’s a huge upgrade from what I was working with before and a total game-changer. I did find that toggling ANC on and off by tapping the earbuds took a little trial and error — they’re pretty sensitive to touch, but I got the hang of it after a few tries.I also liked the customizable fit — you can choose what size earcaps you want from the ones included. I ended up using the extra-small for my narrow ears.Erica Kam/HuffPostThe earbuds come with a bunch of different-sized earcaps for a customizable fit. I use the extra-small for my narrow ears.I also have to commend the battery life. I use the earbuds at least twice a day with ANC on and haven’t had to charge my charging case in weeks. That’s a huge step up from my AirPods, and a relief during travel especially.Reviewers also adore these earbuds. They laud the waterproofing, with one reviewer even showering with them on, the battery life (“HOLY LONG-LIVED LISTENING APPLICATION, BATMAN!”) and the ability to play around with the sound presets using the Tozo app for a customized listening experience. “Blew my mind! Amazing how these earbuds sound and for the price, it’s unreal!” one reviewer wrote, and I have to agree.Am I going to completely abandon my AirPods? Maybe not — I do like the slimmer shape of them, which makes them more comfortable to wear when I’m lying on my side, listening to music to fall asleep. But for day-to-day wear and travel, I can’t recommend the NC9s enough. The price is shockingly good for what you get, and I have a feeling that these could last me longer than my AirPods. If you want a second pair, or to try out ANC without the price tag, these are hard to beat.Don’t believe me? Check out some more reviews below from former AirPod users about their experience with the NC9s.“I have owned Apple AirPods and many others, o came across these while searching for new ones and decided to give them a try, I am so happy with them they fit my small ears perfectly they aren’t lose, don’t fall out and are comfortable, for the noose canceling YES they definitely are. My husband walked in on me while I was cleaning house and I never even heard him also I was using these while vacuuming my car out with a shop vac and I couldn’t hear the shop vac. I would highly recommend these and wish I would have found them a lot sooner then I wouldn’t have wasted so much money on others.” — Melanie“Great earbuds. It took me a bit to get used to the controls, but now that I have I honestly like them better than AirPods; they are more comfortable and the sound quality is just as great. The battery life has been good so far too.” — Lexa“I was amazed how good these sound for the price and how good noise canceling works. For $26 the sound to price performance is much better than my $250 airpod pro 2 buds. And the app is really cool for tuning the sound and setting up the functions. Just make sure you get a good fit that will determine how good they sound and how good noise canceling works. Luckily that give you many different ear tips to help find a good fit.” — Chad“These put more expensive (cough, AirPod Pros, cough) to shame at 1/6 the price. The ANC on these is phenomenal, the battery life is phenomenal and the sound is phenomenal. Call quality is clear and they connect to both my iPhone and iPad with no issues. I haven’t tested out the waterproof feature yet. Digital battery display on the front is a nice feature. I listen to audiobooks all day while working and have 2 pairs of AirPod Pros because the battery life is only 3-4 hours, so I was switching them out. I also listen to podcasts while falling asleep (and to knock out the sound of my bf snoring lol) and misplaced my other pair of Tozo earbuds I use for that. This was a panic buy, but a GOOD one!” — Michelle“What a great pair of headphones! The price point is amazing for the sound quality that you get. I have given up on my AirPods and I’m now switching to these for my day to day use. Very happy I took the risk on these. They come with 4 extra different ear piece sizes to ensure you find the perfect fit. I don’t feel worried that it’s going to fall out either. Connecting the headphones with my phone was also seamless. There were 3 different colors offered to choose from, and I chose the classic black color. I haven’t taken a call with these yet to test out the mic but I’m assuming that it is also good quality. The case and headphones feel and look durable. I also like that the case stands up and isn’t rounded at the bottom.” — kc97421For more noise-cancelling headphones, check out this roundup by former HuffPost shopping writer Kristen Adaway:AmazonA budget-friendly option with thousands of accoladesRating: 4.5 out of 5 stars across over 86,000 ratingsWith active noise cancellation, high quality sound, strong bass and a whopping 40-hour playtime on a single charge, these headphones are a great budget option for wireless listening. They come in blue, black, pink and silver in a micro or USB-C charging style.Promising review: "The sound is very clean and deep. It had extra bass if you like it and the noise canceling is amazing. I am impressed by the quality of sound and the price. Don’t think twice and get them. The headphones themselves are great made and good quality. They are also very comfortable around the ears with that super soft memory foam. I have buds but after a while they slide of my ear and make it sore so this is a much better choice." — SaraAmazonA reviewer-approved set with a near-perfect star ratingRating: 4.6 out of 5 stars across over 24,500 ratingsThe Beats Solo 4 have up to 50 hours of battery life and "fast fuel," which gives five hours of listening time after just a 10-minute charge. The headphones come with a soft carrying case and fold up to take up even less space.Promising reviews: "I absolutely love the Beats Solo 4 Wireless On-Ear Headphones! The sound quality is amazing, and the battery life is incredible—up to 50 hours means I rarely have to charge them. They’re super lightweight and comfortable for long listening sessions.The pink color is awesome and really stands out. Stylish, functional, and everything I hoped for. Highly recommend!" — Romeo Six ActualAmazonThese foldable JBL headphones with up to 70 hours of battery lifeRating: 4.5 out of 5 stars across over 4,600 ratingsJBL's Tune 770NC headphones are lightweight, have adaptive noise canceling, can be folded up for easy transport and boast a seriously long battery life (up to 60 hours of continuous playtime, longer with speed charge). You can also choose preset EQ modes or adjust the EQ curve yourself using the JBL headphones app. The ear cups also have buttons to control the headphones, and have an aux cord if you ever prefer or need to listen with a wire. You can grab a pair of these in three colors.Promising review: "I bought these headphones because ear buds don’t fit in my ears that great. The sound is so good for the price and the noise cancelation works really good too! I use mine everyday and love them! They are comfortable and charge quickly." — TawnAmazonA premium option from a trusted audio brandRating: 4.6 out of 5 stars across over 18,900 ratingsFully customize your music listening experience with these Bose headphones that offer full noise cancellation. You can set the bass, mid-range and treble levels to your preference and essentially create your own concert. They offer up to 24 hours of battery life.Promising review: "I needed noise cancelling headphone for when I go into the office as it can be noisy there & it is hard to concentrate. So when I wear these headphones I don’t hear anything! And they really keep the charge for a long time which is terrific! And they are very comfortable to wear. And they come with a great case that is very portable for traveling. Highly recommend!" — tvgirlAmazonA pair of affordable headphones that reviewers say have great sound qualityRating: 4.5 out of 5 stars across over 4,500 ratingsGet more bang for your buck with these Tozo headphones that are under $50 at full price. The headphones offer 60 hours of battery life, supports wired and wireless listening, are foldable and have soft protein leather ear cups for a comfortable feel. Reviewers rave about the sound quality, especially considering their price compared to some higher-end brands. You can buy these headphones in nine colors.Promising review: "We had previously purchased Tozo ear buds and were quite pleased with their sound quality and battery life. Since we were so impressed with the earbuds, we didn't hesitate to buy these Headphones. The quality is first rate and I haven't heard another headphone that sounds better. The battery life beats most of their competitors and I can't get over the high quality sound. The fact that you can use these connected by bluetooth or cord is a big bonus too!For the price and quality, these are quite hard to beat! We've bought two so far.." — B. WilliamsAmazonApple’s luxury TikTok-viral headphonesRating: 4.6 out of 5 stars across over 16,500 ratingsThe surprisingly stylish Apple AirPods Max headphones feature active noise cancellation, spatial audio and memory foam ear cushions for a comfortable fit.Promising review: "Love these headphones, the buds never fit in my ears properly so these over the ear are my favorite. I fly a few times a week for work and these are the best headphones on the plane. I never realized how loud the plane was until I turned the noise cancellation off mid flight just to see if it actually worked." — Jackie Griffith