Frequent fliers, subway riders and everyone seeking quiet time have one thing in common: they all need the best noise-canceling headphones. While other headphones rely on the seals made by their cushions or tips, these over-ear headphones and in-ear earbuds feature smarter tech inside that goes a step further to mute the world around you. All our recommendations offer seriously good sound quality, and their variety of shapes and sizes means you’ll find a perfect fit faster than Cinderella the morning after the ball. The best pairs also offer fantastic transparency modes to let you hear the world around you when you would benefit from knowing a moving vehicle is right around the corner.
We’ve been testing the top models for years, erasing sounds in planes, on trains and in various offices and homes to figure out which are the superior sound suppressors. We also test out much-hyped special features, such as spatial 3D audio, to see if they’re additive or not. After years of listening, we’ve found these four excellent noise-canceling headphones, which fit a range of budgets.
Sony WH-1000XM6 Over-Ear Headphones
The best noise-canceling headphones
Sony's latest over-ear headphones pack more microphones and new noise-canceling tech to detect and silence the world around you, and they've got the best fit of any model we've tested.
