8 Of The Best Noise-Cancelling Headphones, From Apple To Sony

One thing about me is I’m going to be wearing headphones. In the office, at the gym, working from home – you name it, I’ve got to have music on.

While I love picking an outfit out, if there’s one thing I wear more than anything else it’s my headphones, so having a comfy pair I can whack on, that looks cute, and won’t leave me with a burning headache at the end of the day is a must.

You’ve heard of cost per wear for clothes, but trust me, I really put my headphones to work for their money.

And I know I’m not the only one: headphones are a serious purchase, and one that folks don’t take lightly – as they shouldn’t because, well, they’re expensive!

To help you make your decision (or delegate it to someone else for a Christmas pressie) I’ve tested the best noise cancelling headphones on the market today.

Best noise cancelling headphones at a glance:

As well as wearing headphones in every situation possible – at the gym, in the office, during my daily commute, while cooking – I wanted to make sure I tested the noise cancelling capabilities as fairly as possible.

I always listen to the same few albums on repeat, so this wasn’t a problem for me: I sat next to a fan on the same setting, listening to the same album on the same volume for each pair of headphones to rank each noise cancellation mode.

For those with multiple modes, I chose the highest level of noise cancellation possible to rate every pair on my list, while also testing the other modes and apps during my daily life to see how functional they were in different situations.

I also considered features such as battery length, price, app functionality, and overall how customisable the headphones were.

My favourites are rounded up below.

In the box: Hard shell storage case, charging cable, audio cable, instruction manual, quick start guide.

I’m so glad the Bose QuietComfort Ultra headphones came out top of my list for functionality, because they’re the most comfortable pair I tried by miles.

The newly-released second generation of these headphones, Bose has improved upon their offering by adding the potential for an extra six hours of battery life, and a metallic headband accent.

They arrive in a hard shell storage case, which means you won’t have to worry about tearing the soft padding by chucking them in your bag.

Connecting these to the Bose app is easy, and you’ll want to to unlock their full potential. There are a few built-in controls, including a bluetooth and pause/play button.

One of my favourite features while testing noise-cancelling headphones has been swipe features (don’t ask me why, it just feels high tech). These headphones have a volume strip on the right ear cap, which you only have to swipe your finger over to increase or decrease the volume, or switch between immersive audio modes.

Speaking of, you can change the audio to suit what you’re doing: still, for when you’re in one place, and motion, for when you’re on the mood, which adjusts the intensity of the audio. You can also change that control to sync with Spotify or use your voice assistant on your phone.

Then there are several pre-set audio modes to choose from, including quiet, aware, immersion, and cinema. But if you really want to get granular with it, the Bose app has 10 other modes to choose from, including focus, relax, and run, as well as an equaliser slider so you can mix your audio to your exact preferences.

In terms of noise cancellation, the Bose QuietComfort Ultra was the most effective I’ve tried. The level can be adjusted from 0 to 10 on the Bose app, and on the highest mode I can barely hear any outside noise.

The only caveat to this is that the headband isn’t adjustable, and because I have a small head, when I’m wearing these headphones lying down (at the gym or in bed) they tend to slip off a little.

I have an iPhone, and I love that when you search for Bose, it’ll let you switch your immersion mode to cinema or quiet from your homescreen.

If you’re willing to fork out nearly £400 for a pair of everyday headphones, these are well worth the investment. Keep reading for more affordable alternatives.

+ Extremely customisable audio, with tons of modes and motion settings to choose from.
+ Doesn’t take a genius to connect them to your phone.
+ The on-ear controls are easy, so you won’t always have to be on your phone.
+ Noise cancellation is super effective (and the best I’ve tried).
+ Comfortable to wear for long periods of time.
+ Comes with a storage case and audio cable, in case you need it.
– The headband isn’t adjustable.
– Battery life could be slightly longer, if we’re being fussy.
– On the more expensive end.

Overall rating: 4.8/5
Noise cancelling rating: 4.9/5

In the box: AirPods, smart case, USB-C charging cable, instruction manual

Battery life: Up to 20 hours

There are Apple purists out there, but I’m not one of them. While I’ve always had an iPhone, I’ve not been swayed by AirPods; in fact I’ve convinced myself I don’t need the AirPods Max.

When I had them in my hands, though, it was a different story. I got the purple colour, and they do look extremely pretty. They also feel as though they’ll be durable, too.

Unlike other headphones I tried, these come with a mesh headband, which isn’t quite as cloud-like of a feeling on the head, but Apple claims it’s designed to reduce pressure and headaches. Plus, I found it was a lot less sweaty than the padded bands during the heatwave.

They come with a smart case, which covers the ear pads and doesn’t take up too much room in your bag. Connecting these to my iPhone took literally no effort at all, as it magically sensed their presence in the way all Apple devices do.

Although there’s no Apple AirPods Max app, per se, your phone will ask if you want to use Adaptive EQ to personalise the sound to your environment. I would highly recommend you do, as the headphones will do all the heavy lifting of choosing the right level of noise cancellation for you.

It is highly effective, too: even having the headphones on blocks out a good chunk of noise, and when music is playing they use inwards-facing microphones to sense what your ears are hearing and adjust the levels.

If you like to have control over your listening habits, fear not, because you can switch between modes with the tab-shaped button on the right ear cap. Simply holding it down will move from Transparency mode (to let outside noise in) to Adaptive Audio. There’s also a dial to play and pause the music, turn it up, answer calls, and skip songs, which makes for an intuitive listening experience.

Plus, if you like to wear your headphones in the office (like me) you can enable Conversation mode, which reduces the volume when it notices you’re talking. I loved this feature, as my hearing is bad enough that I don’t need another barrier to stop me having normal interactions when I’m out and about in the world, and means I don’t have to take my headphones off every five seconds.

These would make a great pair of headphones for anyone who isn’t super technical about their audio, as they really take the thinking out of noise cancellation, and don’t require another darn app.

+ Five minutes of charge for 1.5 hours of listening.
+ Can sense when you take them on and off your head, and when you’re having a conversation.
+ Automatically adjusts the noise cancellation to your needs, and I’ve never found it to be obtrusive or not enough coverage for what I’m doing.
+ The headband is breathable, so you can wear them at the gym without worrying they’ll get all sweaty.
+ Wear them in a foreign country for automatic in-ear translation while someone is talking to you with Apple Intelligence (so cool!).
– Battery life could be longer.
– Not quite as comfortable as the Bose headphones, and it would be fun if there were more modes for serious audio heads.

Overall rating: 4.7/5
Noise cancelling rating: 4.8/5

SONY 1000X series WH-1000XM6

In the box: Hard shell storage case, audio cable, USB-C charging cable, instruction manual.

Battery life: Up to 40 hours, but 30 with NC on.

Confession: these headphones and I did not get off to a good start. I spent a long time trying to figure out how to connect them to my phone, because the SoundConnect app really did not want to recognise them.

After a while arguing with them, though, I managed to sync them up. Right off the bat, I don’t love the fact that you have to physically press the on button to get them to connect to your phone. I’m aware how unforgivably lazy that sounds, so sue me, but I found they disconnect even if you take them off to go get a coffee, so it’s a bit annoying to have to press it every time.

But what makes up for that is how supremely comfortable and intuitive they are in other ways. The padded headband truly feels like wearing nothing on your head, and the controls make me feel like I was living in the future.

On the left ear cap is a button to turn the noise cancellation on and off, although the SoundConnect app gives you much more acute control over this as you can switch between noise cancelling, ambient sound, and nothing at all.

The app also offers other ways to tailor your listening, including a ‘standard’ listening mode, in which you can use the app-controlled equaliser for tailored mixing, ‘background music’, which makes your audio sound distant, and cinema, to sound like you’re climbing inside a speaker.

You can also set a ‘state’ so your headphones know whether you’re at home or out and about, and will adjust the noise cancellation accordingly.

The best feature of all, though, is that you can adjust the volume up and down by swiping your finger vertically on the right ear cap. Swiping side to side also lets you switch songs. I just wish that tapping would let you pause and play, as you’ll need to do this on your phone, in the app, or by taking your headphones off.

While the noise cancellation is really impressive, and really doesn’t let much noise in, I think these could have slightly more features for the cost. But for the comfort and noise quality alone, I’d buy these again.

+ Can connect to two devices at the same time.
+ Adjust noise cancellation according to whether you’re outside or inside.
+ Audio quality is really excellent.
+ Battery life is really impressive.
+ They truly feel like you’re not wearing anything at all.
+ Tons of colours to choose from.
+ I love the swipe volume and skip control.
– Doesn’t have a pause/play function on the headphones.
– Often disconnects from your phone.

Overall rating: 4.7/5
Noise cancelling rating: 4.8/5

In the box: Headphones, charging cable, outer caps, ear cushions.

You’ve heard of the AirWrap and decades of vacuums, but Dyson also dabbles in audio, too.

Our editor, Dayna McAlpine tested out the OnTrac a few years ago and discovered that the tech company makes some of the best noise cancelling headphones on the market.

They boast up to 55 hours of power, and truly look like something out of the future. This pair comes with yellow ear pads and metallic caps, but they’re also totally customisable as there are other colours available to purchase separately.

You can switch between its five audio modes (noise cancelling, reduced isolation, full transparency, reduced transparency, and off) by simply double tapping on either of the caps.

But sync them up with the MyDyson app, and you’ll get access to customisable audio modes, or toggle with the equaliser settings.

If you really care about audio quality, you’re in luck, because they can manage frequencies between 6Hz and 21,000Hz – above and beyond other headphones that usually operate between 20 and 20,000 Hertz.

+ Super crisp sound.
+ Comfortable to wear, with a proper ear seal.
+ Can change the colours and make them look as ‘you’ as possible.
+ Easy to control via the ear pad, or by connecting to the app.
+ Battery life is good.
– Quite expensive.

Overall rating: 4.6/5
Noise cancelling rating: 4.8/5.

In the box: Storage pouch, charging cable, audio cable, instruction manual.

Battery life: Up to 75 hours.

Charli XCX might be the new ambassador for Nothing, but I liked the Headphones (a) first, okay?

As well as looking like little french fancies, the USP of these headphones is that they come with a whopping 75 hours of battery life. As someone who takes her headphones with her everywhere, that is an absolute lifesaver.

Although they’re cheaper compared to their Apple and SONY counterparts, they’re just as good, with manual control pads to increase the volume, play and pause, skip songs, and switch the NC off and on.

I can’t say it enough apparently, but I have a small head, so the fact these come with a padded expandable headband is perfect.

They come with an on and off button, so you can make sure you’re conserving the battery, but honestly even if you don’t remember to, the battery barely drains.

I’ve used these for weeks at a time without running out of battery, and they’re my go-to because they’re made of plastic so they don’t feel like they’ll get crushed in my bag, unlike some of the foamier models.

However, they only come with IP52 rating, so they’re not fully waterproof or dustproof, and I’d hesitate to wear these in the rain.

If you feel like it, you can connect to the Nothing app, which allows you to change the noise cancellation from low to high, or adaptive, and change the spatial audio. It’s pretty comprehensive but not as much as the likes of Bose. You can also equalise your audio, or turn the noise cancelling feature off altogether.

Should pink not be your colour, you can also get these in white and yellow or black.

+ Battery lasts forever.
+ Comfortable to wear and they feel durable.
+ Easy to control from the headphones themselves, so you don’t need to use your phone if you don’t want to.
+ Love the pink colour, and they look really different to other models (in a cool way).
+ Great value for money.
– Dust and waterproof rating is quite low.

Overall rating: 4.8/5
Noise cancelling rating: 4.8/5

In the box: Storage pouch, USB-C charging cable, warranty card, instruction manual.

These lilac headphones pack serious value for money, with 80 hours of continuous listening with noise cancellation.

If it weren’t for the ear caps being slightly smaller, they’d be just as comfortable as the Bose QuietComfort Ultra, and the noise cancellation is certainly just as good.

To control the mode, you can hold down on a button on the right ear to switch from noise cancelling to ambient sound control, or you’ll need to connect to the JBL Headphone app for more customised levels.

You’ll also be able to play and pause, switch songs, or activate your voice assistant by tapping on the outside of the right ear, which you already know I love as a feature.

Also on the app is the option to improve sounds from your surrounding, or switch on Ambient Aware mode, so you hear what’s going on in your surroundings. You can also use the VoiceAware mode to change how much you hear your own voice , which is great if you’re using the headphones for gaming or work calls.

Proving they’ve been designed with gaming in mind, the app offers multiple spatial sound modes, including movie, music, and game, or you can ‘personi-fi’ (see what they did there?) the equalisation.

You’re also able to change the balance between your left and right ear, or switch to video mode if you’re using them for on-phone gaming or streaming.

+ Comes in a ton of fun colours; I love lilac.
+ Battery life is amazing.
+ Gamers will love these.
+ Combines the best parts of Bose, Apple, and SONY headphones but at an accessible price point.
+ Can set a volume limit, to protect your hearing.
– The storage pouch isn’t very protective as it’s soft.

Overall rating: 4.8/5
Noise cancelling rating: 4.8/5

BEATS Powerbeats Fit Wireless Bluetooth Earbuds

In the box: Earbuds, charging cable, instruction manual.

Battery life: Up to 7 hours.

If you don’t love the sensation of a sweaty headband against your head while you’re exercising (fair enough, to be honest) you might want to consider an earbud.

These Powerbeats from Beats have been my go-to gym headphones for months, because they stay firmly in my ears and are loaded with just the right amount of noise cancellation.

They come with five different earbud sizes, so they won’t pop out during a workout, and are both sweat and water-resistant so they can handle a rainy run or a HIIT class.

In terms of noise cancellation, there are just two modes: NC enabled, and transparent, which can be switched between by holding down on the right earbud so it’s no effort when you’re working out.

When the charging case is charged, they can last up to 30 hours, which is ideal for me because I can barely manage to remember to charge my regular headphones, let alone a whole separate pair for exercise.

I also use these as everyday headphones, but they’re not quite as noise cancelling as the others on this list – which is just what you want if you’re in the gym or on a run, where you need to be more aware of your surroundings!

+ They’re pink (but also come in black, grey and orange).
+ Charge is good enough to last a week of workouts by themselves, and more with the charging case.
+ Can play and pause by tapping on the right bud.
+ Won’t fall out while you exercise, as they come with different buds so you can get the right fit.
+ Easy to switch modes.
– Not as advanced noise cancellation as other headphones.

Overall rating: 4.7/5
NC rating: 4.5/5.

In the box: Storage case, USB-C charging cable, instruction manual.

Battery life: Up to 10 hours.

I have to start this with the immediate caveat that I wouldn’t use these headphones as my everyday music-listening headphones – the sound is quite tinny.

But, if you’re looking for a headphone that blocks out sound and helps you get to sleep, these should be on your radar.

These lightweight flat earbuds are designed specifically for side sleepers, and slot into your ears without feeling too obtrusive during sleep.

While you can use the headphones to switch noise cancelling on and off, and between Bluetooth and local mode, I’d recommend downloading the Soundcore app to unlock a whole host of sleep sounds, meditations, and ambient sounds like rainfall.

If your partner snores, these will be an absolute lifesaver, because the headphones use dynamic snore masking to block out their drones.

Thanks to the fact they have up to 10 hours of battery life, they’ll last all night long if you want them to, but you can also set them to turn off when you fall asleep or to switch to local mode, which turns off noise cancellation and lets you listen to white noise all night long.

They also come in a charging case which, when fully charged, can provide up to five nights of battery, so you won’t need to remember to take a USB-C cable with you when you go away.

Honestly, I don’t have a partner who snores (thank god) but I wear these to block out the noise outside my apartment. It’s blissful.

+ Comes in a charging case.
+ Really can’t feel them while you’re asleep.
+ Love that you can access Calm and other ambient music or meditations, so they’d be great for focus, too.
– The sound quality isn’t great for everyday listening.
– Make sure you have the right fit.

Overall rating: 4.6/5
Noise cancelling rating: 4.7/5

Bose were the best all-round headphones I tested: not only was the noise cancellation the most effective and customisable, but they’re comfy and come in a protective storage case.

SONY’s WH-1000XM6 and Apple’s AirPods Max 2 came in as a close second, but if you’re looking for something at a lower price point, JBL Live 780NC and Nothing Headphone (a) are just as good as the more expensive options.