Best Noise Cancelling Headphones: Top Picks for 2023

Do you travel on a regular basis? Does the environmental noise distract you too much when you are working at home or office? If the answer to any (or both) of these questions is a yes, the best noise cancelling headphones is the answer that you have been looking for.

However, getting a pair of headphones that come with decent active noise cancellation (ANC) is not that easy. Jump into any store, and you will be bombarded with options. And the most important part is that not all of them will be able to cancel out the noise effectively.

To make things easier for you, we have come up with this ultimate list of the best noise calling headphones. Not only will you find headphones that excel in ANC performance, but also the ones that are best in every price range. So, let’s jump right into it!

Sony WH-1000XM4 – Best Overall Noise Cancelling Headphones

The Sony WH-1000XM4 offers excellent noise cancellation and surprisingly great sound. And the best part about the headphone is that it is light in weight and features a comfortable design.

Yes, the pair of headphones might not look that different from its predecessor. But it surely does bring meaningful upgrades. For example, you have multipoint pairing, conversational awareness, DSEE Extreme upscaling, and an auto play/pause sensor.

Moreover, the Sony WH-1000XM4 made a noticeable leap in the noise cancellation feature. The ANC tech works much better than the one found in the WH-1000XM3. Also, it has advanced codec support, allowing you to hear every detail of the music clearly.

Key Features

• Battery life: Up to 30 Hours
• Bluetooth: Bluetooth 5.0
• Waterproof: No
• Storage Case: Included
• Codecs: SBC, AAC, and LDAC

Sony WH-1000XM5 – Best Premium Noise Cancelling Headphones

Sony’s most recent over-ear headphones, the WH-1000XM5, followed in the predecessor’s footsteps. But it is not just a regular upgrade from the XM4. Instead, it offers improvements on all the things that Sony did right with the WH-1000XM4.

One of the key upgrades is in the battery life. You can get up to 30 hours of run time with the ANC turned. And with it off, the battery life jumps to 40 hours. That means you will not have to plug it in at the end of the day.

The other things about the headphone are great too. It comes with Bluetooth 5.2 for a speedy and stable wireless connection. Also, the overall build quality is pretty mind-blowing. You will not find any comfort issues with it. And let’s not forget to mention that it has Hi-Res audio support over LDAC and Sony 360 Reality Audio!

Key Features

• Battery life: Up to 40 Hours
• Bluetooth: Bluetooth 5.2
• Waterproof: No
• Storage Case: Included
• Codecs: SBC, AAC, and LDAC

Sennheiser Momentum 4 Wireless – Best ANC Headphones for Long Battery Life

Do you not want to go through the hassle of charging the headphone at the end of the day? Want something that will last for days with one charge? The Sennheiser Momentum 4 Wireless should be your go-to pick!

So, what’s so great about it? It can offer up to 60 hours of runtime with a single charge. And that too with ANC! Yes, you read that right, 60 hours! That is like not having to charge the headphones for three days.

However, the battery life is not the only thing that is great about this pair of headphones. It also provides excellent sound quality. The drivers offer natural, detailed, and crisp overall sound. And the ANC performance will not disappoint you either.

Key Features

• Battery life: Up to 60 Hours
• Bluetooth: Bluetooth 5.2
• Waterproof: IPX4
• Storage Case: Included
• Codecs: SBC, AAC, aptX, and aptX Adaptive

Bose Noise Cancelling Headphones 700 – Best ANC Headphones for Calls

The Bose Noise Cancelling Headphones 700 may be a little expensive. But it can offer everything that you would want from a good pair of headphones. It has an excellent build, provides balanced sound quality, a comfortable design, and fantastic Active Noise Cancellation (ANC) performance.

Another great thing about the headphones is that it bundles with an app. Through that, you can fine-tune the ANC mode and set it according to your needs. Most importantly, it does a great job of canceling out the environmental noise from calls.

The battery life, on the other hand, is not that impressive. You get 20 hours of run time with a single charge. It is enough to get you through the day, but expect to charge it right at the end of the day.

Key Features

• Battery life: 20 Hours
• Bluetooth: Bluetooth 5.0
• Waterproof: IPX4
• Storage Case: Included
• Codecs: SBC and AAC

Apple AirPods Max – Best Noise Cancelling Headphones for iPhone

The Apple AirPods Max does a lot of things right. It offers superb audio quality, has a great design, and integrates cutting-edge Active Noise Cancellation tech. In fact, the Apple AirPods Max has one of the class-leading ANC techs in the market.

However, you might be a little bit disappointed with its lack of audiophile features. For example, there is no support for Hi-Res Audio codecs, and you do not have the option to plug a 3.5mm audio jack directly into the headphone.

Still, if you are already in the Apple ecosystem, you really can not go wrong with the Apple AirPods Max. But if you do care about Hi-Res audio and other audiophile-grade features, consider the headphones above.

Key Features

• Battery life: 20 Hours
• Bluetooth: Bluetooth 5.0
• Waterproof: No
• Storage Case: Included
• Codecs: SBC and AAC