As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases. If you buy something through a link on this page, I may get a small commission at no extra cost to you. It does not change what I recommend and it does not change your price.
How to pick
Decide first whether you want to block the world out or stay aware of it. Noise cancelling is genuinely transformative on a plane or in a noisy house, and it costs a fair amount extra, so only pay for it if you will be somewhere loud. Comfort matters more than sound quality for anything longer than an hour, and comfort is about weight and clamp pressure rather than price. If they are mainly for calls, the microphone matters more than the speakers, and that is rarely what gets advertised. Wired headphones still exist, sound better for the money, and never need charging.
What I recommend
For calls and work
If they are mainly for calls, the microphone matters more than the speakers, and that is rarely what gets advertised. Comfort matters more than sound quality for anything longer than an hour, and comfort is about weight and clamp pressure rather than price.
Wired or wireless headset with a boom mic
A boom microphone sits near your mouth and sounds dramatically better than any earbud, which matters if you are on calls all day. Wired versions never need charging and never drop out.
- Boom mic sounds far better on calls
- Wired versions cannot run out of battery
- Usually much cheaper than consumer headphones
- Looks like a call centre, which some people mind
- Wireless versions still need charging
- Rarely sound good for music
Wireless over ear headphones
For music, calls and blocking out the room. Look for comfort and clamp pressure in reviews rather than headline sound claims, because a headphone that hurts after an hour is one you will not use.
- Comfortable for long stretches if well chosen
- Good battery life, usually 20 hours or more
- Fold down for travel
- Microphones are usually mediocre for calls
- Warm on the ears in summer
- Ear pads wear out and need replacing
Blocking out the world
Noise cancelling is genuinely transformative on a plane or in a noisy house, and it costs a fair amount extra, so only pay for it if you will be somewhere loud.
Noise cancelling headphones
The difference on a plane or in an open office is dramatic rather than subtle. Sony and Bose are the two names that consistently lead here. Not worth the money for a quiet house.
- Genuinely transformative in a noisy place
- Also excellent for concentration
- Usually the best built headphones a brand makes
- Expensive
- Pointless in a quiet room
- Some people find the pressure sensation odd
- Battery life drops with cancelling on
Related reading
Sound cutting out on calls?
Bluetooth trouble is usually fixable in a few minutes once you know where to look.