The 8 best noise-cancelling headphones, tested in 2024

How we tested

Every single pair of headphones we included in this guide was hands-on tested by a Mashable reporter or editor. What exactly makes a good noise-cancelling headphone? Here’s what we considered:

• Active noise cancellation performance: Though we always weigh this feature when testing headphones, we paid extra attention to it for the purposes of this guide. For the headphones tested specifically for this guide, we made sure to use them indoors and outdoors, to wear them while someone was trying to speak to us, while playing loud music externally, and while going about our usual workdays. (Many headphones not specifically tested for this guide, including the AirPods Pro and Sony WH-1000XM5s underwent very similar testing conditions).

• Comfort: Though this category can be extra subjective due to different user preferences and head and ear sizes, we also look at how adjustable headphones are in terms of suiting different wearers, whether with earbud ear tips or headphone band adjustments.

• Audio quality: While testing headphones, we listen to music across a variety of genres, as well as podcasts to tell how they perform in different audio settings. Where applicable, we test out different equalizer presets and play around with equalizer settings to see how they affect headphones’ performance.

• Battery life: We noted how quickly the battery drained while testing, and if the rate at which it drained held up to the battery life claims from the brands.

• Value: We considered all the above features combined in relation to the headphones’ price points, and compared them against each other to determine which products are worth it. Where applicable, we noted where the value for one feature made sense and where it didn’t — for instance, in the case of the Bose QC Ultra headphones, their price point makes sense for something seeking incredibly comfortable headphones, and less so for someone who wants the best sound experience possible.

• Premium features: We looked at the cool extras each headphone offered, whether that be spatial audio or a great customizable equalizer. While this did factor into the value somewhat, we didn’t weigh it as heavily as the above conditions, as we believe that a headphone needs to be able to perform the basics well before getting to show off its extras.

We pulled these recommendations from our existing pool of headphone reviews and from hands-on testing performed specifically for this buying guide. A couple of options that didn’t make our updated guide include the AirPods Max, which do have good ANC and sound quality, but also a less impressive feature to price ratio, especially compared to newer options from Sony and Bose.

Recent testing updates

As of Jan. 2024, we removed the Bowers & Wilkins PX7 headphones from this guide not because they’re sub-par headphones (they definitely aren’t), but because they’re an older model that’s harder to find in-stores and online these days. We recently tested their replacement, the Bowers & Wilkins Px7 S2e headphones, and though we loved how they sounded, wore, and looked, we were a little less impressed with the power of their ANC and finicky multipoint pairing.

In April 2024, we added the Anker Soundcore Life P3i earbuds, Sony WF-1000XM5 earbuds, and Sony ULT Wear headphones to our list of recommendations. We also tested the JBL Tour One M2 headphones, and while we appreciated their excellent multipoint pairing, battery life, and balanced sound, we didn’t find that their noise cancellation matched up with similarly priced headphones.

Finally, as of August 2024, we said goodbye to the Bose 700 headphones as our recommendation for the best noise-cancelling headphones with adjustable ANC. This was a long time coming — these headphones have technically been discontinued since the release of the Bose QC Ultra headphones in September 2023, but remained available from retailers other than Bose. We’ll be on the lookout for any new models that match the adjustable noise cancellation these Bose headphones once offered.

We also tried out the Denon PerL Buds Pro, but found that their excellent sound quality couldn’t make up for how uncomfortable they wore and how much they cost.

In August and Sept. 2024, we tried out the new JBL Live Beam 3 headphones, and we liked their sound, unique design, and touchscreen case that made it easy to check the headphone’s battery life and control audio. However, their noise cancellation wasn’t quite up to par for $200 earbuds. We’ve also added the Dyson OnTrac headphones as our pick for the best battery life, thanks to the impressive 55-hour battery life.

What’s up next

We’re evaluating whether the AirPods 4 are a better pick for the best mid-range headphones, especially as the $179 model now come with active noise cancellation. In the meantime, you can read our full review of the new AirPods.