A baby crying, a loud tourist laughing at a stand comedy show or just the general roaring of engines and announcements on the plane if you ask me my headphones are one of the most important things in my bag while getting on a plane. Noise-canceling headphones can be a lifesaver and can mean the difference between a good night’s sleep vs getting off the plane feeling like shit.
- Do you want to block out cry babies on a plane?
- Do you want to be able to work on your laptop in cafes in peace?
- Do you want to be the #woke person who doesn’t put up with the snoring?
I consider a good pair of noise-cancelling headphone one of the best travel gear I owe. Noise canceling headphones is key, whether it’s while riding a noisy bus in Nepal or flying on Emirates and being spoilt for choice about which wine to order.
Best Noise Cancelling Headphones For Travel 2019
1. Sony WH1000XM3 - Best Wireless Noise Cancelling Headphones For Travel 2019
The new Sony Noise Cancelling Headphones WH1000XM3 is has the best Noise Cancelling Headphones in 2019!
The “QUICK ATTENTION MODE” allows you to communicate to people without taking your headphones off. All you have to do is place your hand over the right ear cup to turn the volume down for instant conversation!
The Sony Noise Cancelling Headphones WH1000XM3 works both wired and wireless! It also detects your activity to automatically adjust the ambient sounds you hear making a great noise cancelling headphone for someone on the move!
Smart Listening: Adjusts the ambient sound to your activity to give you the best noise cancellation
Touch Controls: Control music tracks and volume, activate your voice assistant and take phone calls
Great Battery Life: A single charge provides up to 30 hrs of playtime for reliable all day listening
Comfortable: Ergonomically redesigned foldable earphones for easy travel / listening comfort
- Best Noise Cancelling
- Wireless + Wired
- Alexa built in
- Amazing Battery Life
- Touch Controls
- Expensive
2. Bose QuietComfort 35 II - Great Wireless Noise Cancelling Headphones For Travel 2019
The new Bose Quiet Comfort 35 II is used to be the best noise-cancelling headphones for travel on the market until the new Sony Headphones came out.
The Quick Comfort 35 is a great upgrade over the QC 25 which was one of the first great “noise Cancelling headphones for travel. The QC 35 has improved on it with full bass, a complete wireless noise-cancelling, and NFC. The Bose QC 35 have insanely comfortable ear pads and comes with 20 hours of battery life to keep you going on those long-haul flights.
Other additional features include the ability to connect with another set of Bose headphones via Bluetooth to share music and you can connect to the Bose app to access the auto-off timer, volume control, and battery readings.
- Great Noise Cancelling (2nd Best)
- Wireless + Wired
- Alexa built in
- Decent Batter life
- Expensive
- Sony has better Noise cancelling
3. Bose Quiet Comfort 25 - Best Wired Noise Cancelling Headphones For Travel 2019
Bose QuietComfort 25 is rated the best-wired noise cancelling headphones by Wirecutter for good reasons! The music is deep, powerful and balanced, and so quiet that every note sounds clearer.
The QC 25 are incredibly comfortable, they fold up small in a portable case, and sound great. The headphones can be used wirelessly but with no noise cancellation.
The incredible battery life of 35 hours makes traveling with the Bose Quiet Comfort a breeze and the inclusion of an airplane adapter in the box is a plus. It’s a cheaper compared to the QC35s making them a more conscious buy.
- Good Noise Cancelling
- Good price
- Wired only
- Came out in 2014
4. Audio-Technica ATH-ANC7B - Best Budget Noise Cancelling Headphones For Travel 2019
At a third of the price of the Bose headphones above, the ANC7B is a much cheaper option when it comes to picking a headphone to travel with for the budget conscious.
The lightweight, compact, fold-flat design makes it an ideal headphone for travel!
The additional 1/4-inch adapter and specialized airline adapter for connecting to in-flight entertainment systems, and a handy carrying case is a great plus.
- Decent Noise Cancelling
- Below $100
- Lightweight & Compact
- Wired only
- Came out in 2001
- AAA batteries
5. Plantronics BackBeat PRO 2 - Noise Cancelling Headphones For Audiophiles Travelers
The Backbeat PRO 2 is a great budget wireless noise-cancelling pair of headphone at half the price of the bose models mentioned above.
The noise-cancelling isn’t as good at the Bose models but is decent and the same goes for the audio, if you want good value for your money, the Backbeat isn’t a bad choice.
The 24 hours battery life isn’t half bad and makes it pretty convenient to travel with.
- Great Noise Cancelling
- Decently priced
- Wireless
- Hi Res Audio
- 24 hour battery
- Bulky
- Shallow ear cups
Best Noise Cancelling Headphones For Travel Buyer’s Guide
Well, there are many factors to consider when picking a pair of headphones to travel with, your choice in will depend on your budget, functions you desire and also what you plan to use them for. Here are the factors I considered while writing this article.
- Battery Life: Being a traveler means that you won’t always have the ability to charge your devices and access to a charging port next to you at all times. A portable power bank can extend your battery life, but nothing is worse than about to take a flight only to find that your headphones battery is dead.
- Connectivity: With phones now getting rid of headphones jacks, it may be smarter to go the route of buying wireless headphones. Some of these below headphones are wired while others are wireless. I’m personally into Wireless over Wired headsets but this is usually a personal choice as an audiophile might prefer wired over wireless due to the sound quality.
- Sound Quality: Sound quality is definitely important, we are talking about headphones. Noise cancelling headphones are never as good when it comes to sound quality compared to normal headphones at the same price point.
- Cost: Some of these headphones are very expensive so I’ve tried my best to give the best headphone recommendations at different price points so that it can fit your needs.
- Size and Portability: For anyone traveling, having a portable pair of headphones that can fit in your travel backpack is key.
- Reviews: I always read reviews from past users and from professional audiophiles before I picked the below headphones. I wouldn’t know what people in the past did, but now we have Amazon reviews and we can read what people who used it in the past have to say about it. I personally recommend reading the good and bad reviews which deciding on a purchase, also sometimes the 3-star reviews tend to good when it comes to giving you an overview.
I hope that this list of the best headphones for travel helps you pick a noise canceling headphone that provides you great bang for your buck and helps you find one that fits your needs. Let me know what you think about the suggestions.
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