The Best Noise-Canceling Headphones For Airplanes
The best noise-canceling headphones for airplanes include options from Bose, Sony, and Apple.
It’s not to say that the earbud phenomenon has come to an end, but it is to say that headphones are making a comeback. Whether you wear them for an early morning commute or you find yourself sitting in a noisy airport, noise-canceling headphones may be a very important piece of equipment that will allow you some peace. And on those aforementioned flights, you are going to want the best noise-canceling headphones for airplanes.
Over the past few years, headphone technology has advanced significantly. Now, listening to your favorite Meat Loaf song or tuning out everything around you so your podcast is crisp and clear can be done with ease by slipping on a pair of headphones. But you don’t want to be disturbed by those on the flight around you, so grabbing the best noise-canceling headphones for airplane use is critical.
It makes no difference how you use them – home, work, or travel – choosing the best headphones has the same requirements they’ve always had. That includes comfort, outside noise elimination, impeccable sound quality, battery life, and if your new pair of headphones supports multipoint pairing so you have the ability to connect to two audio sources at one time.
If you are one of those who has difficulty focusing or relaxing because outside noise is a distraction, the best noise-canceling headphones for an airplane will be your best friend. With them, you can now block out loud sounds as well as ambient noise and general background noises.
Need options? Well, we’ve got the best noise-canceling headphones for airplanes to choose from. We are going to look at the best of the best, so the price may be steep. If you want the best, well, you know the saying.
SONY WH-1000XM4
PRICE – $348.00 on Amazon.
WHY WE LIKE THEM – The consensus industry-leading best noise-canceling headphones for airplanes. You would be hard-pressed to find a more top-of-the-line noise-canceling headphone than Sony’s WH-1000XM4.
Where do we start with this amazing pair? Let’s start with its Dual Noise Sensor technology. You can easily pair your headphones with two devices and switch back and forth with a simple touch of a button. Take your music listening to the next level with Edge-AI, software that was co-developed with Sony Music Studios Tokyo.
Touch Sensors are controls that allow you to pause, play, or skip music tracks, control volume, activate your voice assistant, and also answer phone calls (though the latter is going to be tough on the airplane). The speak-to-chat technology automatically reduces your volume during phone conversations. Sony has outfitted the WH-1000XM4 with five built-in microphones with advanced audio signal processing for superior call quality.
If you happen to be in the middle of a great song but are forced to take your headphones down (like for an in-flight announcement), the set has wearing detection so playback will be paused. The best noise-canceling headphones for airplanes are designed for long-lasting comfort and one full charge will bring up to 30 hours of listening enjoyment. It is easy to see why these are industry leaders.
BOSE QUIETCOMFORT 35 II
PRICE – $358.00 on Amazon
WHY WE LIKE THEM – Bose is another industry leader when it comes to the best noise-canceling headphones for airplanes.
The Bose QuietComfort lives up to its name, offering three levels of world-class noise cancellation. They have a noise-rejecting dual-microphone system, allowing for clear sound and voice pick-up when answering calls.
Bluetooth connection is easy, as are personalized settings and updates through Bose’s app. The QuietComfort 35 II is also Alexa-enabled so you have voice access to your music or any other information you are looking for. These make for some of the best noise-canceling headphones for airplanes and are great for all types of travel.
APPLE AIRPODS MAX
PRICE – $395.00 on Amazon.
WHY WE LIKE THEM – AirPods Max are the latest and greatest piece of equipment to come from Apple. Moving away from their earbuds, Apple has designed an over-the-ear headset that looks to rival the best on the market and makes for some of the best noise-canceling headphones for airplanes.
They are set with Active Noise Cancellation which completely blocks out any outside distractions, but they also come with Transparency Mode on the chance that you want to hear and communicate with the outside world.
As far as technology goes, the AirPods Max offers spatial audio, meaning it has dynamic head tracking that will give you theater-like sound that will surround you. When it comes to the best noise-canceling headphones for airplanes, having yourself sitting almost in a home theater thousands of feet above the Earth makes for a great prospect.
For comfort, Apple designed this headphone with a knit-mesh canopy, so it conforms easily to your head. The memory foam ear cushions are there to provide an exceptional fit. You will get up to 20 hours of battery life on a full charge.
There is one thing, unfortunately, that we don’t like about this set, and it pretty much falls across the entire Apple line – price point. If you head to Amazon to purchase this set, you will see that you are saving a nice chunk of change. But if Apple is your go-to, then the price may not even matter.
SENNHEISER MOMENTUM 3
PRICE – $315.00 on Amazon.
WHY WE LIKE THEM – Perhaps not one of the more popular names, but the Momentum 3 headphones offer exceptional comfort with a headband crafted from leather. Plus they have soft earpads that make long listening sessions fun and are among the reasons they are the best noise-canceling headphones for airplanes.
With its three-button interface, you will never miss a note of music. The on/off function is as seamless as the pause function. One full charge will get you up to 17 hours of entertainment.
ANKER SOUNDCORE LIFE Q20
PRICE – $44.99 on Amazon.
WHY WE LIKE THEM – While Sony offers the industry-leading headphone, Anker offers the number one bestseller. They are a solid pair, offering a 90 percent reduction in ambient noises.
Built with four ANC microphones, the Anker Soundcore enhances voice pick-up and ensures you’ll have crystal-clear audio. What’s most impressive with these headphones is that one full charge will get you up to 40 hours of playtime if you are in wireless active noise cancellation mode, and an even more impressive 60 hours of playtime if you set the headphones in standard music mode.
Oh yeah, you can’t beat the price.
If the above prices (except for Anker’s) for an amazing set of noise-canceling headphones are a put-off, remember, purchasing a set on Black Friday is always an option. If you can wait that long, you just may see prices drop even more than what you’re now seeing on Amazon.
Still, if the price isn’t a factor, the above-listed headphones are some of the industry’s best.
