If you’re flying, it’s always a good idea to bring a pair of headphones. You’re going to be sitting captive in a small chair for hours, after all, and listening to something is just the easiest way to pass all that time. However, not all headphones are ideal for bringing in-flight. An airplane trip creates a pretty unique environment, after all, and you’ll need a proper pair of travel headphones if you want to get through it comfortably.
Travel headphones are mostly defined by two distinct features. First is active noise cancellation (ANC), which you will need to drown out that persistent engine noise, the bustle of the passengers, and the occasional crying baby who always seems to wake up when everyone else is trying to sleep. Second is portability, as it will need to be small enough to take up a minimum of space in your carry-on. Good news is, there’s an abundance of headphone models that satisfy both qualities, allowing you to have plenty of options when looking for travel headphones that suit your needs.
These are some of our favorite travel headphones.
Cleer Enduro ANC
If you want travel headphones that offer good value for less money, this might be the one to get, which brings ANC, monster battery life, and a fun sound profile with some surprising depth at a fraction of the price of most of the top models in the category. Cleer claims these headphones have a battery life rating of 60 hours, although our own testing puts the actual mileage at around 50 and change with ANC running full time. That’s still really good and a full 20 hours more than many options in the category. The ANC is pretty good, too. While it’s not able to completely filter out some chatter (those higher-pitched voices are quite challenging), it does dull out any sound that goes through enough that you barely even notice anyway. Suffice to say, it’s a capable ANC, albeit not on the same level as you will find with Sony or Bose headphones.
We’re also impressed at the amount of features included for a relatively cheap model, as it comes with NFC, Hi-Res Audio support (when you connect it via 3.5mm cable), and a folding design that makes it easier to bring during trips. The biggest knock on these headphones is the fact that they’re tough to use when it’s windy outside, as the ANC mics actually seem to pick up the wind and pipe them through. If using ANC on windy days out is not in your use-cases for headphones, though, then it’s not even something you will probably ever notice.
Sennheiser Momentum 4 Wireless
This model marks Sennheiser finally getting ANC right, finally giving users headphones that can tune out environmental sounds capably while enjoying the outfit’s much-loved sound signature, complete with a transparency mode that you can activate with a tap to let you hear outside sounds and engage in conversations. It’s equipped with large 42mm drivers that craft a wide, satisfying soundstage with clear details and a powerful bass, making for one of the best-sounding travel headphones you can bring to your trip, along with various sound modes, presets, and a Sound Personalization feature that can tailor the audio to your particular hearing profile.
Battery life is topnotch on these headphones, as it can run for a whopping 60 hours between charges, complete with a fast charge feature that give it six hours of juice in just 10 minutes. Suffice to say, you’re not going to need to plug this in even with multiple layovers. The ear cups fold in to maintain a flatter profile when storing it in the included carrying case, although it is still pretty big, but if you want that Sennheiser sound, it’s definitely worth the extra size.
Bose Noise Cancelling Headphones 700
We love the sleek looks of these travel headphones, which is quite the change of pace from the outfit’s previous travel headphone offerings. They’re also really comfortable to wear during long flights. More importantly, it has impressive ANC, complete with 11 noise cancellation levels, allowing you to really dial in the most comfortable setting for whatever environment you’re in at any time. It has a balanced sound that stays squarely neutral most times, so while it doesn’t have a distinct sound character, it delivers a level of clarity, soundstage, and just a hint of extra bass that most listeners can appreciate. It has 10 microphones total, six used for noise cancellation and the other four employed for voice pickup, with the latter doing a really good job of ensuring you sound clear and crisp during voice calls.
Battery life is only 20 hours, which is pretty low for the category. Then again, 20 hours is enough to get you through every imaginable flight, so there’s enough mileage there to make it more than viable for use during trips. We also appreciate the semi-stiff carrying case, which should keep you from worrying when squeezing it inside tightly-packed luggage.
Sony WH-1000XM5
Sony has the arguably best ANC in the category nowadays, capably tuning out external noises more exhaustively than other models. These headphones take that ANC to the next level by using eight microphones to pick up ambient sounds, which it passes to two dedicated processors to cancel them, essentially doubling the ANC hardware from its predecessor. We love the sound profile of the new drivers, too, which are surprisingly smaller than the last generation, albeit without giving up anything in sound quality. It’s quite heavy on the usability features, making the experience of using it very seamless, with the device automatically adjusting ANC levels, pausing when removed, resuming when worn, pausing and turning off ANC when it hears you talking, and resuming both once you’ve stopped.
The battery is good for around 30 hours with ANC running, so it’s got enough charge to last the longest trips, with fast-charging support that lets you get three hours’ worth of juice in just three minutes of plugging in to an outlet. The biggest knock here is the lack of a folding headband, which was present in previous iterations. The earcups do fold in, so it still gets a reasonably flat profile once you stash it in the included carrying case.
Bang & Olufsen Beoplay H95
Is it overpriced? Probably. For well-heeled travelers who want the finest headphones they can use for trips, this is an excellent way to go. For one, look at that design, with its aluminum frame, luxurious lambskin leather, and premium fabrics. It even collapses pretty well, with the ear cups folding in and the arms folding up, allowing it to take up minimal space in your carry-on.
On the sound front, it produces a crisp and well-balanced sound with impeccable clarity and an expansive soundstage, delivering the kind of precision and sound separation more common in audiophile headphones rather than travel-friendly cans. Suffice to say, this probably sounds better than any cans you’ve worn for traveling before. The companion app also has the best and most intuitive equalizer interface we’ve seen, making it incredibly easy to fine-tune the sound exactly to your liking. It has excellent ANC that capably tunes out ambient noise of all sorts, with a handy dial allowing you to easily cycle through the various noise cancellation presets. No, it’s not as good as Sony’s ANC, but nothing really is. Battery life should last you a little under 40 hours with ANC running.