{"id":2118106,"date":"2026-08-29T09:00:21","date_gmt":"2026-08-29T06:00:21","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/?p=2118106"},"modified":"2026-08-29T09:00:21","modified_gmt":"2026-08-29T06:00:21","slug":"the-8-noise-cancelling-headphones-i-recommend-for-traveling","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/?p=2118106","title":{"rendered":"The 8 noise-cancelling headphones I recommend for traveling"},"content":{"rendered":"

[analyse_image type=”featured” src=”https:\/\/helios-i.mashable.com\/imagery\/roundups\/052irzrdXMO4g4akcXKsOPv\/hero-image.fill.size_1200x675.v1787689310.jpg”]<\/p>\n

\n
\n
\n
\n
\n
\n
Home<\/a>><\/span>Tech<\/a>><\/span>Headphones<\/a><\/div>\n<\/section>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

I test headphones for a living: These are the ones I’d actually take with me on a plane<\/h1>\n
Improve your travel experience with these eight picks.<\/div>\n
\n
\n \u00a0By\u00a0<\/p>\n
Bethany Allard<\/a><\/p>\n
\n
\n
\n
\"Mashable<\/p>\n
\n
Bethany Allard<\/div>\n
Lead Shopping Reporter<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n
\n Bethany Allard is a Los Angeles-based shopping reporter at Mashable covering beauty tech, dating, sex and relationships, and headphones. That basically means she puts her hair through a lot, scrolls through a lot of dating apps, and rotates through a lot of different headphones. In addition to testing out and rounding up the best products, she also covers deals for Mashable, paying an especially obsessive amount of attention to Apple deals and prices. That knowledge comes in handy when she’s covering shopping holidays like Prime Day and Black Friday, which she’s now done for three years at Mashable.\n <\/div>\n

Read Full Bio<\/a><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

\u00a0on\u00a0

Share on Facebook<\/span><\/a>Share on Twitter<\/span><\/a>Share on Flipboard<\/span><\/a><\/div>\n<\/div>\n
\n
\n All products featured here are independently selected by our editors and writers. If you buy something through links on our site, Mashable may earn an affiliate commission.\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/header>\n<\/div>\n
\n
\"green<\/p>\n
One of our top picks, stress tested in a busy airport.<\/span>Credit: Bethany Allard \/ Mashable<\/span><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n
\n

The peace offered by a pair of noise-cancelling headphones<\/a> has the power to make or break a day of airline travel<\/a>. Don’t feel like hearing every detail of the vacation from the passenger behind you? No problem. ANC headphones exist. Need to dissociate from your middle seat existence on a cross-country flight? Fire up a movie or your favorite playlist, and with the right pair of headphones<\/a>, you’re in your own little zone of blissfully quiet entertainment. <\/p>\n<\/article>\n

\n
\n

Overview<\/h2>\n
\n
\n
\n
\"bose<\/a><\/div>\n
\n
\n
Best overall<\/div>\n


\n Bose QuietComfort Ultra (2nd Gen)
\n<\/a><\/h3>\n<\/div>\n
Jump to Details <\/span><\/div>\n<\/div>\n
\n

\n $299.00
\n Amazon
\n<\/a><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n
\n
\n
\"silver<\/a><\/div>\n
\n
\n
Best sound quality<\/div>\n


\n Sony WH-1000XM6
\n<\/a><\/h3>\n<\/div>\n
Jump to Details <\/span><\/div>\n<\/div>\n
\n

\n $398.00
\n Amazon
\n<\/a><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n
\n
\n
\"black<\/a><\/div>\n
\n
\n
Best earbuds for travel<\/div>\n


\n Bose QuietComfort Ultra Earbuds (2nd Gen)
\n<\/a><\/h3>\n<\/div>\n
Jump to Details <\/span><\/div>\n<\/div>\n
\n

\n $299.00
\n Amazon
\n<\/a><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n
\n
\n
\"sage<\/a><\/div>\n
\n
\n
Budget pick<\/div>\n


\n JLab JBuds Lux ANC
\n<\/a><\/h3>\n<\/div>\n
Jump to Details <\/span><\/div>\n<\/div>\n
\n

\n $41.99
\n Amazon
\n<\/a><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n
\n
\n
\"sennheiser<\/a><\/div>\n
\n
\n
Best for battery life<\/div>\n


\n Sennheiser Momentum 4
\n<\/a><\/h3>\n<\/div>\n
Jump to Details <\/span><\/div>\n<\/div>\n
\n

\n $214.90
\n Amazon
\n<\/a><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n
\n
\n
\"green<\/a><\/div>\n
\n
\n
Best mid-range ANC headphones<\/div>\n


\n Bose QuietComfort headphones (2nd gen)
\n<\/a><\/h3>\n<\/div>\n
Jump to Details <\/span><\/div>\n<\/div>\n
\n

\n $359.00
\n Amazon
\n<\/a><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n
\n
\n
\"apple<\/a><\/div>\n
\n
\n
Best earbuds for Apple users<\/div>\n


\n Apple AirPods Pro 3
\n<\/a><\/h3>\n<\/div>\n
Jump to Details <\/span><\/div>\n<\/div>\n
\n

\n $199.99
\n Amazon
\n<\/a><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n
\n
\n
\"black<\/a><\/div>\n
\n
\n
Best under $100<\/div>\n


\n EarFun Air Pro 4
\n<\/a><\/h3>\n<\/div>\n
Jump to Details <\/span><\/div>\n<\/div>\n
\n

\n $53.16
\n Amazon
\n<\/a><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n
\n See 3 More <\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n
\n
\n
\"Mashable's<\/a><\/div>\n
\n
\n

These are the tech, tools, and products \u2014 from laptops to e-readers, from earbuds to robovacs, and more \u2014 that Mashable ranks best in class. <\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

<\/section>\n
\n

Table of Contents<\/h2>\n
\n

What are the best noise-cancelling headphones for flying?<\/h2>\n

Anyone who’s ever forgotten their pair of headphones on a travel day can attest to their utility, but not all noise-cancelling options are made the same. Plus, the pool to choose from is ever-expanding: plenty of headphones<\/a>, from over-ear headphones to wireless earbuds<\/a>, offer active noise cancellation. <\/p>\n

So which ANC headphones are worth bringing on a plane in 2026? Plenty of budget models to premium options can do the job, but for the purposes of this guide, I’ve gathered a list of the best headphones for flying by prioritizing the best combination of comfort, portability, noise-cancelling power, battery life, and value. As a baseline, all of our picks feature above average sound quality and a solid build (to withstand any banging around in a carry-on). <\/p>\n

SEE ALSO:<\/span>I\u2019ll never travel without my favorite sleep earbuds again<\/span><\/a><\/div>\n

The final picks for the best headphones to use at 35,000 feet aren’t just the most expensive options available. Case in point: The second-generation Bose QuietComfort headphones aren’t the most premium option on this list, but they did <\/em>just earn their spots as one of my favorites on a recent plane trip. Below, you can learn more about them and our other top seven headphones for flying. <\/p>\n<\/section>\n

\n
\n
Our Pick<\/div>\n
\n
\"bose<\/div>\n
\n
<\/p>\n

\n Bose QuietComfort Ultra (2nd Gen)
\n <\/h2>\n

<\/a><\/p>\n

Best overall<\/h3>\n<\/div>\n
\n
\n

\n $299.00
\n Amazon
\n<\/a><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n
\n
\n

The Good & The Bad<\/h3>\n<\/div>\n
\n