9 best noise-cancelling headphones 2025 — tested by Mashable reviewers

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How we tested

Every single pair of headphones we included in this guide was hands-on tested by a Mashable reporter or editor. You can learn about our in-depth process by taking a look at our standardized testing methodology we developed for headphones and earbuds.

For a condensed version of what exactly makes good noise-cancelling headphones, 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. A good fit can also factor in improved noise cancelling in headphones, so we made sure to pay extra close attention to how these headphones wore.

  • 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.

  • 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. We also looked at where headphones justified higher price points, whether it be in more premium features like well-thought out companion apps or especially long battery life.

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 April 2025, we’re considering whether the Panasonic Technics AZ100 earbuds and Sony WF-C710N earbuds have a place on this guide.

Our testing in February 2025 saw the addition of the EarFun Air Pro 4 earbuds as our favorite earbuds pick under $100. We decided that they deserved to knock the Beats Studio Buds+ off the list (after the Apple-owned earbuds beat out the newer AirPods 4), due to the Air Pro’s superior noise cancellation, battery life, and value. We also added the Sennheiser Momentum 4 headphones as an alternate pick for the best battery life headphones in March 2025.

After removing the Bowers & Wilkins PX7 headphones from this guide, we tested their replacement, the Bowers & Wilkins Px7 S2e headphones. 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 Sept. 2024, we tried out the JBL Live Beam 3 earbuds, 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.

In 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.

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.

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.