The best headphones come in all shapes and sizes, with an overwhelming number of brands, models and features to choose from. You could spend less than $50/£50 on a pair of budget true wireless earbuds or over $1,000/£1,000 on the best active noise cancelling over-ear headphones.
We review a wide range of headphones in terms of prices and features so you’ll find a varied selection here – everything from cheap earbuds to keep your kid’s cartoon from blasting to everyone in the vicinity to premium ANC cans for commuting in peace and quiet. We have the best over-ear headphones, best sony headphones, best Bose headphones and more.
Modern consumer headphones are almost all Bluetooth capable which makes them the best wireless headphones but some also offer the ability to use a wired connection, too.
Bear in mind that in general, spending more on audio really does mean getting better quality as well as features.
Best headphones 2023
1. Sony WH-1000XM5 – Best Overall
Pros
- Phenomenal audio quality
- Great noise cancellation
- Serious smarts
Price When Reviewed:
$399
It seems Sony can do no wrong with its flagship XM headphones, well almost. They’re more expensive than their predecessors and the design no longer folds down which will irk some users.
However, the price can largely be put down to inflation and if the non-folding design doesn’t bother you then these headphones are essentially flawless starting with the kinds of high-end sound and noise cancelling you’d expect from Sony, despite smaller drivers.
Elsewhere, the improved headband allows smooth adjustment and there’s an unrivalled selection of smart features from Adaptive Sound Control to Speak-to-Chat. It’s a small step forward but they remain the best over-ear headphones you can buy.
The caveat, as usual, is that considering this is refinement and not reinvention, you can buy previous generations, even the WH-1000XM4, for much lower prices providing a better value option.
Read our full
Sony WH-1000XM5 review
2. Sony WF-1000XM4 – Best True Wireless Earbuds
Pros
- Class leading ANC
- Incredible sound
- Smart features
Cons
- More expensive than some
- Bulky for small ears
Price When Reviewed:
$280
Sony has done it again with its latest pair of flagship earbuds with an unmatched combination of sound quality, top-notch noise cancelling and high-end smart features borrowed from the WH model.
They also have strong battery life so they are the best package on the market if you can afford them.
There’s very little to be disappointed with here, perhaps only that the earbuds themselves are still bigger than some rivals so aren’t well-suited to smaller ears.
Read our full
Sony WF-1000XM4 review
3. Cambridge Audio Melomania Touch – Best Battery Life
Pros
- Epic battery life
- Great sound
- Useful app
- Comfortable
Cons
- No ANC
- Slow to switch modes
- Slightly awkward case
Price When Reviewed:
$149.95
They don’t have noise cancelling, but the Melomania Touch are still a great pair of wireless earbuds.
As long as ANC isn’t a must-have feature, they offer excellent sound quality and a comfortable design with changeable fins.
The standout here is unrivalled battery life with the ability to go for a whopping total of 50 hours if you use them in low power mode. They can still last an awesome 44 hours in high performance mode.
Read our full
Cambridge Audio Melomania Touch review
4. NuraLoop – Best Custom Sound
Pros
- Superb personalised sound
- Excellent ANC
- Good value
Cons
- Proprietary eartips and adapter
- No digital assistant support
- Bulky case
Price When Reviewed:
$149
NuraLoop manages to condense the audio wizardry found in the company’s first product and deliver an in-ear alternative that’s hard to beat in terms of comfort, quality sound, top-notch noise cancellation and battery longevity.
Better yet, at this price, they undercut Apple’s AirPods Pro while delivering a better audio experience overall. Just be aware that they lack virtual assistant support and relies on some proprietary components that might cost a little extra to replace.
They are now cheaper due to the introduction of the
NuraTrue earbuds.
Read our full
NuraLoop review
5. Bose QuietComfort 45 – Best Comfort
Pros
- Light and comfortable
- Effective noise cancelling
- Solid battery life
Cons
- No ANC adjustment
- Lacking smart features
- Plasticky build
Price When Reviewed:
$329
It was a long wait for Bose to update the QC35 II and five years later the QuietComfort 45 still live up to the name.
With cloud-like cushions and a lightweight design, they are the best choice for long listening sessions – whether you’re simply at your desk or on a long haul flight.
Noise cancelling performance is top-notch as you’d expect from Bose and battery life is solid – with wired mode still an option.
Things are surprisingly simple though with just two ANC modes – Quiet and Aware – missing the 11 levels of adjustment found on the QC Earbuds. They also lack smart features such as ear detection.
Read our full
Bose QC45 review
6. Anker Soundcore Life A2 NC – Best Budget Wireless Earbuds
Pros
- Hybrid Active Noise Cancellation
- Powerful bass
- Great battery life
Cons
- No auto-pause
- Case feels a little cheap
- No auto-switching of ANC profiles
Price When Reviewed:
$79.99
If you’re not on a tight budget then you’ll struggle to find better wireless earbuds than these.
They might have a slightly cheap-feeling case and no auto-pausing tech (aka wear detection) but those downsides are massively overshadowed by great performance and a surprisingly comprehensive feature set.
As well as powerful bass, the A2 buds have excellent noise cancelling with three presets for different environments and the app offers EQ sound customisation. Throw in touch controls and solid battery life and there’s very little to dislike.
And you can easily find them at prices lower than the RRP.
Read our full
Anker Soundcore Life A2 NC review
7. H2O Audio Tri Pro Multi-Sport – Best Bone Conduction Headphones
Pros
- Decent audio in water
- Good battery life
- Can store a wide range of songs and podcasts
Cons
- Fiddly controls
- More instructions needed in app
- Slightly uncomfortable after long periods of wear
- Technical issues
Price When Reviewed:
$159
Bone conduction headphones (where nothing goes in or on your ear) have a compromise in audio quality compared to traditional styles, but this wizard-like tech has huge advantages.
Your ear canal being totally free of obstructions means you can clearly hear what’s going on around you. Perfect for urban running, never missing that platform change announcement and many other situations like office working where colleagues will regularly need to attract your attention. You can even swim in this pair.
The fit is really good, battery life is decent and they are more affordable than you might expect.
Read our full
H2O Audio Tri Pro Multi-Sport review
8. Marshall Monitor II ANC – Most Stylish Headphones
Pros
- Build quality
- Comfortable & compact
- Good battery life
Cons
- Middling ANC
- Joystick control won’t suit everyone
Price When Reviewed:
$319.99
If noise cancelling is your top priority then Marshall is a little behind rivals in this area, but the Monitor II ANC headphones have a lot to offer.
For starters, they have a more affordable price (RRP) and offer one of the most compact and comfortable designs for a pair of over-ear headphones. They also sound very good, too.
We also like the useful buttons, long battery life and the way the app allows you to customise various elements.
Read our full
Marshall Monitor II ANC review
9. Fairbuds XL – Best Sustainability
Pros
- Great sound
- Decent ANC
- Ultra-repairability
- Solid battery life
Cons
- ANC isn’t class-leading
- Some stitching issues
- Basic app
In terms of pure sound quality, the Fairbuds XL can’t quite duke it out with other premium headsets, but they still deliver perfectly enjoyable audio that will please most users.
The active noise cancelling is good, but also not class-leading. The battery life is great though and the Fairbuds XL offer an alternatively stylish design, particularly in the green colour shown.
The big, XL even, reason to buy these headphones over rivals is down to Fairphone’s ethical and sustainable ethos with recycled materials and the ability to fix pretty much anything that goes wrong down the line with official spare parts.
Read our full
Fairbuds XL ANC headphones review
10. Apple AirPods Max – Best Luxury Listening
Pros
- Incredible sound quality
- Premium build
- Great ANC
- Impressive smarts
Cons
- Limited Android support
- No power button
- Silly Smart Case
- No Lossless support
Price When Reviewed:
$549
They got off to a rocky start but after some firmware updates, the AirPods Max are an excellent choice for Apple users who can afford them.
The design and build are among the most luxurious we’ve ever seen (ignoring the ridiculous Smart Case) and they sound great too, even without Lossless playback support.
You also get active noise cancelling with an excellent transparency mode along with smart features like Hey Siri and Spatial Audio with head-tracking for a more immersive listening experience, whether that’s music or movies.
Read our full
Apple AirPods Max review
Your buying guide to the best headphones
Once you know how much you are willing to spend, the next decision to make is what type of headphones are right for you.
Overall, there are three types but there are also various sub-categories within each, often with a bit of crossover. Here’s what you need to know:
- In-ear – Small, lightweight and often inexpensive
- Over-ear – Comfortable and space to house larger drivers
- On-ear – A good balance of the above
Now take a look at the below options for more types:
- Earbuds – Another way of saying in-ear headphones
- Neckbuds – Earbuds connected together with a section designed to sit around the neck
- True wireless earbuds – Earbuds that are not connected to each other with a wire
Find out how we test audio.
Features to look out for
As mentioned earlier, most headphones we test are Bluetooth wireless headphones. It’s not just more convenient but many smartphones don’t come with a physical headphone jack so plug a cable in anymore.
Wireless will never reach the quality of a trusty wire, although some pairs may offer both options which can be a life saver when the battery runs out. Read our reviews to see how good they sound over the air and look out for the latest versions of Bluetooth as well as codecs like aptX and LDAC for better audio.
We have a chart just for the best wireless earbuds and best budget wireless earbuds if you want the convenience of in-ears.
The other modern feature to look out for is noise cancelling. Beware that many sets will try to promote this despite it being ‘passive’, which simply means the headphones are physically blocking sound like earplugs you’d wear in bed for sleeping.
What you really want is ‘active noise cancelling’ (ANC) which means the headphones are listening to the outside world with microphones, then getting rid of that sound. This is done by cleverly playing you an inverted version of the signal. We have a dedicated round-up for the best noise cancelling headphones.
Not all noise cancelling is equal though, so read our reviews to see how good it is. Some also have various levels of the feature as well as additional modes that let some outside sound in to keep you safe or so you hear important announcements. They go by various names like ‘aware’, ‘transparency’ or ‘social’.
Hi-Res is also sought after and means you’ll be listening to CD quality or better audio. Various music streaming services offer this but there are lots of hoops to jump through to make sure you’re getting the proper Hi-Red quality. These include your smartphone or other device, having a Hi-Res codec as well as a fast enough internet connection.
Some headphones have unique features with the very unusual Dyson Zone springing to mind. They can purify the air around you and feed it towards your mouth and nose with a futuristic visor. They’re expensive and have a number of drawbacks so don’t quite make it into this chart.
FAQ
Are headphones good for gaming?
In a word, yes. Headphones are a great choice for gaming because you get a more immersive experience and for certain games, such as first-person shooters, you will hear where an enemy is around you much more clearly.
Most modern pairs of headphones come with microphones so you can use these for chatting to teammates, too. Just be aware that using Bluetooth headphones can introduce delay (aka lag) so make sure you choose a pair with low latency – some even have gaming modes you can switch to in the accompanying app. Otherwise, wired is the way to go.
What are the best type of headphones for the gym?
Some of this will come down to personal choice but in-ear headphones, specifically true wireless earbuds, are better for the gym and other fitness activities in various ways.
For starters, your ears won’t get as hot and sweaty by being covered up by large ear pads which will also soak up unwanted moisture. Many true wireless earbuds come with an IP water resistant/proof rating so are designed to deal with the task.
Lots of models are specifically designed with the gym in mind so look for models that can do things like track your activity and even heart rate. If you’re worried about them falling out, some have over the ear hook designs to ensure they don’t come out.
What are the best headphones for iPhone?
It seems a bit obvious, but the simple answer to this is AirPods. Apple’s ecosystem is close-knit and the firm has made AirPods, in various models, with iPhone users in mind, as well as its other products.
There’s no need to worry about any compatibility issues and you’ll also benefit from features such as Find My if you lose an earbud, Spatial Audio and smart pairing.
Other brands aren’t out of the question, but they have to develop for multiple platforms so going with Apple offers you a guarantee when it comes to user experience.
What are the best headphones for flying?
Some of your decision making here will come down to personal choice but the essential thing to look for is a pair with active noise cancelling (ANC). This is what you need to help get rid of the sound of the engines, air conditioning and possibly even annoying passengers.
You can use wireless earbuds, but on- and over-ear headphones are better for flying in a number of ways. For starters, they normally have longer battery life so are unlikely to need charging mid-flight.
They’re also typically comfortable for longer periods of time and some offer the ability to use a wired connection making it a lot easier to plug into the in-flight entertainment system.