Active noise canceling headphones are geared towards listeners who wish to have a well-isolated listening experience and block the ambient noise of loud environments. These headphones actively cancel out the noise around you so that you can listen to your favorite albums or audiobooks at a lower volume, or just enjoy the silence.

So far, we've tested 284 headphones and below are our recommendations for the best noise cancelling headphones you can buy in 2018. See also our recommendations for the best noise cancelling earbuds, the best budget noise cancelling headphones and the best noise cancelling headphones under $100.

1. Best Noise Cancelling Headphones: Bose QuietComfort 35 II

   

   Bose QuietComfort 35 II

   SEE PRICE

   Amazon.com
   Usage Ratings - Version 1.2

   Test Benches:

   • 1.2: Winter 2018
   • 1.1: Summer 2017
   • 1.0: Winter 2017
   • 0.9: Winter 2016

   See changelog and how ratings work

   7.4

   Mixed Usage

   What it is: This is the combination of the different use cases to evaluate how versatile the headphones are. Therefore an everyday headphone should be well-rounded enough to adapt to most situations and environments without significant losses in sound quality, design ergonomics or isolation.

   Score components:

   • 25% Critical Listening
   • 25% Office
   • 25% Commute/Travel
   • 10% Sports/Fitness
   • 9% Gaming
   • 6% TV

   Score distribution:

   7.9

   Critical Listening

   What it is: The level of audio fidelity a headphone can reproduce. Therefore a balanced and true representation of bass, mids, treble, soundstage and imaging, as well as a comfortable listening experience, is essential for critical listening.

   Score components:

   • 80% Sound
   • 10% Build Quality
   • 7% Comfort
   • 3% Breathability

   Score distribution:

   See our best recommendations

   7.7

   Commute/Travel

   What it is: How well the headphones handle the loud environments involved in commuting or traveling. Therefore your listening experience should be comfortable, hassle-free and as isolated from noise as possible.

   Score components:

   • 24% Noise Isolation
   • 14% Sound
   • 11% Portability
   • 10% Comfort
   • 9% Build Quality
   • 9% Battery
   • 6% Wireless Range
   • 4% Controls
   • 4% Breathability
   • 4% Leakage
   • 3% Microphone
   • 1% Multi-Device Pairing
   • 1% NFC

   Score distribution:

   See our best recommendations

   7.1

   Sports/Fitness

   What it is: How well-adapted the headphones are, to use while doing sports or strenuous exercise. Therefore the headphones should not be too cumbersome and deliver a stable and comfortable listening experience.

   Score components:

   • 24% Stability
   • 23% Portability
   • 11% Sound
   • 10% Breathability
   • 8% Comfort
   • 6% Wireless Range
   • 5% Controls
   • 5% Battery
   • 4% Noise Isolation
   • 4% Leakage

   Score distribution:

   See our best recommendations

   7.8

   Office

   What it is: How well the headphones can deliver a comfortable and isolated listening experience in an office-like environment. They should not leak much and should block the noise of a busy office.

   Score components:

   • 24% Comfort
   • 21% Sound
   • 16% Noise Isolation
   • 8% Leakage
   • 7% Battery
   • 7% Wireless Range
   • 5% Breathability
   • 4% Build Quality
   • 4% Microphone
   • 2% Controls
   • <1% Multi-Device Pairing
   • <1% USB
   • <1% PC Compatible
   • <1% Latency
   • <1% Analog
   • <1% Line In
   • <1% USB Input
   • <1% PC Compatible
   • <1% Power Supply
   • <1% Dock Charging

   Score distribution:

   See our best recommendations

   6.0

   TV

   Score components:

   • 22% Sound
   • 17% Comfort
   • 15% Default Latency
   • 10% Wireless Range
   • 5% Breathability
   • 5% Build Quality
   • 4% Optical Input
   • 3% Battery
   • 3% Analog
   • 3% Leakage
   • 2% Noise Isolation
   • 2% RCA Input
   • 2% Multi-Device Pairing
   • 2% Line In
   • 2% Line Out
   • 2% Power Supply
   • 1% Dock Charging

   Score distribution:

   See our best recommendations

   5.6

   Gaming

   Score components:

   • 20% Sound
   • 20% Default Latency
   • 15% Comfort
   • 12% Microphone
   • 5% Breathability
   • 5% Battery
   • 5% Base/Dock
   • 3% Build Quality
   • 3% Wireless Range
   • 3% Microphone Control
   • 2% Channel Mixing
   • 2% Wired
   • 2% Volume Control
   • 2% App Support
   • 1% Bluetooth

   Score distribution:

   See our best recommendations
   Type : Over-ear
   Enclosure : Closed-Back
   Wireless : Yes
   Noise-Cancelling : Yes
   Mic : Yes
   Transducer : Dynamic

   The Bose QuietComfort 35 II are the best noise cancelling headphones we’ve reviewed so far. They are fairly similar to the first Bose QuietComfort 35 model, but with control upgrades, a slightly more neutral sound and a better isolation performance that you can set to high or low depending on your environment and use case.

   The QC 35 II are one of the most comfortable headphones we’ve tested so far and they perform well in practically every category. They have a well-built and lightweight design, and a fairly neutral sound profile that still packs quite a bit of bass. This makes them a good wireless option for critical listeners with long listening sessions and their amazing noise canceling feature makes them an excellent choice for commuting and office work.

   Unfortunately, they are a bit leaky at higher volumes, so be careful not to blast your music since the people around you will hear what you're listening to. They also don’t have all the customization options of the Sony WH-1000XM3 so they won't be as versatile for different users. Nevertheless, the QC 35 II are one of the best active noise canceling headphones on the market and the combination of good sound and a comfortable, easy-to-use design should satisfy most people.

   See our review

2. Alternative with more Customization Options: Sony WH-1000XM3

   

   Sony WH-1000XM3

   SEE PRICE

   Amazon.com

   Type : Over-ear

   Enclosure : Closed-Back

   Wireless : Yes

   Noise-Cancelling : Yes

   Mic : Yes

   Transducer : Dynamic

   If you prefer a more feature-packed headset with better customization options than the Bose QuietComfort 35 II, then get the Sony WH-1000XM3 instead. They're a more comfortable update to the Sony WH-1000XM2, however, they're still not quite as comfortable as the Bose. They're also not as easy-to-use out-of-the-box and have a more bass heavy default sound.

   On the upside, they look and feel more premium than the Bose QC 35 II. They also have a longer battery life and come with an excellent EQ so you can tweak the sound profile of the XM3 to your liking, unlike the QC35s. They also provide an auto-calibrating noise canceling feature that outperforms that of the Bose in most conditions. Overall the QC 35 II are the easier-to-use and more comfortable option but if you want more control over your settings and like to tweak your headphones, then the WH-1000XM3 are the better choice. If you don’t like the bulkier over-ear design, we suggest looking at the more portable, but less isolating Marshall MID ANC on-ears.

   See our review

3. Best Mid-Range Noise Cancelling Headphones: Plantronics BackBeat Pro 2

   

   Plantronics BackBeat Pro 2

   SEE PRICE

   Amazon.com
   Usage Ratings - Version 1.2

   Test Benches:

   • 1.2: Winter 2018
   • 1.1: Summer 2017
   • 1.0: Winter 2017
   • 0.9: Winter 2016

   See changelog and how ratings work

   7.3

   Mixed Usage

   What it is: This is the combination of the different use cases to evaluate how versatile the headphones are. Therefore an everyday headphone should be well-rounded enough to adapt to most situations and environments without significant losses in sound quality, design ergonomics or isolation.

   Score components:

   • 25% Critical Listening
   • 25% Office
   • 25% Commute/Travel
   • 10% Sports/Fitness
   • 9% Gaming
   • 6% TV

   Score distribution:

   7.7

   Critical Listening

   What it is: The level of audio fidelity a headphone can reproduce. Therefore a balanced and true representation of bass, mids, treble, soundstage and imaging, as well as a comfortable listening experience, is essential for critical listening.

   Score components:

   • 80% Sound
   • 10% Build Quality
   • 7% Comfort
   • 3% Breathability

   Score distribution:

   See our best recommendations

   7.4

   Commute/Travel

   What it is: How well the headphones handle the loud environments involved in commuting or traveling. Therefore your listening experience should be comfortable, hassle-free and as isolated from noise as possible.

   Score components:

   • 24% Noise Isolation
   • 14% Sound
   • 11% Portability
   • 10% Comfort
   • 9% Build Quality
   • 9% Battery
   • 6% Wireless Range
   • 4% Controls
   • 4% Breathability
   • 4% Leakage
   • 3% Microphone
   • 1% Multi-Device Pairing
   • 1% NFC

   Score distribution:

   See our best recommendations

   7.1

   Sports/Fitness

   What it is: How well-adapted the headphones are, to use while doing sports or strenuous exercise. Therefore the headphones should not be too cumbersome and deliver a stable and comfortable listening experience.

   Score components:

   • 24% Stability
   • 23% Portability
   • 11% Sound
   • 10% Breathability
   • 8% Comfort
   • 6% Wireless Range
   • 5% Controls
   • 5% Battery
   • 4% Noise Isolation
   • 4% Leakage

   Score distribution:

   See our best recommendations

   7.5

   Office

   What it is: How well the headphones can deliver a comfortable and isolated listening experience in an office-like environment. They should not leak much and should block the noise of a busy office.

   Score components:

   • 24% Comfort
   • 21% Sound
   • 16% Noise Isolation
   • 8% Leakage
   • 7% Battery
   • 7% Wireless Range
   • 5% Breathability
   • 4% Build Quality
   • 4% Microphone
   • 2% Controls
   • <1% Multi-Device Pairing
   • <1% USB
   • <1% PC Compatible
   • <1% Latency
   • <1% Analog
   • <1% Line In
   • <1% USB Input
   • <1% PC Compatible
   • <1% Power Supply
   • <1% Dock Charging

   Score distribution:

   See our best recommendations

   6.2

   TV

   Score components:

   • 22% Sound
   • 17% Comfort
   • 15% Default Latency
   • 10% Wireless Range
   • 5% Breathability
   • 5% Build Quality
   • 4% Optical Input
   • 3% Battery
   • 3% Analog
   • 3% Leakage
   • 2% Noise Isolation
   • 2% RCA Input
   • 2% Multi-Device Pairing
   • 2% Line In
   • 2% Line Out
   • 2% Power Supply
   • 1% Dock Charging

   Score distribution:

   See our best recommendations

   5.9

   Gaming

   Score components:

   • 20% Sound
   • 20% Default Latency
   • 15% Comfort
   • 12% Microphone
   • 5% Breathability
   • 5% Battery
   • 5% Base/Dock
   • 3% Build Quality
   • 3% Wireless Range
   • 3% Microphone Control
   • 2% Channel Mixing
   • 2% Wired
   • 2% Volume Control
   • 2% App Support
   • 1% Bluetooth

   Score distribution:

   See our best recommendations
   Type : Over-ear
   Enclosure : Closed-Back
   Wireless : Yes
   Noise-Cancelling : Yes
   Mic : Yes
   Transducer : Dynamic

   If you want over-ear noise canceling headphones like the Bose QuietComfort 35 II or the Sony WH-1000XM2 but find them a bit too expensive, then get the Plantronics BackBeat Pro 2. They do not block noise as well as the first two recommendations or even their alternative, the Sennheiser HD 4.50.

   On the other hand, they have a good, bass-rich audio reproduction that sounds exciting on most tracks without being muddy or boomy. They have an excellent wireless range, easy to use and tactile controls and an amazing battery life that will last a really long time since they also have an auto-off feature to save power in case you forget to turn them off.  They even support aptX LL (low-latency) so you can use them to watch TV or for gaming, provided you have the right Bluetooth transmitter.

   They won't be as customizable as the Sennheisers or the JBL Everest Elite 700, but overall, they provide a good overall performance for their price range and are a great value for anyone looking to buy a noise canceling headphone under $200.

   See our review

4. Alternative with better isolation: Sennheiser HD 4.50

   

   Sennheiser HD 4.50

   SEE PRICE

   Amazon.com

   Type : Over-ear

   Enclosure : Closed-Back

   Wireless : Yes

   Noise-Cancelling : Yes

   Mic : Yes

   Transducer : Dynamic

   If you have a really noisy commute, then the noise canceling performance of the Plantronics BackBeat Pro 2 may not cut it. In this case, get the Sennheiser HD 4.50 instead. Their build quality feels a bit flimsier than the BackBeat Pro 2. They're not as easy-to-use, do not come with as many codec options, and have less range and shorter battery life. They're also less comfortable than the Plantronics or the Bose QC 35 II, since they're tighter on the head.

   On the upside, this makes them a bit more stable than the other over-ears on this list for physical activities. They also have more customization options including an EQ, so you can change their sound profile to match your taste and preferences. They also isolate better in noisy conditions so they will be a bit more suitable for commute and travel.

   See our review

5. More portable alternative: Jabra Elite 65e

   

   Jabra Elite 65e

   SEE PRICE

   Amazon.com

   Type : Earbuds

   Enclosure : Closed-Back

   Wireless : Yes

   Noise-Cancelling : Yes

   Mic : Yes

   Transducer : Dynamic

   If you want a good, mid-range noise-canceling headset but find over-ears like the Plantronics BackBeat Pro 2 or the Sennheiser HD 4.50 a bit too bulky, then get the Jabra Elite 65e. They won't block noise as well as the Sennheisers and their sound quality, though decent on human ears, was a bit difficult to match on our testing equipment, which means they may sound a bit inconsistent if you do not get the right fit for your ears.

   On the upside, they have a comfortable around-the-neck earbud design, a bit reminiscent of the Bose QuietControl 30. They have above-average noise cancellation for noisy environments, low leakage and a surprisingly good microphone for making calls. This makes them a suitable option for the office and commuting, but they're also versatile enough for most use cases thanks to their sturdy and flexible neckband build quality, great controls and portable design. 

   See our review

6. Best Budget Noise Cancelling Headphones: Mpow H5

   

   Mpow H5

   SEE PRICE

   Amazon.com
   Usage Ratings - Version 1.2

   Test Benches:

   • 1.2: Winter 2018
   • 1.1: Summer 2017
   • 1.0: Winter 2017
   • 0.9: Winter 2016

   See changelog and how ratings work

   6.7

   Mixed Usage

   What it is: This is the combination of the different use cases to evaluate how versatile the headphones are. Therefore an everyday headphone should be well-rounded enough to adapt to most situations and environments without significant losses in sound quality, design ergonomics or isolation.

   Score components:

   • 25% Critical Listening
   • 25% Office
   • 25% Commute/Travel
   • 10% Sports/Fitness
   • 9% Gaming
   • 6% TV

   Score distribution:

   7.3

   Critical Listening

   What it is: The level of audio fidelity a headphone can reproduce. Therefore a balanced and true representation of bass, mids, treble, soundstage and imaging, as well as a comfortable listening experience, is essential for critical listening.

   Score components:

   • 80% Sound
   • 10% Build Quality
   • 7% Comfort
   • 3% Breathability

   Score distribution:

   See our best recommendations

   6.5

   Commute/Travel

   What it is: How well the headphones handle the loud environments involved in commuting or traveling. Therefore your listening experience should be comfortable, hassle-free and as isolated from noise as possible.

   Score components:

   • 24% Noise Isolation
   • 14% Sound
   • 11% Portability
   • 10% Comfort
   • 9% Build Quality
   • 9% Battery
   • 6% Wireless Range
   • 4% Controls
   • 4% Breathability
   • 4% Leakage
   • 3% Microphone
   • 1% Multi-Device Pairing
   • 1% NFC

   Score distribution:

   See our best recommendations

   6.8

   Sports/Fitness

   What it is: How well-adapted the headphones are, to use while doing sports or strenuous exercise. Therefore the headphones should not be too cumbersome and deliver a stable and comfortable listening experience.

   Score components:

   • 24% Stability
   • 23% Portability
   • 11% Sound
   • 10% Breathability
   • 8% Comfort
   • 6% Wireless Range
   • 5% Controls
   • 5% Battery
   • 4% Noise Isolation
   • 4% Leakage

   Score distribution:

   See our best recommendations

   6.7

   Office

   What it is: How well the headphones can deliver a comfortable and isolated listening experience in an office-like environment. They should not leak much and should block the noise of a busy office.

   Score components:

   • 24% Comfort
   • 21% Sound
   • 16% Noise Isolation
   • 8% Leakage
   • 7% Battery
   • 7% Wireless Range
   • 5% Breathability
   • 4% Build Quality
   • 4% Microphone
   • 2% Controls
   • <1% Multi-Device Pairing
   • <1% USB
   • <1% PC Compatible
   • <1% Latency
   • <1% Analog
   • <1% Line In
   • <1% USB Input
   • <1% PC Compatible
   • <1% Power Supply
   • <1% Dock Charging

   Score distribution:

   See our best recommendations

   6.0

   TV

   Score components:

   • 22% Sound
   • 17% Comfort
   • 15% Default Latency
   • 10% Wireless Range
   • 5% Breathability
   • 5% Build Quality
   • 4% Optical Input
   • 3% Battery
   • 3% Analog
   • 3% Leakage
   • 2% Noise Isolation
   • 2% RCA Input
   • 2% Multi-Device Pairing
   • 2% Line In
   • 2% Line Out
   • 2% Power Supply
   • 1% Dock Charging

   Score distribution:

   See our best recommendations

   5.8

   Gaming

   Score components:

   • 20% Sound
   • 20% Default Latency
   • 15% Comfort
   • 12% Microphone
   • 5% Breathability
   • 5% Battery
   • 5% Base/Dock
   • 3% Build Quality
   • 3% Wireless Range
   • 3% Microphone Control
   • 2% Channel Mixing
   • 2% Wired
   • 2% Volume Control
   • 2% App Support
   • 1% Bluetooth

   Score distribution:

   See our best recommendations
   Type : Over-ear
   Enclosure : Closed-Back
   Wireless : Yes
   Noise-Cancelling : Yes
   Mic : Yes
   Transducer : Dynamic

   If the Plantronics BackBeat Pro 2 are out of your budget, get the Mpow H5. They don’t have the same great sound quality and feel more cheaply made than the Plantronics, but their performance is quite surprising for their budget price and they have a good 12-hour battery life that should last you a whole day without any problem.

   They're fairly well-padded and should be comfortable for most, but they are a bit tight on the head for some. They also come with a great hard case to protect the headphones from scratches and impacts when they're in your bag, which is surprising for a product in this price range.

   Unfortunately, they don’t isolate much noise even if they are noise canceling headphones, which is a bit disappointing. Also, although they sound pretty good, they do have quite a bit of high-bass which makes them slightly boomy and muddy overall. If you’re looking for more noise isolation in the budget range, get the Cowin E7 Pro (however, they are more expensive and can't be connected to 2 devices simultaneously like the H5). The H5 also have a decently premium look and feel, especially when compared to the Mpow 059 at around the same price range.

   See our review

7. More Portable Alternative: Jaybird Freedom

   

   Jaybird Freedom

   SEE PRICE

   Amazon.com

   Type : In-ear

   Enclosure : Closed-Back

   Wireless : Yes

   Noise-Cancelling : No

   Mic : Yes

   Transducer : Balanced Armature

   If good, passive isolation is enough for most of your use cases and commutes and you want something a bit more portable than the Mpow H5, then get the Jaybird Freedom. Since they're not noise-canceling, they won't be as good as the high-end over-ears for canceling low-frequency noise like the rumbling sounds of an engine. They're also in-ears which won't be as comfortable as the over-ears for everyone.

   However, they passively isolate as well as some of the noise canceling headphones on this list. They're also more compact so you can have them on you at all times and they have a decent and customizable sound. They're a great budget option for sports but thanks to their good passive isolation, they're also a good recommendation if you just want to block out ambient noise. 

   See our review