The 7 Best Travel Headphones - Fall 2021 Reviews

The best travel headphones that we've tested are the Sony WH-1000XM4 Wireless. These comfortable, well-built over-ears have an ANC feature that does an outstanding job blocking background noises like bus and plane engines. Thanks to their over 37-hour continuous battery life, they're well-suited for the longest international flights.

They have a bass-heavy default sound profile that adds an extra thump and rumble to your favorite tracks. If you prefer a different sound, there's a graphic EQ and presets available in the Sony | Headphones Connect app to help you customize your listening experience. Unlike the Sony WH-1000XM3 Wireless, they allow for multi-device pairing, making it easy to switch your audio source from your laptop to your phone when you're on the go.

Unfortunately, like most over-ears, they have a slightly bulky design that isn't very portable. Fortunately, they fold down into a more compact format, and they come with a carrying case to help protect them from falls and scrapes. Overall, they have a decently versatile performance that should please many different listeners, making them among the best headphones for airplane, bus, and car trips.

The best commuter headphones we've tested with an in-ear design are the Apple AirPods Pro. These truly wireless earbuds are lightweight and don't fit too deeply in your ears, so they should be comfortable to wear for longer periods. They have an ANC feature that does a great job of blocking out sounds like the low rumble of bus and plane engines.

Their sound profile is neutral and well-balanced, making it suitable for a wide variety of content and genres, although they may not deliver enough thump and rumble for fans of bass-heavy genres like EDM or hip-hop. They hardly leak any audio, so you can turn up the volume on the bus without worrying about bothering people around you. While their continuous battery life of roughly five hours is on the short side, they come with a sturdy case that holds about five additional charges.

Unfortunately, their battery only provides roughly five hours of continuous playback, which is on the short side. However, they come with a sturdy case that holds around five extra charges, and they only take about an hour to recharge fully. Overall, if you're looking for a pair of truly wireless in-ears to use for travel, these are a great option.

The Razer Opus Wireless are the best travel headphones under $200 that we've tested. These over-ears have an ANC system that can block out a fantastic amount of ambient noise like the rumble of plane engines. They also have a great build quality and come with a hard carrying case to help protect them when you're on the go.

These very comfortable headphones have a neutral and very well-balanced sound profile out of the box. That said, if you're looking for a different sound, their companion app has a graphic EQ plus presets to help you adjust them to suit your preferences. They have over 32 hours of continuous playback time, which should last through long days on the road, and you can use them passively with their included audio cable if you run out of battery life. 

Unfortunately, Razer has released an updated version of these headphones with different features than the original model, like Bluetooth 5.0 support. We tested the original variant, which you can still find through some retailers, but we don't know how the updated one performs. Luckily, if you want to know which variant you're looking at, Razer has put out instructions under the 'FAQs' tab.

The TOZO NC9 Truly Wireless are the best budget travel headphones that we've tested. While their price fluctuates, they offer a good performance suitable for commuting or traveling. Their ANC system also does a great overall job of blocking out bus and plane engine noise.

These in-ears have a lightweight, breathable, and decently comfortable fit. They're also well-built and are certified IPX6 for water resistance. Their excited, v-shaped sound profile is well-suited for genres like rock and pop as they deliver extra thump, rumble, and boom while vocals and lead instruments are bright. Thanks to their in-ear design, they don't leak very much audio at high volumes either.

Unfortunately, they lack a companion app, so you can't adjust their sound to your liking. Their continuous battery life of roughly 4.2 hours is short. Luckily, their carrying case supplies about three additional charges if you need it, and you can use one bud while the other one charges, which is nice.