The 6 Best Travel Headphones - Winter 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 out 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.

The best commuter headphones we've tested for those who prefer in-ears are the Apple AirPods Pro. They have a surprisingly powerful active noise cancelling feature for such tiny truly wireless earbuds, making them a portable option if you're looking to reduce noise on-the-go. They're comfortable, well-built, and fit securely enough not to fly out of your ears if you have to sprint to catch the bus.

These in-ears have a very well-balanced, neutral sound signature that lends itself well to music of a very wide range of genres. Some might find them a bit light on bass, but this can vary from person-to-person. They cancel an exceptional amount of noise, especially for wireless earbuds, and don't leak much sound. This means you can raise your listening volume a bit to help block out more noise without having to worry too much about bothering those around you, which is nice when you're stuck in a crowded subway car.

Unfortunately, their battery only lasts for around five hours of continuous playback. This shouldn't be too much of an issue if you make sure to keep them in their wireless charging case when they're not in use but can be a bummer if you want to watch your favorite movies back-to-back on the plane. That said, it's a small price to pay for the freedom that truly wireless earbuds provide, especially while traveling.

The best travel headphones under $200 that we've tested are the Razer Opus. These ANC Bluetooth over-ears prove that you don't need to spend a fortune to get an impressive ANC feature packaged in a well-built and premium design. They look very similar to the Sony WH-1000XM3 Wireless and are just as comfortable. Their 33-hour battery life lasts longer than all of the other recommendations on this list, and they have easy-to-use physical buttons, come with a great hard carrying case, and look and feel very durable and well-built.

Their default sound profile is very well-balanced and accurate, making them versatile enough for most genres and content. While fans of genres like EDM or hip-hop may find they lack a bit of bass, their sound profile can easily be adjusted via a graphic EQ and presets within their dedicated companion app. Their ANC performance is remarkable, and they block low-bass sounds like bus or plane engines even better than the much more expensive Bose QuietComfort 35 II/QC35 II Wireless 2018.

Unfortunately, if you take a lot of phone calls while on-the-go, these may not be the best choice as their microphone performance is only mediocre overall. They also lack some additional features, like the ability to pair to two devices at once, making it more difficult to quickly switch between your phone and laptop. That said, they provide an outstanding price-to-performance ratio and are a great travel companion if you don't want to spend a ton on a pair of premium headphones.

The best budget travel headphones that we've tested are the TaoTronics SoundLiberty 94. These truly wireless in-ears are exceptionally easy to carry around and offer excellent noise isolation capability, thanks to an active noise cancellation (ANC) feature that blocks out low-pitched ambient audio, like the rumble of a bus engine, to a remarkable degree.

Despite their budget-friendly price, they feel quite sturdy and are rated IPX5 for water resistance, though we don't currently test for this. Their touch-sensitive control scheme is fairly comprehensive and decently easy-to-use, even when you're on the move, and the buds themselves do a good job of staying in your ears. Their latency on mobile iOS and Android devices is also quite low, which is good if you like to watch movies or videos on your way into the office.

Unfortunately, their continuous battery life of under four hours might not be sufficient for long trips, though their case does supply enough charge for roughly 15 hours of total playback time. They also lack any sort of customization features to adjust their boomy, muddy default sound profile, which some users may find overwhelming. Still, their amazing noise cancellation performance and relatively affordable price also help make them some of the best budget noise cancelling headphones that we've tested.