The 7 Best Travel Headphones - Summer 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 Apple AirPods Pro are the best commuter headphones that we've tested with an in-ear design. These very small truly wireless earbuds have an active noise cancelling feature that effectively blocks out noises like rumbling bus and plane engines. They're also well-built and have a comfortable, stable fit.

They have a well-balanced sound profile that's suitable for a wide variety of content and genres, although fans of bass-heavy music like EDM and hip-hop may find they lack some thump and rumble. Their ANC also isolates you from distractions like ambient conversations, and they barely leak any audio, so you can turn up your music on the subway without worrying too much about bothering people nearby.

Unfortunately, their battery only lasts for roughly five hours of continuous playback time, which may not be enough to get you through a long trip without recharging. However, the earbuds recharge in a little over an hour, and their case stores roughly five extra charges. Overall, if you're looking for a pair of truly wireless earbuds to take with you on your next trip, these are a great option.

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 TaoTronics SoundLiberty 94 are the best budget travel headphones that we've tested. While their price tends to fluctuate a bit, these budget-friendly headphones are also one of the best budget noise cancelling headphones that we've tested, thanks to their amazing ANC. It can block out the rumble of bus and plane engines as well as cut down ambient chatter so you can focus on other things while traveling.

They have a stable fit, are well-built, and are rated IPX5 for water resistance, although we don't currently test this. They also have a good, touch-sensitive control scheme that's easy to use when you're on the go. Their Bluetooth latency on iOS and Android is pretty low, so you can stream videos from your phone while you're traveling. Although their bass-heavy and dark sound profile might not be for everyone, it's well-suited for genres like EDM or hip-hop.

Unfortunately, they lack any sound enhancement features to help tweak their sound to your liking. They also have a short continuous battery life of under four hours, which may not be enough to get you through a long flight or bus ride. Luckily, their carrying case provides around three extra charges and they have an auto-off timer to help conserve battery life when not in use.