Sometimes, we all need a bit of peace. If you use your headphones daily for commuting or while at the office, you may want something that effectively blocks background noise. In the past, you needed large over-ears to get good active noise cancelling (ANC), but now even small and portable in-ears or earbuds have impressive noise cancelling features. You can also passively achieve great isolation with some in-ear headphones that don't feature ANC, as they physically block your ear canals. If you're not sure what differentiated passive isolation and ANC are, check out our article to discover what exactly ANC is.
We've tested over 350 earbuds and in-ears; below are our recommendations for the best in-ear noise cancelling headphones to buy. Check out our recommendations for the best in-ear headphones, the best wireless Bluetooth earbuds, or the best noise cancelling headphones.
Quick Look
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Best Noise Cancelling Earbuds
Noise Isolation - Full Range8.8Noise Isolation - Common Scenarios9.5Battery8.1See all our test resultsNoise Isolation9.1The Technics EAH-AZ100 are the best noise cancelling earbuds we've tested. They're the follow-up to the Technics EAH-AZ80 and have superb ANC that attenuates noise across the whole frequency spectrum, from the low rumbles of a train engine to the high-pitched whirring of a nearby fan. If you wear them while walking down a busy street, even sharp sounds like car horns will be greatly reduced in level. With ANC on, they last a whopping 12.2 hours, and their carrying case holds an extra 1.5 charges. This gives the Technics the longest battery life on a single charge we've tested for truly wireless earbuds with ANC enabled and continuous playback. They also have wide connectivity options, supporting up to three-device Bluetooth multi-point, and LDAC and LC3 codecs for high-fidelity listening.
These buds have a stable and comfortable design, although they have a deeper in-ear fit, which can be a bit uncomfortable for some people. They likely won't fall out of your ears due to this snug fit, and their IPX4 rating means they'll survive if you take them out for a jog in the rain. Their out-of-the-box sound resembles other popular targets like the SenseLab Aizu more than our in-house curve, with extended bass emphasis and a treble cut that lends the earbuds a warmer sound. That said, you can always tweak the earbuds with their graphic EQ.
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Best Upper Mid-Range Noise Cancelling Earbuds
Noise Isolation - Full Range8.8Noise Isolation - Common Scenarios8.2Battery7.7See all our test resultsNoise Isolation8.6Although not quite as good at blocking out noise as the Technics EAH-AZ100, the Sony WF-1000XM5 Truly Wireless still provide excellent ANC performance. While their price is currently neck-and-neck with the Technics, we're retaining the Sony as the upper mid-range pick until prices stabilize after the holiday season. The standout characteristic of the Sony is their foam ear tips, which provide excellent passive isolation, especially in the treble. In fact, even with ANC on, the Sony more handily isolate from some treble noise like crying babies. That said, their lower-end isolation falls short of that of the Technics, so you'll notice rumbly engines and airplane noise more.
The Sony headphones have a warm sound profile that represents everything from basslines to vocals naturally and with detail. Like the Technics, there's some extra bass that bleeds into the mids, but it's unlikely to be enough to muddle your mixes. That said, if you notice a bit of clutter, you can easily tweak the earbuds to suit your preferences using their companion app. With their ANC on, they last 8.75 hours on a single charge, and their carrying case supplies a further two charges. The battery isn't as long as our top pick, but you can often find the Sony discounted even further below the price of the Technics, making it a worthwhile trade-off for many.
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Best Mid-Range Noise Cancelling Earbuds
Noise Isolation - Full Range8.9Noise Isolation - Common Scenarios8.6Battery7.5See all our test resultsNoise Isolation8.9The Sennheiser MOMENTUM True Wireless 4 are the best earbuds with ANC in the mid-range we've tested. While they typically sell for more than their current price, we felt it was worth highlighting them during the holiday season. They have similar noise isolation performance to our previous pick, so they easily cut down sounds like plane engine rumbles and chatty coworkers. Their build quality is also on par with the Sony WF-1000XM5 Truly Wireless, making them an excellent option at a slightly lower price.
Their lightweight design ensures a comfortable fit for extended periods, but they have a chunky design relative to other picks on this list. The Sennheiser have a darker frequency response than that of the previous pick, with a further underemphasized treble that can leave sibilants and cymbals sounding dull. That said, instruments and vocals are still present and detailed, if a touch recessed, and some may appreciate this smoother sound. If you want to tweak their sound, you can fine-tune their signature using their companion app's graphic EQ and presets. If you have trouble finding an attractive deal on the Sennheiser, you might find the Technics EAH-AZ80 more compelling. While the ANC on the Japanese brand's earbuds isn't quite as effective, they offer multi-device pairing with up to three devices (compared to the Sennheiser's two), and they're cheaper.
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Best Budget Noise Cancelling Earbuds
Noise Isolation - Full Range8.9Noise Isolation - Common Scenarios8.7Battery7.7See all our test resultsNoise Isolation8.8The best earbuds we've tested with ANC in the budget category are the Anker Soundcore Space A40 Truly Wireless. Despite their more affordable price tag, they offer a slightly better overall noise isolation performance than the Sennheiser MOMENTUM True Wireless 4. Their adaptive ANC easily reduces bass-range noise like plane engine rumbles, making them a solid choice for travel. They also do an excellent job of eliminating mid- to high-pitched sounds, like background chatter or a humming computer fan. These versatile buds come with features like multi-device pairing and LDAC codec support for streaming Hi-Res content. That said, they don't support a low-latency codec like the Sennheiser headphones' aptX Adaptive.
They're well-built and have a warm default sound profile that you can customize via their companion app's graphic EQ and presets. They also last over eight hours continuously, which will get you through long days on the go, and their carrying case holds an extra four charges. Unfortunately, if you need to make calls, their integrated mic does a poor job of capturing speech clearly, so your voice sounds distant and sharp, which isn't very pleasant for the caller on the other end of the line.
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Best Noise Cancelling Earbuds For iPhone
Noise Isolation - Full Range9.7Noise Isolation - Common Scenarios10Battery7.5See all our test resultsNoise Isolation9.7If you're looking for premium buds with excellent compatibility with Apple devices, try the Apple AirPods Pro 3. These buds are priced similarly to the Sony WF-1000XM5 Truly Wireless, but their ANC system outperforms both the Sony and the Technics EAH-AZ100, doing a better job of blocking out real-world sounds, like office chatter and pedestrian noise. They're not our top pick because many of their features are only available to Apple users. These include Spatial Audio, a virtual surround sound feature designed to create a more immersive audio experience, and an H2 chip that enables seamless pairing with other Apple devices.
Thanks, in part, to their Adaptive EQ, the Pro 3 have a fairly versatile sound profile, with an especially flat mid-range that is well-suited for all kinds of audio and musical content. However, their sound customization features are only available to iOS users, unlike the Sony and Technics offerings, which also work with Android. With ANC on, their battery lasts about nine hours of continuous use, and their carrying case supplies an extra two charges. They have a comfortable fit, but some people dislike the suction effect produced by in-ear headphones. If that's you, consider the Apple AirPods 4 with Active Noise Cancellation. These have a looser, earbud-style fit but maintain ANC capabilities. Like the AirPods Pro 3, they have similar compatibility in the Apple ecosystem; however, since they don't form a snug seal with your ear, they can't block out noise as well as the Pro 3 can.
Notable Mentions
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Devialet Gemini II True Wireless:
The Devialet Gemini II True Wireless are high-end buds. They can block out a little more real-world background noise than the Technics EAH-AZ100, especially on the streets and in the office, although they perform slightly worse on planes. Their battery also lasts only five hours continuously, compared to the Technics' 12.2 hours, and they're significantly more expensive than our top pick.
See our review -
Bose QuietComfort Ultra Earbuds (2nd Gen):
The Bose QuietComfort Ultra Earbuds (2nd Gen) are a great all-rounder, especially if you're a fan of their warm sound. However, the Technics EAH-AZ100 have almost double the battery life.
See our review -
Samsung Galaxy Buds3 Pro:
The Samsung Galaxy Buds3 Pro's ANC performs just a touch better in everyday scenarios than the Technics EAH-AZ100. However, the Samsung headphones' app is only available to Android users, and their microphone performs significantly worse at separating your voice from surrounding noise.
See our review -
Anker Soundcore Liberty 4 NC Truly Wireless:
The Anker Soundcore Liberty 4 NC Truly Wireless offer nearly the same level of noise isolation as the Anker Soundcore Space A40 Truly Wireless, but have an ear stem design in contrast to the A40's round body. Their sound is much more bass-heavy, which muddies the vocals and instruments.
See our review
Recent Updates
Dec 12, 2025:
While the Technics EAH-AZ100 and Sony WF-1000XM5 Truly Wireless are neck-and-neck in price, we've elected to leave them as our top and upper mid-range picks and wait until prices have stabilized after the holidays. We've also updated our mid-range pick to the Sennheiser MOMENTUM True Wireless 4.
Oct 14, 2025:
The Apple AirPods Pro 3 replace the Apple AirPods Pro 2 as our iPhone pick, while the Bose QuietComfort Ultra Earbuds (2nd Gen) replace the Bose QuietComfort Ultra Earbuds Truly Wireless in our Notable Mentions. We also removed the Technics EAH-AZ80 from our Notable Mentions as they're mentioned elsewhere in the article.
Jun 02, 2025:
We've overhauled some picks in the article to reflect limited stock availability, notably replacing our top and upper mid-range picks with the Technics EAH-AZ100 and Sony WF-1000XM5 Truly Wireless, respectively.
Mar 21, 2025:
We've checked this article to ensure all our picks are in stock and pricing remains consistent, but we've made no changes.
Jan 23, 2025:
We removed the Bose QuietComfort Ultra Earbuds Truly Wireless as an alternative pick to the Jabra Elite 8 Active Gen 2 True Wireless because their ANC performs noticeably worse than that of our top pick. The Bose are now a Notable Mention. The Samsung Galaxy Buds3 Pro Truly Wireless have also replaced the Samsung Galaxy Buds2 Pro True Wireless in our Notable Mentions because of their superior ANC performance.
All Reviews
Our recommendations above are what we think are currently the best in-ear noise cancelling headphones for most people to buy. We factor in the price (cheaper headphones win over pricier ones if the difference isn't worth it), feedback from our visitors, and availability (no headphones that are difficult to find or almost out of stock everywhere).
If you would like to choose for yourself, here is the list of all our reviews for noise cancelling earbuds and in-ears. Be careful not to get caught up in the details. There are no perfect headphones. Personal taste, preference, and listening habits will play a greater role in your selection.