If you use your headphones daily for commuting, while at the office, or just want some peace and quiet, 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 isolation performance. You can also achieve great passive isolation with some in-ear headphones that don't feature ANC, as they physically block your ear canals. If you're not sure what differentiates passive isolation and active cancellation, you can read more in our dedicated ANC article.
We've tested over 370 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 wireless earbuds, the best noise cancelling headphones, or the best noise cancelling headphones under $200 if you're on a budget.
Our How We Test Headphones article takes you behind the scenes in our lab. You'll learn how we choose and purchase products and dive into the details of our review philosophy, from testing and scoring to writing and editing.
You can also discover how we produce recommendations like this one so that you can find the best headphones (or earbuds!) for your needs.
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Best Noise Cancelling Earbuds
Noise Isolation - Full RangeNoise Isolation - Common ScenariosBatterySee all our test resultsNoise IsolationThe best noise cancelling earbuds we've tested are the Sony WF-1000XM6. They continue the legacy of the Sony WF-1000XM5, providing access to top-of-the-line noise cancelling and an improved microphone. The WF-1000XM6 rank among the best buds we've tested, attenuating everything from rumbling plane engines to high-pitched electrical noise. Their warm tuning supplements a generous helping of bass with a balanced mid and treble range, resulting in a sound that'll be amenable to most. There's a graphic EQ and presets in the app if you'd like to adjust their sound. While their eight hours of battery life isn't the longest among our picks, it's still enough to get you through an average workday without dipping into the two extra charges in the case.
This model also sees an ergonomic redesign, with a chunkier teardrop-shaped design compared to the last generation. However, this new shape won't suit everyone: those with smaller ears might find it awkward to achieve a solid, stable fit, resulting in the buds popping out and requiring re-adjustment. Their stellar noise isolation also relies on foam ear tips and a deep fit in your ear canal, so if comfort is a concern, we have a dedicated comfort pick further down the article.
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Best Mid-Range Noise Cancelling Earbuds
Noise Isolation - Full RangeNoise Isolation - Common ScenariosBatterySee all our test resultsNoise IsolationBelow our top pick are the Anker Soundcore Liberty 5 Pro, the best in-ear noise cancelling headphones that we've tested in the mid-range. Despite their drastic price drop relative to our top pick, these buds are a powerhouse that outperform most of the pack, including competing flagships. The earbuds manage to deliver exceptional noise isolation performance that goes head-to-head with the Sony. That said, you'll make some sacrifices overall: their battery life sits at a shorter 6.9 hours of continuous playback, and they don't support lower-latency LC3 or aptX Adaptive codecs. However, they can connect to up to three devices simultaneously with Bluetooth multipoint, so you can juggle multiple personal and/or work devices.
The buds are also more universally comfortable than the Sony due to their shallower ear tips (five sizes), optional stabilizers, and sleeker body. They also have an IP55 rating, which makes them a great noise cancelling option for the gym. That said, their bass is quite strongly emphasized (though you can change this tuning with the app's 8-band EQ), and our unit has stereo frequency response mismatch in the bass-range, though this isn't exceptionally audible outside of test tones. It's also worth noting that driver matching varies from unit to unit, though, so you might not run into issues.
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Best Budget Noise Cancelling Earbuds
Noise Isolation - Full RangeNoise Isolation - Common ScenariosBatterySee all our test resultsNoise IsolationThe best earbuds we've tested with ANC in the budget category are the Anker Soundcore Space A40 Truly Wireless. Despite their lower price tag, 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 feature multi-device pairing and LDAC codec support for streaming Hi-Res content. That said, they don't support a low-latency codec like LC3 or 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; instead, the Anker Soundcore P31i have a much better microphone system, but with the trade-off of less effective (but still decent) noise cancelling.
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Best Cheap Noise Cancelling Earbuds
Noise Isolation - Full RangeNoise Isolation - Common ScenariosBatterySee all our test resultsNoise IsolationIf you're looking to shrink your spend further without sacrificing ANC, the Anker Soundcore P31i are the best cheap noise cancelling earbuds we've tested. While the lesser spend means sacrificing some noise attenuation effectiveness, especially compared to a standout like the Anker Soundcore Space A40 Truly Wireless, the Anker Soundcore P31i's ANC still turns in a decent noise isolation performance. That said, the P31i are more versatile than the Space A40, offering superior comfort and stability for exercise, a better IP55 rating, and more natural-sounding microphone system for office work.
By default, the P31i have a bassy, warm tuning that fills out basslines and kick drums in catchy pop and rock tunes, though you can always adjust how they sound with their app's graphic EQ or presets, or go through an in-app hearing test that generates an EQ profile for you. The buds have a slightly shorter 7.3-hour battery life compared to the Space A40's 8.1 hours, but there are four extra charges in the carrying case. Ultimately, the P31i may even be a better option for some than the previous Space A40 if noise isolation performance isn't a top priority and you're more interested in general usability.
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Best Noise Cancelling Earbuds For iPhone
Noise Isolation - Full RangeNoise Isolation - Common ScenariosBatterySee all our test resultsNoise IsolationIf 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 Anker Soundcore Liberty 5 Pro, but their ANC system also goes toe-to-toe with our top pick's. The primary reason they didn't take the top spot is that many of their features are only available to Apple users, like their built-in heart rate sensors and Spatial Audio, a virtual surround sound feature designed to create a more immersive audio experience.
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 Anker offerings, which also work with Android. With ANC on, their battery lasts for 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: they have a looser fit and still have ANC, but they don't block noise as well as the Pro 3.
Notable Mentions
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Technics EAH-AZ100:
The Technics EAH-AZ100 may be an attractive earbud option if you need some extra battery life. They last for 12.2 hours of continuous playback and support three-device Bluetooth multipoint. They have a similar noise isolation performance to the Anker Soundcore Liberty 5 Pro, so if you're juggling lots of calls (which drains battery life faster), they're worth considering for office work.
See our review
Recent Updates
Aug 10, 2026:
We've overhauled the article following the addition of the Anker Soundcore Liberty 5 Pro as our mid-range pick, as they outperform more expensive options while being one of the most comfortable earbuds we've tested. We've also added the Anker Soundcore P31i as a versatile, affordable option.
Jun 11, 2026:
We've integrated the Sennheiser MOMENTUM True Wireless 4 into the Technics EAH-AZ100 pick, as the two now fall into a similar price category. We've also checked that our picks are still valid and remain in stock at various retailers.
Apr 30, 2026:
We've checked the article and ensured our picks are still valid. We've also introduced the Samsung Galaxy Buds4 Pro and Anker Soundcore P31i in the article.
Mar 17, 2026:
We've made some major changes to the picks in this article. The new Sony WF-1000XM6 are the new top pick, with their top-of-the-line noise isolation performance. The Technics EAH-AZ100 have been bumped to the upper mid-range pick. Meanwhile, the Nothing Ear (3) have been added as a lower mid-range pick, and the Bose QuietComfort Ultra Earbuds (2nd Gen) are our new comfort pick.
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.
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.