The 6 Best On-Ear Wireless Headphones - Fall 2019
Reviews

The best on-ear wireless headphones for comfort that we’ve tested so far are the Bose SoundLink On-Ear. They have a lightweight design with a decently padded headband that doesn’t feel too tight on your head. The ear cups are covered in dense, plush padding that cushions your ears nicely and feels a lot better than most on-ears we’ve tested.

These are good-sounding headphones with a fairly well-balanced frequency response that lends itself well to most genres of music. Their 21-hour battery life is great and they have an auto-off timer to help prolong the battery life even further. They support multi-device pairing, so you can use them with your smartphone and laptop simultaneously, and they can be used passively with the included audio cable as well.

Although they’re comfortable, they won’t be ideal if you have a noisy commute or are working in a noise-sensitive office, since they don’t isolate very well. They’re also lacking in features compared to other wireless Bose headsets; they don’t support NFC and aren’t compatible with Bose’s mobile app. That said, they still provide good value for their price thanks to their comfortable design, great battery life, and good sound.

The best on-ear Bluetooth headphones for sound we’ve tested so far are the Marshall MID ANC Wireless. They’re stylish noise cancelling headphones that sport Marshall’s signature black and gold color scheme. They’re fairly comfortable and are well-built, sturdy headphones. They have a multi-directional control knob on the left ear cup that provides great tactile feedback and they are overall easy-to-use.

These headphones have a bright, balanced sound with deep, powerful bass. They’re well-suited for nearly all music genres, from EDM and hip-hop to jazz or classical. They have a 17-hour battery life, which is decent, and can be used while they’re charging.

Unfortunately, they have unremarkable noise isolation performance, which is disappointing for headphones with active noise cancelling. If you’re looking for better noise cancelling, consider the AKG N60NC Wireless; however, they don’t sound quite as good as the Marshall. Though their noise cancelling performance isn’t the best, these are still a good choice for critical listeners who prefer an on-ear fit.

The best on-ear wireless headphones for battery life that we’ve tested so far are the Beats Solo3 Wireless. They’re well-built, compact headphones that are easy-to-use. They have a tight, stable fit but are still fairly comfortable thanks to their heavily padded cups. They have a great, long-lasting battery and are reasonably well-performing headphones all-around.

They have an outstanding 42-hour battery life, long enough to last you an entire work-week without charging, and support Apple’s W1 chip for easier pairing with iOS devices. They have good audio reproduction and sound decent overall. They also have an excellent wireless range, so you shouldn’t experience audio cuts if you don’t keep your audio source directly on you.

On the downside, they don’t have an auto-off timer, so their battery will continue to drain if you forget to turn them off. If you tend to forget to power off your headphones, consider the Bowers & Wilkins P5 Wireless. Their battery life isn’t as remarkable, but they turn off after 10 minutes of inactivity, which is a helpful feature. However, the Beats have a more balanced sound and are an overall better choice for most uses.