The 6 Best On-Ear Wireless Headphones - Winter 2020
Reviews

The most comfortable on-ear wireless headphones that we’ve tested so far are the Bose SoundLink On-Ear. They have a lightweight design, well-padded ear cups, and a comfortable headband with minimal clamping force. While these headphones are fairly portable, using them on-the-go can be a challenge, as they have rather poor noise isolation. They perform well in the treble range, but won't do much to block out ambient chatter and the low rumbles of bus engines. The lack of active noise cancelling does help with battery life though, with 21 hours of continuous playback time and taking 2.5 hours to fully charge.

Unfortunately, these headphones are not compatible with Bose's mobile companion app for customization, but their default sound should please most people nonetheless. The bass has excellent extension, while the mids are slightly recessed, causing vocals and leads to sound a bit more distant. Another great feature is multi-device pairing, which lets you pair to two devices at the same time, making it easy to switch between them without having to go through the pairing process every time.

All in all, even though these headphones are light on active features, they're great for those who put comfort and good sound above all.

The best on-ear Bluetooth headphones for sound we’ve tested so far are the Marshall MID ANC. 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. 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.