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30 pages

Flying & Long-Haul

Everything on this site starts from one seat: 31B, eight hours in, engines at cruise. These are the roundups that answer what to put on your head before you get there.

• The best noise-canceling headphones for flights
• The best travel headphones
• The best headphones for business travel
• The best headphones for airplanes
• The best headphones for long-haul flights
• The best over-ear headphones for flights
• The best noise-canceling headphones for international flights
• The best budget noise-canceling headphones for flights
• The best noise-canceling headphones under $500
• The best headphones under $300
• The best noise-canceling headphones under $200
• The best headphones under $100
• The best headphones under $50
• The best headphones for sleeping on a plane
• The best foldable noise-canceling headphones
• The lightest noise-canceling headphones
• The longest battery life headphones
• The most durable noise-cancelling headphones
• The best headphones for glasses wearers
• The best headphones for small heads
• The best headphones for big heads
• The best headphones for backpacking
• The best headphones for camping
• The best headphones for in-flight entertainment
• The best wired headphones for flights
• Airplane headphone jack adapters
• Travel headphone cases
• The best headphones for kids on planes
• The best gifts for frequent flyers
• Travel headphone gifts under $150

20 pages

Travel Earbuds

Earbuds trade a little quiet and a lot of battery for the ability to disappear into a pocket and to be worn lying on your side. For a great many travelers that is the better deal.

• The best noise-canceling earbuds for flights
• The best noise-canceling earbuds under $300
• The best earbuds under $200
• The best earbuds for iPhone
• The longest battery life earbuds
• The best workout earbuds under $200
• The best noise-canceling earbuds for travel
• The best earbuds for long flights
• The best earbuds for sleeping on a plane
• The best noise-canceling earbuds for commuting
• The best budget noise-canceling earbuds
• The best earbuds for calls
• The best earbuds for renters
• The best earbuds for small ears
• The best noise-canceling earbuds for Android
• The best headphones for running
• The best headphones for cycling
• The best waterproof headphones for swimming
• Wired earbuds for flights: the honest answer
• Earbuds versus over-ear headphones for flying

30 pages

Commute, Rail & Open-Plan

Most people spend far more hours in a train carriage or an open-plan office than in an aircraft cabin, and the noise is a completely different shape. These pages take that seriously.

• The best noise-canceling headphones for commuting
• The best over-ear headphones under $200
• The best over-ear headphones under $100
• The best noise-canceling headphones for small apartments
• The best headphones for college students
• The best headphones for online classes
• The best noise-canceling headphones for presenters
• The best headphones for truck drivers
• The best headphones for warehouse work
• The best headphones for hearing protection
• The comfiest wireless headphones
• The best headphones for walking
• The best headphones for music listening
• The best headphones for audiobooks
• The best headphones for gaming
• The best headphones with deep bass
• The best wireless headphones
• The best headphones for train travel
• The best headphones for bus travel
• The best headphones for the subway
• The best noise-canceling headphones for an open-plan office
• The best noise-canceling headphones for office calls
• The best noise-canceling headphones for pure silence
• The best headphones for road trips
• The best noise-canceling headphones for remote work
• The best multipoint Bluetooth headphones
• The best noise-canceling headphones for studying
• The best noise-canceling headphones for a dorm room
• The best noise-canceling headphones for autism and sensory overload
• The best noise-canceling headphones for mowing the lawn

21 pages

Model Reviews

Eighteen current models, each assessed against the same five travel criteria, with every specification traced to the manufacturer or to a named published measurement.

• Sony WH-1000XM6 review: the travel case
• Bose QuietComfort Ultra Headphones (2nd Gen) review
• Bose QuietComfort Headphones review: the Bose you probably want
• Sennheiser MOMENTUM 4 Wireless review: the battery answer
• JBL Tour One M3 review: the in-flight entertainment answer
• Soundcore Space 2 review: most of the quiet, little of the money
• Soundcore Space One review: the $100 travel headphone that is hard to argue with
• Apple AirPods Max review: the travel problem
• Sony WF-1000XM6 review: the sensible premium earbud
• Bose QuietComfort Ultra Earbuds (2nd Gen) review
• Apple AirPods Pro 3 review: the Apple answer that packs
• EarFun Air Pro 4 review: most of the quiet, almost none of the money
• Soundcore P40i review: the cheap earbud that keeps the battery promise
• soundcore Q20i review: the cheapest cancelling that still does the basics
• Skullcandy Crusher ANC 2 review: the only bass control that is a slider, not a preset
• Beats Powerbeats Pro 2 review: the earbud that does not move
• Koss Porta Pro review: the cheapest honest headphone on this site
• Sennheiser IE 100 PRO review: the stage monitor that quietly suits a plane
• Shokz OpenRun Pro 2 review: the anti-noise-cancelling headphone
• 3M WorkTunes Connect review: the only certified number in the category
• Twelve South AirFly Pro 2 review: the accessory that fixes flying

25 pages

Head-to-Head

If you have narrowed it to two products, a ten-product roundup is the wrong page. These are spec matrices and scenario verdicts, and sometimes the honest verdict is that either is fine.

• Bose QuietComfort Ultra vs Sony WH-1000XM6
• Bose QuietComfort alternatives
• Sony WH-1000XM6 alternatives
• AirPods Pro 3 alternatives
• AirPods Max alternatives
• Bose QuietComfort Headphones vs Sony WH-1000XM6
• AirPods Max vs Sony WH-1000XM6
• AirPods Max vs Bose QuietComfort Ultra
• AirPods Pro 3 vs AirPods Max
• Bose vs Sony noise-canceling headphones
• AirPods Pro 3 vs Bose QuietComfort Ultra Earbuds
• AirPods Pro 3 vs Sony WF-1000XM6
• Bose QuietComfort Ultra Earbuds vs Sony WF-1000XM6
• Sennheiser MOMENTUM 4 vs Sony WH-1000XM6
• Sennheiser MOMENTUM 4 vs Bose QuietComfort Ultra
• JBL Tour One M3 vs Sony WH-1000XM6
• JBL vs Bose noise-cancelling headphones
• Bose QuietComfort Ultra vs QuietComfort Headphones
• Soundcore Space One vs Space 2
• EarFun Air Pro 4 vs Soundcore P40i
• Over-ear vs on-ear headphones
• Open-back vs closed-back headphones
• Headphones vs IEMs: which should you buy?
• Wired vs wireless headphones
• Headphones vs headset: which is right for you?

37 pages

Guides

The questions people ask before they choose, answered in the first fifty words and then properly. No product pushing in the opener.

• How noise-canceling headphones work on a plane
• How to choose noise-canceling headphones
• How to measure your head for headphones
• How to compare noise-canceling headphones
• How to choose noise-canceling headphones for home use
• Are noise-canceling headphones worth it for flying?
• Noise-canceling headphones: pros and cons
• Why are noise-canceling headphones so expensive?
• Active noise canceling vs passive isolation
• Noise-canceling headphones vs earplugs
• Noise-cancelling headphones vs the alternatives
• Do noise-cancelling headphones block voices?
• Do noise-canceling headphones block snoring?
• Transparency mode vs noise canceling
• Is it safe to wear headphones while walking?
• Can you use noise-canceling headphones on a plane?
• Can you bring headphones through TSA?
• Bluetooth headphones and in-flight entertainment
• Bluetooth audio latency on a plane
• LDAC vs AAC for travel
• Do noise-canceling headphones help with cabin pressure?
• Are bone conduction headphones good for flying?
• Do noise-cancelling headphones fold flat?
• Do noise-cancelling headphones work in wind?
• Are audiophile headphones good for travel?
• Are noise-canceling headphones bad for your ears?
• Why do noise-canceling headphones hurt my ears?
• Do noise-canceling headphones protect your hearing?
• Do noise-cancelling headphones help tinnitus?
• Headphone battery life for long-haul flights
• Noise-cancelling headphones and white noise
• How long do noise-canceling headphones last?
• How to pack headphones for travel
• How to sleep with headphones on
• How to clean headphone ear pads
• How to improve noise cancelling
• Noise-canceling headphone setup tips

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