Whether you’re trying to focus at your noisy office or blot out an airplane engine’s hum, a good pair of noise-canceling earbuds can help you remove unwanted background noise. After several international flights and hours spent commuting on the New York City subway, I tested several contenders and found the best noise-canceling earbuds to be the Bose QuietComfort Ultra Earbuds (2nd Gen). They’re comfortable to wear for hours and have stellar active noise cancellation (ANC) technology to help significantly reduce or eliminate outside noises. Here are the six best pairs of noise-canceling earbuds you can use to tune out the world around you.
Uses AI Technology To Reduce Noise
The Bose QuietComfort Ultra Earbuds (Gen 2) may look a little beefy, but they have a sleek profile when worn. Touch controls are generally responsive, but it’s the ANC that feels unparalleled. One of my favorite tests is to toss on a pair of earbuds and wear them while commuting through the deafening New York City public transit system. Subway rides are whisper-quiet, and when I wore them in an art museum, I couldn’t hear anyone around me. I attribute this to two things: a comfortable, oval-shaped silicone seal and ActiveSense, Bose’s AI-based noise-cancellation technology that registers and reduces noise spikes.
One Of My Favorite EQs To Date
While other earbuds offer a lackluster set of EQs, these let you adjust bass, mid and treble frequencies up to 10 levels in either direction. While I found them too bass-heavy out of the box, a quick tweak of these levels made the audio quality lovely, and it quickly became one of my favorites I’ve tested to date.
A Bulky Case, But Offers Multiconnectivity
Also, keep in mind that the case is pretty bulky. It’s not too problematic, but if you prefer a smaller case, shop on. For those who must connect to more than one device, you can pair it to two, which helps when switching between a phone and a tablet. Note that the battery life is pretty short; during a transcontinental flight, I received a low-battery notification toward the end of my trip. If you find yourself low on battery, a 15-minute charge ekes out another few hours.
Double-Check The Ear Tip Sizes
The Google Pixel Buds 2a come in many colorways for those who want to add some personal flair, and I quickly became obsessed with the Berry hue I received. They’re much smaller than my top pick, and if you struggle to find your ideal fit, check the included ear-tip sizes, which also help seal out noise and keep them firmly in your ears. Also, make sure you gently rotate them so the wing tip rests in your ear’s antihelix. This will help stabilize them. While they’re smaller, I found the touch controls easy to use and responsive.
A Warm Audio Profile
The earbuds’ warm sound profile is excellent out of the box; they rival the more expensive options I tested. If you’re a Samsung or Google Pixel phone user, you can access the EQ to adjust your audio profile. Apple users are locked out of the EQ and mapping controls.
Earbuds Balance Components Nicely
The ANC really impressed me. Typically in this price range, you must sacrifice either audio quality or ANC. The Google Pixel Buds 2a balance both components nicely: The ANC blotted out my microwave beeping at me while I stood beside it, and they have a robust audio profile. Plus, if you’re a die-hard Gemini user, you can reprogram the long press on either earbud to get answers by asking Google Gemini questions.
A Design That Includes Physical And Gesture Controls
The Samsung Galaxy Buds 4 Pro have a lovely rounded design that feels comfortable to wear for long periods of time, though I noted that the buttons rest a little higher on the ear stem than I like. If you have a large ear tragus, it may feel a little hard to press the controls. But volume controls use swipe gestures on the stem, although the physical buttons are helpful for those who may be prone to accidental touch functions.
ANC Mutes Neighbor Noise
Their ANC reduces subway screeches to a low hum, which I appreciate, as well as blotted out my neighbor’s surprise late-night karaoke sessions. Audio quality is warm and detailed. Neither the ANC nor the audio quality are the absolute best I’ve heard, but I found that when I head out the door, these are always tucked in my bag in addition to my favorite pair of wireless earbuds because they’re so reliable and sturdy.
Boost Dialogue, 360 Audio And Adapt Sound
The earbuds offer 360 Audio, a feature that places you in the center of the action. You can also turn on extras like Boost Dialogue to hear who’s talking in a movie and Adapt Sound. Depending on your age group, the latter boosts frequencies so you can better hear them. For Samsung users, you can make EQ and ANC adjustments in the phone’s settings. These earbuds are built mainly for Samsung phone users, so iPhone fans—and to some extent, Google Pixel users—lose access to some software integrations. But if you’re using Android, and in particular a Samsung phone, these are an excellent choice.
Audio Quality: Some Of The Best You Can Get
As they first debuted at Apple’s Awe Dropping fall event last year, I’ve tested the Apple AirPods Pro 3 for several months and feel they unseat the Apple AirPods Pro 2 as the best noise-canceling earbuds for fans of the brand. The sleek design is signature Apple, and they offer both stem and gesture controls, which are easy to use. The audio quality rivals that of its top competition, Bose and Sony, and they lean a tad bass-heavy. Listeners who prefer those deep beats should be pleased, though. I found that the ANC is one of the best on the market, and if you want a great blend of audio quality and ANC and happen to be a fan of Apple, just get this pair.
No EQ Customizations—Yet
One big thing to note: Right now, they do not offer any kind of EQ control outside of some listening presets, which are buried under the accessibility settings. That changes later this fall when iOS27 launches, but for now, you have one listening EQ. For those who don’t want to deal with adjusting EQs, these earbuds are essentially a plug-and-play option. When you turn them on, the pairing request opens on your iPhone’s display almost immediately.
Extras Include Hearing Loss Help And Heart Rate Tracking
For those with minor hearing loss, the earbuds can help amplify audio so you can hear around you, but make sure you take the hearing test to determine if you need this feature. Also, turn on software permissions while wearing the AirPods, and you can monitor your heart rate during workouts. It’s redundant if you wear the Apple Watch Series 11, especially since the Watch readings always superseded the earbuds’ metrics. For users who sweat at the gym, they ship with IP57 waterproofing, too.
Premium Earbuds With Foam Ear Tips
The Sony WF1000-XM6 Wireless Earbuds are premium earbuds that are pretty darn bulky in your ears. If you have smaller ears, you may want to shop on. However, if you can handle them dominating your ears, they include foam ear tips, not silicone. Expect to gently roll them before inserting them into your ears. Doing this helps to create a better seal for ANC, but be prepared to clean them more often, as these tips collect grime more easily.
Offers Near-Silence During Noisy Moments
If you’re after stellar ANC, the Sony WF-1000XM6s blotted out an ambulance that drove past me one afternoon. Noisy flights also sound whisper quiet, so much so that my husband stole this pair from me to wear on an international flight. The earbuds also use a technology that registers when you’re stationary or on the move and adjusts the audio accordingly. The case also offers wireless charging, which I found to be a nice extra.
Many EQ Options, Plus A Speak-To-Chat Feature
The audio quality feels very impressive. You can choose to keep them as is out of the box, or you can select from a handful of EQ options, including Heavy, Clear, Hard, Game and Soft. Another feature also impressed me: Background Music. This mode mimics coffee shop background music, and it’s a great way to focus, especially if you find yourself prone to distractions. Other extras include Speak-to-Chat. When enabled, Speak-to-Chat swaps from ANC to transparency when you begin speaking and returns to ANC about 15 seconds after you finish a conversation.
Ear Hooks Kept Them Securely In My Ears
Sometimes, a pair of earbuds might not be enough, and you need a secure ear hook during fitness activities. If so, the Beats Powerbeats Pro 2 are an excellent option. After testing them during workouts, the ear hooks helped to keep them firmly in my ears, no matter how I tried to shake them off. I found that I preferred to wear my contacts when wearing these because the ear hook sometimes bumped against my glasses frames, but it wasn’t distracting most of the time. You can also choose from several ear tips to help create a better fit and noise seal.
Not The Best ANC, But Good Enough For Most
To be clear, the ANC isn’t the best in both the headphones and earbuds I’ve tested. However, the fact that they have ANC is impressive, and it’s good enough for most needs. Audio quality is pretty great out of the box, and I found myself enjoying Ashnikko’s deep beats when using them on my walking pad.
iOS Versus Android: Some Differences To Note
Pair them with your iPhone, and you can begin using them almost immediately; pairing them with an Android phone requires you to download a separate app. If you’re using iOS, you also have quick access to the Beats’ other powerful feature, heart rate tracking, which automatically registers and tracks in real time. Android users must manually start and stop it. Like the Apple AirPods Pro 3, if you wear a smartwatch, your smartwatch’s data supersedes the earbuds’ data. Also, it only works with Peloton, Nike Run Club, Ladder and Open.
How I Tested The Best Noise-Canceling Earbuds
To find the best noise-canceling earbuds on the market, I tested more than 15 pairs, narrowing down options to top-rated brands, such as Bose, Sony and more.
Design
Your noise-canceling earbuds should feel sturdily built, look sleek and feel comfortable to wear for hours. I also evaluated the design based on wireless charging versus wired only, case bulk and more. Additionally, I considered touch controls versus physical controls and extras like waterproofing.
Audio Quality
No matter what genre you’re listening to, your audio quality should be smooth and have a reasonable balance of bass, mids and treble frequencies. I cross-checked audio quality in each pair of noise-canceling earbuds across a variety of songs, and I considered whether ANC and spatial audio changed the overall sound quality. Specifically, some of the songs and albums I tested each pair of noise-canceling earbuds with include:
- Florence + the Machine’s “King,” “Cosmic Love” and “Dog Days Are Over”
- Rimsky-Korsakov’s “Scheherazade”
- Ashnikko’s “Worms” and “Daisy”
- Fitz and the Tantrums’ “123456,” “Livin’ For The Weekend,” and “I Just Wanna Shine”
- Kendrick Lamar’s “TV Off” (Feat. Lefty Gunplay), “Not Like Us,” and “Luther” (With SZA)
- Barns Courtney’s “Hollow” and “You And I”
- Hayley Williams’ Ego Death At A Bachelorette Party album
- The entire soundtracks to seasons one and two of the Netflix show Arcane
- The true crime podcasts Morbid and Crime Junkie
Active Noise Cancellation
Your noise-canceling earbuds should reduce ambient din to a quiet whisper and be able to control sudden spikes in noise. I took each pair with me on transcontinental flights, subways, Uber rides and more. I cross-checked by reviewing decibel levels in each location to see just how much each earbud reduced outside noises.
Battery Life
When you’re listening to your music, you want to be able to listen for hours without interruptions. I tested these earbuds for 30 minutes each, logging battery percentage at the beginning and at the end. I also cross-tested this with the ANC on versus off to get a sense of whether each pair lived up to its claims.
How To Choose The Best Noise-Canceling Earbuds
To find the best noise-canceling earbuds for your needs, you must consider more than just price. Here’s what you should evaluate before you invest in a new pair.
- Sound quality: Noise-canceling earbuds should deliver balanced, smooth audio with clear vocals, rich mids and punchy bass across all genres. No EQ should overpower the other. If you have a preferred listening EQ, look for a pair that offers EQ presets and the option to customize your listening experience.
- Noise cancellation: Active noise cancellation helps block out background sounds like engines, traffic, noisy neighbors and more by playing a frequency that balances outside ambient noise. Consider whether you intend to use them for phone calls; you may prefer a pair that offers noise isolation technology in its microphones, too.
- Battery life: Most noise-canceling earbuds provide anywhere from five to eight hours of playback per charge with ANC enabled; the longer it can last before a recharge, the better. Your charging case can typically extend the time to up to 20 to 30 hours, too. Some models also support fast charging, giving you a few hours of playback by resting on the charger for just a few minutes.
- Fit and comfort: Your ear tips are one of the most important features in a pair of earbuds—the secure seal improves both your audio quality and noise cancellation. Make sure you look for a pair that offers multiple ear tip sizes so you can find a fit that you can wear for hours comfortably. “After noise cancellation, comfort is the top priority,” says Nathan Green, CEO of New Level Radio. “If they are not comfortable, they could block out all the noise in the world, but you won’t wear them.”
Why Trust Forbes Vetted
The Forbes Vetted team has published hundreds of tech and electronic guides that leverage our hands-on testing and research, including audio stories for all of your listening needs.
- Consumer tech and electronics editor Rebecca Isaacs has been involved in tech journalism for over seven years. She is a classically trained musician and has personally tested a variety of audio equipment, including wireless headphones and Bluetooth speakers.
- Most recently, Isaacs served as a judge for the 2026 Consumer Electronics Show Innovation Awards, which reviews and awards breakthrough technologies across multiple sectors.
Our Experts
- Nathan Green, CEO and cofounder of New Level Radio, located in Denver, Colorado