13 Best Traveling Headphones to Buy in 2022 (Buying Guide) | TechDetects

Noise-canceling headphones have become very important if you’re going out on a trip or just traveling alone. If you don’t carry these headphones then you will pretty much screw up your entire trip.

You can also carry those traditional headphones used for 30-minutes of commute, however, don’t complain if it gets uncomfortable or bring sound barriers while you’re watching a thrilling movie.

The significance of headphones is huge because while you’re on a trip, the sounds of traffic, buses and even while you’re on a flight, the noise of take-offs can reach up to 105 decibels (dB). The noise can also go up to 85dB in cruising altitudes which is exactly you’d see pilots wearing headphones that almost kill the unnecessary noise.

The noise-canceling headphones have become a standard issue for long-haul flyers or perhaps it will become that. The ability of white noise the engine of a big aircraft and the air-con systems are totally killing it.

Create an accurate arrangement of microphones inside and outside the ear-cups of noise-canceling headphones that will continuously detect, compare and react to the sound-waves they catch.

In the near future, the noise-canceling headphones are going to be wireless because it can kill the sound waves to cancel the low frequencies. If you’re looking for something that is compact and also low-budget, then you will have to shop around for some time because all the latest models are expensive and huge.

You can select from a variety of headphones in the noise-canceling category and thankfully, they’re coming off age now with some amazing products at different prices.

Sony WH-1000XM3

Best Traveling Headphones


Wireless noise-canceling headphones are dominated by two companies; Bose and Sony. When it comes to bulky wireless noise that negates headphones for business travelers, there’s a Sony lurking in the shadows for every benchmark Bose. So we can say that the Bose and Sony are neck to neck with each other.

If we take a look at the latest entries then the Sony WH-1000XM3 was announced at the IFA 2018 and it is four times more powerful than the previous version. The best Bose headphones are coming with a battery life of 30 hours.

If you are buying it for the battery-life then the WH-1000XM3 also holds the same price as the Bose QC35 II.

In High-Resolution Audio, too, the WH-1000XM3 sounds much better for music than the Bose QC35 II, but they’re slightly bulkier.

Sony headphones also come with an extra feature that is they adopt the noise-cancellation according to your current atmospheric pressure, which will certainly work better even if you’re on the aircraft.

It doesn’t matter if it is a placebo effect or not but it makes the WH-1000XM3s the best headphones for travel.

Bose QuietComfort 35 II

BOSE QUIETCOMFORT 35 II


Google Assistant and support system for Amazon Alexa has been added to this latest design of Bose i.e QC35 II. It’s a redesign of their basic QC35, however, the added features are quite minimal.

Is that really what it takes? It’s unlikely when boarding a flight, so try looking for the original QC35 if you want them only for air travel.

All versions have the same outstanding noise-canceling features, with three options to choose from, along with fantastic all-around sound quality, 20-hour battery life, 1.2 m cable, and a perfectly comfortable headband if you’re a fan of sleeping.

It is one of the best ones available on the market but if we talk about features then we can get almost the same technology for a lot less money.

Bose QuietControl 30

best noise cancelling headphones


These noise-canceling Bluetooth headphones can certainly fascinate you if you don’t want to carry huge and bulky headphones. These premium noise-canceling headphones are perfect for you if you prefer to carry lightweight gadgets.

The QC30s are nearly as smooth as the impressive QC35s above, but they are obviously lightweight products and help you in comforting yourself while sleeping.

The only problem is they don’t sound as good as the larger, more costly options on this list.

Bowers & Wilkins PX

best budget travel headphones


The PX is the first pair of Bluetooth ANC headphones from Bowers & Wilkins and aren’t they fantastic? Oh yes, they are. For a start, you can use an app on your Smartphone to control the level and type of ANC.

The sound is great and the headphones are coming with B&W usually exciting but a signature and well-balanced audio.

We would say they actually sound slightly better than the other big-ticket noise-canceling headphones.

The PX is coming with an exciting feature which is by far the best function we have seen so far. If you take off the cup from your ear, the audio you’re listening to will be paused automatically and if you completely take them off then it can go into a standby mode.

It is your perfect traveling partner because you’d need to remove it quite often to interact with the people.

Bang & Olufsen Beoplay H9i

best travel headphones 2020


The BeoPlay H9i headphones are specially made for traveling and the headband is coming with cowhide leather with aluminum topping. The ear cushions are designed wonderfully and it will make you feel really comfortable.

They’re actually soft and cushioned, your ears can get a bit too warm on a flight. If we look into the inside structure of the Beoplay H9i headphones then they deliver signature sound from Bang & Olufsen, excellent active noise cancellation, and a creative touch interface that can sometimes be a bit complex.

The proximity sensor was the main loophole in the H9i because it will stop your music without any reason and also the application sometimes refuses to connect.

Beats Studio3 Wireless

BEATS STUDIO 3 WIRELESS


There has been a lot of debate over the best beats ever while the killer function of these headphones is that they can adapt to the ambient noise through the noise control feature. It doesn’t matter if it is the sound of wind blowing, communications of other people or even the aircraft engine noise.

The anti-wind mode is impressive as a strong breeze is often the greatest enemy of noise-canceling headphones due to the way microphones are used to detect ambient sound. Yet within a few seconds, an algorithm in the Beats Studio3 fades-out wind.

It’s really a silky noise-canceling all-round product because these are one of the few pairs of headphones where you just don’t ‘ hear ‘ the mechanism of noise cancellation as much as you do with other very good ANC ear cans.

It is coming with a detailed sonic signature throughout and we can say it safely that these are the best headphones for a studio range.

While charging it for ten minutes, you can use the fast fuel option and maximize up to three hours of playback. It is also very easy to use if you’re looking to switch between devices the same as Apple’s Airpods.

Sennheiser PXC 550-II

best wireless headphones


If you’re judging the headphones on its ability to cancel the noise then almost all of them are good at it. However, when it comes to musicality, there are a number of products that are far less impressive.

The Sennheiser’s PXC 550 is one of the best noise-canceling headphones and they’re great at sounding pair of headphones along with ANC as a relatively minute benefit.

If we talk about the Beats, Bowers, Bose and Sony headphones then almost all of them are good at canceling the noise. However, we still can’t judge them purely on the basis of that function. The PXC 550s have some peculiar style flourishes like the consumer has to move their ear-cups to switch on and off the headphones.

They also have some strange on-ear touch controls that require the user to be extra-dexterous to skip tracks and to change the volume.

The Speech mode for listening to spoken word, including audiobooks and podcasts, is great, but big ups to Sennheiser to make some punchy, informative Sonics headphones.

They make up for what they lack in noise-canceling prowess for music and use wireless Bluetooth playback with ANC for 20 hours or even for 30 hours, if you use the included mic or a remote cable rather than wireless.

Sony WF-1000X

best wireless in-ear headphones


These are Sony’s truly wireless headphones that are like Apple Airpods but specifically designed for touring.

The WF-1000X was a technical marvel, managing to fit AAC, aptX, an unusually good EQ adjuster, and ANC into tiny true wireless buds, although there are some annoying quirks around charging and staying linked.

However, these are not for long-haul flights, as the battery life is only around two hours.

The ANC is surprisingly effective although it is not even on par with the Sony or Bose on this list, of course.

Marshall MID ANC

best wireless headphones with mic


With the added advantage of noise-canceling, these are basically the Marshall Mid headphones. It will look almost identical to their ANC-less sibling but in a glimpse, you can completely get rid of the background noise to a great extent.

If you’re hoping for the absolute cancellation of noise, it is absolutely not there though the ANC is much more, well, ‘profound’ than Bose and Sony’s likes.

Nevertheless, they are still a great pair of headphones for traveling, with good, punchy, bright and lively sound.

Sennheiser Momentum 2 On-Ear Wireless

SENNHEISER MOMENTUM 2.0 WIRELESS ON EAR

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Covered with great engineering bass and faux-suede leather, the Sennheiser Momentum 2.0 headphones are made pleasantly from the Stainless steel.

You’re in to enjoy one of the best wireless sound performances if you use the Sennheiser’s NoiseGard. These headphones are great at sucking out the sound or noise from the outer world.

Along with all these features, there is 22 hours battery life confirmation as well along with a folding frame perfectly made to carry it when traveling.

Libratone Q Adapt On-Ears

LIBRATONE Q ADAPT ON-EAR


These headphones are specially made for commuting and occasional traveling. It has the capability of noise-cancellation as well as the weight is just over 200 grams which makes it easy to carry.

It can also control the aircraft engine noise but some of the sounds can enter through it which is obviously a setback. However, it is built with great quality and the Q-Adapt on-ear will enable it to control the noise-reduction.

The ear cups can be a bit touch-sensitive but it is perfect when used for playing and stopping your audios. Battery-life is also around 20 hours.

You can also cancel the noise up to 50% if you’re traveling on the road and the traffic is disturbing you.

JBL TUNE600BTN

JBL TUNE 600BTN

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The noise cancellation has become a costly task recently, but all of it changes with the introduction of JBL’s cut-price Tune 600BTNC.

You can get these headphones in purple, brown, white and black colors. These are lightweight and conveniently fold-able for traveling and can only be distinguished from the big brands in build quality.

It is a highly impressive and recommended product if you can tolerate its short battery life of 12 hours, the cheaper feel and look as well as the awkward positioning of some of its buttons. If you can ignore all these points, then you should definitely go for it because the Tune 600BTNC is really an impressive gadget.

While noise-canceling with the top brands isn’t up there, it’s very close and there’s always room for a lot of bass.

Sony NW-WS623

SONY NW-WS623


If you are a fan of a quick dip or a gym session after a long flight then we have brought some extremely different and waterproof earphones for you.

These portable and waterproof earphones act as a standalone Walkman which can store MP3 files on its 4 GB or 16 GB flash memory space.

They’re extremely easy to operate as they can connect wirelessly with a Smartphone through Bluetooth which means that they can be used as standard earphones for general usage as well.

Although not effective at holding engine noise out when it’s at 35,000 ft, Sony’s NW-WS623 instantly makes your swimming sessions less isolated.

These special earphones are available in white, blue, black, and green colors, and they are weighing at 32 grams with a workload capacity of 12 hours if you’re consistently charging them.