The Best Noise-Canceling Earbuds of 2025

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It’s not just you; studies have shown that the world is quite literally getting louder. But, thankfully, noise-canceling headphones are getting better every year — and more portable. The best noise-canceling earbuds can compete with some over-ear options, and they’re a convenient way to take your tunes on the go or simply quiet the noisy outside world.

Whether you’re working in a café, riding the train, or on a long-haul flight seated in seat 75B, noise-canceling earbuds are a pocket-friendly option for everyday use.

How Does Noise-Canceling Work?

Bose is credited as the first company to make noise-canceling headphones commercially available, and, unsurprisingly, they still make some of the best options. The first active noise-canceling (ANC) headphones were designed for use in aviation, but the tech has come a long way.

According to Bose, “Miniature microphones in the earcups or earbuds listen to the outside noise frequencies and emit the exact opposite signal to effectively “cancel out” both sets of sounds when the soundwaves collide.”

Of course, as the technology has become more widespread and with more brands offering at least some ANC options, there’s greater variation in quality and performance. That’s why we set out to find the best noise-canceling earbuds.

How We Picked the Best Noise-Canceling Earbuds

We tested all of the options below in a variety of environments, seeing how they handled everything from noisy jet engines to the hum of the office HVAC to the bustle of city streets.

Of course, the ability to silence the outside world isn’t the only criterion for being the best noise-canceling earbuds (for that, you can simply pick up a pair of earplugs). Instead, we also evaluated factors like audio performance, call quality, comfort, and battery life to find the best noise-canceling earbuds. Read on for our picks.

The competition for the best noise-canceling headphones is fierce, but Bose is synonymous with noise-canceling for a reason. The QuietComfort Ultra earbuds outperform many over-ear headphones, adeptly handling a variety of noises, from trucks rumbling down the street to human voices.

The earbuds feature up to 10 ANC levels, and you can customize up to four as quick-access presets in the Bose app. A long press on the earbud toggles through different modes, and there’s also an aware mode to allow some noises through for awareness.

Bose’s QuietComfort earbuds also feature intuitive controls, including a single tap that plays and pauses music, as well as swipe controls to adjust the volume up or down. Reliable in-ear detection also pauses the music when you take an earbud out.

Crucially, the earbuds sound great, with good performance at different levels of ANC. The earbuds are also comfortable, thanks to the replaceable ear tips and stabilizer bands that ensure a secure fit. That said, voice-calling performance could be better, and the price may be hard to justify for some.

There’s little reason to buy the AirPods Pro 2 if you don’t have an iPhone; without a companion app, the functionality will be severely limited for Android users. However, if you do have an iPhone, the AirPods Pro 2 remain a no-brainer, even two and a half years after their release.

The ANC performance is impressive, as is the audio quality. I found the AirPods Pro 2 cut down a variety of noises, from loud traffic to ambient electrical humming. The AirPods feature transparency, adaptive, and noise-canceling modes to suit different environments, and their controls are intuitive, with a swipe sensor located behind the stem and pinch controls for playback and phone calls.

Apple has also rolled out new features for the AirPods Pro 2, including the ability to use them as hearing aids or hearing protection. Additionally, you get features like head-tracking and immersive audio for an enhanced listening experience.

There are a few drawbacks, including the lack of customizable EQ and so-so battery life. But overall, the AirPods Pro 2 remain one of the best options for iPhone and iOS users.

If you don’t want to shell out $300 for Bose’s flagship QC Ultra earbuds, the brand rolled out an affordable alternative last year. The QuietComfort earbuds have a pod-shaped design and a larger, clamshell case reminiscent of the discontinued earbuds of the same name that Bose released in 2020.

At $179, they’re competitively priced, and while the ANC isn’t as robust as the QC Ultra Earbuds, it’s far from underwhelming. I found that it effectively reduced the noise of a busy street, allowing me to enjoy music without having to crank up the volume. There are fewer ANC modes than with the QC Ultras, with just Quiet, Aware, and Off.

Surprisingly, the QuietComfort earbuds have some features the more expensive Ultras don’t, including wireless charging in the case. There are some quirky features, too, like the ability to remotely take a photo on your phone using the earbuds as a shutter button.

The case is bulky, and it’s slightly annoying to have to download a separate app for these earbuds, as they don’t work with Bose’s main app. However, they deliver solid audio performance and the industry-leading ANC Bose is known for, all in a more affordable package.

Nothing’s Ear (a) earbuds are among my favorite earbuds for everyday use. The compact design is pocket-friendly, and the stylish transparent design is eye-catching, making these earbuds a joy to use. In terms of shape, the earbuds draw clear inspiration from AirPods, featuring a thin stem and pinch controls.

They’re lightweight and comfortable in the ear, and the feature-rich app includes customizable EQ and controls. There are four ANC levels: low, mid, high, and adaptive, as well as three modes: ANC on, transparency mode, and off. By default, pinching and holding switches between ANC on and transparency mode, with a quirky exhale sound indicating transparency mode. Setting the ANC strength, however, requires going in the app.

At $99, they’re also an impressive value and one of the best earbuds under $100. The battery life is just average, particularly with ANC enabled, and the Nothing Ear (a) does not support wireless charging. Despite some minor drawbacks, the audio quality, rich features, and ANC of these earbuds make them tough to beat at this price point.

Sennheiser is known for stellar audio performance, and the Momentum 4 True Wireless earbuds deliver on that promise. They also have a luxe feel, with a stylish fabric-covered case and metal accents on the earbuds. The in-ear design is also very comfortable, with a natural and secure fit.

While audio-focused brands often excel in sound performance but fall short on software or technology, Sennheiser managed to cover all the bases. The sound quality is up to the standard you’d expect from such a storied brand, with impressive clarity and detail. But the ANC performance was a surprise, and while it doesn’t offer the monastic silence of Bose, the Momentum 4 True Wireless earbuds can capably handle a variety of distractions.

The earbuds also feature a transparency mode for situational awareness and adaptive ANC to adjust to your surroundings. As for audio quality, the earbuds boast lossless audio with codecs like aptX and aptX Adaptive.

The combination of audio performance, style, and comfort makes the Momentum 4 True Wireless one of my favorite noise-canceling earbuds, despite the bulky case and the availability of stronger ANC.

If you’re looking for a pair of workout earbuds with ANC, Anker’s Soundcore X20 earbuds are a great option thanks to features like adjustable noise-canceling and comfortable ear hooks for use at the gym. The earbuds have a physical button, rather than touch controls, which helps prevent accidental presses during workouts.

These have remained a top pick for the best earbuds with ear hooks because of the comfortable, flexible fit of the ear hooks. The IP68 rating also makes them durable enough to withstand the toughest workouts.

The straightforward Soundcore app allows you to adjust the ANC levels, and the earbuds also have a wind reduction feature for outdoor running or especially breezy days. The Soundcore app also features customizable EQ, and the earbuds deliver up to 7 hours of listening time on a single charge or and 28 in the case with ANC on, and more with ANC off.

If there’s room for improvement, it’s the audio quality. The X20 earbuds are solid, but they don’t have the same clarity as earbuds from brands like Apple and Sennheiser. That said, for just $80, you get feature-rich earbuds that are great for workouts and everyday use.