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10 Best Noise Cancelling Earbuds

From leading brands and best sellers available on the web.

Buying Guide for the Best Noise Cancelling Earbuds

Noise-cancelling earbuds are designed to help you enjoy your music, podcasts, or calls without being disturbed by outside noise. Picking the right pair comes down to understanding how you’ll use them—whether that's during travel, at work, while exercising, or at home. It's important to focus on the features that matter most to your lifestyle, such as comfort, sound quality, and battery life, rather than just picking whatever has the most features.
Active Noise Cancellation (ANC) TypeActive Noise Cancellation (ANC) uses microphones and speakers inside the earbuds to detect and cancel out surrounding noise. Why it matters: Better ANC helps you focus or relax in noisy environments. The strength of ANC can vary; some earbuds offer basic reduction, good for dulling regular office sounds, while top-tier ANC can handle the rumble of airplanes or city streets. If you only need to reduce background chatter, a lighter ANC is fine, but for travel or busy places, look for stronger ANC.
Fit and ComfortHow the earbuds fit in your ear affects both noise blocking (even before ANC) and long-term comfort, especially if you wear them for hours. There are different styles: some are compact and lightweight, while others offer multiple eartip sizes or wingtips for a secure fit. If you plan to use them for exercise or long sessions, prioritize models with multiple eartip options to ensure you find the most comfortable and stable fit for your ears.
Battery LifeBattery life is how long the earbuds can run before they need recharging. Typical ranges are from 4 hours to over 8 hours on a single charge, with charging cases adding extra full charges. If you need all-day listening or plan to take long trips, look for longer earbud and case battery combos. For short, daily use, even a lower battery life might be enough, as the case usually provides quick top-ups.
Sound QualitySound quality is how well the earbuds reproduce music and voices. This includes clarity, bass, and overall balance. Some earbuds have a bass-heavy sound, which can be fun for pop and hip hop, while others offer a more balanced or natural sound. If you care a lot about audio detail or listen to a variety of music, choose earbuds known for clear and accurate sound. For calls and podcasts, clear mid-range frequencies—where voices sit—are most important.
Transparency/Ambient ModeTransparency or Ambient Mode lets you hear outside sounds while wearing the earbuds, useful for staying aware at work or when walking outside. The quality of this feature varies—better ones make voices and sounds around you clearer and less muffled. If you’ll often need to tune into announcements, conversations, or traffic, good transparency mode is useful; otherwise, it’s less essential.
Controls and Ease of UseThis refers to how you interact with the earbuds—like tapping or pressing for play, pause, ANC toggling, or volume adjustments. Some earbuds are touch-based, while others have physical buttons. Touch controls can be more convenient but sometimes less reliable; physical buttons are harder to press by mistake. If you want simplicity and fewer mishits, consider physical buttons; if you value seamless controls, touch may be more appealing.
Call QualityCall quality measures how well your voice is picked up and how much background noise is reduced during phone calls. Some earbuds use extra microphones and noise reduction for calls. If making calls in noisy environments is important to you, prioritize earbuds with good reviews for call performance; otherwise, this may not be a deciding factor.
Water and Sweat ResistanceMany earbuds are rated for water or sweat resistance, making them better for exercise or use in rain. These ratings (like IPX4, IPX5, etc.) indicate how well the earbuds can handle moisture. For gym or outdoor users, look for higher resistance ratings. If you’ll mostly use them indoors, basic resistance is usually enough.