The Best Noise-Canceling Headphones for Travel (and Blocking Out Haters)

It doesn’t matter if you pregame at the airport bar, pick up a $30 neck pillow at the Hudson News, and dress up in a wearable blanket. On a flight, sleep can still be as elusive as Bigfoot.

Sure, there’s hardly ever enough legroom, the seats are stiff, and there’s the underlying fear of accidentally nodding off on a stranger’s shoulder, but if everyone’s being honest, we know you’ve made do with far more uncomfortable sleeping situations before. (The floor of a ferry boat in Greece? Been there.) The real problem is the noise: We're talking the well-meaning but seemingly endless speech about emergency exits coming over the PA; the family reunion taking place in rows 12, 13, and 14; the friendly aunt in your row trying to keep a polite conversation going. Babies. Toddlers. Rogue adults acting like babies. It’s enough to haunt you and ruin your sleep for the rest of your trip. 

What is one to do besides disavow air travel and commit to a life of landlocked traffic? Get yourself a pair of the best noise cancelling headphones. Now, instead of just pretending to ignore the chatty passenger next to you, you will actually be able to without any conscious effort. It’s the headphone equivalent of wearing a Do Not Disturb sign around your neck. Slip these babies over your ears and the world slips away, giving way to your lullaby of choice and the best non-medicated sleep you’ll ever get on an airplane.

Apple’s instantly iconic AirPods Pro have set a high standard when it comes to tiny earbuds that pack big sound. With their wireless charging case, powerful noise cancellation that reduces even cacophonous surroundings to whisper-quiet, and a transparency feature for easily flipping in and out of the world around you, they’re, simply put, the bomb—and right now, they’re at the lowest price we’ve seen in a looong time.

Sure, you might be only one seat ahead of the bathroom, but these Bose earbuds tell a different story. Each earbud is built with microphones that listen to your surroundings—so you don’t have to—and produce the opposite signal to cancel the noise. You won’t even notice when you’ve landed until the flight attendant shakes you awake.

Your gate A connecting flight switched to gate F? Baggage pickup is where? Turns out, when you’re traveling, there are some things that you still need to hear. These top-of-the-line, smart, over-the-ear headphones pair with the Headphones Connect App so that you can control your ambient sound settings to let you hear important travel announcements. It’s almost as good as having your mom there to listen for you. (They’ve got a solid 4.5/5 star rating comprised of more than 20,000 reviews.)

You’ve already sprung for a vacation. The thought of dropping a few hundred bucks on headphones makes you ask yourself if a few hours of being unable to escape from crying babies is really that bad. The answer? Yes, yes it is. You need these affordable Soundcore headphones. They don’t skimp on noise cancellation or battery life, either. They have a 40-hour playing time in noise cancellation mode. Hello, ten-hour layover. 

That is to say, not like the screaming babies on your plane—like all the peaceful cherubs somewhere else. These Sleepbuds are designed with two things in mind: keeping annoying noises out (snoring, noisy upstairs neighbors, the garbagemen banging around outside at 5 AM) and pumping good noises in (white noise, relaxing music) if you so wish.  

You’re not dressed to impress and you’re proud of it. Chunky neck pillow, Berks and socks, maybe you’ve even got a snuggie. We feel you. Be bold in your claim on comfort with these headband-eye-mask headphones. Nothing says "let me be" more clearly. 

There’s not much you can do to make your seat more comfortable, but at least your ears don’t have to be subject to the same lowly circumstances. These COWIN E8s have super plushy, over-the-ear cushions that are designed on a rotating axis so that you can find your perfect sleeping position. 

Taking one last call as you board the plane? Or are you incapable of navigating without Amazon Alexa or your Google Assistant? If you’re going to be that person, at least carry out your conversations (with real people or AI) with top-notch Bose noise cancelling headphones… and hope that your fellow travelers have them, too. 

If you’re on a budget, try these ergonomic earbuds. They’re comfortable, waterproof, and get the job done when it comes to putting the noise of the world on hold. All for the price of a second checked bag.

Lost your AirPods? Spilled your beer on the nice headphones your mom got you for Christmas? Just can’t help the frequency with which you bump into things? You need something durable, a ride-or-die for all your misadventures: Jabra Elite headphones. They’re water-resistant and ruggedly built. 

Contrary to popular belief, Bluetooth hasn’t caused ye old wire, in-ear headphones to go extinct. In fact, modern noise-cancelling technology gets applied to them, too. These headphones from Sony have a powerful bass sound and are also compatible with the Android Smart Key app that lets you control headphone functionality from your phone.  

Pretend you’re a respected rapper with these Beats Solo3 Headphones, or drown out airline distractions on your next jet-setting endeavor. These Beats bless us with Bluetooth connectivity, up to 40 hours of battery life, and cushioned ear cups. It also takes phone calls, which is fabulous for when your parents start blowing up your phone to ask if you landed. 

If you still decide to travel sans headphones—or without the best travel gadgets—don’t say we didn’t try to warn you.

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