The 10 Most Comfortable Headphones of 2024, Tested and Reviewed

Best Overall, Over-ear

Sennheiser Momentum 4 Wireless

$380 At Amazon View On Sennheiser-hearing.com $300 At Best Buy

Our Ratings

• Ease of Use
  3.5/5
• Comfort
  5/5
• Sound Quality
  5/5
• Range
  5/5
• Battery Life
  5/5

Sennheiser’s Momentum 4 Wireless headphones are exceptionally lightweight and boast an impressive battery life making them the ideal pair of comfy headphones for travel. No matter what kind of audio you’re listening to, the sound quality is crisp and clear, especially when the active noise cancellation (ANC) is turned on. 

In just two short hours, the headphones can be completely charged (for up to 60 hours of play time depending on how you use the ANC settings), but you can get four hours of use after just a five-minute charge, too. The side buttons on each of the earpieces make it easy to adjust the volume, noise cancellation, and pause or play a song. Thanks to the padded ear pieces and adjustable headband, travelers can wear these customizable headphones with glasses or earrings on with no pinching. Pairing the headphones to Android and Apple devices is a breeze but we ran into issues trying to pair the Bluetooth headphones to a laptop after pairing it with a phone. 

The Details: 10.3 ounces | Up to 60-hour battery life | Up to 33 feet Bluetooth range | Over-ear | Noise canceling | Android and iOS

Best Overall, Earbuds

Bose QuietComfort Earbuds II

$199 At Amazon $280 At Target $279 At Walmart

Our Ratings

• Ease of Use
  5/5
• Comfort
  5/5
• Sound Quality
  5/5
• Range
  5/5
• Battery Life
  5/5

Bose’s new QuietComfort Earbuds II are the perfect versatile headphones for all types of activities. They come with three different rubber ear tip sizes and three sets of stability bands to conveniently adjust the security of the earbuds depending on the fit you need. We found the unique oval shape of the earbuds and interchangeable tips ensure a snug fit without adding too much pressure or any discomfort. After getting the most comfortable fit, adjust the settings and learn how to use the earbuds with the intuitive Bose app. 

The earbuds offer an “aware mode” to have the ability to hear sounds like nearby conversations and a “quiet mode” to completely tune out exterior sounds — both of which we found effective and helpful in a variety of situations. No matter what noise cancellation setting you’re in, music, podcasts, and phone calls sound impressively sharp and vibrant. Additionally, the buttons on each earpiece can control the volume, noise cancellation settings, song play, and phone calls.

The Details: 0.32 ounces | Up to 6-hour battery life | 30-foot Bluetooth range | Earbuds | Noise canceling | Microphone

Best for Exercising, Over-ear

Anker Soundcore Life Q35 Wireless

$100 At Amazon $110 At Walmart View On Soundcore.com

Our Ratings

• Ease of Use
  5/5
• Comfort
  5/5
• Sound Quality
  5/5
• Range
  5/5
• Battery Life
  5/5

If you’re not completely sold on switching from earbuds to over-ear headphones, we highly recommend starting with a wallet-friendly yet super functional pair like the Q35 model from Anker Soundcore. Don’t let the lower price tag fool you, as these headphones are lightweight and extremely comfy for all-day wear thanks to the memory foam earpieces that can be adjusted 15-degrees to mold around the head. Plus, the headphones can be fully charged within two to three hours for up to 40 hours of use and just five minutes of charging can give you four hours of play time. 

These headphones offer excellent noise-cancellation settings for blocking out loud sounds whether you’re traveling on an airplane or taking a phone call. It’s easy to switch between the ANC settings that include outdoor, indoor, and transit modes to tailor the already superb sound quality to match your environment. However, you’ll have to use the Soundcore app to switch the settings since the headphones themselves don’t have buttons like other higher-end models we tried. 

The Details: 9.6 ounces | 40 hours battery life | 65-foot Bluetooth range | Wired/wireless over-ear | Noise canceling | Microphone

Best Budget, Earbuds

Anker Soundcore Space A40

$59 At Amazon $80 At Target $79 At Walmart

Our Ratings

• Ease of Use
  5/5
• Comfort
  5/5
• Sound Quality
  5/5
• Range
  5/5
• Battery Life
  5/5

When it comes to value, you can’t beat the lower price tag and exceptional sound quality of the Anker Soundcore Space A40 earbuds. The earbuds include a whopping five sets of rubber eartips, offering the most sizes out of any pair of earbuds we tested. Once you choose the right ear tip size, the circular earbuds rest comfortably inside and you can use the buttons on each ear piece to adjust them. 

While the sharp sound quality and effective noise cancellation rival some of the pricier earbuds we tested, there is a lack of automatic ear detection so your audio might continue to play if you don’t pause your music before taking them out. Similarly to the AirPods Pro, these earbuds have adaptive, transparent, and active noise cancellation, as well as a normal setting so you can adjust to fit any needs while traveling. 

The Details: 0.64 ounces | Up to 50 hours | 30-foot Bluetooth range | Earbuds | Noise canceling

Easiest Set-up, Over-ear

Bose Noise Cancelling Headphones

$380 At Target $379 At Walmart $383 At Staples

Our Ratings

• Ease of Use
  5/5
• Functionality
  5/5
• Sound Quality
  5/5
• Noise Cancelation
  5/5
• Comfort
  5/5

These Bose 700 headphones are exceptionally lightweight and they come with a slim case, making the sleek over-ear headphones even easier to toss in a personal item or carry-on. There are 11 levels of passive and active noise-canceling settings with the ability to block out all noises with the highest setting — it’s so effective that you’ll barely be able to hear yourself talk. With an easy and intuitive set-up, users will be able to pair multiple devices with the headphones to switch between a phone and computer whether in the office or commuting. However, to get the most out of the special features and customizations, users will need to download the Bose app. 

For extra convenience, the right earcup has touch sensors to quickly and seamlessly adjust the sound level and noise-canceling presets or to use Siri, Google Assistant, and Alexa. Or, when you tap and hold on the ear cup, the headphones will automatically play the last song or podcast you listened to on Spotify. Although the headband is adjustable, the headphones didn’t feel super secure so they might be best used for leisurely activities rather than rigorous ones.

The Details: 8.8 ounces | Up to 20 hours battery life | 33-foot Bluetooth range | Over-ear | Noise canceling | Microphone 

Easiest Set-Up, Earbuds

Apple AirPods Pro (2nd Generation)

$189 At Amazon $280 At Walmart View On Verizon

Our Ratings

• Ease of Use
  5/5
• Comfort
  5/5
• Sound Quality
  5/5
• Range
  5/5
• Battery Life
  5/5

Apple’s second generation AirPods Pro boast a variety of travel-friendly features to prioritize comfort and versatility. The earbuds come with four different-sized rubber ear tips to find the right fit for comfort and stability whether you’re sitting on an airplane or running through the airport. The stem of each earbud has discrete buttons for playing and pausing music, ending a phone call, adjusting the sound level, and toggling between the active, passive, and transparent noise-cancellation settings. The sound quality is crisp and the noise cancellation settings are exceptional for blocking out the hum of an airplane engine. It’s super easy to pair these to an iPhone (or any Apple product) and the earbuds have a 6-hour battery life with an additional 24 hours of battery from the charging case so they can last for the duration of a long travel day without dying. 

The Details: 0.17 ounces | Up to 30 hours of battery life | 30-foot Bluetooth range | Earbuds | Noise canceling | Microphone

Best Settings, Over-ear

Sony WH-1000XM5 Headphones

$398 At Amazon View On Sony.com

Our Ratings

• Ease of Use
  2/5
• Functionality
  4/5
• Sound Quality
  5/5
• Noise Cancelation
  5/5
• Comfort
  5/5

If you’re in need of a pair of noise canceling headphones that get the job done, Sony’s WH-1000XM5 model blew us away. Although the headphones look a bit bulky, they are deceptively lightweight and have an adjustable headband with padded ear cups for maximum comfort. Plus, the soft leather exterior looks and feels luxurious, too. To make the headphones more portable, they collapse down to fit into a compact carrying case that can be placed in a backpack or carry-on without taking up too much space. 

While the design and comfort of the headphones stand out, the noise cancellation and sound quality are what makes these headphones worth the high price point. To block out virtually all outside sounds, active noise canceling (with eight speakers) is extremely effective for meetings, phone calls, and listening to music. The app makes it easy to customize and adjust the settings to fit your preferences and it can help guide you through the tricky set-up instructions. However, once you get the headphones paired, it’s well worth the slight inconvenience. 

The Details: 8.8 ounces | Up to 30 hours battery life | 30-foot Bluetooth range | Over-ear | Noise canceling | Microphone 

Best Settings, Earbuds

Jabra Elite 85t Earbuds

$167 At Amazon View On Factoryoutletstore.com

Our Ratings

• Ease of Use
  5/5
• Functionality
  4.5/5
• Sound Quality
  4.5/5
• Noise Cancelation
  4.5/5
• Comfort
  5/5

The Jabra Elite 85ts are super lightweight, making them ideal for wearing on a long-haul flight. They come with three different sizes of rubber tips so you can customize the fit and then use the Jabra Sound+ app to check for sound leakage which ensures you’re using the right ear tip to optimize noise-cancellation. Users can also use the app to adjust the 11 sound levels, six preset sound settings, create custom presets, and toggle the earbuds between active noise canceling and transparency modes. The app also has a white noise feature that will play ocean waves sounds in the background. When the active noise cancellation mode is on, you might still hear some loud noises depending on the sound level of your music (and we noticed that the sound quality for music could have been a bit more vibrant) but the earbuds still offer solid sound quality for music, podcasts, or phone calls. 

The Details: 1.06 ounces | Up to 25 hours battery life | 30-foot Bluetooth range | Earbuds | Noise canceling | Microphone

Best for Exercising, Earbuds

Beats Fit Pro Noise Canceling Earbuds

$199 At Amazon $200 At Target $200 At Walmart

Our Ratings

• Ease of Use
  4.5/5
• Comfort
  5/5
• Sound Quality
  5/5
• Battery Life
  4/5
• Value
  4/5

Owned by Apple, the Beats Fit Pro boasts the same instantaneous pairing process as a pair of AirPods. Within seconds of pressing the pairing button on the back of the charging case, your phone will automatically connect and you’ll be listening to tunes in no time. The Beats Fit Pro earbuds offer a unique design thanks to the soft rubber wing that rests in the upper part of the ear for extra security for running or working out at the gym. The earbuds come with three different-sized rubber tips so you can customize the fit for extra comfort. When it comes to sound quality, these earbuds are great for podcasts or phone calls, but the quality of music was a little dull compared to AirPods and other earbuds we tested. However, the noise-cancellation is excellent and does a superb job of blocking out exterior noise. 

The Details: 2.33 ounces | Up to 24 hours battery life | 33-foot Bluetooth range | Earbuds | Noise canceling | Microphone

Best Budget, Over-ear

Audio-technica ATH-M20xBT

$79 At Amazon

If you're looking for a budget pair of over-ear headphones for your next vacation, consider Audio-technica's ATH-M20xBT. Easy to charge and quick to pair with new devices (without the need to download an extra app), these headphones are perfect for anyone who is less tech-savvy, but still wants a durable pair of over-ear headphones. You can control the volume using your device or by hitting the toggle on the right side of the headphones, and can turn them on and off using an external button as well.

We love the comfortable ear pads that even kept our ears warm while out on long winter walks. After wearing the headphones for long hours both working and traveling, we never had issues with them squeezing or pinching. During our test, we even wore these throughout our workouts, and they stayed in place without issue. They are also adjustable so users can tailor these to their exact head size. And while they do feature a built-in microphone, calls don't come in quite as clear as pricier options.

The Details: 2.26 ounces | Up to 60 hours battery life | Over-ear | Microphone