A pair of the best active noise cancelling (ANC) headphones can transform your listening experience – whether that's because you walk a lot, travel a lot or because you have to commute to work. They'll cut out distracting noises so you can keep your focus on the music, or whatever type of media you choose to play.
From chilling out at home to trying to focus on your work in a busy office, noise cancelling headphones will make you feel totally immersed in your tunes. They're also great for taking calls: think catching up with friends and family, or joining online meetings with colleagues, where you'll be able to hear everything completely clearly.
To assemble this best ANC headphones list, we've selected the finest noise cancelling headphones at a number of distinct price points – and that includes the best noise cancelling earbuds if you're looking just for in-ears specifically.
T3 top picks
Best overall
Brilliant audio, brilliant noise cancelling, perfect for travelling around... there are a lot of reasons to choose the Bose QuietComfort Ultra Headphones, and they're top of our list.
Best for travel
There's lots to love about the Sony WH-1000XM6, besides the fantastic ANC: they fold up for travelling, they're really comfy to wear, and the sound quality is top notch.
Best earbuds
Despite their small size, the Bose QuietComfort Ultra Earbuds do a great job of blocking out the outside world, and of piping through audio at a consistently excellent level of quality.
Dave has been writing about technology and a broad range of gadgets – including the best ANC headphones – for more than two decades. All that experience and expertise is put to good use here, curating our picks for the top-tier models available now.
Update 6 October 2025: We've completely revamped our selection of the best active noise cancelling headphones on the market, bringing in all the new releases that have impressed us most, while keeping some of the existing classics around.
The best noise cancelling headphones in 2025
Best overall
Headphones are about listening to music and the Bose QuietComfort Ultra Headphones are not only fantastic at that, their active noise cancelling is unrivalled. These are particularly ideal for blocking out the outside world when on your travels.
Throw is a great carry case and folding design and, for us, that makes the Bose the best ANC headphones overall. You could even sleep in these, making them perfect for drowning out the hiss of airflow and passenger droning on flights.
As we said in our Bose QC Ultra Headphones review: "All hail the noise cancelling king! If you're looking for incredible travel headphones then you can do no better." They will cost you a considerable sum, but we'd say that they're worth every penny.
Best for travel
The latest in the stellar series of over-ear headphones from Sony are the WH-1000XM6, and they've been worth the wait: they offer fantastic sound and ANC, and bring back the folding design that makes these cans the perfect travelling companions.
Head over to our Sony WH-1000XM6 review for the full story: there we described the headphones as having active noise cancelling that actually "defies belief", offering some serious competition to the standards already set by Bose's headphones.
Admittedly, they're more expensive than their predecessors, but it's a price worth paying given what you get in return – not just sound quality that really impresses, but also premium-level design and build quality that make them very comfortable to wear.
Best earbuds
The Bose QuietComfort Ultra Earbuds are, as their name suggests, the ultimate noise cancelling earbuds. They're pricier than many of their competitors, but if blocking out extraneous noise to the extreme is your goal, these are perfect.
As we say in our Bose QC Ultra Earbuds review: "You'll find exceptional noise cancelling properties and a listening experience which doesn't fatigue on long sessions." The audio is great overall, and so is the accompanying phone app.
If it's in-ears that you specifically want for your ANC then, in many respects, these are the very best on the market. There's no getting around their high price, but if your budget is able to stretch to these wireless earbuds, they won't let you down.
Best luxury
We've picked the Jabra Elite 8 Active as the best ANC headphones for sports right now, and that's down to a number of factors – including the durable, premium-level quality of their construction, and the tight fit offered by these wireless earbuds.
Of course it's not all about the tough design: these Jabra Elite 8 Active headphones are able to pump out some fantastic-sounding audio as well, complete with noise cancelling. Whether you're jogging out working out, you'll love the soundscape.
Read our full Jabra Elite 8 Active review and you'll see that we described these earbuds as "brilliant workout buds, the most rugged on the market, with excellent sound" – which is quite an advertisement if you're looking to make a purchase.
Best Apple option
We know that Apple headphones work great with Apple devices, and if you're already invested in this ecosystem, the AirPods Max are a sensible choice for the best ANC headphones – even if they're comparatively expensive for what you get.
Active noise cancelling is only one of the areas where these over-ear headphones appeal though, because they're also really comfortable and very well designed. You're not going to be tired of wearing them after several hours of listening.
In our full Apple AirPods Max review we described these cans as sounding "rich, natural and detailed", with "absolutely excellent" ANC. They're some of the best headphones we've ever tried, and definitely worth a place on this particular list.
Best for comfort
The Sonos Ace headphones are the first pair we've seen launched by Sonos, and while it's a shame they don't offer full integration with existing Sonos Wi-Fi speaker systems, there's enough in the positives column for us to recommend them.
As you would expect from Sonos, the audio quality is absolutely top notch, and that extends to the active noise cancelling, which effectively blocks out the world. We like a lot of the design choices as well, and there's a decent amount of battery life here.
On top of all that, the Sonos Ace offer a superior level of comfort, thanks to the memory foam headband and snug fit. In our Sonos Ace review, tech editor Mike Lowe called them the most comfortable pair of headphones he's ever worn.
How we test
At T3 how we test our headphones is beautifully simple: we listen to them. A lot. And not just sitting in the office or in a quiet room. Out in the street. On public transport. On planes. Out shopping. The only way to test active noise cancelling is to find as many things to cancel as possible to make sure we can still hear the Wicked soundtrack.
And speaking of soundtracks, we hit every genre of music to make sure we can hear the full breadth of what each pair of headphones can offer. Treble, bass, mid tones and EQ all come under an aural microscope to make sure we get the most accurate impression. This also helpfully means we can get through plenty of battery to test manufacturer promises when it comes to how much juice is lurking in carry cases. And we'll always check fast charging too.
Finally we also understand that our busy lives mean music is only half of what we expect from our headphones. We spend plenty of time testing call quality, not just in terms of speaker clarity but also making sure that those on the other end can actually hear what we have to say. We test in both calm and windier conditions to make sure that mic quality will always stand up to everyday life.
How to pick
When it comes to picking the best headphones for you, the good news is that you don't automatically always have to go for the most expensive option. First of all, it's important to think about where you want to use your headphones. Are they for exercise? Wearing in the office? Or maybe to put the mute into your morning commute?
Dreadful puns aside, if you do want the rest of the world to disappear, you definitely want to invest the extra in a pair of active noise cancelling headphones, and if you're a gym bunny you'll really want something sweat-proof too.
Once you've worked out what you need, your next choice is what style of headphone you want. And truthfully it's all about comfort and subjectivity. Maybe you want the subtlety of a pair of true wireless in-ear buds, or maybe you want the world to know you are actively listening to music. We've given you the best ANC headphones for all budgets, so all you need to do is choose what's right for you.
FAQs
There are a lot of headphones on the market, and a lot of them feature active noise cancelling – so how exactly can you choose between them? What should you be looking for? Here are some of the most common buyer questions, answered.
Wired or wireless?
The perennial headphones question of wired vs wireless applies when it comes to ANC models as well, and the usual rules apply: wired headphones generally give you better and more stable audio quality, but it varies from model to model.
Wired headphones have the benefit of still working when the battery dies, but bear in mind that ANC does require battery power – in order to run the various chips and mics needed for the tech – so you'll be without ANC on both wired and wireless headphones if you run out of battery life.
Some models give you the choice of both wired and wireless connections, which might be ideal if you're looking for the ultimate in versatility. Otherwise, pick the one that best suits how you'll be using your ANC headphones.
Over-ear or earbuds?
You've also got a choice between compact in-ear earbuds and over-ear headphones when it comes to ANC-capable models. This decision is really up to personal preference, and perhaps how much you've got to spend.
If you're a daily jogger, then earbuds are less likely to slip off; if you like to settle down with a vinyl record, then over-ear headphones will give you more immersive sound. Earbuds are of course easier to slip into a bag or a pocket, though some over-ear headphones are tailored for travel too.
Generally, over-ear headphones have bigger components, more power, and better ANC. Again though, sound quality isn't necessarily better or worse between these two form factors – it still depends on the model.
What else am I looking for?
When it comes to ANC headphones specifically, there are a few features and specs to look out for. Multiple ANC modes are always welcome, as these let you control how much sound from the outside environment reaches your ears.
Something else to check for in wireless models is Bluetooth Multipoint, which lets you connect more than one device to your ANC headphones at the same time. It makes it much easier to switch between music on your laptop and a call coming in on your phone, for example.
Bluetooth codec support is important too, when it comes to wireless audio fidelity. Be sure to check that these codecs match up on your headphones and the devices you're connecting to, for the best experience.
Reviewer panel
The main man as far as the T3 tech section goes, Mike has lost count of the number of ANC headphones he's tested – which makes him the perfect person to review some of the models listed above, because he knows exactly what he's listening out for.
Max has a wealth of experience in testing consumer gadgets, and has a particular passion for high-quality audio. If a pair of ANC headphones aren't doing their job at blocking out external noises, he'll tell you – as you'll notice from his many reviews.
Sam's tech journalism is so good, across print and media, that he's won awards for it. You can be sure he knows what he's talking about when it comes to the best ANC headphones, as he's been through enough pairs to spot the diamonds and the duds.
Matt was the former T3 magazine editor and has a whole host of experience under his belt – including as T3's TV and AV Editor, which means that in his decade-plus of tech journalism experience he's placed many ANC headphones over and into his ears.