Updated by Lucian Bergstrom. Three shapes, three jobs. The best headphones and earbuds for you depends on which shape you pick first.
Best over-ear
Sony XM6
$450 and up
Check priceBest earbuds
Sony WF-1000XM6
$250 to $350
Check priceBest open-ear
OpenRun Pro 2
$150 to $250
Check pricePick the shape first. Over ear headphones for flights and desks, because the pads do half the isolation and the battery runs for days. Earbuds for pockets and gyms, where the tip does the sealing. Open-ear for roads, where being able to hear traffic is a requirement. Within each shape the best headphones on measurements are the Sony WH-1000XM6, the Sony WF-1000XM6 and the Shokz OpenRun Pro 2.
Over-ear for flights and desks: the pads do half the isolation work and the battery is measured in days. Earbuds for pockets and gyms, where the tip does the sealing. Open-ear for roads and shared rooms, where hearing the world is a feature rather than a flaw. The three are different tools, not three price tiers.
Three tools, not three tiersCategory roundups by type
Bose, by most accounts. SoundGuys found the Ultra's thicker padding clearly better over long sessions than the Sony's firmer clamp, and a firmer clamp is also what pushes on glasses arms. If you wear glasses, the things to look for are deep pads, low clamp force, and a band that sits behind the head rather than on top of it.
Bose padding wins long sessionsSoundGuys
Not the flagships. Neither the Sony WH-1000XM6 nor the Bose QC Ultra publishes a water rating, which tells you they are indoor and travel headphones. Sport models publish an IP figure, and that is the number to look for: the first digit is dust, the second is water.
No IP rating on either flagshipMaker specs
Best over-ear
The pads and the battery are the reason over-ear wins for travel, and this pair measures best at both.
| Spec | The box says | Testing and sources say |
|---|---|---|
| Noise cancelling | Sony: HD Noise Cancelling Processor QN3 | RTINGS calls them the best noise cancelling headphones they have tested, with outstanding isolation across the range |
| Battery | 30 hours with ANC on | RTINGS measured 31.75 hours continuous with ANC on; SoundGuys clocked 37 h 14 m in their test |
| Versus Bose | Not stated | What Hi-Fi? makes the Bose 2nd Gen marginally stronger at blocking, the Sony better for sound |
Sources: RTINGS, best noise cancelling headphones; SoundGuys, XM6 versus QC Ultra; What Hi-Fi?, best noise-cancelling headphones 2026. Full write-up: on the main list.
Best earbuds
Flagship cancellation in a pocket, as long as you take the tip fitting seriously.
| Spec | The box says | Testing and sources say |
|---|---|---|
| Testing | Sony's flagship earbuds | RTINGS lists the WF-1000XM6 among the noise cancelling models it has bought and tested |
| Noise cancelling | Sony's flagship ANC in earbud form | Earbuds seal with tips rather than pads, so isolation depends more on your ear than on the electronics |
| Battery | Hours, not days | Any earbud trades the flagship's 30 hours for a case you top up daily |
Sources: RTINGS, noise cancelling tested list; Crutchfield on codecs; Our listing data, 25 October 2026. Full write-up: on the main list.
Best open-ear
The shape to buy when hearing the world is a safety requirement rather than a failure.
| Spec | The box says | Testing and sources say |
|---|---|---|
| What it is | Bone conduction with a dedicated bass driver | The 2nd generation adds an air-conduction bass unit to fix the thin low end that bone conduction is known for |
| Noise | Open ear, nothing blocked | That is deliberate. For road running the hazard is not hearing a car, and reviewers recommend open designs for exactly that reason |
| Calls | Dual noise-cancelling mics | Run-focused reviewers rate call clarity as good rather than class-leading, especially in wind |
Sources: Shokz published specs; Running and audio reviewers on open-ear designs; Our listing data, 25 October 2026. Full write-up: on the main list.
Best cheap over-ear
Proof that shape counts for more than price: a light over-ear with three awards behind it.
| Spec | The box says | Testing and sources say |
|---|---|---|
| Class | Sony's affordable ANC over-ear | What Hi-Fi? calls it the best over-ear ANC pair they have tested at this price, with a third consecutive award |
| Noise cancelling | Dual Noise Sensor technology | What Hi-Fi? found it reliably dampened commute noise, an achievement most cheap sets miss, while noting the flagships block more |
| Battery | 35 hours with ANC | Longer on paper than either flagship above |
Sources: What Hi-Fi?, best cheap noise-cancelling headphones; Our listing data, 25 October 2026. Full write-up: on the main list.
The Beats to consider if you see it discounted and you want something that behaves on both phone platforms. Noise cancelling sits below the flagships.
Sources: Beats published specs; Our listing data, 25 October 2026.
Buy for the way it sounds, not for the silence. If the plane is the use case, the money goes further on the Sony or the Bose.
Sources: Published reviews of the Px7 line; Our listing data, 25 October 2026.
| Shape | Best at | Worst at | Battery | Typical buyer |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Over ear headphones | Flights, desks, the most cancellation | Heat, bag space, the gym | 24 to 60 hours | Commuters and office workers |
| Earbuds | Pockets, gyms, quick trips | Long sessions, battery | 6 to 10 hours plus the case | Everyone with a jacket pocket |
| Open-ear | Roads, awareness, long wear | Blocking anything at all | About 12 hours | Runners, cyclists, shared rooms |
| On-ear | Small and light | Comfort, isolation | Varies | Rare now, and for good reason |
The Sony WH-1000XM6 on measurements, the Bose QuietComfort Ultra 2nd Gen if raw blocking and padding matter more, and the Sony WH-CH720N if the budget is under a hundred. RTINGS calls the XM6 the best noise cancelling headphones it has tested; What Hi-Fi? made it their overall 2026 pick.
Isolation is physical: pads and tips blocking sound. ANC is electronic cancellation on top. RTINGS measures the two together because that is what you actually hear, and it is why a worn earpad costs you more quiet than a firmware update can give back.
In practice no, the words are used for the same thing. What matters is the codec your phone and headphones share, whether multipoint lets you hold two devices at once, and whether there is a cable option for when the battery dies.
The Sony WF-1000XM6 for Android, the AirPods line for iPhone, the Bose QuietComfort Ultra Earbuds if blocking is everything, and the Soundcore Space A40 if the budget is tight. For every one of them, change the tips until the seal is right before you judge the noise cancelling.
Under a hundred dollars, the Sony WH-CH720N over-ear and the Soundcore Space A40 earbuds. Both have been tested by outlets that publish their methods. Below about forty dollars, active noise cancelling claims stop meaning much and you are buying passive isolation.
Look for deep pads, a soft clamp and, best of all, a band that sits behind the head. Glasses arms break the seal, and a broken seal is the main reason ANC underperforms for people who wear them. Our fit checklist walks through the five-minute test.