Flying has never had a reputation for being the most stress-free way to travel, but gone are the days of getting to the airport two hours early to keep calm. A boom in travelers and a shortage of airline employees has meant that flying has never been more chaotic, which is all the more reason to seek out peace where you can.
Enter: noise canceling headphones. Even if you’re not a frequent flyer, getting a pair of headphones that can block out the sounds of a roaring engine, crying babies, or crying adults (flight delays are stressful), can make or break your travel experience.
The good news is plenty of headphones, both over the ear and earbuds alike, offer active noise cancelation these days. While having options means you don’t have to pay a lot to get in on that sweet, sweet ANC, those price differences aren’t without reason.
Some headphones, for instance, offer different levels of noise cancelation, and transparency modes that allow you to keep them on while being able to hear what’s going on around you.
Let’s not forget that ANC on its own won’t save the day — otherwise we’d just direct you to our best noise-canceling headphones. Comfort can be key too. It won’t matter if your headphones block sound out well if you only want to wear them for two out of five hours of your flight. And for those who wouldn’t mind to invest simultaneously in their in-flight headphones and general in-life headphones, a few extra features — like balanced sound and voice assistance — can’t hurt.
With that in mind, we’ve rounded up some of the best headphones for flying to make taking all of those factors into consideration way less stressful than heading to the airport.
But before we get into our picks, we’ve answered some questions on what you need to know before making a purchase.
What is noise cancellation?
Noise-canceling headphones work by reducing unwanted ambient sounds using active noise control. A microphone captures the ambient sounds before an amplifier generates sound waves out of phase with the unwanted sounds. That way, the music you’re listening to shines through the noises you don’t want to hear like babies crying, people talking, or general airplane noise.
Generally, noise cancellation works best with constant droning sounds like a plane engine rather than sharp sounds like voices, but the best noise-canceling headphones still do a good job of blocking these out to some degree.
Is there a difference between noise cancellation and active noise cancellation?
Some headphones offer passive noise cancellation (also known as noise isolation) rather than active noise cancellation (ANC). Instead of using microphones to filter out undesired sounds, these headphones rely on soundproofing by physically blocking outside sounds using the materials they’re made out of. It’s less effective than using a pair of headphones that use Active Noise Cancellation but it does mean there’s less of a strain on battery life.
Some people also prefer passive noise cancellation as active noise cancellation has been known to make people feel pressure in their ears. When using headphones for travel though, this is less of an issue and also generally something that frequent flyers will learn to live with over excessive noise.
Does paying more really get me more noise cancellation?
Generally, yes. Many earphones and headphones offer noise cancellation features but they aren’t all the same. Typically, the more you pay and the better known and regarded the brand is, the better the noise cancellation is. Brands like Bose or Sony often offer multiple different levels of noise cancellation so you can choose to be completely blocked off from the world or opt to allow some surrounding noises to come in while flying.
As we mentioned, investing more can get you some nice features to supplement your ANC, like voice assistant support, expansive battery life, advanced codec support for better-sounding music, or better call quality. If you’re a frequent flyer, the cost is almost certainly worth it.
Do noise-canceling headphones help on airplanes?
Noise-canceling headphones are at their most useful on airplanes. While flying, it’s difficult to find a moment’s peace when so much is going on around you. Frequent flyers may prefer to rest or work despite airplane noise distracting them. The best way to do this is by using the best noise cancellation methods to block out what’s going on.
Do noise-canceling headphones help with flight anxiety?
It depends on why you have flight anxiety. If you hate the idea of being “stuck” on a plane, it might not work as well as if it’s the noises that cause you anxiety. However, by being able to zone out and listen to your favorite music or podcasts, you can forget that you’re on an airplane as you won’t notice you’re flying in the same way as if you hear all the surrounding noises.
Similarly, if you hate flying because of ambient noise like children crying or loud talking, noise-canceling headphones can help hide this away from your ears, meaning you can relax better. With a combination of meditative sounds and music, the best noise-canceling headphones can whisk you away from irritants. Effectively, you can cocoon yourself away from the reminders that you’re traveling.
We’ve included something for everyone, from popular brands like Sony, Beats, and Apple. These are the best noise-canceling headphones for flying in 2022.
