The best noise-cancelling earbuds include the most comfortable buds I’ve ever tested

Over-the-ear headphones are everyone’s usual go-to solution for blocking out the world. And listen, I get it. You couldn’t pry my Sony WH-1000XM4s out of my cold dead hands. But honestly, as much as I love them, carrying around a clunky pair of headphones when I’m on the go is not ideal. I want a pair of headphones to tuck in my pocket that will still block out noise. That’s the promise of the best noise-cancelling earbuds

Every top brand has its own take on ANC earbuds, each with a unique style and a plethora of features. Since you can’t possibly try them all, I’ve taken on the task of reviewing noise-cancelling earbuds for you.

How do noise-canceling earbuds work?

Noise-cancelling earbuds are small enough to slip in your pocket.
Credit: Samantha Mangino / Mashable

All noise-canceling headphones, including earbuds, have some passive noise-cancellation. While over-the-ear headphones naturally block out noise by wrapping around the ears, earbuds don’t block sound as effectively. Instead of covering your ears, wireless earbuds deliver sound directly into the ear canal to drown out other noises. They rely more on active noise cancellation (ANC) to reduce environmental noise.

ANC is an electronic process within the headphones. Internal microphones listen to your surroundings and then invert the sound, effectively canceling it. Sometimes, with noise-canceling headphones and earbuds, you’ll hear a slight buzzing or humming in the background, and that’s the ANC at work. The best ANC earbuds shouldn’t have this buzzing, however.

What are the best noise-cancelling earbuds?

Not all earbuds are created equal — some are far more comfortable than others.
Credit: Samantha Mangino / Mashable

While there are plenty of audio brands that provide good sound quality and noise cancellation, audio leaders Bose and Sony are in a league of their own. Not only do they offer phenomenal ANC, but they also make music and podcasts sound better. On a good pair of headphones, “Espresso” by Sabrina Carpenter sounds even catchier with its sickly sweet tune.

Earbuds usually aren’t as comfortable as over-the-ear headphones. I know this well, as I’ve found many pairs of earbuds that just plain don’t fit in my ear. Others are downright uncomfortable. Once again, Bose tends to offer the best comfort. However, Bose and Sony aren’t the only brands out there. That’s why I set out to test the best the market offers and see what makes a great pair of earbuds.

Since you probably don’t want to go through the process of buying and returning a dozen pairs of noise-cancelling earbuds before finding the right ones, I did that work for you.