Noise-cancellation is a necessity for anyone who travels.
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This content originally appeared on Mashable for a US audience and has been adapted for the UK audience.
We all know the racket that comes with taking a flight: engines, clatter, babies, music leaking from other people’s headphones, and that weird hum that just permeates in the cabin. What you need are a pair of headphones that not only sound great and offer smart features, but a pair that can also block out the world around you. It’s a fast track to total relaxation on a flight.
Buying a pair of headphones, however, is never straightforward. There are all sorts of features and designs to choose from. Not to mention a price scale that ranges from “suspiciously cheap” to “eye-wateringly expensive.” Unless you know your stuff, it’s hard to know where to even start. That’s where we come in.
We’ve already rounded up the best headphones in general, the best noise-cancelling headphones, and the best wireless headphones. But this is the first time we’ve looked at the best options for air travel, to help you have a more comfortable flight. Before making your choice, check out this need-to-know information.
What makes a pair of headphones good for flying?
Headphones come with all sorts of features, from customisable sound to voice assistant connectivity. But there are some features that are especially good for flying, such as Bluetooth connectivity, battery life, and noise cancellation.
Are wired or wireless headphones better for travelling?
In day-to-day life — as in, life on the ground — it’s down to personal choice. Most audiophiles will tell you that wired headphones deliver better sound, while wireless headphones tend to be packed with more smart tech. On a flight, Bluetooth wireless headphones are likely more practical. You can stretch your legs around the cabin without being attached to your device. Not to mention the fact that traditional headphone jacks are incompatible with in-flight entertainment systems. You’re better off going with Bluetooth and connecting to your own smart device.
How long do headphone batteries last?
That all depends on the model. It stands to reason that if you’re taking a flight — especially long-haul — then you want a set with a good battery life. Over-ear headphones have much better batteries than earbuds. Around 30 hours is a very respectable battery life but you can find anything up to 50 hours. In-ear headphones and earbuds have weaker batteries due to their size — a pair of earbuds on this list go for just four hours, for instance — but they often come with a charging case that extends the battery life by many more hours.
What is noise cancellation?
Active noise cancellation (ANC) is a clever bit of tech that blocks out external sound. It uses mini microphones that detect incoming noise and then create anti-sound waves to cancel out that noise. Some headphones have variations of ANC, such as “adaptive” noise cancellation, which cleverly adapts to your surroundings, or ambient modes which let in certain types of external noise such as other people’s voices, so you know when someone’s started a conversation.
What are the best headphones for flying?
We have searched through Amazon’s wide selection of noise-cancelling headphones to help you find the best headphones for every traveller, from headphones that can be folded up neatly to ergonomic in-ear headphones. There is something for everyone in this list.
These are the best headphones for flying in 2023.
These noise-cancelling headphones are next-level: the very latest model from the world’s favourite audio brand, the Sony WH-1000XM5.
They’ve got the price tag to match, of course. But unless you want to go down the rabbit hole of specialist audiophile gear (which wouldn’t be much good on a plane anyway), these are as good as it gets.
These headphones have some of the best sound and noise cancellation available, meaning you can fully immerse yourself during flights. The noise cancellation — powered by Sony’s V1 chip — isn’t just active, it’s adaptive. That means it recognises your surroundings and adjusts accordingly.
A “Speak-to-Chat” function recognises when you’ve started a conversation and pauses the music. Arguably best of all for long-haul fliers is the immense comfort of the over-ear cups — comfortable enough for a long-haul flight.
The British-made Bower & Wilkins continue to break ground with their audio tech. The Bower & Wilkins PI7 headphones are expensive but the smart tech makes them worth the cost for frequent flyers.
The charging case acts as a retransmission system, which can be plugged directly into the in-flight system. The case then retransmits the sound directly to your earbuds. That means you can watch the in-flight entertainment without using the flimsy buds provided by the airline.
If you prefer streaming Netflix from your phone or laptop, they also support the aptX Adaptive codec, which has an always-adjusting bitrate — that means a picture and sound combo that’s lag-free and always stay in sync.
The sound is fantastic, with Dual Hybrid Drive units and Diamond Series speakers. There’s adaptive noise cancelling, too, though better noise cancelling is available. That’s worth bearing in mind if you’re the kind of flyer who gets irritated by the plane’s constant droning noise.
For anyone whose listening habits on flights are casual or unfussy, look no further that the JBL Tune 660NC headphones. They’re inexpensive and impressive at this price point.
JBL do their best work at this mid-level range, with long-lasting, high-performance headphones. What makes these especially good for flying is the active noise cancellation (as good as it gets at this price) and the 44-hour battery. You could fly to Australia and back (almost) with that kind of lifespan.
The hard-wearing design means you can sling them into your bag worry-free. They can take a good bashing without breaking. Sure, there are better sounding headphones, but JBL’s signature sound is still very good, with big bass.
The Sennheiser HD 450BT provide powerful, excellent sound quality. After all, this is a brand that’s serious about audio tech. It’s not just what you hear but also what you don’t. NoiseGard active noise cancelling tech blocks virtually all unwanted ambient sound, whether you’re in the air or in a noisy office.
Near Field Communication allows instant pairing, accessing your smart devices without any fuss. And the ear cup-mounted controls are very intuitive. You can switch up your music, take calls, or lower your headphones’ volume.
The Sennheiser’s design is simple, elegant, and minimalistic. They’re created for comfort, with super soft leatherette covered ear pads that make listening to music and watching movies and TV a genuine pleasure.
They can also be folded up for easy transportation and packing — and you can listen for entire long-haul flights with their 30 hour battery life.
It’s another entry from Sony, which is unsurprising — it’s one of the go-to brands for audio technology wherever you fly around the globe. The Sony WI-XB400 are far from the most advanced earbuds in the Sony range but they do have some nice touches that make them ideal for flying.
For starters, you can easily throw them in a bag or even in your pocket. They also have punchy bass, which helps overpower the ambient noise of flying.
But best of all, the buds are actually magnetic, so when you’re not actually listening to them you can keep them connected around you like a necklace. If you’re the kind of person who gets easily disorganised on flights — never sure whether you’ve stashed your belongs in the seat pocket, overhead, or left them in your luggage — these are absolutely ideal.
Bethany Allard is a shopping reporter at Mashable covering beauty tech, dating, and sex and relationships. She graduated from New York University with a B.A. in Journalism and English Literature. You can follow her on Twitter @betallard and reach her by email at [email protected].
Matt Ford is a freelance contributor to Mashable.
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