Science
Best-in-Class Headphones That You Have to Get Now
Over-ear headphones are back in full force. For a while there, earbuds had fully taken over. But now that they aren’t the cool, new item, everyone is realizing that earbuds actually don’t sound half as good as over-ear headphones—and they certainly don’t cancel any noise. Over-ear headphones have far superior sound quality and usually a much longer battery life than bluetooth earbuds.
There’s nothing worse than spending money on a pair of headphones only to find out that they sound terrible and break after just a few wears. Instead of sending you out into the world to decipher the good headphones from the bad, we’ve rounded up a few of our favorite splurge-worthy pairs as well as a few more budget-friendly (but still high-quality) pairs. They offer a range of customizations and features, so you can hand-pick your pair based on what you care about most—whether it’s a 40-hour battery life or the ability to adjust noise-cancellation from an app. The possibilities are endless.
Bose QuietComfort 35 Wireless Headphones
Price: $349
Why You Need Them: If you’re looking for best-of-the-best, that’s what you’re going to get with these headphones. They have three levels of noise cancelation and are Alexa-enabled so you can access music and information on your phone hands-free. It also comes with a dual-microphone system, perfect for having crystal=clear phone calls.
Mpow 059 Bluetooth Headphones
Price: $35.99
Why You Need Them: Not only are these headphones a bargain, but they’re super well-made. They’re fully padded with memory-protein cushions that simulate human skin texture (sounds creepy, feels great) and have surprisingly high sound quality. They also have 20 hours of wireless battery life and come with an optional cord so you can use them with a wire even after they’ve died.
Beats Solo3 Wireless Headphones
Price: $299.5
Why You Need Them: Some say Beats aren’t worth the hype, but you can’t deny their impeccable sound quality and deep bass. They have 40 hours of battery life and adjustable ear cups, so you can fit them perfectly to your ears.
Jabra Move Wireless Headphones
Price: $49.99
Why You Need Them: Aside from the great sound quality and eight-hour battery life, these Jabra headphones are currently $50 off, so they’re worth jumping on. They also come with an optional wire so you can plug in and play music even when they’re out of battery.
Plantronics BackBeat GO 810 Wireless Headphones
Price: $139.02
Why You Need Them: These bluetooth headphones have 22 hours of battery life and 40 mm drivers that delivery incredibly high-quality audio. They also come with an app that allows you to control how noise-cancelling they are and customize the sound of your music with equalizer presets.
Sony WH1000XM3 Wireless Headphones
Price: $349.99
Why You Need Them: These noise-cancelling headphones have up to 30 hours of battery life and quick charging (10 minutes of charge gives you 5 hours of battery life). They also come with a number of additional microphones and touch sensor control to make hands-free calling easier and clearer than ever.
Bowers & Wilkins PX Active Noise Cancelling Headphones
Price: $399.99
Why You Need Them: These performance headphones were designed with you in mind. They respond directly to you and your movements—when you lift an ear cup, they pause. When you put them down, they go to sleep. When you pick them up, they resume playing. Genius. They also have up to 22 hours of battery life and adaptive noise cancellation, so you can customize them.
Avantree Wireless Headphones
Price: $44.99
Why You Need Them: These budget-friendly headphones boast superior Hi-Fi sound, 40 hours of battery life, and a comfortable, customizable fit. But the coolest feature has to be the dual-connectivity mode, where you can connect the headphones to two different devices at the same time (so you never miss a call while you’re listening to music or gaming).
JBL E45BT Wireless Headphones
Price: $83.27
Why You Need Them: These affordable headphones are equipped with 40 mm drivers (so their sound quality is as high as some of the pricy pairs) and 16 hours of battery life. You can seamlessly answer calls and play music, so they’re ideal for everyday use.They’re also currently $40 off on Amazon, so worth checking out.
