All the Headphones Wirecutter Recommends
We’ve updated this list with our latest picks.
Choosing the right headphones can be complicated—with so many styles available, it’s hard to know where to begin. We’ve tested hundreds of pairs and organized all of our headphone recommendations by use. Whether you need headphones for everyday enjoyment, workouts, or a long flight, we’ve got you covered.
Headphones for everyday use
These are our most versatile and popular picks, which are great for use at home, at the office, or on the go.
Bluetooth headphones
Wireless headphones are for people who don’t like to be tethered to their music devices. Bluetooth audio quality has come a long way, so you can expect a great listening experience from these over-ear and on-ear headphones.
The JBL Tour One M2 over-ear headphones sound great, have a long battery life, and offer premium features at a lower price than the competition. Some controls are a bit sensitive, though.
The Best Bluetooth Wireless Headphones
The JBL Tour One M2 over-ear headphones sound great, have a long battery life, and offer premium features at a lower price than the competition. Some controls are a bit sensitive, though.
The affordable Soundcore Space One sounds good, is comfortable to wear, and has a long battery life. But they aren’t as refined in sound or build as our top pick.
The Best Bluetooth Wireless Headphones
The affordable Soundcore Space One sounds good, is comfortable to wear, and has a long battery life. But they aren’t as refined in sound or build as our top pick.
The Sony WH-1000MX5 headphones are well made and feature-packed, and they can sound wonderful. But to get them sounding their best, some setup effort is required.
The Best Bluetooth Wireless Headphones
The Sony WH-1000MX5 headphones are well made and feature-packed, and they can sound wonderful. But to get them sounding their best, some setup effort is required.
This pair provides the convenience of Bluetooth while still prioritizing sound quality. But these headphones lack features like noise cancellation and water resistance.
The Best Bluetooth Wireless Headphones
This pair provides the convenience of Bluetooth while still prioritizing sound quality. But these headphones lack features like noise cancellation and water resistance.
Wireless earbuds
If you don’t like the feeling of headphones on or over your ears, wireless earbuds offer a reliable way to get great-sounding music to your ears and a clear-sounding voice to your phone-call recipients.
These tiny earbuds have great sound, excellent noise cancellation, and a long battery life. But they don’t support a voice-activated assistant like Alexa or Siri, and the touch controls are slightly limited.
The Best Wireless Bluetooth Earbuds
These tiny earbuds have great sound, excellent noise cancellation, and a long battery life. But they don’t support a voice-activated assistant like Alexa or Siri, and the touch controls are slightly limited.
These earbuds sound great, fit securely, and offer the convenience of hands-free Siri voice control. However, they lack dual-device pairing, and the chunky case can’t charge wirelessly.
The Best Wireless Bluetooth Earbuds
These earbuds sound great, fit securely, and offer the convenience of hands-free Siri voice control. However, they lack dual-device pairing, and the chunky case can’t charge wirelessly.
This pair offers your choice of voice-activated Alexa or Google Assistant control, as well as good sound and excellent noise cancellation. But the touch-based controls have some limits.
The Best Wireless Bluetooth Earbuds
This pair offers your choice of voice-activated Alexa or Google Assistant control, as well as good sound and excellent noise cancellation. But the touch-based controls have some limits.
This affordable pair is loaded with features and performs respectably well, but the sound quality and features fall short of the best competitors.
The Best Wireless Bluetooth Earbuds
This affordable pair is loaded with features and performs respectably well, but the sound quality and features fall short of the best competitors.
Earbuds under $50
Let’s be honest: Most cheap earbuds are junk. They’re uncomfortable, poorly constructed, and terrible sounding. But these picks defied our assumptions of what inexpensive earbuds could be. Whether you prefer wired or wireless, we have you covered.
The EarFun Free 2S earbuds are completely wireless and come with a lot of features you don’t usually find at this price, and the sound quality is solid.
The Best Earbuds Under $50
The EarFun Free 2S earbuds are completely wireless and come with a lot of features you don’t usually find at this price, and the sound quality is solid.
This wired pair sounds excellent for its affordable price, and it comes with a three-button remote and a microphone to control music playback and take phone calls.
The Best Earbuds Under $50
This wired pair sounds excellent for its affordable price, and it comes with a three-button remote and a microphone to control music playback and take phone calls.
These earbuds have great sweat resistance and sound good for the price. They hook over your ears to stay in place, making them perfect for working out.
The Best Earbuds Under $50
These earbuds have great sweat resistance and sound good for the price. They hook over your ears to stay in place, making them perfect for working out.
Headphones for specific activities
Whether you’re a frequent flier, a fitness fan, a gamer, or a parent or guardian trying to protect your kiddo’s hearing, we have recommendations.
Noise-cancelling headphones
For frequent flyers or commuters on public transit, reducing the noise around you is the difference between enduring a trip and enjoying it. Noise-cancelling headphones can make your music easier to hear and your world a little more peaceful.
The Bose 700 over-ear headphones deliver excellent noise cancellation in a comfortable, lightweight design that’s traveler friendly—but they carry a high price.
The Best Noise-Cancelling Headphones
The Bose 700 over-ear headphones deliver excellent noise cancellation in a comfortable, lightweight design that’s traveler friendly—but they carry a high price.
These Sony wireless earbuds sound fantastic and cancel noise better than any others we’ve tested. However, people with very small ears might struggle to keep them securely in place.
The Best Noise-Cancelling Headphones
These Sony wireless earbuds sound fantastic and cancel noise better than any others we’ve tested. However, people with very small ears might struggle to keep them securely in place.
This wireless pair of earbuds offers excellent noise cancellation, great sound, long battery life, and lots of extra features. But the touch controls are slightly limited.
The Best Noise-Cancelling Headphones
This wireless pair of earbuds offers excellent noise cancellation, great sound, long battery life, and lots of extra features. But the touch controls are slightly limited.
This pair of over-ear headphones cancels noise impressively, sounds great, is comfortable to wear, and has a long battery life—all for less than $100.
The Best Noise-Cancelling Headphones
This pair of over-ear headphones cancels noise impressively, sounds great, is comfortable to wear, and has a long battery life—all for less than $100.
Workout headphones
For workout headphones, we prioritize durability and comfort. At the gym you may want to block out external distractions, so sealed headphones and earbuds are best.
Waterproof and sweatproof with a secure fit, these JBL earbuds offer good sound, excellent noise cancellation, and a helpful hear-through mode. But the controls have some limits.
The Best Workout Earbuds and Headphones
Waterproof and sweatproof with a secure fit, these JBL earbuds offer good sound, excellent noise cancellation, and a helpful hear-through mode. But the controls have some limits.
Flexible wings help keep this Apple-friendly pair secure in your ears. But the IPX4 water resistance may not be high enough for the most punishing activities.
The Best Workout Earbuds and Headphones
Flexible wings help keep this Apple-friendly pair secure in your ears. But the IPX4 water resistance may not be high enough for the most punishing activities.
This affordable pair hooks over your ears to stay in place, has an IP55 water-resistance rating, and sounds surprisingly decent for the price. But it lacks some advanced features.
The Best Workout Earbuds and Headphones
This affordable pair hooks over your ears to stay in place, has an IP55 water-resistance rating, and sounds surprisingly decent for the price. But it lacks some advanced features.
The MoveBuds H1 earbuds have a 15-hour battery life, a high, IPX8 water-resistance rating, and good sound quality—but they lack a few helpful features that you get with our more expensive picks.
The Best Workout Earbuds and Headphones
The MoveBuds H1 earbuds have a 15-hour battery life, a high, IPX8 water-resistance rating, and good sound quality—but they lack a few helpful features that you get with our more expensive picks.
Running headphones
Whether you’re prepping for your annual marathon or jogging for the first time, running headphones can help provide musical motivation. Some runners like to block out noise completely, while others prefer to hear their surroundings.
This pair reduces gym and street noise, sounds great, and has easy-to-use controls. The hear-through mode is good for conversations but isn’t ideal when you need to hear your surroundings for safety.
The Best Headphones for Running
This pair reduces gym and street noise, sounds great, and has easy-to-use controls. The hear-through mode is good for conversations but isn’t ideal when you need to hear your surroundings for safety.
The Cleer Arc II Sport’s design is akin to wearing tiny speakers aimed at your ears, keeping your ear canals unobstructed so you can stay alert while enjoying your music.
The Best Headphones for Running
The Cleer Arc II Sport’s design is akin to wearing tiny speakers aimed at your ears, keeping your ear canals unobstructed so you can stay alert while enjoying your music.
This affordable pair hooks over your ears to stay in place, has an IP55 water-resistance rating, and sounds surprisingly decent for the price. But it lacks some advanced features.
The Best Headphones for Running
This affordable pair hooks over your ears to stay in place, has an IP55 water-resistance rating, and sounds surprisingly decent for the price. But it lacks some advanced features.
If you don’t like the feeling of earbuds, these bone-conduction headphones transmit music directly to your inner ear and keep your ear canal open. Voices are clear, but you won’t hear a lot of bass.
The Best Headphones for Running
If you don’t like the feeling of earbuds, these bone-conduction headphones transmit music directly to your inner ear and keep your ear canal open. Voices are clear, but you won’t hear a lot of bass.
Kids headphones
For the kid in your life who needs headphones, volume-limiting headphones are a tool that, when used properly, can assist in protecting a child’s hearing. Our picks not only make kids happy but also help to provide peace of mind for adults who care for them.
This wireless pair effectively limits volume and should fit most preschoolers to tweens equally well. Our testers liked the more grown-up styling, and you can swap between on-ear and over-ear pads.
The Best Kids Headphones
This wireless pair effectively limits volume and should fit most preschoolers to tweens equally well. Our testers liked the more grown-up styling, and you can swap between on-ear and over-ear pads.
These wireless headphones offer good sound quality, easy-to-use controls, a comfortable fit, and active noise cancellation to reduce engine noise.
The Best Kids Headphones
These wireless headphones offer good sound quality, easy-to-use controls, a comfortable fit, and active noise cancellation to reduce engine noise.
The boom mic on this wireless pair extends when you need it and retracts when you don’t. And unlike on any other Bluetooth headphones we tested, the microphone still works when you use the optional cable.
The Best Kids Headphones
The boom mic on this wireless pair extends when you need it and retracts when you don’t. And unlike on any other Bluetooth headphones we tested, the microphone still works when you use the optional cable.
These solidly built wired headphones won’t slip off the smallest heads, and they should be easy for little hands to use without assistance.
The Best Kids Headphones
These solidly built wired headphones won’t slip off the smallest heads, and they should be easy for little hands to use without assistance.
This affordable and comfortable pair is available in a ton of colors, fits elementary-age to tween kids, and works both wired and wirelessly.
The Best Kids Headphones
This affordable and comfortable pair is available in a ton of colors, fits elementary-age to tween kids, and works both wired and wirelessly.
Gaming headsets
Frequent gamers need headsets that are comfortable and reliable, with clear microphones for chatting about strategy with teammates. Gaming headsets are most helpful for playing multiplayer games like Overwatch, Fortnite, or Destiny 2.
Comfortable across a wide range of head sizes, this headset provides detailed, spacious sound that’s perfect for games, and it works on every modern platform and device.
The Best Gaming Headsets
Comfortable across a wide range of head sizes, this headset provides detailed, spacious sound that’s perfect for games, and it works on every modern platform and device.
The HyperX Cloud Stinger 2 offers clear and impressive sound quality seldom found in headsets at this price, and it’s comfortable enough for most people to wear for hours on end without complaint.
The Best Gaming Headsets
The HyperX Cloud Stinger 2 offers clear and impressive sound quality seldom found in headsets at this price, and it’s comfortable enough for most people to wear for hours on end without complaint.
Indisputably the best headset we tested this year, this model has a rich, enveloping soundstage with superb clarity, as well as a lightweight build that makes it easy to forget you’re wearing a headset.
The Best Gaming Headsets
Indisputably the best headset we tested this year, this model has a rich, enveloping soundstage with superb clarity, as well as a lightweight build that makes it easy to forget you’re wearing a headset.
Headphones for watching TV
Wireless TV headphones let you enjoy TV shows, movies, and video games without disturbing people around you. With faster transmission speeds than Bluetooth headphones, radio-frequency-based headphones ensure that what you see syncs up with what you hear.
The NS-HAWHP2 over-ear headphones are comfortable, with a solid sound and no audio lag. The transmitter doubles as a charging base, but the system supports only a single pair of headphones.
The Best Wireless TV Headphones
The NS-HAWHP2 over-ear headphones are comfortable, with a solid sound and no audio lag. The transmitter doubles as a charging base, but the system supports only a single pair of headphones.
The HP-902RFT renders very little latency and comes with two pairs of headphones. But its sound quality is just average, and it’s tricky to add to your AV system.
The Best Wireless TV Headphones
The HP-902RFT renders very little latency and comes with two pairs of headphones. But its sound quality is just average, and it’s tricky to add to your AV system.
Sleep headphones
Sleep headphones can help you block out sounds, fall asleep to music, or mask issues such as tinnitus. While no pair we tested has been perfect, we still have recommendations to address specific needs, but you should be prepared to accept compromises.
The headband-style SleepPhones come in different sizes and fabrics, and you can stream any audio to them wirelessly via Bluetooth. But they cost more than many similarly styled competitors.
The Best Sleep Headphones (But We Hoped for Better)
The headband-style SleepPhones come in different sizes and fabrics, and you can stream any audio to them wirelessly via Bluetooth. But they cost more than many similarly styled competitors.
These wireless earbuds physically block out noises and can play preloaded sounds or stream audio from your phone. They’re smaller than other wireless earbuds, but people with sensitive ears may find that side-sleeping with them is uncomfortable.
The Best Sleep Headphones (But We Hoped for Better)
These wireless earbuds physically block out noises and can play preloaded sounds or stream audio from your phone. They’re smaller than other wireless earbuds, but people with sensitive ears may find that side-sleeping with them is uncomfortable.
Headphones for the best sound quality
When your goal is the absolute best sound for your money, these picks ditch the bells and whistles and put audio quality first.
Everyday audiophile headphones
These wired headphones are for music connoisseurs who want better performance than standard cans offer but not something so expensive or delicate that you’re afraid to take them with you to work or school.
These comfortable, exciting-sounding planar-magnetic headphones are difficult to beat, especially at this price.
The Best Audiophile Headphones for Everyday Use
These comfortable, exciting-sounding planar-magnetic headphones are difficult to beat, especially at this price.
These headphones deliver a spacious, balanced sound, but the open-back design lets sound in and out.
The Best Audiophile Headphones for Everyday Use
These headphones deliver a spacious, balanced sound, but the open-back design lets sound in and out.
If you want the absolute best-sounding sealed over-ear headphones under $2,000, get this pair.
The Best Audiophile Headphones for Everyday Use
If you want the absolute best-sounding sealed over-ear headphones under $2,000, get this pair.
Budget audiophile headphones
Not every audiophile has an audiophile budget. These headphones sound great but still leave money in your wallet.
The Sony MDR-7506, a longtime favorite of audio professionals and the universal choice among our listening panel, offers more reliability, more comfort, and better sound than many headphones that are twice its price.
The Best Audiophile Headphones for Everyday Use
The Sony MDR-7506, a longtime favorite of audio professionals and the universal choice among our listening panel, offers more reliability, more comfort, and better sound than many headphones that are twice its price.
Wired earbuds
Wired earbuds are for the audio lover who is always on the move. Because extra features tack on extra money, generally you can get better sound in wired earbuds than in similarly priced wireless designs.
The FD3 Pro pair offers excellent sound and build quality, plus a ton of accessories. The cable is sturdy and detachable, but it lacks a remote and microphone.
The Best Wired Earbuds
The FD3 Pro pair offers excellent sound and build quality, plus a ton of accessories. The cable is sturdy and detachable, but it lacks a remote and microphone.
Though these earbuds have a more utilitarian design and come with fewer accessories than our top pick, they sound great and are well built, and the cable is detachable.
The Best Wired Earbuds
Though these earbuds have a more utilitarian design and come with fewer accessories than our top pick, they sound great and are well built, and the cable is detachable.
This affordable pair’s sound quality makes it a great entry point for the more discerning music fan—but its shape may not be comfortable for everyone.
The Best Wired Earbuds
This affordable pair’s sound quality makes it a great entry point for the more discerning music fan—but its shape may not be comfortable for everyone.
The FH5s earbuds offer a more refined, balanced, and adjustable sound than our other picks, along with higher-quality components. But the larger earbud size may not appeal to people with sensitive ears.
The Best Wired Earbuds
The FH5s earbuds offer a more refined, balanced, and adjustable sound than our other picks, along with higher-quality components. But the larger earbud size may not appeal to people with sensitive ears.