Our expert audio team has tested hundreds of earbuds to bring you this guide to the very best noise-cancelling earbuds you can buy right now, including premium and budget picks, as well as the best ANC performer from our best open earbuds guide. We’ve reviewed and compared every pair of noise-cancelling buds here in real-world scenarios, so you know that their noise-blocking tech works effectively whether you’re listening at home, in an office, outdoors or on your commute.
We’ve based all of our recommendations here on rigorous testing followed by a head-to-head comparison. We carefully assessed each pair here to see how they stack up against the competition for sound, comfort and features. So if they’re in this guide, you can bet they’ve earned their spot.
Whether you’re after a budget-friendly bargain or a premium pair of the best wireless earbuds that could go toe-to-toe with the best noise-cancelling headphones, you’ll find what you’re looking for here. Do expect some overlap with our guide to the best earbuds, but this list is all about the silencing power of ANC first and everything else second.
Becky Scarrott
I’ve reviewed over 150 audio products since becoming a tech journalist, ranging from super-budget earbuds to high-end Hi-Res Audio music players. Before joining TechRadar, I spent three years at What Hi-Fi? testing everything the world of audio had to offer; before that, I was a professional dancer. My love of music ties it all together.
January 26, 2026
Refreshed the introduction to this guide, while also adding in a link to our best open earbuds guide. Removed the Earfun Air Pro 3 in no 2 as our ‘best budget’ pick, replacing them with the Nothing Ear (a). Moved the Honor Earbuds Open in the ‘best open earbuds with ANC’ category higher up in the guide. Finally, checked all copy to make sure we’re not referencing old products and everything is up to date for 2026.
The best noise-cancelling earbuds you can buy today
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The best noise-cancelling earbuds overall
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BUY THEM IF
✅ You want top-tier ANC in earbuds: We’ve never experienced noise cancellation this hushed and cocoon-like in earbuds – not even from the previous version.
✅ You crave bold, energetic audio: If you like your tracks to hit hard with deep, punchy bass, these Bose buds deliver in spades.
DON’T BUY THEM IF
❌ You already own the original Ultras: Unless wireless charging, a new color, or a small step up in already-excellent ANC sways you, you can skip this upgrade.
❌ You need marathon battery life: Battery performance isn’t bad, but some rivals last longer, like the Technics EAH-AZ100.
The Bose QuietComfort Ultra Earbuds 2nd Gen are easily the best overall noise-cancelling earbuds available, thanks to their stellar ANC and immersive sound. They replace the original QC Ultras in this guide and deliver an even more impressive noise-cancelling experience, which you can tweak to suit your environment. Incredibly versatile, they make an ideal travel companion, blocking out distractions whether you’re on a noisy flight or a bustling commute.
Sound performance has been upgraded in this latest version too. In our testing, we described them as “the most sonically exuberant listen” we’ve ever experienced in an earbud form factor. Expect loud, crisp, and truly expansive audio that delivers across the full frequency range, all enhanced by near-impenetrable ANC. It’s great to have the option to adjust this via a slider (Bose calls these Modes), which is incredibly handy.
The buds also feature Immersive Audio technology, bringing head-tracked spatial sound across devices, supported by aptX Adaptive. This was present in the first version, but this time you also get wireless charging and multipoint connectivity straight out of the box. Battery life remains at 6 hours per charge (24 with the case), which is fine, but unchanged from the previous model and a little behind some major rivals.
Design-wise, the 2nd Gen looks similar to its predecessor, so existing QC Ultra owners may be underwhelmed. That said, we found them very comfortable during testing, especially for smaller ears, and there’s a fit test included. This update also adds a new ‘Deep Plum’ color alongside the usual black and white options.
Bose has long been the benchmark for ANC, but this latest generation is the most effective we’ve ever tested. It’s no surprise they top our guide here and they’re easily the best choice if noise cancellation is your number one priority.
Read our full Bose QuietComfort Ultra Earbuds 2nd Gen review
Bose QuietComfort Ultra Earbuds 2nd Gen: scorecard
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Fit/comfort |
4/5 |
|
Active noise cancellation |
5/5 |
|
Audio |
5/5 |
|
Battery life |
4/5 |
The best budget noise-cancelling earbuds
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BUY THEM IF
✅ You want good-value ANC and sound: The noise cancelling and audio quality here is fantastic. You will find better, but would have to pay significantly more.
✅ Style matters to you: The whole Nothing brand is incredibly cool and these earbuds are the most stylish.
DON’T BUY THEM IF
❌ You want great spatial audio: That’s not here. You’d have to look at rivals, but most would charge much more for that audio wizardry.
❌ Your inner ear is small: We got a good fit with the small ear tips but the design may not suit those with a tiny concha (aka ear-well).
The Nothing Ear (a) pack in some seriously impressive ANC all for a great value price. For a while they were our top mid-range pick, but you can find them for such a cheap price now that they’re easily our top choice if you’re on a budget but want to effectively nix ambient sounds.
We know that Nothing buds all look quite similar. Which, admittedly isn’t a problem because that look is cool, stylish and bound to get attention. But don’t be fooled by the Nothing Ear (a), they’ve had some major improvements. The most notable is noise cancellation. You can choose from High, Mid, Low, and Adaptive profiles. In our review, we wrote: “High is very good: the hairdryer we used for testing was largely nixed.” You’ll find even better ANC out there, but you’ll have to pay high-end prices to notice a serious step up. In terms of other features, you’ll also find clear calls, some basic EQ settings and profiles, reliable on-ear controls. Bluetooth v5.3 and LDAC support for hi-res audio.
In our review, we commented that, when paired with a Sony smartphone, LDAC files are “delivered with expanse and pinpoint accuracy when it comes to the placement of each sonic article.” Even regular lossy files, the kind you’d find on Spotify, perform well here, delivering a sound we described as “fun and zealous”. Again, you’ll find better sound out there, but you’d have to pay over twice as much.
Looks-wise, Nothing buds have always been distinctive thanks to a transparent stem design. With the Nothing Ear (a) you get a smaller form factor that’s even easier to carry in a pocket. During testing, we found these buds incredibly comfortable to wear and they come with a choice of small, medium and large silicone tips. The only thing we will say is that if you have very, very small ears the design might be a bit big in your concha (that’s your ear well), so if you can it would make sense to try before you buy.
All in all, these are a seriously impressive pair of buds, especially considering their affordable price. You get great sound, a slick design and ANC that really impressed us. You’d have to pay big bucks to find buds that seriously improve on all of these points. Which is why this is our top budget recommendation for most people.
Although the Ear (a) remain our top budget pick, it’s worth mentioning that the new Nothing Ear (3) buds are now here. Although they’re more expensive, we thought you should know the Ear (a) are no longer the newest in-ear Nothing-branded buds on the block.
Read our full Nothing Ear (a) review
Nothing Ear (a): scorecard
|
Fit/comfort |
4/5 |
|
Active noise cancellation |
4.5/5 |
|
Audio |
5/5 |
|
Battery life |
4/5 |
The best open earbuds with noise-cancelling
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BUY THEM IF
✅ You want multipurpose buds: In our review, we made it clear these buds will do for workouts and general use.
✅ You want an open fit and ANC: It’s rare, but these are one of a handful of buds that do both.
DON’T BUY THEM IF
❌ You want all-day listening: The only disappointing thing about these open earbuds is their 6 hour battery life, which won’t do for work days or long runs.
❌ You want to tweak the audio: There are only two EQ modes to choose from here, if you like more customization you’ll be disappointed.
As the name suggests, the Honor Earbuds Open are open-ear earbuds, designed to let in a bit of the outside world. Perfect for anyone who needs to stay aware of their surroundings, whether in an open plan office or out on a run. They’re also great for people who dislike the feel of traditional in-ears. But here’s the twist: they also offer ANC, to a degree.
This isn’t the kind of ANC that blocks out everything, like you’ll find from other models in this guide. But it does a solid job of dampening background distractions while still letting more important sounds through, like train station announcements or the engines of nearby vehicles.
Unexpectedly, these earbuds also come with live translation. An interpreter app lets you chat in two of eleven supported languages, using your phone’s speaker and the buds. It’s a curious addition, but in early tests, it worked well.
Sound quality can be a weak spot for open earbuds, but these defy expectations. In our review, we said they “offer energetic bass, bristling treble and a soundstage that’d be most welcome on normal earbuds, let alone ones that don’t even sit within your ears.” And they’re not just sonically solid, they fit well too, which is often hit or miss with open designs. We found them comfortable and secure enough for workouts, making them a great choice for fitness, commuting, or just getting on with your day.
Battery life is fine but a little disappointing at around 6 hours with ANC off, 4.5 with it on, plus 22 hours with the case. Fine for daily use, but not built for all-day listening or long-distance travel. There’s also no EQ customization, beyond two preset modes, which might disappoint audiophiles who like to fine-tune their listening.
But there is a lot to love here, especially if you’ve been searching for open earbuds that offer even a hint of ANC. We expect more models to follow soon, but for now, the Honor Earbuds Open are our top pick for hearing the world and cutting out the noise that doesn’t matter.
Read our full Honor Earbuds Open review
Honor Earbuds Open: scorecard
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Fit/comfort |
4.5/5 |
|
Active noise cancellation |
4/5 |
|
Audio |
4.5/5 |
|
Battery life |
3/5 |
The best noise-cancelling earbuds for Apple
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BUY THEM IF
✅ You want the best ANC for your iPhone: Sure, all the buds in this list deliver great ANC. But if you’re an iPhone owner this is the best experience you’ll get from buds.
✅ You care about heart health: Whether you workout regularly or just like tracking health metrics, the heart rate monitor is a nice addition.
DON’T BUY THEM IF
❌ You like really long listening sessions: The battery life here isn’t exactly bad, but it’s just average by today’s standards.
❌ You don’t have an iPhone: It should go without saying at this point, but you won’t get the most from these if you’re an Android user.
The AirPods Pro 3 replace the Pro 2 buds as our top pick for Apple lovers. See, the Pro 2 already had excellent ANC. It wasn’t Bose levels, but it was close. Now Apple says the ANC in the Pro 3 is twice as good. Which is an incredibly bold claim. But after spending significant time hands-on testing them, we can vouch for it.
Our reviewer actually wrote it’s the “neatest near-silent ANC performance I’ve ever experienced using an iPhone source device.” Which is an incredibly testament to their noise-nixing abilities. Well, as long as you have an iPhone…
Apple hasn’t just improved the ANC, the design has had a refresh too, making the buds much more streamlined. The result is they’ll sit in your ear in a way that’s noticeably more comfortable and stable, too.
The sound is zealous, fun and head-turning (especially with dynamic head-tracking on), it really is genuine joy to listen to a range of genres with them.
Expect all of the usual Apple AirPods features here, again as long as you have an iPhone, like device switching and a quick way of checking the battery. But there are some notable additions here too, like a heart rate monitor that takes readings from your ear – great for fitness – as well as a live translation feature, which is incredibly cool if a little difficult to setup at first.
The only notable downside is really the fact that the battery life is still distinctly average at eight hours. That’s better than the six hours from the Pro 2, but still nothing to write home about when compared to rivals. You’re also not getting Lossless audio support, LDAC or aptX here either.
However, relatively small niggles aside, these are excellent buds in every way. But especially if ANC is your priority and you’ve got an iPhone.
Read our full Apple AirPods 3 review
Apple AirPods Pro 3: scorecard
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Fit/comfort |
4.5/5 |
|
Active noise cancellation |
5/5 |
|
Audio |
4.5/5 |
|
Battery life |
3.5/5 |
The best noise-cancelling earbuds for Samsung
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BUY THEM IF
✅ You own a Samsung Galaxy smartphone: These buds give you a bunch of special features, including spatial audio and remarkable hi-res audio.
✅ You’re after top ANC: It may not beat the best of the bunch, but there’s some seriously mighty noise cancellation performance at work here.
DON’T BUY THEM IF
❌ You’re on a budget: These earbuds are high-end and although they’re worth it, there are cheaper rivals.
❌ You own an iPhone: You’d need to be looking to earbuds that offer a dedicated app for iOS.
If you own a Samsung phone and want great noise cancellation, the Galaxy Buds 3 Pro are for you. An update on the previous Buds 2 Pro (which they replace in this guide), these Samsung buds bring you great audio quality, a premium (but familiar) design and truly impressive ANC – there’s certainly a lot to like.
Let’s start with that impressive ANC. In our review of the Buds 3 Pro we commented that these buds are very effective and “throw a blanket over whatever background noise is going on when you’re trying to listen to music.” We also noted that the audio on offer here is among some of the best we’ve ever heard from a pair of wireless buds and what some would consider an optimal sound signature: “The Buds have a V-shaped sound, which means that both the bass and treble are elevated and distinct, while the mids are just a little stepped back.” The result is a wide soundstage that feels rich and full of energy.
The newer Buds 3 Pro also improve on the slightly disappointing battery of their predecessors. This time round you’ll get six hours of battery from the buds themselves, 30 hours with their case, and longer with ANC off. It’s not a huge increase, but it’s something. Samsung has also added some AI-powered features here for Samsung phones, including adaptive ANC (we didn’t think this added much during our testing), a feature which restores crackling voice in poor-quality calls, and live audio translation.
The design of the Samsung Galaxy Buds 3 Pro is similar to AirPods, but with a more angular design we thought looked Toblerone-like during our testing. At 5.4g per bud, they’re lightweight and we found them comfortable to wear. Although switching out the tips to get the best fit was a frustrating process that seemed much more fiddly than it needed to be.
The Samsung Galaxy Buds 3 Pro are the best value for those with a Samsung device. If you don’t have one, there are better options higher up this list.
Read our full Samsung Galaxy Buds 3 Pro review
Samsung Galaxy Buds 3 Pro: scorecard
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Fit/comfort |
4/5 |
|
Active noise cancellation |
5/5 |
|
Audio |
5/5 |
|
Battery life |
4/5 |
The best value noise cancelling earbuds
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BUY THEM IF
✅ You’re on a tight budget: The cheapest ANC buds worth owning, they’re a bargain but they really deliver.
✅ You want solid ANC: This level of ANC is usually reserved for pricier buds, but JLab has managed to squeeze it in here.
DON’T BUY THEM IF
❌ You don’t want to faff around with ear tips: We recommend you replace the ones they come with, if you can’t be bothered to do that, look elsewhere.
❌ You want marathon battery life: Only 5 hours with ANC on here, which is fine for short commutes but not all-day listening.
In our JLab Go Pods ANC review we said these bargain buds are “basically the cheapest noise-cancelling earbuds that are actually worth buying” and that’s no small feat. For under £30 / $40 they punch well above their weight, offering features you’d usually only see on mid-range models.
Sound quality is surprisingly strong at this price. You get lively treble, solid mids and more bass than you’d expect. Especially if you play with the EQ in JLab’s companion app. The soundstage is also wider than many rivals at this price, which makes every track sound full and enjoyable.
The buds themselves are very light, comfortable enough for long listening sessions and have an IP55 rating for workouts and rainy commutes. The charging case is small and portable, though its built-in cable design is a love-it-or-hate-it quirk.
There are some compromises here, which we did expect at this price. The included ear tips aren’t very grippy, you’ll want to replace them. Battery life is also disappointing at only 5 hours with ANC on – not great for all-day listening.
But look at the JLab Go Pods ANC as a whole and they’re excellent value. They deliver solid ANC, sound that’s genuinely enjoyable and EQ presets, all at a price that makes most budget rivals look over-priced.
Read our full JLab Go Pods ANC review
JLab Go Pods ANC: scorecard
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Fit/comfort |
3.5/5 |
|
Active noise cancellation |
4/5 |
|
Audio |
4/5 |
|
Battery life |
3.5/5 |
The best noise-cancelling earbuds for sound
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BUY THEM IF
✅ Top sound is your priority: These buds do a lot of things well, but they’re hands down the best pick if you’re after the best possible audio performance in a wireless design.
✅ You’ve struggled to find buds that fit in the past: We highly rated the fit here, no twisting or jamming them into your ears, just high comfort and good consideration for weight distribution.
DON’T BUY THEM IF
❌ You love being able to control everything from your ear: You do get on-ear controls here, but you have to choose whether you want to change the volume or the ANC profiles, you can’t have both.
❌ You want to listen for hours on end: The battery life here isn’t bad, but plenty of rivals now pack in much more power, like the JBL Live Beam 3 at #10.
All of the earbuds in this guide offer strong ANC and sound quality – otherwise they wouldn’t be here – but the Bowers & Wilkins Pi8 buds are among the best wireless earbuds we’ve tested for sheer sonic performance, and the noise cancellation, features and fit all score highly too.
To add some context, the Pi8 buds are the latest version of B&W’s flagship buds. Previous versions performed well, but with niggles; this time, B&W has nailed it. It’s redesigned the buds to look sleek and stylish and, more importantly, to fit incredibly well. They sit snugly with well-distributed weight and real design consideration behind them.
Now, onto the two things that matter most: sound and ANC. If sound is your top priority, these are the buds to beat. They deliver an impressively high level of detail and dynamism across genres. Turning on ANC doesn’t degrade the audio quality either – it stays feeling like it’s from a renowned hi-fi brand. Thanks to the improved fit and seal, the ANC is also very strong – not far off the best we’ve tested, with near-silence that only a few rivals can top.
Beyond that, you get premium features here too, including something very unusualy: the case doubles as an audio re-transmitter so you can plug the earbuds into wired audio sources (meaning you can use them with in-flight entertainment systems, or locked-down work laptops).
There are on-ear controls, but note you’ll have to choose between being able to switch ANC profiles or having on-ear volume controls when setting them up, which is annoying. All in all, these are a seriously accomplished pair of earbuds. One of the best for ANC and our top pick if you want both excellent noise cancellation and outstanding sound.
Read our full Bowers & Wilkins Pi8 review
|
Fit/comfort |
5/5 |
|
Active noise cancellation |
4/5 |
|
Audio |
5/5 |
|
Battery life |
3.5/5 |
The best noise-cancelling earbuds for features
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BUY THEM IF
✅ You’re a multitasker: There’s world-first triple-device multipoint connectivity here, which is super convenient and ideal if you like to move between devices as you work.
✅ You want top sound: Packed with features, yes, but the audio quality is also excellent with an assertive and balanced sound.
DON’T BUY THEM IF
❌ You want long-lasting buds: The battery life here isn’t bad, but it’s nothing special. And it’s disappointing for long flights, listening all day at work or into the night.
❌ You want the best ANC: Noise-cancelling here is very capable (it’s why these buds are in this guide), but you can do better if you want near-silence.
The Technics EAH-AZ100 were released in 2025 and are an update on Technics’ much lauded EAH-AZ80 buds that came before them. They look, feel and sound premium with solid ANC, but it’s their features that earn them a place in this guide.
We’ve got triple-point connectivity here, allowing you to seamlessly connect to three devices at once, extra voice enhancement tech for calls and a ‘magnetic fluid’ driver that Technics says results in better low-frequency response and less distortion throughout the frequency range. The buds use Bluetooth 5.3 for wireless and there’s compatibility for SBC, AAC, LDAC and LC3 codecs – something for everyone. You should get a solid 7 to 8 hours of playback time from the buds themselves, with a decent one-and-a-half further charges. The buds also work with Qi-certified charging pads, too.
The Technics EAH-AZ100 may be our top pick for features, but they also look excellent and comfort is impressive, thanks to a smaller and lighter design on previous models. They sounded engaging, exciting and thoroughly musical during our testing, more than capable of giving the high-end buds a run for their money. The EAH-AZ100s are, of course, on this list because they offer good ANC, which isn’t best-in-class, but is impressive.
However, although ANC here is solid, we’d recommend you keep it switched off if you want the best quality audio. Yes, this is a shame, but for some reason the beautifully-handled low frequencies lose substance, which is why we didn’t award these buds the full five out of five stars in our review. Otherwise, however, you’re getting top-tier sound, a shopping list of features and great comfort.
Read our full Technics EAH-AZ100 review
Technics EAH-AZ100: scorecard
|
Fit/comfort |
5/5 |
|
Active noise cancellation |
4/5 |
|
Audio |
4.5/5 |
|
Battery life |
4/5 |
The best noise-cancelling earbuds for sports
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BUY THEM IF
✅ You want extremely secure earbuds: Into dancing? Gymnastics? Or just really intense workouts? These buds aren’t going anywhere.
✅ You want heart rate monitoring: If you’re not already keeping tabs on your ticker with a smartwatch or smart ring, these will do the job.
DON’T BUY THEM IF
❌ Sound quality is a top priority: These buds don’t sound bad, not at all. But their audio doesn’t match the high standard of their features or design.
❌ You want an open-ear design: They may look like one of the many pairs of open-ear models dominating the market right now, but the buds fit firmly in your canals.
We’ve reluctantly swapped out the Beats Fit Pro – our longtime “best for sports” pick – for the newer Beats Powerbeats Pro 2. And we say reluctantly because the Fit Pro are still an excellent choice, especially if you want a simple, secure in-ear design. But when it comes to high-intensity workouts – running, dancing, even gymnastics – the Powerbeats Pro 2 take the lead.
Why? They won’t budge once fitted and they come packed with some seriously impressive features, including head-tracked spatial audio, excellent battery life and a built-in heart rate monitor – which we found to be both accurate and genuinely useful. Now, if you’re already tracking your heart rate with a smartwatch or smart ring, you might not need this feature. But if you’re just looking for fitness-focused heart rate tracking without the commitment of 24/7 monitoring, it’s a great addition.
Stability is another major win. The Fit Pro are still rock solid, but the Powerbeats Pro 2 go a step further thanks to their in-ear fit and over-ear hook. In other words, these earbuds aren’t going anywhere. They also come in a few fun colors, which is always a nice bonus.
Sound-wise? They’re good, but not quite as premium as their features and design might suggest. The audio is energetic – almost too much at times – occasionally veering into tinniness. Of course, there’s active noise cancellation (ANC), otherwise they wouldn’t have made this list. It works well, but interestingly, turning it off makes the audio suffer even more.
The Powerbeats Pro 2 aren’t cheap, but if you’re going to take full advantage of their standout features – ANC, heart rate tracking, and rock-solid stability – they’re well worth the investment. Especially if you’ve never quite found earbuds that stay put during workouts.
Read our full Beats Powerbeats Pro 2 review
Beats Fit Pro: scorecard
|
Fit/comfort |
4.5/5 |
|
Active noise cancellation |
4/5 |
|
Audio |
3.5/5 |
|
Battery life |
5/5 |
The best noise-cancelling earbuds for battery life
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BUY THEM IF
✅ You need long, reliable listening: The battery life here is truly exceptional at 48 hours in total, and up to 12 hours from the buds alone.
✅ You like cutting-edge tech: It has a cool screen on it, that you can put your own images onto, and with some useful controls! Do your friends have that? No. Exactly.
DON’T BUY THEM IF
❌ You want top spatial audio: Spatial audio is here, but we weren’t impressed by the experience. You’ll find better elsewhere.
❌ You don’t like the feel of in-ears: If you’re not sure in-ears are for you there are better options. These buds tend to sit further into your canal than rivals.
Many earbuds pack in great ANC, but that often leads to a big reduction in battery life. This is hard to avoid given how much power is needed to nix noise effectively, so if you’re looking for something that leans further towards the battery end of the balance, the JBL Live Beam 3 are our top choice. You’ll get long listening sessions, or just won’t have to worry about charging your buds as often.
The JBL Live Beam 3 boast a seriously impressive 12 hours of battery from the earbuds alone or 10 hours with ANC. The case then delivers three further charges, meaning total playback time is up to a best-in-class 48 hours. That’s impossible to beat, especially with good ANC, sound and design as well. In terms of additional features, you’ll also get great call handling, six EQ presets or the option to create your own, and strong noise cancellation. Adaptive ANC is on-board, which adjusts the level of cancellation based on your surroundings. There’s also a feature called Auto Compensation, which adjusts audio based on your ear canal. If you switch off Adaptive ANC, you get a slider offering seven different levels of noise-nixing power.
Use a compatible smartphone and fire up a track from Qobuz or Apple Music and you can take advantage of Sony’s LDAC tech for higher-quality Bluetooth. These tracks are beautifully replayed. That doesn’t mean other tracks don’t sound impressive here too. In our review, we wrote: “Want big, exuberant sound that knows when to deliver large, but also when to pull back just a little, allowing the detail to shine through? That’s the sonic recipe the JBL Beam 3 present.”
The earbuds fit securely and snugly. Our reviewer has small ears and found them easy to wear, although it is worth mentioning that they do sit quite far into your ear canal – maybe avoid these if you’re already a little unsure as to whether you want in-ears or not. The other major design point is that the case has a screen on it, which surprisingly doesn’t drain the battery. You can access some basic features here, like putting a photo on the screen or using it as a flashlight. It’s not as smart as say a smartwatch, but it’s a cool addition.
Read our full JBL Live Beam 3 review
JBL Live Beam 3: scorecard
|
Fit/comfort |
4.5/5 |
|
Active noise cancellation |
4/5 |
|
Audio |
4.5/5 |
|
Battery life |
5/5 |
More noise-cancelling earbuds we’ve tested
AKG N5: With good audio, a solid feature set and an in-case USB-C dongle, it’s easy to see why we awarded these buds 4 out of 5 stars in our AKG N5 review. However, they don’t quite make the cut for this guide because they’ve got a disappointing battery life as well as several design issues we just couldn’t look past considering the price.
Apple AirPods 4 with Active Noise Cancellation: More affordable than the AirPods Pro 2, and they have the same H2 chip powering them, but with an open-ear design instead of an in-ear some. Some will prefer this, but it means the sound and ANC aren’t at quite the same high standard. In our AirPods 4 with Active Noise Cancellation review, we said these are the best open earbuds for Apple fans – but we generally much prefer the AirPods Pro 2, which usually cost only a small amount more than these, but are better in most ways..
Creative Aurvana Ace 3: We gave these buds high praise in our Creative Aurvana Ace 3 review. They’re fantastic-sounding, look nice and are very lightweight – good news for long listening sessions. But unfortunately their ANC is just not up to standard, so we can’t include them here.
Creative Zen AirSXFI: As you’ll find in our Creative Zen AirSXFI review, these buds boast exceptional stamina, lasting up to 39 hours. But the poor spatial audio and ambient profiles really let them down.
Earfun Air 2 NC: Look, they’re good. You’ve got some impressive ANC here for the price. But the design and ‘theater mode’ isn’t great, and they’re not the most detailed listen. If you’re on a budget, however, read our Earfun Air 2 NC review and have at them.
Earfun Air Pro 4 Plus: We rated these Earfun buds for their fantastic battery life, build and features. But they just can’t compete with rivals in this list across the board. It’s worth reading our Earfun Air Pro 4 Plus review for more.
Edifier Stax Spirit S10: If you’re looking for excellent sound, you’ll find it from these buds. However, the ANC isn’t great – soo they don’t deserve a spot in this guide. Do take a look at our Edifier Stax Spirit S10 review though if audio is your only priority.
Google Pixel Buds 2a: Look, these buds do bring us improvements on past Pixel Buds, which is a plus. But they’re still not that great, especially when compared to rivals in this guide, and we explain all of the reasons why over in our full Google Pixel Buds 2a review
Google Pixel Buds Pro 2: Battery life is good and they’re small and cute, but otherwise these Google buds were pretty disappointing all round. Read our Google Pixel Buds Pro 2 review to find out why.
LG xboom Buds: We were very impressed with the bass output on off from these buds when we we tested them for our LG xboom Buds review. But they’re not as sleek and aesthetically pleasing as rivals, with a sound we enjoyed but that needed a fair bit of tweaking too.
Noble FoKus Rex5: These earbuds really are one of a kind. They sound great, ANC is top and they’re finished to a very high standard. But they’re incredibly and expensive and they’re also just very, very green. If that’s your thing, take a look at our full Noble FoKus Rex5 review.
OnePlus Buds 4: For ANC alone, these earbuds are excellent. We also rated their super light design and bassy audio. But otherwise (and as an overall package), we can’t quite justify them. Do read our full OnePlus Buds 4 review though, as they’re still worth considering if your budget is tight.
OnePlus Buds Pro 3: In our OnePlus Buds Pro 3 review you’ll learn we enjoyed testing these buds, they deliver great sound and have impressive battery life. But they’re not quite good enough to beat the best buds in this guide.
Viaim RecDot: Here’s a different proposition from Viaim, buds packed with AI features that can record and transcribe, making meetings infinitely easier. Sound quality is good too, but as far as ANC goes they’re a little disappointing. Although they don’t beat the rivals in this list, we definitely recommend you take a closer look at our Viaim RecDot review, because if you want buds for productivity, transcription and meetings, it doesn’t get better than this.
How to choose the best noise-cancelling earbuds
If you’re looking for the best noise-cancelling earbuds, a good place to start is the design. Do you need earbuds for working out? Then look for a pair that come with a water-resistance rating of IPX4 or above, interchangeable eartips, and earhooks that will keep them securely in place while you exercise.
Do you want a pair of noise-cancelling earbuds for the commute? Then you may want to consider a pair with a simple design that look unobtrusive.
It’s also a good idea to have a budget in mind before you start looking for a pair of noise-cancelling earbuds. Earbuds that block out ambient sound most successfully tend to be more expensive, with most of the best models costing at least $200 / £200 / AU$300. However, you can still get great active noise cancellation on a budget, with some of the best earbuds in this guide costing less than $100 / £100 / AU$150 – just don’t expect best-in-class ANC at mid-range and budget prices.
Of course, noise cancellation isn’t the only thing to consider when buying a pair of earbuds. Whatever you’re buying earbuds for, you want them to sound fantastic. If you consider yourself an audiophile, look for models with aptX HD or aptX Adaptive support, so you can enjoy your hi-res audio streams and get the most detail out of your music.
Frequently asked questions
How do noise-cancelling earbuds work?
Noise-cancelling earbuds have built-in microphones. They use these to listen to the world around you and identify sounds. Like the rumble of an engine, the hum of a fan, or background chatter.
The buds then use this information to create sound waves that are the exact opposite (called “anti-noise” or antiphase), which cancels those sounds out before they hit your ears.
The result is that you hear more of what you want to hear and less of everything else. If you want to dig deeper, we’ve got a full noise-cancellation explainer.
Are Apple earbuds noise cancelling?
Some Apple earbuds are noise cancelling. The basic AirPods range (including the most recent AirPods 4) doesn’t have active noise cancellation.
But the AirPods Pro, AirPods Pro 2, the AirPods Max and the AirPods 4 with ANC do. They all use ANC to reduce outside noise and also come with a Transparency Mode, which lets noises from the world back in when you want to stay aware of your surroundings or have a conversation.
When did noise cancelling headphones come out?
The first widely produced noise-cancelling headphones landed in the late 80s, originally for pilots who needed to cut out the loud sounds of plane engines.
But the idea behind them was born a little earlier. The story goes that in 1978, Amar Bose (yes, the man behind Bose) was so annoyed by the roar of a jet engine and the useless airline headphones he was given that he sketched out the concept of active noise cancellation on a napkin mid-flight. A few years later, ANC was born.
How we test the best noise-cancelling earbuds
Why you can trust TechRadar
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We’ve thoroughly tested all of the noise-cancelling earbuds in this guide, so you can be confident that you’re making an informed decision when you buy.
We’ve spent lots of time using these earbuds in different situations, putting the active noise cancellation to the test in noisy environments, on public transport, on flights, and in shared offices – and of course we listen to a wide range of music from various sources to check whether the noise cancellation negatively affects your music collection. However effective the noise cancellation is when deployed, it’s no good if the track you’re listening to becomes constricted, tinny or otherwise compromised.
The audio performance of these earbuds is thoroughly analysed to test how well balanced they are across the frequencies, how wide the soundstage is, and how much detail they eke out from audio files.
Battery life and connectivity are also tested rigorously, so you can be sure that the earbuds you’re buying live up to the manufacturer’s claims.
At the moment, we’re beginning a new process for scoring earbuds’ performance in certain areas, to make it easier for you to compare models in our buying guides. You can read all about it in our guide to how we test earbuds at TechRadar, but the most relevant parts are that we’ll be scoring earbuds specifically on their sound quality with ANC turned on and off, since that can make a notable difference. We’ll also offering recordings of microphone quality so you can compare different earbuds on that front, and we’ll give you exact figures for how long the battery in them lasts with active noise cancellation turned on.
We’ll re-test the earbuds in this guide with these new process in mind, and we’ll use the new process for new reviews in the future.
Latest updates to the best noise-cancelling earbuds
January 26, 2026
Refreshed the introduction to this guide, while also adding in a link to our best open earbuds guide. Removed the Earfun Air Pro 3 in no 2 as our ‘best budget’ pick, replacing them with the Nothing Ear (a). Moved the Honor Earbuds Open in the ‘best open earbuds with ANC’ category higher up in the guide. Finally, checked all copy to make sure we’re not referencing old products and everything is up to date for 2026.
November 27, 2025
Replaced the AirPods Pro 2 with the newer AirPods Pro 3 as our ‘best for Apple’ pick. Added the Creative Aurvana Ace 3 and Earfun Air Pro 4 Plus to our ‘also consider’ section – they’re good but not good enough for the main guide.
September 30, 2025
Refreshed the introduction. Switched out the JLab Go Air Pop ANC for the newer JLab Go Pods ANC as our ‘best value’ pick. Added a mention of the new AirPods Pro 3 in our AirPods Pro 2 entry (review coming soon), and added a mention of the Earfun Air Pro 4+ (review coming soon) in the Earfun Air Pro 3 entry. Put details of the Nothing Ear (3) in the Nothing Ear (a) entry.
August 14, 2025
Refreshed the introduction to emphasize our expert testing process and update mentions of our top pick, which is now the Bose QuietComfort Ultra Earbuds 2nd Gen. Added a new mini review of the Bose QuietComfort Ultra Earbuds 2nd Gen, replacing the original Bose QuietComfort Ultra Earbuds. Added the OnePlus Buds 4 to our ‘More we’ve tested’ section.
June 13, 2025
Added information about the upcoming Bose QuietComfort Ultra Earbuds 2nd Gen. Switched the Cambridge Audio Melomania M100 for the Bowers & Wilkins Pi8 as our ‘best for sound’ pick, based on our testing. Added more products to our list of other earbuds we’ve tested.
April 11, 2025
Added a ‘best open earbuds with ANC’ pick to the end to include the recently tested Honor Earbuds Open. Included several new FAQs to explain some of the ins and outs of noise cancelling tech and how it works.
March 7, 2025
Refreshed the introduction. Switched the Beats Fit Pro out for the newer Beats Powerbeats Pro 2 as our ‘best for sports’ pick, based on our recent testing. Alphabetized our ‘also consider’ recommendations to make them easier to navigate, and added the Earfun Air 2 NC and Noble FoKus Rex5 as two new devices to consider, even though they didn’t make the final cut for this guide.
January 10, 2025
Refreshed the introduction. Removed any older references to prices from last year. Swapped the Technics EAH-AZ80 in for the new Technics EAH-100 in the no.8 spot as our ‘best for features’ pick, based on our recent testing. Added scorecards to the bottom of each product so readers can get a quick overview of key factors to consider before buying.
November 25, 2024
I switched the Bose QuietComfort Earbuds 2 for the Bose QuietComfort Ultra Earbuds as our ‘best overall’ pick based on my testing, and following recent dramatic price drops for the Ultra. The QC 2 buds are also now very hard to find in stock.
November 15, 2024
Refreshed the introduction. Included a new ‘Black Friday’ section to give readers advice about choosing earbuds this sales season and links to our relevant deals guides. Added new images next to our recommendations so readers can get a better look at the devices we’ve selected. Added some new products into our ‘also consider’ section, including the Edifier Stax Spirit S10.
October 18, 2024
Rewrote the introduction. Added the JLab Go Pop ANC as our ‘best under $30/£30’ affordable pick. Added some new suggestions to our ‘also consider’ section, including the Xiaomi Buds 5 and the OnePlus Buds Pro 3 buds.
September 17, 2024
Switched the Samsung Galaxy Buds 2 Pro for the newer and better performing Samsung Galaxy Buds 3 Pro based on our testing. Added several new options into our ‘also consider’ section, including the LG Tone Free T90S and Earfun Air Pro 4. Also added details about Apple’s new earbud announcements, including details of the ANC variant of the upcoming Apple AirPods 4.
July 19, 2024
Added the JBL Live Beam 3 in as a new option for the ‘best battery’. Also added the Nothing Ear (a) as the ‘best mid-range option’ replacing the Sony WF-C700N, based on our testing of the two products. Updated the ‘also consider’ section to reflect some of the other new earbuds we’ve reviewed recently that didn’t make it into this guide.
May 21, 2024
Updated the copy throughout; added Cambridge Audio Melomania M100 in as the best-sounding option, to replace the Bowers & Wilkins Pi7 S2. Updated the ‘also consider section to reflect several new earbuds reviewed recently (Audio-Technica ATH-TWX7, OnePlus Buds 3 and more) and why they didn’t make it to this list.
20 March 2024
Added a new ‘Also consider’ section to highlight more earbuds that aren’t in the list, and removed some products to streamline selections.
4 March 2024
Added new products based on the latest reviews.
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