Best noise-canceling headphones in 2023                                          Listen to your music, podcasts, and audiobooks without distractions.                                                             

Noise-canceling headphones and earbuds are perfect for those times when you need to block out annoying sounds and focus – and they are an absolute must-have for lengthy flights, commuting to work, or relaxing at home too. Yes, the technology comes at a price but it makes a big difference to your listening experience.

While they won’t create total silence, the best noise-canceling headphones limit how much distracting background noise you hear while listening to music, podcasts, or audiobooks – blocking out the chatter in your local coffee shop, the clacking of office keyboards or the constant hum of the tower fan while working from home in a heatwave.

And the good news is that there are plenty of over-ear and in-ear models that give you active noise cancellation (ANC) for well under £200, so whether you need a set for pairing with your smartphone, laptop, and tablet (or a great tech gift), we’ve rounded up our favorites below, featuring trusted brands including Apple, Bose, and Sennheiser.

Still not sure how to choose the best set for you or confused about what specs and features to consider? Keep scrolling, there’s a full buying guide under our picks

How the GH Tech Team tests headphones and earbuds

We test the best noise-canceling headphones and earbuds by pairing them to a phone or laptop and listening to music, podcasts and audiobooks at various volumes – wearing them for hours at a time to get a feel for comfort and how they perform playing multiple music genres. We know you pick noise-canceling for travel, so we use these on our own commute to check how effective the models are at limiting ambient sounds, hums and drones. We also look at the design, build quality, carry case, and any accessories that come in the package. This list is based on hands-on testing by the GH Tech Team and rigorous research.

Bose QuietComfort Earbuds II

We already love the previous generation of these Bose earbuds, and the new ones are even more impressive in every way. They’re our top recommendation as the best earphones you can buy for noise-canceling and they impressed in our challenging test on the London Underground’s busy Central Line (which regularly gets as loud as 90db) by cutting out the background distractions just as capably as over-ear models. Bose has slimmed them down to fit in a more compact charging case, so they’re much more pocketable than the old version. They’re also ideal for a secure fit, with a good range of ear tips and wings.

They deliver a fantastic dynamic sound quality too, so you can rest assured that you’ll get a rich listening experience whether you’re playing your podcast queue or streaming music. The real reason to buy these is for that class-leading noise-cancellation, though, and we have found these better overall than other models we’ve tried. Yes, they’re expensive at £280, but if you’re after the best ANC you can get in a compact package, we’d pick these every time.

Type: In-ear wireless earbuds
• Battery life: Up to 6 hours, up to 24 hours with a case
• Accessories: Charging case, ear tips x3, ear wings x3, USB-C cable
• Controls: Touch
• Bluetooth: 5.3
• Weight: 6.24g per bud
• Water resistance: IPX4 sweat and splashes