Flying has never had a reputation for being the most stress-free way to travel. In 2023, more people are prioritizing their vacations as a way to really unwind and disconnect from the stresses of day-to-day life — but starting your travels on a noisy hours-long flight with nothing to do but ride it out isn’t exactly conducive to that goal.
Once you factor in that record numbers of people are traveling by plane, it’s clear that doing what you can to alleviate your stress from the get-go is essential.
Enter: noise-canceling headphones. Even if you’re not a frequent flyer, getting a pair of headphones that can block out the sounds of a roaring engine, crying babies, or crying adults (flight delays are stressful), can make or break your travel experience.
The good news is plenty of headphones, both over the ear and earbuds alike, offer active noise cancelation these days. While having options means you don’t have to pay a lot to get in on that sweet, sweet ANC, those price differences aren’t without reason.
Some headphones, for instance, offer different levels of noise cancelation, and transparency modes that allow you to keep them on while being able to hear what’s going on around you.
Let’s not forget that ANC on its own won’t save the day — otherwise we’d just direct you to our best noise-canceling headphones. Comfort can be key too. It won’t matter if your headphones block sound out well if you only want to wear them for two out of five hours of your flight. And for those who wouldn’t mind investing simultaneously in their in-flight headphones and general in-life headphones, a few extra features — like balanced sound and voice assistance — can’t hurt.
With that in mind, we’ve rounded up some of the best headphones for flying to make taking all of those factors into consideration way less stressful than heading to the airport.
But before we get into our picks, we’ve answered some questions on what you need to know before making a purchase.
Does paying more really get me more noise cancellation?
Generally, yes. Many earphones and headphones offer noise-cancellation features but they aren’t all the same. Typically, the more you pay and the better known and regarded the brand is, the better the noise cancellation is. Brands like Bose or Sony often offer multiple different levels of noise cancellation so you can choose to be completely blocked off from the world or opt to allow some surrounding noises to come in while flying.
As we mentioned, investing more can get you some nice features to supplement your ANC, like voice assistant support, expansive battery life, advanced codec support for better-sounding music, or better call quality. If you’re a frequent flyer, the cost is almost certainly worth it.
Do noise-canceling headphones help on airplanes?
Noise-canceling headphones are at their most useful on airplanes. While flying, it’s difficult to find a moment’s peace when so much is going on around you. Frequent flyers may prefer to rest or work despite airplane noise distracting them. The best way to do this is by using the best noise cancellation methods to block out what’s going on. With that in mind, some headphones’ ANC works best on blocking out people talking more than ambient engine sounds, and vice versa.
Do noise-canceling headphones help with flight anxiety?
It depends on why you have flight anxiety. If you hate the idea of being “stuck” on a plane, it might not work as well as if it’s the noises that cause you anxiety. However, by being able to zone out and listen to your favorite music or podcasts, you can forget that you’re on an airplane as you won’t notice you’re flying in the same way as if you hear all the surrounding noises.
Similarly, if you hate flying because of ambient noise like children crying or loud talking, noise-canceling headphones can help hide this away from your ears, meaning you can relax better. With a combination of meditative sounds and music, the best noise-canceling headphones can whisk you away from irritants. Effectively, you can cocoon yourself away from the reminders that you’re traveling.
We’ve included something for everyone, from popular brands like Sony, Beats, and Apple. Onto the best noise-canceling headphones for flying in 2023:
