The Best Headphones of 2026

• Ambient sound modes: Noise canceling, transparency mode
• Weight: 250 grams
• Battery life: 30 hours per charge

Sony’s WH-1000XM5 reimagines the 1000XM line, featuring more oval-shaped ear cups similar to those of Apple’s AirPods Max. The plush cups and headband are made of synthetic leather, providing added comfort for extended use.

There are numerous noteworthy improvements, but the incredible adaptive noise canceling is chief among them. It does a fantastic job of canceling out droning sounds, such as fans and engines. It also delivers an impressively strong performance on high-frequency sounds, thanks to dual ANC chipsets and eight dedicated microphones.

It’s far and away some of the best ANC performance we’ve ever seen in over-ear headphones. The only sets that top it are Bose’s QC45 and QuietComfort Earbuds II, as well as Apple’s AirPods Pro 3 and (2nd generation). However, none of those can compare to the XM5 in terms of sound quality.

Speaking of that sound quality, it’s an improvement in definition and dynamics over the XM4. It offers brilliant detail for any genre, especially once you’ve optimized the EQ in the Sony Headphones app.

The app also does a great job of making the wild list of features easy to manage. It’s where you’ll adjust EQ and transparency mode, as well as those great 1000XM features we love like multipoint pairing and Quick Attention. The touch controls and 30-hour battery life are the same as those of the XM4, although this set charges faster.

We don’t have many complaints, but there are a couple. Since the ear cups don’t fold inward, the set can be unwieldy to pack. The other big issue is price.

As a steeper investment, most people will find the XM4 to be a better option, especially if they travel a lot. But if you’re looking for the ultimate noise-canceling headphones and are willing to shell out for them, you can’t do better than this.

Read our full Sony WH-1000XM5 review.

• Battery life: Up to 50 hours
• Ambient sound modes: None
• Dust/water resistance: None

Going back to the original Beats By Dr. Dre Studio headphones, Beats has created some of the most iconic headphones on the market, but none were more successful than the Beats Solo3. They were so popular that Beats didn’t feel the need to update them until 2024—eight years after their release. The Beats Solo 4 are worthy successors.

The Beats Solo 4 aren’t so much a revolution, but an evolution of the Solo3. The look is almost identical, with some muted pastel colorways (Cloud Pink and Slate Blue) in addition to the traditional Matte Black. They have well-tuned sound (albeit leaning more towards the mid and high end than bass), fold up nicely for travel, have incredible battery life, and are compatible with both iOS and Android.

There are a few surprising omissions, though, especially when compared to current headphones. The most notable is no active noise cancellation (ANC). This wasn’t as out of the ordinary with the Beats Solo3, but now you can regularly find really good ANC on headphones and earbuds under $100, let alone those around the Solo 4’s MSRP of $199. Tied to the lack of ANC is no transparency mode for better world awareness while out and about. There also isn’t any way to EQ the sound. This isn’t a dealbreaker, but those looking for a bit bassier response will be disappointed.

Regardless of the drawbacks, the Beats Solo 4 are the best on-ear headphones available, especially when on sale. There’s nothing else out there that compares.

Read our full Beats Solo 4 review.

• Ambient sound modes: Noise canceling, transparency mode, decibel reduction
• Weight: 169 grams
• Battery life: 22 hours per charge

The Puro Sound Labs PuroQuiet Kids Headphones are the best headphones for kids we've tested. They come with several features to help protect your kids’ hearing. A volume limiter keeps kids from cranking the headphones to the max, and noise canceling helps diminish their desire to do so.

The recommended max volume for children is 85dB(a) for long-term listening. This headset capped out in our testing at 87dB(a), very near that number. That isn’t very loud, so having the noise canceling goes a long way towards kids being able to hear clearly without harming their ears. It can also help kids with sensory issues deal with ambient noise in crowded places.

The price is a bit of an issue, especially for something you’re going to hand to a child. However, Puro frequently discounts them, and if you have an older (or very responsible) kid, they can be a great investment.

Since these are wireless, the volume limiter is built in instead of sitting on a cable where it can be easily adjusted. And in the modern era where headphone jacks are rare, it means they’ll work with a wider variety of devices. If the battery dies, you can also use them as wired headphones with the attached cable, but the cable’s built-in volume limiter only works when plugged in properly.

Read our full Puro Sound Labs PuroQuiet Kids Headphones review.

• Ambient sound modes: Noise canceling, adaptive transparency mode
• Dust and water resistance: IPX4
• Battery life: 8 hours with ANC; up to 24 hours with the case

Competition for top earbuds is fierce from year to year, with Apple bumping the Sony WF-1000XM4 with the AirPods Pro 2, and now Sony has done the same to Apple.

The WF-1000XM5's noise-canceling performance might be incremental rather than a leap in performance, but they still slightly exceed both the Apple AirPods Pro 2 and the Bose QuietComfort Earbuds II. While the XM5 let in a little more of a low-frequency airplane drone, they don’t have the added high-end hiss found on the Bose and Apple. Plus, they do a better job attenuating troublesome midrange frequencies like coffeehouse chatter.

The WF-1000XM5 do beat the QCEII and AirPods Pro 2 in two important ways. Sound quality for both music and calls far exceeds the performance of the Bose, and unlike the AirPods, the XM5 function just as well with Apple products as they do with Android. Getting a solid fit can take some effort, but overall there isn’t a better pair of wireless earbuds available.

Read our full Sony WF-1000XM5 review.

• Ambient sound modes: Active noise canceling (ANC), Adaptive Audio, Transparency mode
• Dust and water resistance: IP57
• Battery life: 8 hours with ANC, 10 hours in Transparency mode using the Hearing Aid feature

Apple has taken everything that made its previous AirPods Pro (2nd gen) so popular and improved it across the board with AirPods Pro 3. And for the same price.

The first thing you’ll notice about AirPods Pro 3 is a more comfortable fit (now with six tip sizes in the box), including foam-infused silicone tips that also help with noise cancellation. It’s optional to take the guided hearing test, but within a few seconds, you’ll be set up to hear music, podcasts, audiobooks, and calls.

Along with better passive noise cancellation due to the improved fit options and foam tips, AirPods Pro 3 also boasts enhanced active noise cancellation (ANC), which electronically generates a soundwave to counter the ambient sounds captured by the AirPods’ microphones. Apple says its ANC is twice as good as its AirPods 2 and four times as powerful as the original AirPods Pro. You can really hear the difference when it's activated.

What’s more, battery life has been extended to 8 hours from 6 hours when ANC is enabled, and now up to 10 hours for Transparency mode (i.e. when you want to hear the outside world or even amplify it in Hearing Aid feature).

Like Powerbeats Pro 2, which Apple also owns, AidPods Pro 3 has an integrated heart rate monitor, intended for heart rate feedback during workouts (via the Health app).

The coolest feature? While it didn’t work all the time at the time of writing this, “Live Translation” lets you select from one of six languages. When you pinch the stems of the AirPods Pro 3, it’ll translate someone’s spoken words into your mother tongue for you, in near real-time.

From better noise cancellation and battery life to heart rate sensing and language translation, AirPods Pro 3 are the current king of wireless earbuds.

• Battery life: 10 hours, up to 50 with the case
• Ambient sound modes: Adaptive ANC, Transparency mode
• Dust/water resistance: IPX4 rating

Anker’s Soundcore Space A40 is the best offering we’ve seen from a company that was already making remarkably powerful noise-canceling earbuds at budget prices. They punch well above their price point to compete with heavy-hitters like the Jabra Elite 5.

The adaptive active noise canceling is great for low drones like air conditioner hums or airplane cabin noise. It can even take the edge off of nearby coffee shop conversations. Two transparency mode options let you pick between hearing everything, or focusing on letting voices through for quick conversations.

The default sound profile is alright, but the midrange is drowned out somewhat by a piercing high end and strong bass. The good news is that the app features an 8-band EQ to customize.

To go further, the HearID Sound feature profiles your hearing perception and creates a personalized EQ curve. It works pretty well, and it’s certainly better than the default. Hi-res audio and LDAC are both supported.

Touch controls include a single tap, double tap, and a two-second hold. Each of those can be assigned to a variety of controls like volume, track selection, or sound profile selections. They can also be turned off so you don’t accidentally skip a track while adjusting your earbuds.

On top of the strong sound and great features, these earbuds include a wireless-charging case. All in all, the Anker Space A40 are our new gold standard for earbud performance at such a low price point.