These cushioned headphones and lightweight earbuds let you listen — and travel — in complete comfort.
Whether you’re watching movies on an airplane or tuning out the rest of the world during a commute, a pair of cushy headphones or weightless earbuds will make your journey all the more agreeable. We tested 53 pairs of headphones and earbuds to find the best options for sound quality, ease of use, battery life, noise cancellation (if applicable), and, of course, comfort.
To recommend the most comfortable headphones, we sifted through testing notes to find the best ones that offer premium comfort, including over-ear headphones with memory foam ear cups and earbuds that come with up to five rubber ear tip sizes for a customizable fit. Whether you’re looking to upgrade your current pair or invest in your next favorite travel accessory, we rounded up all of the most comfortable options.
Best Overall, Over-ear
Sennheiser Momentum 4 Wireless
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PHOTO: AMAZON
- The 60-hour battery life is the highest of all the headphones we tested and they can be fully charged in just two hours.
- It was slightly difficult to pair the headphones to multiple devices.
Sennheiser’s Momentum 4 Wireless headphones are exceptionally lightweight and boast an impressive battery life making them the ideal pair of comfy headphones for travel. No matter what kind of audio you’re listening to, the sound quality is crisp and clear, especially when the active noise cancellation (ANC) is turned on.
In just two short hours, the headphones can be completely charged (for up to 60 hours of play time depending on how you use the ANC settings), but you can get four hours of use after just a five-minute charge, too. The side buttons on each of the earpieces make it easy to adjust the volume, noise cancellation, and pause or play a song. Thanks to the padded ear pieces and adjustable headband, travelers can wear these customizable headphones with glasses or earrings on with no pinching. Pairing the headphones to Android and Apple devices is a breeze but we ran into issues trying to pair the Bluetooth headphones to a laptop after pairing it with a phone.
The Details: 10.3 ounces | Up to 60-hour battery life | Up to 33 feet Bluetooth range | Over-ear | Noise canceling | Android and iOS
Best Overall, Earbuds
Bose QuietComfort Earbuds II
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PHOTO: AMAZON
- The earbuds deliver both a comfortable fit and excellent noise cancellation.
- The earbuds and carrying case are on the heavier side.
Bose’s new QuietComfort Earbuds II are the perfect versatile headphones for all types of activities. They come with three different rubber ear tip sizes and three sets of stability bands to conveniently adjust the security of the earbuds depending on the fit you need. We found the unique oval shape of the earbuds and interchangeable tips ensure a snug fit without adding too much pressure or any discomfort. After getting the most comfortable fit, adjust the settings and learn how to use the earbuds with the intuitive Bose app.
The earbuds offer an “aware mode” to have the ability to hear sounds like nearby conversations and a “quiet mode” to completely tune out exterior sounds — both of which we found effective and helpful in a variety of situations. No matter what noise cancellation setting you’re in, music, podcasts, and phone calls sound impressively sharp and vibrant. Additionally, the buttons on each earpiece can control the volume, noise cancellation settings, song play, and phone calls.
The Details: 0.32 ounces | Up to 6-hour battery life | 30-foot Bluetooth range | Earbuds | Noise canceling | Microphone
Best for Exercising, Over-ear
Anker Soundcore Life Q35 Wireless
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PHOTO: AMAZON
- These headphones boast excellent noise-cancellation for a wallet-friendly price.
- There aren’t as many extra features compared to the other headphones we tested.
If you’re not completely sold on switching from earbuds to over-ear headphones, we highly recommend starting with a wallet-friendly yet super functional pair like the Q35 model from Anker Soundcore. Don’t let the lower price tag fool you, as these headphones are lightweight and extremely comfy for all-day wear thanks to the memory foam earpieces that can be adjusted 15-degrees to mold around the head. Plus, the headphones can be fully charged within two to three hours for up to 40 hours of use and just five minutes of charging can give you four hours of play time.
These headphones offer excellent noise-cancellation settings for blocking out loud sounds whether you’re traveling on an airplane or taking a phone call. It’s easy to switch between the ANC settings that include outdoor, indoor, and transit modes to tailor the already superb sound quality to match your environment. However, you’ll have to use the Soundcore app to switch the settings since the headphones themselves don’t have buttons like other higher-end models we tried.
The Details: 9.6 ounces | 40 hours battery life | 65-foot Bluetooth range | Wired/wireless over-ear | Noise canceling | Microphone
Best Budget, Earbuds
Anker Soundcore Space A40
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PHOTO: AMAZON
- The earbuds come with five sets of ear tip pieces.
- They don’t have automatic detection to pause audio when the earbuds are out of the ear.
When it comes to value, you can’t beat the lower price tag and exceptional sound quality of the Anker Soundcore Space A40 earbuds. The earbuds include a whopping five sets of rubber eartips, offering the most sizes out of any pair of earbuds we tested. Once you choose the right ear tip size, the circular earbuds rest comfortably inside and you can use the buttons on each ear piece to adjust them.
While the sharp sound quality and effective noise cancellation rival some of the pricier earbuds we tested, there is a lack of automatic ear detection so your audio might continue to play if you don’t pause your music before taking them out. Similarly to the AirPods Pro, these earbuds have adaptive, transparent, and active noise cancellation, as well as a normal setting so you can adjust to fit any needs while traveling.
The Details: 0.64 ounces | Up to 50 hours | 30-foot Bluetooth range | Earbuds | Noise canceling
Easiest Set-up, Over-ear
Bose Noise Cancelling Headphones
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PHOTO: AMAZON
- The headband can be adjusted to fit your head while the ear cups slide up and down for even more comfort.
- These aren’t best for working out since they didn’t feel super secure on the head.
These Bose 700 headphones are exceptionally lightweight and they come with a slim case, making the sleek over-ear headphones even easier to toss in a personal item or carry-on. There are 11 levels of passive and active noise-canceling settings with the ability to block out all noises with the highest setting — it’s so effective that you’ll barely be able to hear yourself talk. With an easy and intuitive set-up, users will be able to pair multiple devices with the headphones to switch between a phone and computer whether in the office or commuting. However, to get the most out of the special features and customizations, users will need to download the Bose app.
For extra convenience, the right earcup has touch sensors to quickly and seamlessly adjust the sound level and noise-canceling presets or to use Siri, Google Assistant, and Alexa. Or, when you tap and hold on the ear cup, the headphones will automatically play the last song or podcast you listened to on Spotify. Although the headband is adjustable, the headphones didn’t feel super secure so they might be best used for leisurely activities rather than rigorous ones.
The Details: 8.8 ounces | Up to 20 hours battery life | 33-foot Bluetooth range | Over-ear | Noise canceling | Microphone
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