Whether you are planning a vacation with your loved ones or traveling on the bus, if you are a music lover, you need your headphones. Isn’t it? Don’t worry; we’ve got the best travel headphones covered for you right here.
We have a lot of travelers on our team who are also music lovers, and they cannot travel without their headphones. Therefore, we decided to put together a list of the best headphones for travel. We got 15 suggestions, out of which we shortlisted these 7 most loved travel headphones to help you make an informed purchase.
- Best Overall Travel Headphones – Bose QuietComfort 45 Bluetooth Wireless Noise Canceling Headphones
- Best High-End Travel Headphones – Bose Quietcomfort 35 II
- Most Affordable Travel Headphones – Edifier W675BT Wireless
- Most Versatile Travel Headphones – Koss KSC75
- Best Portable Travel Headphones – TOZO T10 Wireless
- Travel Headphones With Best Battery Life – Skullcandy Hesh Evo Wireless Over-Ear Bluetooth Headphones
- Best Noise-Canceling Travel Headphones – Beats Studio 3 Wireless
We’ll also discuss different factors we considered while picking them. Read further to know more.
How to Find the Best Headphones for Travel
Gone are the days when the “brand name” and “price” were the only factors headphones users considered while buying headphones. Buyers are more aware than ever and ensure they keep in mind a variety of factors that come together to make powerful headphones. Here are 4 important factors that you should consider while finding the right travel headphones:
Wired or wireless?
Most travelers prefer wireless headphones as they provide them with the freedom to travel, walk, jog or enjoy without worrying about the entangling of cords. However, if you are someone who doesn’t like to rely on Bluetooth connectivity, we suggest you buy wired headphones.
In-Ear or Over-the-Ear?
Travelers typically buy one of these two types of headphones – in-ear or over-the-ear. Since over-the-ear headphones are bulky and large, traveling with them can be a bit of a task. Nevertheless, they are also available as portable, wireless headphones, and provide excellent hearing experience.
On the other hand, in-ear headphones are lightweight, more portable and versatile for traveling. They are also available as both wired and wireless headphones; however, the hearing experience they provide is not as powerful as the over-the-ear headphones.
Noise Canceling Technology
If you are someone who likes to cut off from the world when traveling, walking, jogging or commuting, you must buy headphones that come with the active noise cancelation (ANC) technology. Even though noise-canceling headphones are a little expensive, they are worth purchasing for the hearing experience they provide. Traffic on the road can be loud. Therefore, if you don’t want to be disturbed, we suggest you buy noise-canceling headphones for traveling.
Battery Life
You don’t want the battery of your headphones to die in the middle of an air travel or cruise, right? Therefore, it’s of the utmost importance to ensure the battery life of the travel headphones you are planning to buy in up to the mark.
Apart from the 4 primary factors mentioned above, you should also look at factors such as waterproof properties, weight, comfort, design, material and so on. We clubbed all the factors mentioned in this section while picking the 7 top-rated headphones for traveling.
7 Best Travel Headphones for Frequent Travelers
If you like to be spoilt for choices when it comes to the best headphones for holidaying, commuting, jogging or walking, we’ve got 7 stellar options covered. Let’s look at them one by one!
1. Bose QuietComfort 45 Bluetooth Wireless Noise Canceling Headphones
Best Overall Travel Headphones
- Excellent noise-canceling
- USB-C port
- Comfortable fit
- Sculpted sound with deep bass and clear highs.
- Wired and wireless options
- 24 hr battery life
- In-app EQ
- Comfortable fit
- SBC and AAC only, no aptX
The Bose QuietComfort 45 Bluetooth Wireless Noise Canceling Headphones are the best headphones for watching movies on a PC and Laptop. The ear cups are decent, and at 240 grams, the headset is light enough and well-distributed to be comfortable to use for extended periods. The synthetic leather ear cups are well padded, and the band adds a little more cushioning at the top for noise cancellation.
The Bose Music app for Android and iOS makes it easy to link the headphones with your device, and its Bluetooth 5.1 capability means you can listen to audio in formats like AAC and SBC.
Just power on the cans, launch the app, and the headphones will automatically connect to your phone or tablet without you having to access the Bluetooth settings.
When used in factory settings, the Bose QuietComfort 45 provides a strong low-frequency response for recordings with heavy sub-bass content. The bass is deep and doesn’t distort even when turned to unsafe levels.
However, the bass still seems forceful even at modest listening volumes, and the higher-frequency sculpting complements it well. So, no complaints in the sound quality department.
In conclusion, the Bose QC 45 Bluetooth Wireless Noise Canceling Headphones are the best wireless over-ear headphones you can get if you want to tune out the world for up to 24 hours on your commute or at your job. And for many people, that’s the last chapter.
2. Bose Quietcomfort 35 II
Best High-End Travel Headphones
- Excellent audio quality
- Comfortable and durable
- Alexa voice control
- Quick Bluetooth connecting
- Stylish
- Available in multiple color options
- Comes with intuitive controls
- Built-in microphone
- Great battery life
- 100% noise-canceling headphones
- Expensive
- Bulky
- Cumbersome to carry
The Bose Quietcomfort 35 II Headphones are our top choice when it comes to the best premium-end headphones for travel. Even though the headphones are expensive, they can be your ideal travel buddies. These days, you can easily spot a lot of travelers on flights sporting the Bose Quietcomfort 35 II Headphones.
Firstly, the headphones are completely wireless (equipped with Bluetooth) and noise canceling. So, if you don’t like to be disturbed while your travel mode is on, we suggest you buy these headphones without thinking too much about the price. We bet you won’t regret purchasing them; we did not either! Also, since the Bose Quietcomfort 35 II Headphones are closed-back headphones, they do not allow sound leakage. Therefore, you don’t need to worry about other people judging your music choice (just kidding).
Secondly, the headphones are supremely comfortable. Even though the headphones felt a little heavy at first, we loved the soft ear padding. We wore the headphones for 3-4 hours and did not experience any discomfort as such. In fact, we’ve added the Bose Quietcomfort 35 II Headphones to our list of the 8 most comfortable headphones also.
Thirdly, the battery life of the headphones really impressed us. You can use the headphones for up to 20 hours in a single chart, isn’t that great?
Other exciting features include Alexa voice control, stellar audio performance, quick Bluetooth pairing and so on. If you ask us, we really did not experience any issues with the Bose Quietcomfort 35 II Headphones apart from the fact that they are more expensive than the other travel headphones on our list.
Read the full Bose Quietcomfort 35 II review
3. Edifier W675BT Wireless
Most Affordable Travel Headphones
- Decent sound quality
- Comfortable and lightweight
- Extremely compact
- Stylish and sleek
- Good mids and highs
- More value for less money
- Detachable cable is too short
If you are looking for budget-friendly travel headphones, we highly recommend you purchase the Edifier W675BT Wireless Headphones. The headphones are not only affordable but also perfect for all your traveling needs.
First things first, the headphones look stunning. We couldn’t find better designer headphones for traveling than the Edifier W675BT Wireless Headphones. You can easily fold the headphones and carry them wherever you want (you can even carry them in your pocket). The headphones are available in 4 colors – Blue, Black, Red and White.
Secondly, the headphones are comfortable and lightweight. Even though the Edifier W675BT Wireless Headphones are on-the-ear headphones they don’t feel bulky and massive. The adjustable headband is made of premium-quality steel, flexible steel and soft silicone.
Thirdly, the headphones can be connected using Bluetooth or NFC. This is something we really liked about the Edifier W675BT Wireless Headphones. If you are someone who prefers NFC over Bluetooth, these headphones can work wonders for you. Not only this but the headphones also come with a 3.5 mm jack and 3.5 mm connector cable if you want to use them as wired headphones; however, the connector cable is too short and we did not like its quality. When you are using Bluetooth, you can connect the headphones with up to 2 devices at a time.
Lastly, the battery life of the headphones is at par with the battery life of the Bose Quietcomfort 35 II Headphones. All in all, the Edifier W675BT Wireless Headphones can be a great pick for those who are on a shoestring budget; you won’t find such incredible features (except noise cancelation) at such low price anywhere else.
4. Koss KSC75
Most Versatile Travel Headphones
- Lightweight and comfortable
- Stylish clip-on design
- Good sound quality
- Clear treble; bass is not very strong
- Great for traveling and walking
- Cable is fragile
The Koss KSC75 Headphones can be a good pick for travelers who are looking for wired headphones that are simple and easy to use, and provide good sound quality. These headphones are not at all fancy, expensive or over-the-top. To be honest, we included the Koss KSC75 Headphones to our list for their simplicity and great audio quality (we’ve also listed them as one of the best clip-on headphones in 2023).
Firstly, the sports-oriented clip-on design is eye-catching and makes these headphones comfortable to use while you are traveling. The clip ensures the headphones don’t fall. The Koss KSC75 Headphones are lightweight and durable.
Secondly, the Titanium-coated drivers provide excellent sound quality. Don’t get fooled by the simple looks of these headphones; you’ll be surprised to know that the headphones provide stereo-quality sound. You can use the Koss KSC75 Headphones with all devices that have a 3.5 mm jack.
Thirdly, the headphones come with a 4-foot long headphone cable that makes it easy to move around with the headphones on your ears. Overall, the Koss KSC75 Headphones are suitable for those who prefer simplicity and versatility above everything else. Even though the headphones come with a plastic body, they are durable and sturdy.
5. TOZO T10 Wireless
Most Portable Travel Headphones
- Multiple ear caps
- Affordable
- Durable and sturdy
- Great sound quality
- Decent bass
- Clear highs and mids
- Comfortable and lightweight
- Waterproof
- Quick pairing
- Cannot be used in mono mode; the buds start beeping if used alone
If portability is your primary concern, we recommend purchasing the TOZO T10 Wireless Earbuds. The earbuds come with a durable charging case and are extremely compact. Simply slip the charging case comprising the earbuds in your pocket and you are ready to go.
These little wonders are indeed powerhouses. The TOZO T10 Wireless Earbuds come with the advanced Bluetooth 5.0 technology and provide stereo-quality sound. We were impressed by the depth of the bass. It was hard to imagine these tiny earbuds providing such powerful bass.
Another compelling feature of these earbuds and their charging case is a nano-coating which makes them waterproof. Imagine, the TOZO T10 Wireless Earbuds can sit under 1 meter water for approximately 30 minutes without getting damaged. No wonder we’ve listed them as one of the best shower headphones on the market (don’t be surprised; this category exists).
The earbuds come with 8 ear caps of different sizes (including the 2 on the earbuds) to ensure proper fit. They are comfortable in-ear travel headphones and come with an ergonomic, noise canceling design.
We highly recommend purchasing the TOZO T10 Wireless Earbuds if you don’t want to travel with bulky over-the-ear/on-the-ear headphones.
6. Beats Studio 3 Wireless
Best Noise-Canceling Travel Headphones
- Excellent Bluetooth range
- Comfortable and durable
- 10-minute charging can provide 3-hour listening
- Great audio quality
- Purely adaptive noise cancelation
- Easy to connect
- Heavy
- Expensive
Even though we’ve already listed other noise-canceling travel headphones, such as the Cowin E7 Pro and Bose Quietcomfort 35 II Headphones in this guide, if you ask us to pick the best noise-canceling travel headphones, we’ll pick the Beats Studio 3 Wireless. The sound quality delivered by the headphones because of the ANC technology is absolutely premium. The headphones block all external noises to deliver a clear and crisp listening experience.
Even though the Beats Studio 3 Wireless Headphones are expensive, they won’t disappoint you at any front. After all, the headphones comprise the Apple W1 chip with Class 1 Bluetooth connectivity. So, you don’t need to worry about the signal strength and range offered by these headphones. Multiple ear controls allow you to play/pause songs, skip songs, increase/decrease volume and activate Siri. The headphones are compatible with both Android and iOS devices.
In conclusion, we recommend purchasing the Beats Studio 3 Wireless Headphones if you are looking for high-quality noise-canceling headphones that are comfortable, durable and value for money.
7. Skullcandy Hesh Evo Wireless Over-Ear Bluetooth Headphones
Travel Headphones With Best Battery Life
- Solid, sculpted acoustic performance with resonant lows and crystal-clear highs.
- Compatible form
- Affordable
- Easily operated physical buttons
- Lightweight and comfortable for extended wear
- Integral compatibility with the Tile
- Bluetooth 5.0
- Battery life, USB-C charging
- Poor construction quality
- No case
- Sound quality is decent but not exceptional
The Hesh Evo headphones are available in black, blue/white, and gray over-ear styles. The headband’s bottom and earpads are fully padded with memory foam and lined with a material that resembles leather. Even during extended listening sessions, the fit is very cozy and secure.
The Skullcandy Hesh headphones are light and provide noise isolation owing to the soft cushioning in the ear cups and on the crown. If you misplace your headphones and want to find them again, you may use the Tile app.
A frequency range of 20Hz to 20kHz is delivered internally by 40mm speakers. The headphones are Bluetooth 5.0 ready and are only compatible with the SBC Bluetooth codec, neither AAC nor AptX.
With the Skullcandy Hesh models, you can play video games or watch movies without worrying about the battery dying. When you turn on the noise cancellation is turned on, the Evo may be worn for up to 36 hours.
The headphones have a strong low-frequency response, making them ideal for listening to songs having heavy sub-bass content. If you turn up the volume to unsafe levels, you’ll be treated to a powerful thud without distortion, and if you turn it down, the bass is still quite there.
In conclusion, the Skullcandy Hesh Evo Wireless Over-Ear Bluetooth Headphones are a cut above the rest if you’re in the market for a comfortable, wireless set of over-ear cans. Despite its bold appearance, the Hesh Evo is lightweight and pleasant to wear for extended periods, and its battery life is second to none.
Frequently Asked Questions About Travel Headphones
As mentioned in the guide above, the best headphones for a plane are Cowin E7 Pro, Bose QuietComfort 35 II and Beats Studio 3 Wireless. All these headphones come with active noise cancelation to minimize all the loud noises on the plane.
Yes, you can use regular headphones on a plane. You can carry your headphones in your cabin luggage and use them per your requirement.
Yes, like regular headphones, Bluetooth or wireless headphones work on a plane. Read more on using Bluetooth headphones on a plane.
Conclusion
Now that you have found 7 top-rated travel headphones, have you been able to shortlist one for your next vacation? Don’t worry if you are still confused. There are lots of options out there on the market. Take time and think. Don’t rush into making a decision.
If you ask us to pick the best headphones for travel, we’ll pick the Bose QuietComfort 45 Bluetooth Wireless Noise Canceling Headphones without thinking twice.
We’ve already listed these headphones as the best overall travel headphones as they comprise everything you need for a great travel experience. Whether you are planning an elaborate vacation or simply looking for headphones for jogging, we highly recommend purchasing these headphones.
We hope you found our guide on the most loved travel headphones useful. If you have more options to share, please post them in the comment section below. We would love to hear you. Also, if you have any questions about travel headphones, please reach out to us and get your question answered!
