The Best Noise-Canceling Earbuds of 2023

• Ambient sound modes: Noise canceling, adaptive transparency mode
• Dust and water resistance: IPX4
• Battery life: 6 hours with ANC; up to 24 hours with the case

The Bose QuietComfort Earbuds II brought noise-canceling performance to an entirely new level when they hit the market in September, 2022. They virtually eliminate airplane noise or HVAC, leaving barely a whisper of hiss, but how they attenuate conversation is the most impressive. Troublesome midrange frequencies are targeted to cause ambient conversation to disappear behind the most modest level of music.

Bose has improved the QCEII’s sound performance by adding a 3-band EQ in the Bose Music app. It isn’t as detailed as what you get from Sony, but it allows you to tame some frequencies and take the edge off. The app allows customization of touch controls for track navigation, activation of your device voice assistant, ANC mode, and volume, all usable in conjunction with one another.

The Bose do have some flaws, especially call quality, which suffers mightily outdoors. Expect your voice to be covered by distracting whooshes of traffic and even a slight breeze. The app is also missing some customizability options that are found with competitors, and their active transparency mode doesn’t function as cleanly as the AirPods Pro 2.

Read our full Bose QuietComfort Earbuds II review.

• Ambient sound modes: ANC, transparency Mode
• Dust/water resistance: IPX4
• Battery life: 8 hours with ANC, 12 hours without; two full case recharges

The WF-1000XM4 are excellent noise-canceling earbuds, with fantastic sound quality and an innovative design.

Our Best Overall pick before the Bose QCEII and updated Apple AirPods Pro released, the Sony XM4 offer some of the best sound you’ll hear from a set of ANC earbuds. Because of Sony’s impressive noise cancellation technology, the audio they produce is all the more accessible. You’ll find tranquility with these earbuds on a level that’s hard to find with any headphones.

The XM4 are incredibly customizable—Sony’s Headphones Connect companion app lets you tweak EQ, along with a variety of other features, to your heart’s content. With the XM4 connected to Headphones Connect, the earbuds become smart enough to know when to swap between noise cancellation and ambient audio, based on your routines and locations.

The XM4s touch controls allow you to map their volume controls to their touchpad using the app, but only at the expense of losing access to other functionality, which is a shame. In addition to this, we would have appreciated seeing a few extras like Find My Earbuds functionality–something we expect from a set of ANC earbuds in this price range. Despite these minor complaints, the XM4 are still some of the best all-around noise-canceling earbuds you can buy.

Read our full Sony WF-1000XM4 review.

• Ambient sound modes: ANC, adjustable transparency Mode
• Dust/water resistance: IPX4
• Battery life: Up to 6 hours with ANC; up to 18 hours with charging case

The Bose QuietComfort Earbuds offer brilliant active noise cancellation with an elegant aesthetic, clear sound, and comfy, secure fit.

These features come with a hefty price tag, though, and there are some compromises elsewhere in the design. What’s more, the QuietComfort weigh a gram more per earbud than the Sony XM4. They also come with a chunky charging case that offers only two recharges for a relatively low 18 hours of total listening time. Their stylized sound is good but doesn't quite match our favorite earbuds at this price point, sometimes becoming a bit sharp in the upper register.

We like the QuietComfort’s onboard volume control, which can be accessed via swipes up and down on the right earbud’s touchpad. The Bose Music app allows you to adjust noise cancellation levels in multiple ways, the loudness of your own voice during phone calls, and other parameters. However, there are some features Bose excluded that we'd expect from ANC earbuds like these, including some form of EQ to switch up their sound signature and the ability to skip songs backward from the QuietComfort’s on-earbud controls.

Read our full Bose QuietComfort Earbuds review.

• Ambient sound modes: Hybrid adaptive ANC, adjustable transparency mode
• Dust/water resistance: IPX4
• Battery life: Up to 7 hours per charge; up to 28 hours total with case

The Sennheiser Momentum True Wireless 3 earbuds offer everything we like about the previous iteration while improving active noise canceling in a big way.

With fantastic sound quality, the Momentum 3 offer a more stylized soundstage that’s a bit brighter than we’ve seen in previous generations. It’s also a smidge clearer, with more attention to detail. If you don’t love the sound as is, the three-band EQ allows for basic adjustment (though we wouldn’t have minded more control).

Other notable features include adjustable controls–including volume controls, which are switched on by default–a new wireless charging case, and standards like auto-pause and the ability to use one earbud at a time. They also offer advanced audio codecs like aptX Adaptive and AAC for improved sound for Android or iPhone, respectively.

While the Momentum 3 keep the same IPX4 water resistance as their predecessor, their new design makes them sportier and more comfortable to wear, thanks to multiple ear tips and fins options. They may not be your go-to running buds, but they’ll work in a pinch for most any activity. Perhaps the best news is that all the improvements come with a lower MSRP than Sennheiser’s previous pair.

As for downsides, we still don’t find these buds quite as comfortable as semi-open pairs like the Jabra Elite 85t and Apple AirPods Pro. Their charging case is both heftier and bulkier than most competitors, and there’s no earbuds finder available.

Read our full Sennheiser Momentum True Wireless 3 earbuds review.

• Ambient sound modes: Active noise canceling, transparency mode
• Water resistance: IPX7
• Battery life: Up to 5 hours with ANC (8 without); up to 30 hours with charging case

For Android phone users, the Samsung Galaxy Buds 2 Pro are the go-to choice, especially those with a Samsung Galaxy phone. Their six audio presets sound great (Normal, in particular has excellent midrange response and vocal clarity), and the ANC delivers great low-end cancellation of airplane drone and a modest midrange improvement to handle clicky keyboards or coffee shop conversation.

The design is smaller than the Galaxy Buds Pro by 15%, giving them a slimmer profile when worn. Their fit is solid, and with IPX7 water resistance they’re a good workout solution. Samsung has also changed to a matte finish over the gloss of previous iterations, which is a look we prefer.

The Galaxy Buds 2 Pro are loaded with features such as Easy Pair and Auto Switch, Bixby voice control, 360 Audio, and 24-bit high-res audio. All of those features are Android-specific, as there isn’t an iOS app, and the 24-bit audio support relies on certain Samsung Galaxy phones. Their five-hour battery life is on the low end (and in our testing it came in a little under that number), but a quick five-minute charge in the case will get another hour of listening.

Read our full Samsung Galaxy Buds 2 Pro review.

• Ambient sound modes: Adjustable ANC, adjustable transparency mode
• Dust/water resistance: IPX4
• Battery life: Up to 5.5 hours with ANC, 7 hours without; up to 25 hours with charging case with ANC, 31 hours without

Jabra’s Elite 85t really have it all: smooth and balanced sound, comprehensive controls, a compact form factor, great features, and, of course, impressive active noise cancellation. While it's not on par with what you’ll enjoy from Bose’s, Apple’s, or Sony's top models, it's just a tier below them, and more than strong enough to make them a great choice as your go-to noise cancelers.

The 85t's robust ANC is all the more impressive given the earbuds’ semi-open design, which keeps your ears feeling comfortable for long periods. While a more bulbous design means the fit isn’t quite as secure as other Jabra buds, their oval tips assure you won’t hear yourself chewing, walking, or jogging like you might with more sealed ear tips. Despite this, music is intimate and noise canceling is effective.

The Elite 85t’s controls are customizable through Jabra’s excellent Sound+ app, allowing you to configure the buds’ two easy-push buttons as you see fit. Also customizable are noise cancellation and transparency mode. The latter is among the most natural-sounding you’ll hear on the market, keeping you aware of your environment in style. The controls allow them to transition seamlessly between ANC and transparency modes, even while wearing gloves.

As for downsides, the battery isn't quite as good as what you'll get from newer products, and the fit isn't as stable as workout buds. Finally, while you can use one bud at a time, only the right one will pull off the trick, which makes them less versatile in this use case than some competitors.

Read our full Jabra Elite 85t review.

• Ambient sound modes: Noise canceling, transparency mode
• Dust and water resistance: IPX4
• Battery life: 7 hours with ANC (up to 11 without); up to 31 hours with the case

Google has struggled when it comes to crafting a competitive pair of wireless earbuds, but the Pixel Buds Pro have finally put the mega-brand on solid ground. The latest addition to the Pixel buds family adds better sound, next-gen battery life, and solid active noise canceling and transparency mode.

The addition of ambient sound modes (noise canceling and transparency) is the biggest headline. While not on par with the latest from Apple and Bose, these noise-canceling wireless earbuds are competitive against most models in their class, at a competitive price point.

The Pro’s sound signature is stylized rather than neutral, and we wish there was a bit more presence in the midrange. But the treble is very clear and bass response is richer and more thunderous in the sub-bass regions than any Pixel Buds before them, without blurring other registers. Call quality is also good, able to block out modest environmental noise well.

The design is nearly as tempting as previous Pixel Buds models, offering a comfy fit that’s heftier without feeling too cumbersome. Controls are simple and responsive (including volume control) and there are also some great features here, especially for Android users.

Read our full Google Pixel Buds Pro review.

• Ambient sound modes: Adaptive ANC, transparency mode
• Dust/water resistance: IPX4
• Battery life: Up to 6 hours with noise canceling, 7 without; up to 27 hours with charging case

The Beats Fit Pro are an excellent option for iOS users, and solid noise cancelers.

Along with noise canceling and transparency modes like their AirPods cousins, they have similar battery life. They also offer some clear advantages, though. They provide a more secure fit thanks to their rubbery fins, and they're also a much better choice for Android users, thanks to the dedicated Beats app. The Fit Pro also offer plenty of iOS features—iCloud/Music Sharing, Hands-Free Siri, Spatial Audio with Dynamic Head Tracking, and Find My tracking so you won’t lose them.

That’s not to say the Fit Pro are perfect. During testing, their audio wasn’t quite as clear as the AirPods Pro when making voice calls in a windy environment. You also can’t wirelessly charge their case, and they can occasionally be finicky on Android phones.

Read our full Beats Fit Pro review.

• Ambient sound modes: ANC, transparency mode
• Dust/water resistance: IPX4
• Battery life: Up to 6 hours with ANC, 7 hours without; up to 26 hours total with case

The Liberty Air 2 Pro’s are the first earbuds from Anker’s Soundcore line to offer active noise cancellation. We were pleased to find that the ANC they provide is surprisingly good.

The amount of noise reduction is not quite as impactful as Anker’s other offering on this list—the Space A40—but the Liberty Air 2 Pro’s effective ANC with equally adequate transparency mode is still a serious feat—especially considering their AirPods Pro-like, semi-open fit.

Soundcore allows users to customize the earbuds’ ANC and equalization settings. However, we found sticking to the earbuds’ Soundcore Signature setting delivered the kind of balanced sound that suits most musical genres.

The Liberty Air 2 Pro feature IPX4 water resistance and a solid battery life of around six hours with ANC turned on and seven hours without it. Those numbers are about middle-pack for this category, but that’s nice to see considering their cost. We do wish Soundcore had made these earbuds fit more securely for workouts and found a way to offer more comprehensive controls. That being said, these are small transgressions for an otherwise value-packed pair of true wireless earbuds.

Read our full Anker Soundcore Liberty Air 2 Pro review.

• Ambient sound modes: Adjustable ANC, adjustable transparency mode
• Dust/water resistance: IPX4
• Battery life: Up to 6 hours with ANC, 6.5 hours without; up to 19.5 hours with charging case

Panasonic's RZ-S500W combine great sound and top-notch noise canceling at a fantastic value.

Their treble region can be slightly tinny, but the sound overall is clear and balanced. With Panasonic’s app, you can adjust everything from EQ to noise cancellation and transparency mode.

While we found the RZ-S500W comfortable, the fit can be tricky because of their bulky design. Even when they're properly sealed, they tend to jostle during rigorous activities. Lastly, their charging case only holds two charges, meaning you’ll have to top it off more frequently than most rivals.

Read our full Panasonic RZ-S500W review.