When you’re trying to zen out on a plane or enjoy your tunes on the subway, the best wireless headphones can give you audio that can last for over a dozen hours on a single charge. But as the consumer tech editor and a classically trained musician, it takes more than just a long battery life and decent audio to earn my stamp of approval. After rigorously testing over a dozen pairs, my top pick for the best wireless headphones is the Bose QuietComfort Ultra wireless headphones. They feature a gorgeous, rich audio that’s easy to adjust, and they feel comfortable to wear for hours after multiple transatlantic flights.
But not everyone needs audiophile-level audio quality. For casual listeners who don’t want to spend a fortune on a pair of headphones, the Soundcore Space Ones ring in at around $100 and bring surprisingly good audio quality for the price. Gym enthusiasts should pick up the Powerbeats Pro 2 for a comfortable, snug fit that won’t fall out while building muscle. And there are other models to consider, such those as for audiophiles and Apple users. After weeks of rigorous testing, here are the best wireless headphones you can buy.
- Best Wireless Headphones Overall: Bose QuietComfort Ultra
- Best Wireless Earbuds: Bose QuietComfort Ultra Earbuds
- Best Budget Wireless Headphones: Anker Soundcore Space One
- Best Wireless TV Headphones: Sonos Ace Headphones
- Best Midrange Wireless Headphones: Sony ULT Wear
- Best Wireless Headphones For Apple Users: Apple AirPods Max
- Best Premium Wireless Headphones: Focal Bathys
- Best Wireless Headphones For Working Out: Beats Powerbeats Pro 2
Best Wireless Headphones Overall
A Great Balance Of Audio Quality, Comfort And Price
Bose QuietComfort Ultra
$429
$429 At Amazon$429 At Best Buy$429 At Bose
Forbes Vetted
4.5
Battery life: 24 hours (with ANC) | Drivers: 35mm | Weight: 9 ounces | Case: Hard case | Wireless connectivity: Bluetooth 5.3 (up to two connections) | Wired connectivity: 2.5mm
Best for:
- Those who prioritize a comfortable fit
- Enjoying excellent audio quality
- Incredibly effective noise cancellation
Skip if:
- You want ultra-customizable audio
- You’re looking for a more durable build
The Bose QuietComfort Ultra is the best pair of wireless headphones on the market. I’ve tested them on multiple international flights, and the noise cancelling is hands-down the best of all headphones I’ve tested; they helped me tune out airplane engines, unusually chatty neighbors and more. If you’re going for the best active noise cancellation (ANC) above all else, don’t look at any other pair—just pick up these.
The headphones are a blend of aluminum and plastic and feel a little flimsy, but don’t let that sway you. I usually loop them onto my bulky carry-on purse during transit; after a number of accidental drops, they still look like I bought them yesterday. The build has swappable plush ear cups that have held up to a year of constant wear. And they’re available in a choice of six colors that include a brand-new Deep Plum.
They’re very comfortable over plane rides as long as 10 hours. Buttons feel like they’re intuitively placed, too. One change from its predecessor, the Bose QuietComfort 45s: Instead of physical touch volume buttons, the left ear cup uses a touch swipe control. Swipe up or down to increase or reduce volume. Some folks may find this off-putting; your mileage may vary here.
True audiophiles may find that the Bose app leaves something to be desired; during testing, I found that the EQ adjustments are very minimal. You can tune your bass, mids and trebles up to six points in either direction, but that’s it. It feels very intentional—Bose has a unique approach to audio that’s consistent across all its audio products, including the Bose QuietComfort Ultra wireless earbuds, the Bose Soundlink Flex and the Bose Soundlink Max, based on my testing of all three products. That’s not a knock against them—Bose’s audio quality is unparalleled at this price range. I also have a massive issue with many different presets on the competition. Many of them sound muddled or outright bizarre in my ears; to date, I haven’t experienced this issue with Bose.
The Bose headphones offer both stationary and immersive head tracking modes, called Still and Motion, respectively. Still puts your soundstage in front of where your head is positioned; turn left and right and the audio shifts so it stays front and center. Motion keeps you immersed for when you’re on the move. These features are nice in theory, but they come at the cost of audio quality—and you can hear a noticeable audio degradation when enabled. This happened across every single pair of wireless headphones I tested, which points to a bigger problem with this technology. But if you don’t plan to use this software, it won’t matter to you, anyway.
Battery life is also stellar. I’ve taken them on multiple flights, including a 13-hour international flight, and they lasted me the whole time. They’re rated for a 24-hour battery life with ANC on; when immersion mode is also turned on, you lose some of that 24 hours. A quick 15-minute charge also gave me another two hours in a pinch.
Best Wireless Earbuds
Incredible Audio In A More Compact Package
Bose QuietComfort Ultra Earbuds
$299
AT Amazon
$299 At Amazon$299 At Best Buy$299 At Bose
Forbes Vetted
4.5
Battery life: Up to 6 hours | Drivers: 8.4mm | Weight: 8 ounces | Case: Hard case | Wireless connectivity: Bluetooth 5.3 (up to two connections) | Waterproof rating: IPX4 | Wired connectivity: No
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Best for:
- Those who prioritize noise cancellation
- Its intuitive app, which offers flexibility without diving too much into the details
Skip if:
- You value battery life
- You’re looking for a lower price tag
- You object to paying extra for wireless charging
For a pair of wireless earbuds, the Bose QuietComfort Ultra wireless earbuds have an unparalleled noise cancelling that blows the competition out of the water. During my testing, I didn’t hear my husband approach multiple times until he tapped my shoulder; I could also read my Kindle Paperwhite in near silence on the screechy New York MTA.
Because you’re locked into the Bose app, you’re limited to the same modest EQ settings as the Bose QuietComfort Ultra wireless headphones. Still, audio quality is darn good straight out of the box, and I only had to tweak the bass to my personal preferences. I also appreciated their multipoint connectivity so I could swap between my phone and my laptop, or during my travels, my phone and my Nintendo Switch.
While the audio quality is stellar, battery life is lacking. I used them on a transcontinental flight and tossed them in my ears in the airport, convinced they would last the full six hours. Unfortunately, I heard the dreaded low battery notification mid-flight. A quick 15-minute charge gets you another two hours in a pinch, so it wasn’t the end of the world, but it’s a fairly large drawback for those that want their earbuds to last for hours.
The case is also bulky and doesn’t offer wireless charging. If you want that option, plan to pay an extra $49 for a wireless charging case; I find this insulting since the earbuds already cost $299. You can read more about them in my review.
Best Budget Wireless Headphones
Comfortable With Great Audio Quality For Less
Anker Soundcore Space One
$0$99SAVE $99.00 (99%)
$79 At Amazon$79 At Soundcore$80 At Best Buy
Forbes Vetted
4.5
Battery life: 40 hours (with ANC) | Drivers: 40mm | Weight: 9.6 ounces | Storage: Compact travel case | Wireless connectivity: Bluetooth 5.4 (up to two connections), proprietary connection to Sonos Arc | Wired connectivity: USB-C charging, 3.5mm wired
Best for:
- Very good audio quality at value pricing
- Getting a slew of easy-to-access EQ presets for listening across all music genres
Skip if:
- You want a higher quality build
- You want to swap out the ear cups
The best budget pick goes to the Anker Soundcore Space One wireless headphones. For the price, the design feels lightweight. But its definitely cheaply built—and that’s my main knock against these headphones. Most of the others on this list opted for higher quality materials, and the plastic and pleather on these headphones feels subpar. Many of the headphones on this list, including the the Bose QuietComfort Ultra and the Sonos Ace headphones, also allow you to seamlessly swap ear cups. But Space One doesn’t appear to have this feature. (Note: I reached out to Anker customer service to confirm this, but so far I haven’t received a response. I’ll update this story when they do.) They’re very comfortable with large, plush ear cups that I wore comfortably for hours with and without glasses.
Audio quality punches well above its weight for this price range, outshining even some of the midrange options I tested. The bass feels strong without feeling overpowering, and it balances out the mids and trebles really well. I also attribute this to a slew of EQ presets, but these really aren’t needed. Soundcore hits the nail on the head with its Soundcore Signature option. You can adjust for various listening experiences, from podcasts to hip hop, rap and more, and if you want to swap EQs, they all sound lovely.
Some of the software in the accompanying app feels frivolous. You can test your hearing Via HearID Sound, for example, and review six different audio “this or that” EQs to find your best match.
If you have sharp hearing, this won’t matter much to you; during my testing, I ran the test twice. The first time I responded as if I could hear almost every frequency ping, and then I did it again in which I pretended I couldn’t hear some of the frequencies. After the first test, there was no discernable difference in how the headphones performed. After the second test, the headphones seemed to boost some of the higher frequencies, which I found interesting since I specifically claimed I couldn’t hear the lower ones. Even so, I found these headphones hard to beat given the $100 price tag.
Best Wireless TV Headphones
Pair With Your Sonos Arc To Avoid Waking The Baby
Sonos Ace Headphones
$449
$449 At Best Buy$449 At Walmart$449 At Sonos
Forbes Vetted
4.0
Battery life: 30 hours (with ANC) | Drivers: 40mm | Weight: 11 ounces | Storage: Hard case | Wireless connectivity: Bluetooth 5.4 (up to two connections), proprietary connection to Sonos Arc | Wired connectivity: USB-C charging, 3.5mm wired
Best for:
- Watching TV with the automatic connection to the Sonos Arc
- A premium finish with a stunning design and strong build
- Excellent included accessories
Skip if:
- You want a full array of features
- You want a customizable sound
The Sonos Ace wireless headphones are easy to set up. If you already have the Sonos app downloaded, you can add the device to your system and begin listening to music right away. Plan for another minute or two to get it set up with your Sonos soundbar on your TV. The build quality is sturdy and functional; one of our testers shares, “I’d consider them to be a little less luxe than comparably priced competitors. You’ll be happy with them if you’re already a Sonos fan.” Plus, they’re comfortable to wear for long hours at a time without your ears feeling warm or sore. A bonus? The ear cups are swappable if they get worn down, and easily click into place.
The Sonos Ace headphones produce rich, balanced audio. Our tester noted that over the course of several months, the audio quality favored clarity and quality over punch. They’re on par with the Bose QuietComfort Ultra in terms of audio quality, but ANC is where Bose pulls ahead. The ANC on the Sonos Ace headphones is good, and it’s easy to toggle between ANC and awareness modes. In everyday environments, they’re fine; in noisier situations like traveling in an airplane or hanging out in a bustling cafe, that’s where they begin to break down, and they’re, “just a shade below ‘excellent.’” Another tester also shared that when comparing the Ace’s ANC with the Apple AirPods Max, the latter has the more powerful ANC, but just barely.
If you’re already a Sonos fan and have the Sonos Arc, the Ace headphones pair seamlessly so you can watch TV and have the audio from your Arc soundbar stream through your Ace headphones. For parents, this is a game changer: You can enjoy a couple minutes of your favorite shows without disrupting naptime, and this was one of our testers’ favorite features “I have a toddler and a newborn, and it’s nice to be able to watch TV with my headphones on when they’re napping so I don’t disturb them,” our tester shares. But outside the Sonos integrations, other software features fall short.
Battery life holds up to the 20-hour claim, and they charge fairly quickly. For those who want them to look their best as long as possible, Sonos includes a sturdy case with a USB-C to 3.5mm cable for wired listening, too.
Best Midrange Wireless Headphones
Get A Deep, Deep Bass
Sony ULT Wear
$152$200Save $48.00 (24%)
$152 At Amazon$152 At Best Buy$200 At Sony
Forbes Vetted
4.0
Battery life: 30 hours (with ANC) | Drivers: 40mm | Weight: 8.9 ounces | Storage: Hard case | Wireless connectivity: Bluetooth 5.2 (up to two connections) | Wired connectivity: USB-C
Best for:
- Bouncing your head to the all the bass you want
- Tuning out the world around you with a strong ANC
Skip if:
- You want audio ready to go right out of the box
- You don’t want to worry about the occasional Bluetooth repair
The Sony ULT Wear wireless headphones balance of price and audio quality. Our tester noted that connecting to an iPhone 15 Pro was easy; connecting to a laptop, however, took a little extra work. Once connected, though, the pair swapped between the phone and laptop with ease. One major perk is that if you wear glasses, they don’t pinch your ears, as our tester said, “I wear these for hours and I completely forget I’m even wearing them.” The adjustable strap at the top is also great for adjustments, and while they’re not completely scratchproof, they’re darn close.
Our tester notes that the ANC on this pair of headphones is, “by far the best noise-cancelling headphones,” she’s ever used. “If I have my music blasting there is truly nothing else I can hear.” But, if you need to hear what’s around you, it’s easy to enable other modes, such as a “quick attention mode” to hear ambient sounds around you. There’s also an automatic pause feature that registers when you remove the headphones and pauses your music, and, if you don’t put them on after a certain amount of time, shuts them off to save battery life.
Be prepared, though for the audio to not be very impressive straight out of the box. Plan to spend a few minutes tuning these cans to your personal preferences. The good news is that Sony offers a robust equalizer so you can fine tune your audio to your desired balance or use one of the Sony presets.
Battery life is also impressive: While our tester used them daily for two weeks, she only had to charge them once. When battery life hits 5%, the headphones notify you so you can get to a charger. And, if you charge them for three minutes, you get another 90 minutes of playback in a pinch.
That said, our tester noted that every so often, the headphones would disconnect and would require a quick software “repair.” It was never the end of the world, and it didn’t happen enough that it detracted from the whole experience. But it’s definitely something to note.
Best Wireless Headphones For Apple Users
Seamlessly Works With All Your Apple Devices
Apple AirPods Max
$550
$477 At Amazon$500 At Best Buy$549 At Apple
Forbes Vetted
4.0
Battery life: 20 hours (with ANC) | Drivers: 40mm | Weight: 13.6 ounces | Storage: Smart case | Wireless connectivity: Bluetooth 5.0 (up to two connections) | Wired connectivity: USB-C
Best for:
- Getting the most out of Apple audio and its seamless ecosystem
- Its durable build—seriously, we’ve dropped it multiple times over the course of three years
Skip if:
- You want a decent carrying case
- You want the best battery life
For Apple users, the Apple AirPods Max may have a massive $500+ price tag, but they offer a seamless experience within the Apple walled garden. Our tester noted that the stainless steel design “elevates the overall look of the headphones.” She also noted that the headphones have “managed to withstand me dropping them and have only sustained a few minor scratches in three years.” That said, our tester noted that during long-term testing, the mesh on the headband has lost some of its elasticity.
The audio quality on the headphones left our tester impressed, with an immersive listening experience that offers spatial audio and a strong ANC. It’s so good that our tester noted that it’s nearly impossible to hear her vacuum through the headphones when she’s cleaning—only a slight hum can be heard. It also offers a transparency mode that’s easy to swap to when you need to hear the outside world. For audiophiles, you can manually customize the EQ under music settings on your iPhone, but odds are you’ll be able to leave it as is or only make minor adjustments: The EQ that the AirPods Max offer during setup is so good that our tester kept the audio quality as is.
The multipoint connectivity for iPhone and Mac users is also arguably the best on the market. If you’re listening on your iPhone, you can turn on your MacBook and it seamlessly swaps to listening on your preferred device of choice. The same goes for when you shut your MacBook and want to listen on your iPhone: The headphones register that you want to listen on your mobile device and swap to using that for listening to music.
Our biggest beef lies not in the headphones itself but the carrying case and its relation to the battery life. If you don’t place them in the case, they don’t fully turn off, instead shifting to a sleep mode. This sleep mode still drains battery life; if you don’t use them for a long period of time, you may find yourself placing a pair of dead headphones on your head.
Best Premium Wireless Headphones
An Audiophile’s Dream Headset
Focal Bathys
$675
Forbes Vetted
4.0
Battery life: Up to 42 hours | Drivers: 40mm | Weight: 12.3 ounces | Storage: Rigid carrying case | Wireless connectivity: Bluetooth 5.1 (up to two connections) | Wired connectivity: USB-C, 3.5mm wired
Best for:
- Enjoying one of the richest audio experiences available
- Getting a pair of tank-like headphones
Skip if:
- You don’t want to spend a fortune
- You want the best ANC available
The Focal Bathys wireless headphones are among the most expensive on this list, and they nab the best premium wireless headphones moniker for their exceptional audio quality. The design feels very premium, with leather headband and ear pads. You’ll find metal buttons and ear cups along with a few plastic pieces, but overall it feels like a tank. During our testing, we didn’t notice any creaks or squeaks like we’re used to encountering with the competition.
Our tester noted that they were “extremely crisp and clear with a punchy but not overly aggressive bass,” for a balanced, rich listening experience. Sound personalization acts like a hearing test. They beep sounds in your ears. To work, you need to give real time feedback in the app; in short, it’s testing your sensitivity to volume and tones to build a personal sound profile. If you’re not happy with the personalized results, you can also adjust five different frequently levels. It’s really nice, and while it’s detailed, it’s not overly complicated. For serious audiophiles, it comes with AAC, aptX, aptX Adaptive and SBC Bluetooth codecs.
You can connect Amazon Alexa and Google Assistant for easy voice controls, too, which we really liked. That said, there were a few things we had trouble stomaching. ANC fell short, put simply. It has three ANC modes: transparent, soft and silent. When our tester sat in his office, he could hear his TV’s audio down the hall—and he felt that comparatively, his new pair of Apple AirPods Pro (2nd Gen) cancelled noise better than these headphones. That said, these are open-back headphones. They’re not going to seal out noise like a closed-back pair of headphones, and is designed to sound more realistic and have much better sound quality. That improved sound quality makes them the top pair if you simply want a gorgeous listening experience. Just be prepared to pay a very, very high price for them.
Best Wireless Headphones For Working Out
Work Out Without Worrying About Accidental Drops
Beats Powerbeats Pro 2
$249
$249 At Amazon$250 At Best Buy$250 At Apple
Forbes Vetted
4.0
Battery life: Up to 45 hours | Drivers: 40mm | Weight: 0.7 ounces | Storage: Wireless charging case | Wireless connectivity: Bluetooth Multipoint | Wired connectivity: USB-C
Best for:
- Serious workouts—these stay firmly in your ears
- Getting heart rate tracking without the need for a smartwatch
- If you have an iPhone or iOS
Skip if:
- You want a a super rich audio experience
- You want the best ANC available
- You have Android
If you’re working out like running or lifting, you want a pair of headphones that aren’t going to move off your head. The Powerbeats Pro 2 scratched that itch for me. The electric orange pair I tested have a much lighter footprint than its original iteration; and like its predecessor, these headphones feel very lightweight and comfortable when worn. You also get five ear tips to help you keep the headphones securely tucked into your ears. The ultimate secure-fit ear hooks also help keep them firmly in place, too. The design makes them very appealing for fitness enthusiasts because no matter how much I ran, jumped and walked, they stayed firmly on my ears.
The audio is pretty good, and based on my audio tests, I felt it significantly improved over the original Powerbeats Pro model. Considering these were designed to balance fitness and your audio, I was pleasantly surprised by the audio quality. It’s not the best, but it’s certainly good enough for most needs. My absolute biggest gripe—and admittedly, to my horror—these headphones do not come with any kind of EQ customizations, only an Adaptive EQ. As someone who constantly tweaks audio settings on the fly for my preferences, I felt that Beats believed they knew what was best for me—and I strongly disagree with this sentiment. I would love to see Beats introduce an EQ in the future.
Make sure you use the ear tip test found in the app to check for a good fit. Had I not completed this test, my audio quality would have suffered immensely. The ANC could be stronger, but it’s just a nice extra—so long as they stay snugly on my ears, to me, that’s the more important feature about these headphones.
One interesting thing to note: It’s the first pair of headphones to include a heart tracking monitor, but it only works with certain apps like Peleton, Nike Run Club, Ladder and Open. Ideally, you’ll also have an iPhone since it seamlessly syncs up with the iPhone ecosystem and the iPhone Health app; if you’re an Android user, download the Beats app. This iOS versus Android issue also comes into play with the heart monitor. You need to manually start it and stop it on Android, while iPhone users will have it automatically register and you can track it in real time.
Is it necessary to have a heart monitor on a pair of headphones? No, but it’s a pretty neat feature if you leave your smartwatch at home or it dies during your workout. And keep in mind that if you have a smartwatch, those readings will always trump the earbuds’ readings. The sensors on your smartwatch will be more accurate and come with extras like arrythmia detection. But if you have a smartwatch, it’s frivolous since you can garner that information with a glance at your wrist. Ultimately, you’ll need to decide if this feature is worth it.
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Other Wireless Headphones We Tested
We tested a ton of different headphones—over a dozen, in fact. These are the ones that didn’t quite make the cut, but are still worthy of your consideration.
Audio Technics A800 ($212 at Amazon): For a $350 price tag, the Audio Technics output a detailed sound. It’s not as detailed as the Bose QuietComfort Ultras, but it’s good enough that it fits the bill if you want a good headset without dropping $400+. Ashnikko’s music gave bassy punches but at times it sounded ever-so-slightly muddled. Florence and The Machine’s “Free” also sounded muddled on these headphones. I also felt the app’s EQ presets could have been more balanced.
Beyerdynamic Aventho 300 ($400 at Amazon): Out of all my testing, the Beyerdynamic Aventho 300s landed in my top three picks, just after Bose and Sonos. If you’re going to use any EQ preset, I recommend the dynamic and reduce the bass by just a hair; the other presets sounded way too muddled to truly enjoy the harp and bass on Florence & The Machine tracks. The noise canceling is a little weaker compared to the Bose QuietComfort Ultras, too. Otherwise, these headphones were stellar, and unfortunately, they just didn’t fit into any category.
Beats Solo 4 ($199 at Amazon): The audio quality is really impressive for the $99 price tag—our tester notes that, “it sounds like I’m in the same room as my favorite podcast hosts when I’m wearing these.” Battery life is also a massive 50 hours of battery life. Our tester also noted that they don’t seamlessly jump for a multipoint connection, and they don’t offer ANC, only passive noise cancellation.
Beats Studio Pro ($200 at Amazon): The audio quality feels exceptional on the Beats Studio Pro, as does the ANC: If drowned out external noise on a transcontinental flight, and our tester nearly missed the pilot’s announcements unless she kept the volume low. However, while the ear cups feel comfortable and well padded, the headband doesn’t offer a thick headband—and on that same flight, our tester noted she, “had to shift their position atop my head a few times to relieve pressure.”
Bowers & Wilkins Px8 ($535 at Amazon): As audiophiles, we found the audio quality superb, offering, “studio-level fidelity,” according to our tester. They’re very comfortable and the accompanying app has a comprehensive EQ as well as voice assistant support. There’s also support for aptX Adaptive, aptX HD, AAC and SBC as well as direct PC audio streaming via a USB-C connection. That said, they’re very, very expensive at around $700.
JLab Go Luxe ANC ($50 at Amazon): To be frank, these were my personal favorite for a budget pick. The audio for around $50 is stunning and they felt comfortable enough that I wore them for multiple hours without any ear aches. The battery life also is impressive. My minor gripes: The build quality feels a little too cheap, and you won’t get an automatic play/pause feature that’s built into other JLab headphones. Those two issues kept it from taking the top budget spot. Still, for the price, I really enjoyed these; I would recommend them for teens.
JLab Epic Lux Lab Edition ($200 at JLab): I really liked these headphones when I used them on certain settings. That said, I noticed audio quality changes as I shifted through the various EQs as well as when I turned on the spatial audio. They feature an automatic play/pause feature, unlike the Go Luxe ANC, which was useful. They felt very comfortable to wear for long periods of time, too. But for the price, I felt it could be better.
JBL Live 770 NC ($200 at Amazon): The JBL Live 770 NC headphones have a strong bass that give all the genres we tested across—folk, rock, pop and more—a nice depth that we really liked. However, the ANC wasn’t as strong as other contenders. Our tester noted they could, “still hear the mumbles of people around me and the treadmill’s motor when I was working out.” Our tester also noted minor creaking in the headset as well as some pinching behind her ears when she wore glasses.
Sony WH-1000XM5: The Sony WH-1000XM5s are a pretty sturdy pair of headphones and after hours of continuous wear, they felt comfortable on our tester’s ears. Our tester also noted that the ANC is as strong as the Bose QuietComfort Ultra headphones. In a blind test, however, the audio quality of the Bose outperformed that of the Sony headphones with and without ANC. We also felt that the app controls were clunky.
Anker Soundcore Life Q35: Our tester loved these headphones, as they have a slightly oversized earcup with generous padding. It’s so good that when cross-testing them against the Bose QuietComfort Ultra headphones preferred to wear this pair. The ANC isn’t as good compared to the Space Ones. The same went for the audio quality: The Space Ones edged them out.
Anker Soundcore Space One Pro ($200 at Amazon): The Anker Soundcore Space One Pros are simply lovely and like the budget-friendly Space Ones offer a slew of features including Dolby Audio, HearID Sound, a library of EQ presets and much more. The audio quality beat our midrange pick, but don’t use the Dolby Audio, as it muddies the audio and detracts from the listening experience. They also fell short in terms of durability. They were edged out by the Sony Ult Wears, which felt more sturdy. The ear cups are also not replaceable, something that the Sony Ult Wears do offer.
Sennheiser Momentum 4 ($280 at Amazon): The audio quality on the Sennheiser Momentum 4s are top-notch and on par with the Bowers & Wilkins Px8s and the Focal Bathys. However, our tester noted that he got slight headaches after wearing them long hours. He also felt the ear pads weren’t as comfortable to wear as the Bose. Still, battery life is strong, and the ANC on them is stellar.
Anker Soundcore Life Q30 ($80 at Amazon): The Anker Soundcore has a pretty good audio for the price, but be prepared for a bass-heavy experience. Even when using the Soundcore app to adjust the EQ, the bass felt too powerful. Our tester noted that the ANC was a little confusing to parse when adjusting them as it uses a tone rather than directly saying which setting they’re currently on.
Belkin SoundForm Isolate ($51 at Amazon): The audio quality on these headphones is pretty decent for its budget-friendly price tag. However, I couldn’t get past how strong the build clamped around my head. I couldn’t wear these for long periods of time without risking a headache. ANC was present, thought it could be stronger.
How We Chose The Best Wireless Headphones
Many of the best wireless headphones picks were personally tested by me, but I also enlisted some of my fellow Forbes Vetted team members to help review over a dozen contenders. My team and I paired them with our mobile phones and spent hours streaming a slew of genres from Spotify, Apple Music and more. We assessed key wireless features, including multi-device connectivity, app functionality, comfort and battery life. The biggest factors when using a pair of headphones—sound quality, noise cancellation and overall design—were our top priorities.
Sound Quality
We paid close attention to how the bass, mids and highs performed individually, focusing on high-end clarity and deep, resonant low-end frequencies. To ensure a well-rounded test, we listened to most genres as well as podcasts. Specifically, some of the songs we tested each pair of wireless headphones included:
- Florence and the Machine’s “King,” “Cosmic Love,” “Choreomania” and “Dog Days Are Over”
- Rimsky-Korsakov’s “Scheherezade”
- Ashnikkos’ “Worms” and “Daisy”
- Chappell Roan’s “Good Luck, Babe” and “Red Wine Supernova”
- Fleetwood Mac’s “Dreams” and “The Chain”
- Kendrick Lamar’s “luther (with sza),” “tv off (feat. lefty gunplay),” and “Not Like Us”
- The entire soundtracks to seasons one and two of the Netflix show Arcane
- Multiple Morbid and Crime Junkie podcast episodes
This roster of songs and artists gave us a well-rounded picture as to the performance and range each pair of headphones could deliver. We also deep dived into the companion apps designed to customize audio, evaluating how advanced—or limited—their EQ settings were.
Noise Cancellation
For headphones with active noise cancellation, we tested headphones in my apartment, in taxis, on the NYC MTA subway system, and on multiple transcontinental flights. We also had spouses, children and cats try to communicate with us while wearing them to see whether conversations or pet cries could be blocked out.
We wore each pair for several hours to gauge comfort for both ear cups and the headband—a feature that plays a large role in effective ANC. We reviewed whether the headphones feature passive or active noise cancellation, transparency modes and tested their effectiveness in each of the aforementioned environments.
Design
Beyond sound and noise cancellation, we examined each headphone’s design, build quality and overall durability. We took weight into account—after all, the heavier it is on your head, the less comfortable it may be to wear for long periods—as well as whether the headphones were water-resistant. In testing, we also checked the ear cups, considering their plushness as well as how comfortable they felt to wear for hours on end.
Why Trust Forbes Vetted
Our editorial team consists of tech experts who live to research, test and write about all things digital. Seriously: Some staffers on our team, including executive editor Dave Johnson, have authored multiple books on the subject. We’ve also built a robust library of tech guides for audio, including the best gaming headsets and the best wireless earbuds.
- This story was authored by consumer tech editor Rebecca Isaacs, who oversees tech content for Forbes Vetted. She’s been writing about tech for over six years, specializing in home entertainment and audio.
- Most of the picks, including the Bose QuietComfort Ultra wireless headphones, the Bose QuietComfort Ultra wireless earbuds and the Anker Soundcore Space Ones were personally tested by Rebecca Isaacs. She has direct hands-on experience with every contender on this list, too.
- In order to keep our insights and recommendations fresh, we recently retested and rescored every pair of wireless headphones on this list. In our latest February 2025 update, we added a host of new picks, including our new budget pick, the Anker Soundcore Space Ones and the Sony ULT Wears.
- We research any new releases or newly upgraded models of bestsellers and compare the aspects to ones we’ve tested. We also comb through reviews to identify the perks and quirks of each model.
- We also seek firsthand insights from Forbes Vetted staffers who’ve used these headphones for at least ten hours, and most times more. We also identify any that haven’t been tried for formal testing.