Frustrated over those annoying noise of rumbling engines, construction work in the neighbourhood, interfering with your work or college meet? Want to block out that noise for good? Well, in this post, we have listed the best noise-cancelling headphones for working from home.
Here, we’ve picked some of the fantastic noise-cancelling headphones available in the market today.
These headphones not only eliminate the external noise, but they also provide you with rich hearing experience in the process.
Noise-cancelling headphones are ideal for blocking the external interruption in the form of noise once and for all.
Active Noise Cancellation (ANC) might be just what you need.
Many tech companies like Apple and Sony use different ANC technologies in headphones to block out the external noise to provide a premium hearing experience.
Some headphones might be better in their noise cancelling ability than others.
This guide contains both affordable and expensive headphones which will surely deliver top-notch sound quality and will effectively block the external noise as much as it can.
Stay with us to get the best headphones that will block the external disturbance in the most effective way imaginable.
Besides, we have included headphones of every style, price, or feature that you’re looking for while working from home.
Top 3 Best Noise-Canceling Headphones For Working From Home
1. Sony WH-1000XM4
What We Like
- Battery life up to 30 hours
- DSEE extreme audio upscaling
- Best active noise-cancelling technology
What Is Missing
- Headphones are not water-resistant.
2. Sony WH-1000MX3
What We Like
- Auto pause & play
- 30 hours of battery life
- 30 meters of wireless range
What Is Missing
- Headphones are not water-resistant.
3. Sennheiser PXC 550-II
What We Like
- 30 meters wireless range
- Can connect to multiple devices same time
- Impressive noise-cancelling technology
What Is Missing
- Battery life could be better
best noise-canceling headphones for working from home
- 1. Sony WH-1000XM4
- 2. Sony WH-1000MX3
- 3. Sennheiser PXC 550-II
- 4. Bose 700
- 5. Bose QuietComfort 35 II
- 6. Shure AONIC 50
- 7. Jabra Elite 85H
- 8. Bowers And Wilkins PX7
- best noise-canceling headphones for working from home
- 1. Sony WH-1000XM4
- 2. Sony WH-1000MX3
- 3. Sennheiser PXC 550-II
- 4. Bose Noise Cancelling Headphones 700
- 5. Bose QuietComfort 35 II
- 6. Shure AONIC 50
- 7. Jabra Elite 85H
- 8. Bowers and Wilkins PX7
- Buying Guide For The Best Noise Canceling Headphones For Working From Home
1. Sony WH-1000XM4
Sony WH-1000XM4
Key Highlights
- Battery life up to 30 hours
- DSEE extreme audio upscaling
- Best active noise-cancelling technology
Sony WH-1000XM4 is equipped with advanced technology that not only delivers excellent noise-cancellation and excellent sound quality.
These headphones are light in weight and compact, which provides comfortable listening.
You get features like the multipoint pairing, DSEE extreme upscaling, conversational awareness, and autoplay/pause.
These features make it worth your every penny, and you can connect your headphones with any device wireless within 30 meters radius.
The battery of the device can last up to 30 hours of use which is itself quite incredible.
You can read our detailed review of the Sony WH-1000XM4 here.
Rest assured you’ll be having a top-notch listening experience with this device eight here.
Pros
- Multipoint pairing
- Battery life up to 30 hours
- 30 meters of wireless range
- DSEE extreme audio upscaling
- Best active noise-cancelling technology
Cons
- Headphones are not water-resistant
2. Sony WH-1000MX3
Sony WH-1000MX3
While Sony WH-1000MX4 is perfect for satisfying all your needs that might have from your headphones,
Sony WH-1000MX3 certainly isn’t any less when it comes to delivering top-notch performance.
They too provide outstanding noise-cancelling features which will let you work from home in peace.
The battery life up to 30 hours is more than sufficient for continual usage. Like its successor, it can also connect with devices in a 30-meter radius and compact and comfortable.
Wireless connectivity makes it easy for us to connect with devices effectively and quickly.
Additional elements like multiple microphones and USB Type-C ports are also inbuilt in it.
These headphones run on Sony’s QN1 Chipset, which is majorly responsible for the excellent sound quality you will get with these headphones.
Pros
- Auto pause & play
- 30 hours of battery life
- 30 meters of wireless range
- Outstanding noise-cancelling technology
Cons
- Not water resistant
3. Sennheiser PXC 550-II
Sennheiser PXC 550-II
Key Highlights
- 30 meters wireless range
- Can connect to multiple devices same time
- Impressive noise-cancelling technology
The greatest strength of Sennheiser PCX 550 wireless is its excellent sound quality.
The wireless noise-cancelling headphones are just the right fit for your working from home needs.
It will effectively block the external interruption and provide extraordinary sound quality simultaneously.
It comes with a battery life up to 8 hours and can be connected to other devices wirelessly within a 30-meter radius.
There are some disadvantages though like unresponsive touch controls that might be a deal-breaker for some people.
Overall, it is not a bad purchase if you go for it. It is undoubtedly suitable for working from the home purpose, which is our concerned issue here.
Pros
- Elegant design
- 8 hours of battery life
- 30 meters wireless range
- Compact and lightweight
- Impressive noise-cancelling technology
Cons
- Battery life could be better
4. Bose Noise Cancelling Headphones 700
Bose 700
Key Highlights
- Auto pause and play
- 20 hours of battery life
- Impressive noise-cancelling technology
Bose noise-cancelling headphones 700 are certainly no match against Sony WH-1000XM4 and Sony WH-1000MX3 in terms of noise cancellation, but it is still an excellent pair of over-ear cans.
The sound quality it delivers is rich and detailed, which is impressive.
The Bose 700 delivers effective noise-cancelling technology that blocks out the environmental noises and blocks the external interruption that comes when you’re on a call or listening to music.
With 20 hours of battery life, you can worry-free use it for a long time.
The compact and stylish design is an excellent combination in these headphones that you can’t ignore.
Overall, you won’t regret purchasing these headphones as it delivers excellent sound quality, extremely effective noise-cancelling technology and stylish design.
Pros
- App included
- 33 ft wireless range
- Auto pause and play
- 20 hours of battery life
- Classy and elegant design
- Impressive noise-cancelling technology
Cons
- Bass is low
5. Bose QuietComfort 35 II
Bose QuietComfort 35 II
Key Highlights
- Upto 20 hours of battery life
- Noise-rejecting dual-microphone
- 3 levels of world-class noise cancellation
If you’re looking for something that provides an effective noise cancelling feature and is decent in sound quality, then this is your game!
Working of these headphones is just like any other good noise-cancelling headphones in the market without all the fancy design or look.
You can get easy access to Google assistant. This is perfectly suitable for the concerned purpose here.
The Bose headphones provide upto 20 hours of battery life which is decent.
The buttons included on the headphones are highly responsive and make it easy to control your music without using your phone.
The headphone’s build quality is sturdy with a premium finish which makes these headphones ideal for everyday use.
Pros
- App included
- Alexa-enabled
- Balanced audio performance
- Noise-rejecting dual-microphone
- 3 levels of world-class noise cancellation
Cons
- Not lightweight
6. Shure AONIC 50
Shure AONIC 50
Key Highlights
- Bluetooth 5.0 version
- 20 hours of battery life
- Active noise cancellation (ANC)
Shure AONIC 50 is equipped with premium features to give tough competition to big brands like Sony, Bose, etc.
It runs on an Active noise cancellation (ANC) feature that effectively blocks out the external interruption.
The headphones are made to provide 30 feet of wireless connectivity range with up to 20 hours of battery life to give you a long time continual usage.
The Shure headphones come with Bluetooth 5.0 version which offers fantastic connectivity with minimum dropouts.
The Shure is hell-bent on delivering premium sound quality to its users.
Pros
- Compact design
- Bluetooth 5.0 version
- 20 hours of battery life
- Effective Active noise cancellation (ANC)
Cons
- No touch controls
7. Jabra Elite 85H
Jabra Elite 85H
Key Highlights
- 36 hours of battery life
- Active noise cancellation
- 10 meters of wireless range
Jabra Elite 85H offers an outstanding battery life of up to 36 hours of usage.
The look and style of the headphones are terrific and worth going for. The headphones come with an app which allows you to tweak sound as per your preference.
The sound quality you get is premium with punchy bass, clear mids and crisp highs.
This headphone is the company’s first attempt at premium wireless ANC headphones, and it indeed turned out to be excellent in its results.
The Jabra headphones include 8 built-in microphones to enhance call quality and it also blocks out the background noise on calls to provide the best call experience.
Keeping in mind the current purpose of effective noise-cancelling technology is suitable so that you can buy it without any worry.
Pros
- Water resistant
- Bluetooth 5.0 version
- 36 hours of battery life
- Active noise cancellation
- 10 meters of wireless range
Cons
- Bass could be better
8. Bowers and Wilkins PX7
Bowers And Wilkins PX7
Bowers and Wilkins provide best-in-class and top-notch sound quality which is just what you need in an ideal pair of headphones.
Thirty hours of battery life is more than sufficient to use it for an extended period and more.
With this headphone, you can easily connect it via Bluetooth wirelessly if you’re looking for something easy on the eyes and simultaneously provides a useful noise-cancelling feature.
However, this headphone might be out of budget for some people.
Pros
- Bluetooth 5.0
- 30 hours of battery life
- Best-in-class sound quality
- 30 meters of wireless range
- Active noise cancellation (ANC)
Cons
- Priced at a premium
Buying Guide For The Best Noise Canceling Headphones For Working From Home
Buying noise-cancelling headphones is not rocket science, but it is not that easy either if you don’t know the essential features required to be in one.
Many brands claim to have an excellent Active noise cancelling feature in their product, but others do it better.
It is recommended you know the needs and requirements you have and then set the budget accordingly.
Here are some things that you need to consider beforehand:
1. Type:
Headphones don’t only mean just that. It includes earbuds or in-ear headphones, on-ear headphones and over-ear headphones.
It would help if you decided which one you want to buy from these.
Once you know the type of headphones, you should start your research on different market brands.
Our concerned purpose is noise-cancelling headphones. It is better to go for over-ear headphones as they cover your entire ears. Hence, go for full-sized headphones.
2. Budget
High-definition and quality noise-cancelling headphones come at a premium price as well.
Active noise cancelling technology runs on its audio processor, which adds up to headphones’ overall price.
Similarly, size, quality sound, wireless connectivity, look, and internal drivers also add up in price.
Therefore, if you’re not prepared beforehand with your standard budget, you might face problems later.
If you want to get premium quality headphones, you have to be ready to pay for them.
Some brands offer cheap headphones that may be suitable for you working from home but may not be that great when you’re in flight.
If you’re ready to compromise one thing for another, then this might be suitable for you.
3. Battery life:
A good pair of headphones should provide excellent and reasonable battery life as well.
This ensures that you can use the device freely and for a long time without worrying about the battery draining out.
Go for one that can last at least one day without charging.
Trust me when I say that you don’t want your headphones to die on you even after spending the right amount of money and time on it.
4. Warranty:
Make sure that the headphones you’re buying come with at least a warranty for up to one year.
It is essential with every electronic device that comes with a warranty if they fail to work after a couple of months of use.
It will be a total waste of time and money if you buy an expensive pair of headphones without a warranty and they stop working just after two months of buying it.
By the time you’ll realise it would be too late already. So again buy headphones that come with a warranty.
5. Try it on/Check whether all the features are working:
This is not essentially a type of feature, but it must be considered before making a purchase.
Try to buy a pair of headphones manually rather than online. It would be better as you will try it on in front of the seller or manufacturer.
This will ensure the working of the device. You will also know whether it is working correctly or not or whether all the promised features are there and working correctly.
Moreover, this will give you a better feel; your listening experience on the device with the noise cancellation on and off.
FAQs
Noise-cancelling headphones produce an isolation effect that blocks out any unwanted noise. These headphones are designed to help you hear your music in the best possible way.
Noise-cancelling headphones are a great addition to any music collection. Having the ability to drown out the noise around you can improve your listening quality, particularly when travelling. They also do a great job of blocking out external distractions when you need to concentrate on the task of being on the tube.
As well as noise cancellation, noise cancelling headphones also have a dedicated feature to help you block out external noise, particularly on planes and trains.
In real terms, most premium quality noise cancelling headphones do offer excellent sound quality to have peaceful work from experience. I would advise to check or try them out manually so that you don’t face problems later.
Noise-cancelling headphones can be purchased for as little as £80. If you want something a bit more premium, you’re better off spending around £200 for a pair of the Bose QuietControl 30.
That depends on your ear to ear seal, the size of your ears, and your speech frequency. If you have a high-pitched voice, the headphones are unlikely to work.
In general, if you’re in a place with a lot of background noise, you’ll be able to hear your surroundings even with noise cancelling turned on.
However, you will sometimes need to raise the volume a little bit to hear a conversation, and there will be a slight bit of white noise or hiss in your ear to let you know the headphones are active.
It is recommended you turn on the noise cancelling when listening to speech to preserve the intelligibility of the speech you’re listening to.
No. There have been few if any clinical studies of the effects of noise cancelling headphones on our ears, and any such studies would be time consuming and expensive.
Unfortunately, this is not a question we can give an unequivocal answer to. However, most people wearing these headphones will see no ill effects, and if you do experience discomfort after a while, there is always the option to turn the noise cancelling back off.
You may also find it useful to switch off the ambient noise when you are asleep or in quiet environments.
Conclusion On Best Noise-Canceling Headphones For Working From Home
There are numerous excellent active noise cancellation headphones available in the market.
Keep in mind that the working of some headphones will be better than others.
It depends on the brand and the price as well. Noise-cancelling headphones come in premium sound quality and premium price as well.
But this certainly doesn’t mean that you have to go for the most expensive ones.
Many brands in the market provide decent pairs of headphones at a reasonable and affordable price.
This will also deliver a suitable noise-cancelling feature that will do the work.
Remember, no matter how expensive and premium quality pair of noise-cancelling headphones you buy, not a single one of them will block or cancel the noise 100%.
Don’t try to shoot for the unimaginable because you won’t find it—research different market brands.
Keep in mind the things that you need to consider before making the final purchase.
And lastly, decide on the product that will effectively cancel out the external interruption that hinders your listening whenever you work or listen to music.
As per our evaluation, we found the Sony WH-1000XM4 to be the best noise-cancelling headphones for working from home.
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