The best headphones to travel with

Let's not beat around the bush, having a good pair of headphones when you're travelling is probably the most critical tech device you may need. When you're on a flight, you want to make sure you have great headphones to listen to music or watch a movie.

Here's everything the team has to say about their picks and which headphones they're travelling with.

Shruti Shekar: Sonos Ace Over-Ear

I am a huge Sonos fan. I discovered it about two years ago and really feel like it's a brand that more people need to be using. While I love my Bose headphones, there's something about the Sonos Ace headphones that is incredibly comfortable.

To be honest, the noise cancelling could be better, but they're good enough that I can zone out. I like listening to music while I read, and especially on long-haul flights, having a good pair of headphones is really important for me. And I have just been loving my Sonos headphones.

Derrek Lee: Jabra Elite 8 Active

I've always been a big fan of Jabra products, which is why I'm sad the company is no longer making consumer earbuds. However, I've held on to my Jabra Elite 8 Active because the audio is great and they're quite durable. I also love earbuds with physical buttons, which means I can turn them off without needing to put them in a case. This, in turn, means I don't need to carry a case around all the time when I'm out and about.

That said, if you can find the newer Jabra Elite 8 Active Gen 2, you should definitely get those, as they add LE Audio capabilities and let you plug the case into a headphone jack, allowing you to, for example, connect to airplane entertainment when there's no direct Bluetooth connection available.

Jerry Hildenbrand: Campfire Audio Stellar Horizon

Yeah, that’s dumb and even I know it. These are super expensive wired earbuds, and if I left them in the hotel or on the plane, I’d hate myself forever. They just sound so good and fit so well! I take them with me everywhere, as well as a good USB-C DAC, because phone makers are stupid and removed the standard 3.5 mm jack to get you to buy their fancy earbuds. Crooks.

Nick Sutrich: CMF Buds Pro 2

Earbuds are a dime a dozen these days, and few of them do anything unique to stand apart from the pack. That is, except for the CMF Buds Pro 2, which are both affordable and unique thanks to their style and a clever charging case that doubles as a way to interact with your earbuds, phone-free.

That wheel is fully customizable within the CMF Buds app, letting you quickly adjust volume with the wheel, play/pause with a single click of the wheel’s button, call up Gemini with a double-click, or do any number of things that you can think of. It’s funny how such a simple addition can make such a huge impact!

Patrick Farmer: Sony WH-1000XM4

Although they’re two generations old at this point, I simply can’t quit my Sony WH-1000XM4, even when I have newer headphones at hand just waiting to be used. Maybe it’s a curse of habit, but the headphones’ blend of comfort, balanced sound, and customizable noise cancellation makes these cans one of my favorite pieces of tech, and I always throw them into my backpack when I travel.

Andrew Myrick: Samsung Galaxy Buds Pro 3

Admittedly, I waffled between the Galaxy Buds 3 Pro and Pixel Buds Pro 2, as they're both pretty fantastic. However, there's just something about being able to use the earbud stem for controls, as opposed to just the touchpad. I also paired them with the Comply TrueGrip Memory Foam ear tips, giving me the perfect seal while keeping the earbuds in my ears.

Harish Jonnalagadda: Bose QuietComfort Ultra Buds

After cycling through several Sony headsets and earbuds, I recently switched over to Bose's alternatives. I'll just take earbuds if I'm going on a short junket that lasts a day or two, and in this situation, the QuietComfort Ultra buds are outstanding. They do a great job isolating noise while flying, have incredible sound quality, and the fit is extremely comfortable. The buds are on the larger side when you consider the design, but they fit astonishingly well, and I easily get over 20 hours of battery life before needing to charge the case.

If I'm attending an event that lasts over two days, I pack the QuietComfort Ultra headphones. They offer better comfort, excel at noise isolation, and boast one of the best sound qualities among Bluetooth headsets I've used.

Michael Hicks: Shokz OpenFit 2

I typically use my Shokz OpenFit 2 for workouts, but I love them when I’m taking scenic walks because I can chat with family or listen to music while still keeping my ears open to the sounds of nature or waves around me, and they’ll last for a full day out and about. They’re not well-suited for blocking out noises on a plane, so I keep some cheap over-ear Sony headphones for passive noise cancellation.

Otherwise, I use my Meta Ray-Bans, which have a similar open-ear audio perk and protect my eyes on sunny days, but don’t hit quite the same level of audio quality as my Shokz.

Brady Snyder: Apple AirPods Max

I don’t love the AirPods Max, yet they’ve accompanied me on every single flight I’ve taken since 2022. The AirPods Max are not the most comfortable, the best sounding, or the best value. However, they do the absolute best job of blocking out airplane noise and turbulence out of any pair of over-ears I’ve tested. Although I’ve tried to switch to more comfortable options like the Sonos Ace or the Dyson OnTrac, their ANC capabilities leave me reaching for my AirPods Max on a flight.

As someone whose ears are extremely sensitive to turbulence and elevation, I’d buy the $550 AirPods Max again just for the handful of plane trips I take each year.

Namerah Saud Fatmi: Marshall Monitor III ANC

The Marshall Monitor III ANC headphones were my best friend when flying. Not only is the 70-hour battery life incredulously long, but the noise cancellation is on another level, and the wear experience is supremely comfortable. I have high sensory issues with sound, and the ANC on this pair really helped soothe my nerves during takeoff, in-flight turbulence, and landing.

Once you’ve charged these bad boys, you won’t have to undertake the chore again for a good three to four days with medium usage. Additionally, a quick 15-minute charge provides enough power for 12 hours of playback. There’s a customizable shortcut button that opens Spotify, and a knob that adds pause/play, track changing, and volume controls. I also appreciate that the physical buttons are seamlessly integrated into the headset, blending naturally into the design rather than protruding oddly or uncomfortably.

Nandika Iyer Ravi: Apple Airpods

When I travel, I prefer to pack light and keep things simple, especially now with a baby. That's why I stick to my AirPods — they're the only ones that fit my ears comfortably without those rubber tips.