Students can use good wireless headphones and earbuds for various reasons, be it for studying or leisure time away from learning. Most of these picks offer active noise cancelation (ANC) features that can come in handy no matter where you're working. There are plenty of other reasons you'll want the best student earbuds and headphones when navigating another school year. We've listed some of our favorites to both help you focus and give you the best overall sound experience.
Shut it out
Sony's WF-1000XM5 wireless earbuds are a cut above so many others. They can not only play great audio but also produce some of the best active noise cancelation (ANC) around. We felt that way in our review, and believe you will find the results match up a lot once you plug your ears with these elite earbuds.
Cover your ears
Bose's QuietComfort Headphones offer different stages of ANC, so if you're looking to cancel background noise to concentrate, these over-ears can certainly help. They also make tunes sound great, and include Spotify Tap support for quicker access. Plus, you can always use the Bose app to make your own adjustments.
Breaking a sweat
If you're an active student and need earbuds that can withstand some punishment, the Jabra Elite 8 Active are ready for anything, as we covered in our review. Super comfortable to wear with ANC support, great sound, solid app support, and battery life that can last up to eight hours or more.
Talk to Alexa
With a renewed sense of fit and comfort, our review found Amazon also packed in new drivers inside to pump out better audio, further improving upon their predecessors. Capping all that off is the easy and quick access you get to Alexa — hands-free and with little more than just using your voice to get an answer or control a smart home device.
Talk to Google
Google didn't go back to the drawing board with the Pixel Buds A-Series, but it did drop the price without affecting the sound quality and microphones, so you can use Google Assistant without much getting in your way. Unfortunately, battery life won't get you as far, though you may like the minimalist quality these earbuds have, like we did in our review.
For the Apple types
Forget the regular AirPods. Go with the second-gen Pro pair, which does everything better, from fit, comfort, sound, and ANC, giving you better value all the way. You won't get Siri on Android, but you still stand to benefit from the other good features, including spatial audio support, and more.
Crushing bass
Want as much bass as you can handle? The Crusher ANC 2 can give you all you'll ever need, as we noticed in our review, so if you're looking for a heavier sound, these over-ear headphones will rock. Personalize the sound and other features further using Skullcandy's app, and take advantage of multipoint pairing and up to 50 hours battery life per charge.
Bang for the buck
It's hard to go wrong with the Soundcore Life Q30 headphones for the simple fact they do a lot right at a great price. We felt that way when we reviewed them. Solid audio, especially when you play around with the Soundcore app's equalizer, plus ANC to block out a lot of noise. Battery life also lasts you up to 60 hours on a single charge with ANC turned off.
Play it on-ear
If on-ears work for you, the JBL Tune 660NC are a nice mix of balanced sound, lightweight design, ANC performance, and up to 44 hours battery life at default volume levels. While there's no way to customize them through an app, these should play various music genres well. Plus, you can use the included detachable cord for wired sound should you run out of juice.
Serious value
While they resemble AirPods, the OnePlus Buds 3 offer amazing value for much less money — and you don't need a OnePlus phone to reap the rewards. We found a ton of personalization in our review, and so can you in making them fit and sound how you want, including a nod to gamers and study sessions where you want to stay focused the entire time.
Game on
Lightweight, easy to use, and with an AirPods-like design, the Razer Hammerhead HyperSpeed come in either Xbox or PS5 variants, both of which are equally compatible with PCs through the USB-C dongle in the box. They also work just fine with Android phones and tablets, covering all the bases when it's time to play.
Free your ears
If you'd rather not plug your ears or save them from any sensitivity to sound pumping through your ear canal, the OpenRun bone conduction headphones provide an alternative option. Lightweight and durable, they fit around your neck and sit on your ears without being pushed inside. You can wear them pretty much anywhere, so long as you're cool with subdued bass that won't come through as hard.
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The beauty of being a student is that you can appreciate tech a little more when it helps you get things done or when it's time to just relax and enjoy a good tune. That's especially true when looking for the best wireless headphones and best wireless earbuds.
The Sony WF-1000XM5 are the best pair of wireless earbuds you can find, or if you've got over-ear headphones in mind, the Bose QuietComfort Headphones (2023) are easy to appreciate.
Active noise cancelation (ANC) is worth investing in so you can focus on the task at hand whether you're at home with busy street noises (the neighbors mowing the lawn, perhaps?) in a busy student center, reading outside in the park, listening to a lecture while going for a run, or in a dorm room with a roommate. But never sacrifice on good sound, too, and all of these headphones and earbuds strike a balance of great sound with comfortable design for all-day wear.
Options abound otherwise, and they traverse everything from function to budget. If you're looking for fit, comfort, and some durability, a great buy would be the Jabra Elite 8 Active. There's no "right" answer between headphones and earbuds — it truly comes down to preference as you assess your school needs and the great choices here.
