Best noise-cancelling headphones of 2022: the overall best may surprise you

And that is where noise cancelling-headphones come in. There are several companies across the world creating noise-cancelling headphones but only few of them are worthy of being ranked among the best.

Without further ado, here are the 10 best noise-cancelling headphones according to user reviews on the internet and experts:

The best over-ear headphones for Apple devotees

Apple is a legendary company that brought the iPod to the world and saved us all from the walkman. So when you are talking about personal music gargets, Apple is top on the list.

The Apple AirPods Max were the most hotly-anticipated headphones for quite some time, having been the subject of rumor and speculation for two years, and come with active noise cancellation, superb audio quality, and a design that sets them apart from most noise-cancelling headphones on the market.

While their exceptional audio performance and class-leading ANC impresses, they're let down by their eye-watering price, baffling carrying case, and lack of support for Hi-Res Audio codecs.

Acoustic design: Closed

Weight: 350g

Frequency response: N/A

Drivers: 40mm dynamic

Battery life: 20 hours

Unbelievable audio performance

Brilliant extra features for iOS

Great noise cancellation

No 3.5mm audio port

Limited features for Android

The best all-rounder noise cancelling headphones with a stylish look

These have come with sophisticated noise cancellation, brilliant sound quality, and a honed aesthetic. Their crisp highs and substantial (but well-controlled) bass frequencies are to die for.

Acoustic design: Closed

Weight: 310g

Frequency response: 10 – 30,000 Hz

Drivers: 43.6mm full range

Battery life: 30 hours

Best-in-class sound quality

Competitive battery life

Robust Bluetooth connection

Earcups don't collapse

The best stylish ANC headphones with a great battery life

Jabra Elite 85H offer class-leading battery life, terrific style and plenty of personalization and comes with an app to optimize the functionality. The soundstage is well balanced and favours warmth and clarity. It allows instrumentals to really shine without letting the bass to drown them out.

They're comfortable to wear and offer fantastic longevity for those long commutes or those times you simply forget to recharge.

Acoustic design: Closed

Weight: 294g

Frequency response: 10Hz to 20kHz

Drivers: 40mm dynamic

Battery life: 36 hours

Class-leading battery life

Excellent ANC performance

Lacks support for high-end codecs

Bass could be punchier

The best smart noise-cancelling headphones for voice assistant diehards

Of all the brands on this list, Bose maybe the most famous when it comes to noise-cancellation. The Bose QuietComfort 35 II are a class-leading noise cancellation product, good sound quality and incredible comfort, plus a convenient Google assistant to answer any inquiries you might have while traveling.  

Acoustic design: Closed

Weight: 308g

Frequency response: N/A

Drivers: N/A

Battery life: 20+ hours

Broad and clear soundstage

Amazing noise cancellation

Active EQ an acquired taste

Boring looks

The best luxury noise-cancelling headphones

The Bang & Olufsen Beoplay H95 are without a doubt some of the cutest on this list. They offer noise cancellation in luxury, with an expansive sound and comes with an excellent control app. Noise cancellation on these is exceptional as it blocks out nearly all ambient sound.

Acoustic design: Closed

Weight: 322g

Frequency response: 20 - 22.000 Hz

Drivers: Two titanium drivers

Battery life: 50 hours (38 hours with ANC on)

Beautifully built

Exceptional audio quality

Very good noise cancellation

Extremely pricey compared to rivals

No auto-pause feature

The best noise-cancelling headphones for audiophiles

Acoustic design: Closed

Weight: 334g

Frequency response: N/A

Drivers: 50mm dynamic

Battery life: 20 hours

Expansive, convincing sound

Sturdy construction

Good ANC

No touch controls

The Shure AONIC 50 sports a wireless, active noise-cancelling over-ear design that provide listeners with a wide soundstage and great-sounding audio, all while feeling sturdily designed to last. The sound is energetic, textured, and detailed and makes the music sound characterful and emotive.

The best premium noise-cancelling headphones

From the company that brought us the walkman, comes this great product. They offer the best possible sound quality from your connected devices, with a wide sound stage and well tuned bass. The noise cancellation here is without a doubt the best in the business. 

Acoustic design: Closed

Weight: 250g

Frequency response: 4Hz to 40kHz

Drivers: 30mm

Battery life: 30 hours

Excellent noise-cancellation

Wonderful sounding performance

Smart ambient features

An app you'll actually want to use

New design is less portable

Still no water resistance

More expensive than previous models

Not a gigantic upgrade over the still-excellent WH-1000XM4

The best ANC headphones for blocking out noise

The Bose Noise Cancelling Headphones 700 are brilliant pair of over-ear cans – and the best Bose headphones yet. The sound quality is excellent, with a vibrant, lively character and well-balanced soundstage. The Bose Noise Cancelling Headphones 700 apply noise-cancellation to phone calls as well as music which makes them the best noise-cancelling headphones for making calls.

Acoustic design: Closed

Weight: 25g

Frequency response: N/A

Drivers: N/A

Battery life: 20 hours

Outstanding noise cancellation

Fun, lively sound

Elegant design

Battery life could be better

The best cheaper option

The Sony WH-1000XM3 were the best noise-cancelling headphones in the world for two years running, and they still at such an impressive position of number two today. These fantastic cans makes life very, very interesting. Their noise-cancellation is unbelievable, they are super comfortable and they offer useful features including a battery life of about 30 hours.

Acoustic design: Closed

Weight: 254g

Frequency response: 4Hz to 40kHz

Drivers: 40mm dual-Layered diaphragm / dynamic

Battery life: 30 hours

Outstanding noise cancellation

Fantastic sound quality

30-hour battery life

Small tweaks from 1000XM2

The best noise-cancelling headphones for most people

At number one is the Sony WH-1000XM4, the younger brother of the one in position two. They deliver excellent noise-cancellation and surprising sound quality all in a lightweight, comfortable design. 

Some of the features include multipoint pairing, DSEE Extreme upscaling, conversational awareness and auto-play/pause using a built-in sensor. They deliver exactly what they promise.

Acoustic design: Closed

Weight: 253g

Frequency response: 4Hz to 40kHz

Drivers: 1.57-inch dome type

Battery life: 30 hours

Improved noise-cancellation

DSEE Extreme audio upscaling

Multipoint pairing

Not water-resistant

Sony is the GOAT. Four of her pairs are in the top ten, all of them above industry giants like Bose and Apple. Which one ticles your fancy most though?