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Sunday, August 24, 2025

The 12 Greatest Snug Headphones of 2025, Examined and Reviewed


A cushty pair of headphones could make any long-haul flight, fitness center exercise, or prepare journey even higher. The mistaken pair? You’re in for poor battery life, tinny sound, and perhaps the worst half: ear aches and bizarre stress factors. To assist keep away from this, our crew examined 55 pairs of headphones over the previous six months to seek out essentially the most comfy pairs of over-ear headphones and earbuds, evaluating our picks primarily based on ease of setup, ease of use, consolation, sound high quality, efficiency, and worth. We wore these throughout work commutes, in distracting workplace settings, on lengthy walks, and through sweaty exercises.

As somebody who can’t perform in loud locations with out some type of noise dampening, I’ve additionally examined quite a lot of headphones each on this listing (just like the Ozlo Sleepbuds, Bose QuietComfort Extremely Headphones, and each Anker pairs) and a few that didn’t make the reduce (my favourite bone-conducting pair is the Raycon’s Open Earbuds). I’ve completely different headphones for the fitness center, my runs, bike rides, airplane rides, and distant work calls, and all have a time and place in my fitness center bag or carry-on.

The Bose QuietComfort Extremely Headphones took the highest spot this 12 months because of their cushioned ear pads, deceptively light-weight construct, and world-class noise cancelling. Learn on for the remainder of our prime picks.

Bose QuietComfort Ultra Headphones

Credit score: Amazon

Why We Love It

  • With a straightforward setup, customizable choices, and long-term consolation, these are a worthwhile funding.

Touchdown in our prime slot for the second 12 months in a row are the Bose QuietComfort Extremely Headphones. They’ve an intuitive design, simply sufficient options to be handy with out complicated, and as much as 24 hours of battery life. Much like the traditional QuietComfort, the Ultras are light-weight for his or her dimension, and don’t constrict our ears. We don’t really feel aches and stress factors after sporting them on long-haul flights, and the Bose app is pretty intuitive with loads of customizable settings.

The setup course of is fast and painless, and the “contact bar” is a singular characteristic that may both regulate the quantity or be set for custom-made shortcuts by way of the app. The plush leather-based ear cups match properly round our ears, and the sound high quality—from noise cancelling to voice calls—was clear and crisp. As anticipated, we did get a little bit scorching sporting these through the muggy summer season days, however that’s to be anticipated for a big set like this. Sure, you’ll pay extra for the Ultras than the usual, however in the event you’re on the lookout for a pair of do-it-all headphones that mix wonderful consolation, lengthy battery life, and premium sound high quality, they’re value it.

The Particulars: 8.96 ounces | As much as 24 hours of battery | As much as 30 ft Bluetooth vary | On-ear | Noise cancellation | Constructed-in microphone

Apple AirPods Pro 2nd Gen Wireless Earbuds

Credit score: Amazon

Apple’s AirPods have come a great distance since their preliminary launch, and the Professional 2 mannequin brings it up one other notch with efficient noise cancelling and higher in-ear consolation. The hear-through mode acts just like bone-conducting headphones in that it separates your music from the noises round you. The earbuds reply nicely once we flip our heads to listen to from completely different instructions. The buttons are easy and intuitive, with one discreet button on both bud. The suitable button activates noise cancellation and the left is for hear-through. “That is new to me from their earlier fashions, and I find it irresistible.” says T+L editor Taylor Fox.

We have been capable of take telephone calls on busy commutes and on loud streets, and so they stayed in place nicely throughout check exercises, bouncy runs, and leaping jacks. These are a best choice for Mac customers, as they connect with the Apple ecosystem and pair simply with our iPhone, although getting them to hook up with our laptops was a little bit trickier. Lastly, these are among the most compact earbuds on our listing, weighing lower than a quarter-ounce and ideal for stashing within the pocket of a private merchandise.

The Particulars: 0.19 ounces | As much as 6 hours of battery | As much as 30 ft Bluetooth vary | Earbuds | Noise cancellation | Constructed-in microphone

Bang & Olufsen Beoplay H100 Ultimate Over-ear Headphones

Credit score: Amazon

These premium headphones have been on our heads day by day since we obtained them, from taking calls whereas working errands to driving the prepare and after eight-hour workdays. They arrange like magic (maintain your telephone close to the headphones and the app mechanically downloads) and after a fast options tutorial, we have been all set. They’ve an automated on-off characteristic which helps preserve battery life, and every sound characteristic was as spectacular because the final. The glass ear cup base operates all the instructions with swiping (which works with both hand), and so they have a singular dial on each ear cups that operates sound quantity and the extent of noise cancellation.

“These are among the most intuitive headphones that I personal,” says T+L editor Morgan Ashley Parker. “Different pairs I really feel like I am tapping and toggling and swiping and easily hoping for the perfect (or by accident doing the mistaken factor) however that hasn’t occurred as soon as with these.” Parker was additionally impressed with the consolation of those headphones, becoming nicely over her ears with out urgent into her lobes or piercings. They stayed safe even when transferring and bending over, and the precise music high quality felt like “being in a recording studio.” A splurge? Sure. However when you have the funds and need only one extremely top quality, comfy pair of headphones, we predict these are value it.

The Particulars: 13.2 ounces | As much as 32 hours of battery | As much as 40 ft Bluetooth vary | On-ear | Noise cancellation | Constructed-in microphone

Bowers & Wilkins Px7 S2e

Credit score: Bowers & Wilkins

It is simple to overlook the place you’re whereas sporting this luxury set from Bowers & Wilkins—the noise cancellation is simply that good. Telephone calls got here in clear, the layers of music have been clearly audible, and ambient noise from site visitors and public transport disappeared.

“I stored biking via the completely different noise-canceling modes whereas listening to music and the distinction was astounding. It was like I used to be transporting between a quiet room and a crowded prepare with the press of a button,” says T+L’s senior testing editor Jackie Cucco, who was shocked to listen to how loud the folks round her have been after turning off the noise cancellation.

The mixture of consolation and safety can also be a dream, with a just-right match that feels safe across the heads and ears with out an excessive amount of stress. We watched films, listened to podcasts, all varieties of music, and took calls in these headphones and by no means observed staticky, distorted, or poorly combined sounds. The battery life can also be spectacular, hitting the mark on the claimed 30 hours of listening time and saving the trouble of lifeless headphones through the noisiest a part of our commute.

The Particulars: 10.8 ounces | As much as 30 hours of battery | As much as 33 ft Bluetooth vary | On-ear | Noise cancellation | Constructed-in microphone

Beats Powerbeats Pro 2

Credit score: Beats

Seamless to arrange and filled with options, these workout-friendly headphones mix over-ear and earbud designs with a curved ear band that tucked behind our ears and secured the headphones in place. We liked the on-device controls that eradicated the necessity to hold taking our telephone out, and we may play, pause, and regulate the quantity proper from the in-ear items. Like equally high-end headphones, these have a power-charge setting the place you possibly can stand up to 90 minutes of playback with just some minutes within the charging case and as much as 10 hours per cost, with 45 hours saved within the case.

Except for the sweat -and-water resistance, the largest argument for tossing these headphones in your fitness center bag is their built-in coronary heart price monitoring. Simply join the headphones to your health app, and the interior tech makes use of LED optical sensors that pulse over 100 instances per second to measure your blood flow. Lastly, the sound high quality was crisp and clear from the fitness center and again throughout noisy commutes. “The standard is nice, irrespective of the content material I take heed to,” stated T+L author Rosie Marder. “It is clear and highly effective with no distortions.” Our principal problem was with the mix design: the wrap-around stored the headphones safe, however we did really feel some discomfort throughout longer wears from the added stress factors.

The Particulars: .28 ounces | As much as 45 hours of battery | As much as 33 ft Bluetooth vary | Round-ear | Noise cancellation | Constructed-in microphone

Bang & Olufsen Beoplay EX

Credit score: Amazon

The Bang & Olufsen Beoplay EX earbuds are each comfy and transportable, making them a straightforward selection for tucking right into a jacket pocket or within the exterior of our fitness center baggage. The audio can also be clear and immersive, whether or not watching films or listening to multilayered songs in any style. The podcast conversations have been straightforward to listen to, and we didn’t have points with having to show the audio up or down relying on what was occurring within the episode. “These are nice for listening to music or watching films with intricate sound design,” famous T+L senior editor Lydia Value.

The headphones include 4 completely different silicone ear suggestions, which made it straightforward to get a safe match for exercises. They’re additionally waterproof, which eradicated the stress of avoiding a wet run or damaging them throughout a sweaty exercise. We had no sore spots or stress factors from the in-ear parts, and telephone audio was very clear no matter how the microphones have been positioned. These don’t have the perfect battery life out of the headphones we examined, in order that they’re finest for shorter put on and would not be our first selection for a full workday or long-haul flight.

The Particulars: 0.21 ounces | As much as 8 hours of battery | As much as 33 ft Bluetooth vary | Earbuds | Noise cancellation | Constructed-in microphone

Google Pixel Buds Pro 2

Credit score: Google

Why We Love It

  • With spectacular updates in consolation, options, and sound high quality, these are value upgrading from the PB1 mannequin.

We’ve used each generations of the Pixel Buds Professional, and the two is a noticeable improve from the unique mannequin. The contact/gesture choices to regulate the headphones mirror the controls for the Pixel Buds 1, however the brand new model responds sooner and extra reliably. We additionally love that the two permits auto-pause when one earbud is eliminated, which was technically a characteristic on the 1 however suffered delays and glitches. We appreciated the reasonable quantity of options and menus (by way of the unit and the app) that supplied loads of choices with out feeling overdone, and the noise cancellation was efficient throughout all the pieces from driving the prepare to staying distraction-free at work.

Consolation can also be a noticeable improve from the earlier model. Our ears would begin to get a little bit sore from the dimensions and form of the earbuds on the older mannequin, however we have been capable of put on the PB2 for hours with out feeling discomfort. These have a slimmer profile that reduces stress with out shedding safety, and we barely felt like we had something in, which was particularly good in “transparency” mode. General, the sound is balanced, the battery life is greater than ample, and these may need the perfect improve between variations of something we’ve examined.

The Particulars: 0.14 ounces | As much as 30 hours of battery | As much as 33 ft Bluetooth vary | Earbuds | Noise cancellation | Constructed-in microphone

JBL Tour One M3 Smart Tx

Credit score: Amazon

These extremely cushioned headphones paired simply and have been customizable by way of the JBL app, although we liked how the app wasn’t required for pairing. These additionally include a nifty transmitter, which lets you be part of two headphones for listening to the identical supply, or to hook up with an output supply with out Bluetooth (assume: recreation system or airplane TV). We didn’t discover this tremendous intuitive, however “when you get the dangle of it, it is a nifty characteristic and all of the cords that it’s essential use the transmitter are included,” reported T+L editor Jasmine Grant.

Together with excessive sound high quality, these have been among the most comfy headphones we examined. The ear cups have been plush and pillowy, however didn’t really feel cumbersome like different extremely cushioned fashions. They slip on and off with out pulling, and the headscarf is springy and generously sized so it didn’t squeeze our heads and ears throughout all-day put on. The noise cancellation mode was greater than ample for listening to audiobooks and podcasts, and the treble, bass, and even acoustic and lighter music felt full and wealthy. These give nearly a “encompass sound” really feel in noise cancellation mode, and we plan to take these on our upcoming flights this season.

The Particulars: 9.8 ounces | As much as 70 hours of battery | As much as 33 ft Bluetooth vary | On-ear | Noise cancellation | Constructed-in microphone

Ozlo Sleepbuds

Credit score: Amazon

In relation to noise cancellation, white noise, and luxury, the Ozlo Sleepbuds are my best choice for sleeping headphones. The T+L crew examined them as nicely, and got here away impressed with the consolation, glossy design, and match choices. I’ve smaller ears, and these really feel secure after I sleep and are very efficient at blocking out noise. The guidelines are comfortable and squishy, and I’ve skilled no discomfort even after sporting all of them evening. These are vital for red-eye flights and noisy campsites, and so they blocked out the seven nights of fireworks over the Fourth of July week. The Ozlo app has a variety of white noise choices, and in contrast to different sleep headphones, you can even play your personal music via the connectivity to no matter music app you often take heed to.

That stated, these aren’t good, and I’ve had some battery points with each units I’ve examined. My first set wouldn’t maintain a cost, and although the corporate changed them, my second set is kind of finicky and solely expenses with the branded USB-C cable. Moreover, not like my different headphones, these die after I go away them stashed in a drawer. I’ve boarded a couple of flight solely to seek out them fully lifeless within the case, and whereas they cost shortly, it’s a irritating glitch. We additionally had some points getting these to attach by way of the app, and so they can take a couple of tries to register by way of Bluetooth. The truth that we nonetheless love these regardless of their tech glitches is a testomony to how nicely they carry out after they work. As soon as they’re charged, they make a red-eye bearable.

The Particulars: 0.12 ounces | As much as 12 hours of battery | As much as 33 ft Bluetooth vary | Earbuds | Noise cancellation

Soundcore Space One Active Noise Cancelling Headphones

Credit score: Amazon

These headphones have been among the many most comfy T+L editor Amelia McBride has worn, and he or she additionally liked the mix of plush foam and fake leather-based that by no means felt compressive or heavy. McBride was particularly hyped about the place the headscarf expands, “the place the audio system connect with the headscarf, reasonably than on the center.” This growth features a brushed metallic steel core that matches the colour of the emblem and particulars on every speaker, which makes them look glossy and classy when totally expanded.

The headphones did slip a little bit throughout weight-lifting classes, however as soon as they have been tightened down, they stayed in place nicely. They felt fairly gentle for the dimensions, although the over-ear portion is a bit bulkier than others we’ve examined. The sound high quality was additionally spectacular, permitting clear layers of music whereas on busy streets, working errands, and even listening passively to podcasts. That stated, we respect a great bass and reverb, and the resonance was considerably missing in that regard. We performed round with the EQ presets for considerably deeper sound, however total our complaints are minor for the consolation and options of those comparatively reasonably priced headphones.

The Particulars: 10.3 ounces | As much as 60 hours of battery | As much as 33 ft Bluetooth vary | On-ear | Noise cancellation | Constructed-in microphone

iClever HS19 Kids Headphones

Credit score: Amazon

These vibrant, enjoyable headphones have been good for street journeys, audiobooks, and child’s music, with a easy AUX twine plug-in that works with any system with a headphone jack port. The twine comes with a safety-minded noise limiter, and we have been capable of toggle between 85 and 95 decibels for max quantity. These have been comfy for our pint-size tester to put on for a number of hours at a time, with properly cushioned ear cups and a easy design that didn’t really feel too excessive tech or intimidating.

The supplies are light-weight however nonetheless sturdy, and regardless that these took a couple of falls through the check interval, they suffered no dings or injury. In addition they are available quite a lot of enjoyable colours that even the adults have been jealous of. Although the value is kind of affordable, there have been no wiring glitches and the sound was clear via each ears.

The Particulars: 6.7 ounces | Wired connectivity | On-ear | Quantity Restricted Listening to Safety

Our Testing Course of

To search out essentially the most comfy pairs of headphones for work, commuting, journey, and sleeping, T+L crew members examined 55 pairs of headphones over the previous six months. This included over-the-ear units, earbuds, and crossover pairs good for high-energy actions. We evaluated all the pieces from long-term consolation to noise cancellation, and famous sound high quality, customization choices, and battery life.

We additionally specified which headphones we’d advocate for which kind of traveler. Some are higher for exercises within the rain whereas others are good for getting you thru a red-eye flight in economic system. We rated every class and gave detailed insights, solely recommending the headphones that hit prime marks whereas noting the place every set fell quick. We are going to proceed testing these headphones and offering suggestions, and can replace this information after extra long-term testing.

Suggestions for Shopping for Snug Headphones

Resolve if You Need On-ear Headphones or Earbuds

On-ear versus earbuds are the 2 principal kinds of headphones we advocate, and we regularly put on the completely different kinds for various functions. Earbuds are extra compact and simple to journey with, however some folks discover the stress inside their ears to create sore spots after extended use. Over-ear headphones might be extra comfy for longer put on like a long-haul flight, however they take up extra space in your bag. For working and exercises, some might discover that earbuds are extra light-weight whereas on-ear headphones are safer. Each kinds have wonderful sound high quality, name capabilities, and noise cancellation relying on mannequin and settings.

Search for Adjustable Options and Snug Supplies

All headphones on our listing have been examined for extended consolation, however you may make them even higher by on the lookout for adjustable components and essentially the most comfy supplies. We love adjustable headbands for various sized heads when looking for over-ear headphones, and we prioritize lighter fashions with cozy, premium padding on the ear cups and within the headband. For earbuds, search for a pair with a number of ear suggestions for essentially the most comfy, safe match.

Think about Your Utilization

Think about whether or not you’ll use your headphones to nap on the airplane, take heed to music at work, make calls, watch films, or go for a hike. In case you’ll be utilizing your headphones exterior, search for a sturdy pair with a excessive degree of water resistance. For sleeping, search for a sleep-specific pair that lets you sleep in your aspect. For long-haul flights, prioritize wonderful noise cancellation and battery life.

Continuously Requested Questions

  • What options ought to I search for in comfy headphones?

    Discovering essentially the most comfy pair of headphones begins with an adjustable match via the padded headband, premium supplies within the ear cups and bud suggestions, and a number of choices for in-ear sizing. In case your earbuds have stems, search for a pair that may sit in several positions with out disrupting sound high quality, and ensure your over-ear pair is giant sufficient that they don’t push immediately onto your ears on the cartilage.

  • How do I make headphones extra comfy throughout extended use?

    The easiest way to make your headphones comfy for extended use is to discover a pair with loads of adjustment choices. Modify the headscarf so it isn’t urgent down on the highest of your head, and ensure the padding sits immediately in your head and isn’t pulling backwards. The ear cups for over-ear headphones ought to sit evenly over your ears, and never be urgent down in anybody explicit spot. To make your earbuds extra comfy, search for units that include a number of silicone suggestions and wings for essentially the most exact match.

Why Belief Journey + Leisure

For this story, author Maggie Slepian combed via insights from the T+L crew, who examined varied headphone fashions each of their New York Metropolis lab and through real-world journeys. She additionally leaned on her personal private expertise, as she’s traveled everywhere in the nation together with her beloved Bose QuietComfort Headphones and budget-friendly Anker Soundcore earbuds. This text will probably be up to date because the T+L crew exams much more comfy headphones within the months forward.

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