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Best noise canceling headphones for work
May 15, 2025
Want to tune out the world while you work? While there are many great headphones for work, headphones that specialize in active noise canceling (ANC) are the best option for people who get easily distracted or overwhelmed by noises like air conditioners, clacking keyboards, construction, and other people chatting around you. So, we’ve compiled the best noise canceling headphones for work to help you tune in and focus on the task at hand.
At SoundGuys, we understand the importance of needing peace and quiet to focus. So, how do we determine the best? As part of our testing process for every pair of headphones we review, we play a sample of shaped noise over loudspeakers and record with our artificial head. Then, we put the headphones on the head and record again. After subtracting one curve from the other, we can display the data in a way that makes sense. In our charts below, you will see exactly how well the isolation and the ANC perform, with a percentage of the perceived loudness of audible noise around you that is reduced. That way, the data speaks for itself.
- May 5, 2025: We added the Sony WH-1000XM6 as our new top pick.
- This article was updated on March 20, 2025, to remove outdated models.
- This article was updated on February 19, 2025, to update picks.
- This article was published on October 20, 2022.
The best overall: Sony WH-1000XM6
The Sony WH-1000XM6 is the new gold standard for anyone working in noisy environments. Sony fixed nearly every complaint from the previous XM5 model—adding foldability, stronger hinges, and more accessible controls—while improving battery life and audio quality along the way.
Noise canceling remains best-in-class, particularly in the low-frequency range. That means office chatter, HVAC hums, and commuter noise fade into silence. A new AI-trained 6-mic array boosts voice clarity and background noise suppression during calls, and the headphones adapt impressively well to changes in your surroundings.
Sony also employs a six-microphone system trained with AI to isolate your voice from background noise. Whether you’re taking calls from a café or hopping on Zoom during a commute, your voice will come through clean and natural.
Battery life is excellent, lasting 37 hours and 14 minutes with ANC enabled—better than the XM5 and outlasting nearly every major competitor except Sennheiser and JBL’s marathon models. A 3-minute quick charge nets around 3 hours of playback, too.
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The WH-1000XM6 excels in sub-1kHz attenuation and easily handles variable environments thanks to improved passive isolation and smarter ANC processing. They adapt quickly to your surroundings, blocking out distractions before they reach your ears.
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The XM6 sounds noticeably better than previous models, with a more natural treble response, rich mids, and bass that stays controlled rather than overwhelming. It doesn’t follow the SoundGuys house curve perfectly, but it’s closer than most ANC headphones and can easily be EQ’d through the companion app.
The chart below shows how the sound of the Sony WH-1000XM6 was assessed by the Multi-Dimensional Audio Quality Score (MDAQS) algorithm from HEAD acoustics.
They’re the best-sounding headphones in the WH-1000X lineup to date—and finally match that audio quality with a microphone that lives up to their price tag.
If you want a headset with a boom mic and ANC, the Alienware Pro is a great pick
The Alienware Pro wireless headset stands out as an exceptional choice for office work, combining strong noise isolation with versatile connectivity options. The detachable boom microphone delivers excellent voice clarity with strong background noise rejection, making it ideal for virtual meetings and calls.
Comfort is a major strength thanks to its lightweight design and soft leatherette-covered memory foam ear cushions. The impressive battery life of 35 hours with ANC on means you won’t need to charge frequently during the work week.
What really sets this headset apart is its professional aesthetic — unlike many gaming headsets, it features a subdued design that wouldn’t look out of place in any office. The seamless switching between PC audio and smartphone calls via Bluetooth 5.3 adds valuable versatility for hybrid work environments. While the non-folding earcups might slightly impact portability, the overall package offers an excellent balance of professional features and comfort for daily work use.
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Its active noise cancelation reduces up to 81% of perceived loudness, effectively creating a focused work environment even in busy office spaces. The passive isolation is particularly impressive, performing so well that ANC is almost unnecessary for higher frequencies.
The Sennheiser MOMENTUM 4 Wireless brings ANC for less
The Sennheiser MOMENTUM 4 Wireless are able to compete with many of the top-tier headphones on the market today, but they’re also one of the few that are able to be used wired over USB-C. Though the ANC isn’t quite as strong as the others, it’s more than capable enough of dealing with office noise. Additionally, you can adjust how much noise you let through with the app, making it easy to decide when you listen in on your surroundings.
The sound quality out of the box is also surprisingly great. The app also allows you to select several different EQ presets, or you can make your own. Overall, these headphones are a great choice for comfortable, and extended listening experiences. With over 40 hours of battery life, they are a great companion for the office that won’t break the bank.
Thanks to a good cup design, firm band, and relatively low mass, the Sennheiser MOMENTUM 4 Wireless creates a decent seal with your head. Our lab tests found that the Sennheiser MOMENTUM 4 Wireless could physically block out a respectable amount of high-end noise, while canceling a fair deal of lower-end junk sound. Just remember that it will struggle with really loud sounds, so these aren’t an amazing choice for a construction site or anything.
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The chart below shows how the sound of the Sennheiser MOMENTUM 4 Wireless was assessed by the Multi-Dimensional Audio Quality Score (MDAQS) algorithm from HEAD acoustics.
The Apple AirPods Max will fit into your Apple ecosystem perfectly
Apple users will get a lot out of the Apple AirPods Max. They offer a remarkable Active Noise Canceling (ANC) experience. Transparency Mode amplifies external sounds so you can stay aware of your environment without missing a beat.
The large, plush ear cups distribute weight effectively, making it easy to wear these headphones for extended periods. While heavier than some rivals, the purposefully engineered headband ensures that the weight doesn’t become a burden. The quality of materials used suggests durability, so they’re not going to fall apart if you chuck them into your backpack.
If you are immersed in the Apple ecosystem, the AirPods Max are the best over-ears.
For Apple users, these headphones are a no-brainer. They feature quick pairing with iOS devices, automatically connecting to all devices on your iCloud account. The onboard H1 chip assures a solid Bluetooth 5.0 connection using AAC and SBC codecs, delivering quality sound with minimal fuss. But while the AirPods Max offers some enticing features, they come with peculiar Apple-only idiosyncrasies. The absence of a 3.5mm jack may irk some, requiring a $35 Lightning-to-3.5mm cable for wired connectivity.
In a nutshell, if you’re entrenched in the Apple ecosystem and seek noise canceling headphones that offer premium comfort and top-notch functionality, the AirPods Max should be high on your list.
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In short, the active noise canceling on the AirPods Max is fantastic. In our review, we found that wearing the AirPods Max while sitting at a desk completely blocked out ambient noise, such as others typing on keyboards.
One annoying thing about the noise canceling: you can’t turn it off unless you have an iOS device. By default, the button on the headphones toggles between transparency mode and active noise canceling mode. With an iOS device, this behavior can be modified, with neither ANC nor transparency available as an option.
The chart below shows how the sound of the Apple AirPods Max was assessed by the Multi-Dimensional Audio Quality Score (MDAQS) algorithm from HEAD acoustics.
The simulated panel of listeners MDAQS represents rates the Apple AirPods Max fairly high across the board.
The Anker Soundcore Life Q30 are a good bang for the buck
For just $80, the Anker Soundcore Life Q30 gets you good sound for casual listeners, active noise canceling that significantly reduces low and mid-frequency noise, and a battery life that lasts almost two days. There’s even a specific indoor noise canceling mode to help reduce office chatter or keyboard clicks to about a quarter of their loudness and a transparency mode to talk to your co-workers without removing your headphones.
This is probably your best option if you have $100 to spend and want a do-it-all headphone.
These headphones connect using Bluetooth 5.0, which isn’t the latest but is sufficient. They also have a 3.5mm aux input, so you can listen wired when needed. There’s no support for fancy Bluetooth codecs such as aptX or LDAC, but you should have no connection problems using the AAC codec with most phones and laptops. Overall, this is one of the best options if you want affordable do-it-all headphones.
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With active noise canceling (ANC) enabled, there is a significant reduction in low and mid-frequency noise. This means most environmental noise will sound about one-quarter as loud while wearing the headphones.
The chart below shows how the sound of the Anker Soundcore Life Q30 was assessed by the Multi-Dimensional Audio Quality Score (MDAQS) algorithm from HEAD acoustics.
The Anker Soundcore Life Q30 scored very well for both Timbre and Immersiveness. This means most people will likely enjoy how their music sounds on these headphones. The distortion score appears low but isn’t unusual for the Bluetooth headphones we’ve seen.
The Bose Noise QuietComfort Ultra Headphones are comfortable for long hours
The Bose QuietComfort Ultra Headphones reduce loud noises like engines by about 87%. They are also one of two products that currently support aptX Lossless — the other being the newly-released Bose QuietComfort Ultra Earbuds. However, you will need an Android smartphone with a Qualcomm Snapdragon 888 or newer to take advantage of this platform. Apple users will be left out.
The Bose QuietComfort Ultra live up to the name and are comfortable to wear for long hours.
If you are listening to music and someone approaches your desk, you won’t need to remove the headphones as Bose’s Aware mode can be easily enabled and is quite good at faithfully representing your surroundings and other’s voices. Overall, it may be more expensive than our top pick. Still, if you have an Android phone, you are investing in a set of headphones that supports features like aptX Lossless and Snapdragon Sound, bringing more options to the table that will become more prominent in the next couple of years.
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You’ll also enjoy a pleasing frequency response that aligns closely with our headphone target curve, even if the bass is a tad too emphasized.
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The chart below shows how the sound of the Bose QuietComfort Ultra was assessed by the Multi-Dimensional Audio Quality Score (MDAQS) algorithm from HEAD acoustics.
Though there’s a little bit of distortion, the Bose QuietComfort Ultra Headphones have rock-solid audio quality.
The best noise canceling headphones for work: Notable mentions
- Anker Soundcore Life Q20 ($59 at Amazon): The Anker Soundcore Life Q20 has really good ANC and an incredible battery life, coming in at just under 52 hours in our battery test. The frequency response isn’t for everybody, but it’s still an incredible headset for the price.
- Anker Soundcore Life Q35 ($99 at Amazon): A cheaper option in the noise canceling headphones market, the Life Q35 has LDAC support, wonderful battery life, a good microphone, and adequate active noise canceling.
- Bose QuietComfort 45 ($279 at Amazon): The QuietComfort has some of the best ANC in its class, with large ear cups that are comfortable to wear for long hours at the office. We also anticipate an upcoming price drop, given that the new QuietComfort headphones are set to replace them in Bose’s lineup.
- Jabra Elite 85h ($190.99 at Best Buy): f you just want something with a little bit of ANC with really good isolation, these are worth considering.
- SteelSeries Arctis Nova Pro Wireless ($349.99 at Amazon): Not just a gaming headset! The SteelSeries Arctis Nova Pro Wireless has a really good ANC, a fantastic microphone, and a 22-hour battery life. It can be used wired through a 3.5mm cable or wirelessly with Bluetooth 5.0, though it only supports the SBC codec. You can save a pretty penny and get the non-noise canceling, wired version instead for $196.99 at Amazon.
- Nothing Ear 2 ($149 at Amazon): A bit more affordable for a pair of noise canceling earbuds, the Nothing Ear 2 has pretty good ANC and a good microphone, and the design is unique and fun too. It’s a strong alternative to the AirPods Pro and performs quite well against Apple’s flagship buds.
- Sony WF-1000XM5 ($298 at Amazon): Excellent ANC from Sony, but in true wireless form, the WF-1000XM5 is a pair of earbuds for work. The microphone sounds good, and the sound quality is great too.
- Turtle Beach Stealth Pro ($329 at Amazon): If you’re on the hunt for a headset with ANC and a boom mic that does a little bit of everything, the Turtle Beach Stealth Pro is definitely worth some attention. It’s not perfect, but it’s still very compelling.
What you should know about the best noise canceling headphones for work
When you’re shopping around for headphones of any kind, there are a few basic things to know. When shopping around for ANC headphones that you plan to use while working, well, there’s even more research to do. Below, we help you learn about how noise canceling works, the benefits of a good headset mic, and why Bluetooth codec support matters.
How does active noise canceling work?
Noise is heard through microphones on your headset, which creates “anti-noise” through phase-inversion. This means the headset creates a noise that is out of phase with the ambient noise it’s picking up, which cancels it out. For a more in-depth explanation, check out our article on how noise canceling headphones work.
Noise canceling is a difficult feat, and while technology is getting better all the time, it’s not perfect. Noise canceling headphones are best at blocking out ambient noise like the droning of a plane or a fan, not incidental noises like clattering dishes or dropping an object. To dampen incidental noise, you also need good passive isolation, which comes from a good fit. With over-ear headphones, a good fit requires the ear pads to fit around your ear without gaps. Those who wear earbuds need the ear tips to fit the seal to the ear canal entrances and stay in place during movement.
Why are microphones important for work headphones?
Mic quality matters a lot if you’re looking for headphones for work because you want to be understandable over a video or voice call. While laptop microphones are sufficient for this, you can get much better audio quality from a built-in microphone on your headphones.
Some headphones, like the Sony WH-1000XM5, have wonderful noise cancelation for the microphone, picking up basically no outside noise. But if your microphone isn’t top-of-the-line like that, you’ll want to ensure you’re in a fairly quiet environment. This is so your mic doesn’t pick up the sounds of other people around you or wind and traffic if you’re outside. A mic with better noise canceling will eliminate these variables, but it’s good practice to control your environment.
What are Bluetooth codecs, and do they matter for work headphones?
Bluetooth uses different codecs to encode and decode audio data from your device to your ears. The different codecs have different transfer rates, or bit rates, which are how much data is transferred per second. This also depends on the track’s sample rate, the amount of data in an audio file per second, and the bit depth or how much data is encoded in each sample.
SBC is the baseline Bluetooth codec. It has a low transfer rate, while aptX and LDAC have much higher transfer rates. Higher transfer rates mean better quality audio, as long as the audio files are also higher quality. You can’t get the full experience of a lossless file like a FLAC using the SBC codec; you need to be wired for that—though LDAC can get the closest when it performs consistently. For a more in-depth explanation, check out our article about understanding Bluetooth codecs.
How we choose the best noise canceling headphones for work
At SoundGuys, we perform objective tests to measure things like frequency response, isolation, microphone quality, and more. To do so, we use a Bruel & Kjaer 5128 head and torso simulator (HATS) with an anatomically realistic ear canal and outer ear. We also use a standardized setup to test the microphone quality of products with pre-recorded phrases from a calibrated artificial mouth in our test chamber. This allows us to present standardized microphone samples so you can judge the quality of various products and compare them across the board. After we collect all of this data, we then score each product through various objective and subjective measures.
Our team then confers with one another regarding the best products for a given category and presents our list to you. It’s not over after we hit “publish,” though. Instead, we treat every article as a living document that we update as new and worthy products come out.
Why you should trust SoundGuys
Each writer at SoundGuys has accumulated years of experience reporting on the consumer audio market, and our staff adheres to a strict code of conduct. SoundGuys‘ survival depends mainly upon our readers enjoying their purchases. We pride ourselves on transparently outlining objective facts while accounting for the subjective experience to contextualize an audio product’s performance. When we do misspeak, we correct and own up to it.
- February 5, 2025: We ensured the timeliness of the information within.
- December 19, 2024: We replaced the Turtle Beach Stealth Pro with the Alienware Pro for the top pick for best headset with ANC and a boom mic.
- October 16, 2024: We shortened some text, expanded the introduction, and ensured the timeliness of the information within.
- August 21, 2024: We updated the isolation charts for top picks.
- June 21, 2024: We answered additional FAQs and added a new top pick.
Frequently asked questions about the best noise canceling headphones for work
Noise canceling is great for blocking out consistent sounds, so the microphones have time to detect the sound and cancel it out. Loud, sudden noises are too quick to be properly canceled out, so you’ll still hear these unless you have really good passive isolation.
Making sure you’re in a quiet environment helps a lot. Environmental noise like construction, wind, traffic, or others talking might interfere with your voice over the microphone. You can also adjust your mic levels in the sound settings on your computer if you’re too quiet or loud.
Many headphones have a passthrough mode that you can turn on to talk to people without removing your headphones. Some headphones, like the Sony WH-1000XM5, have speech detection that turns off noise canceling and turns on passthrough when it hears you talking to another person. This is imperfect, though, and many still prefer just removing their headphones to carry a quick conversation.
Make sure you put your headphones into pairing mode, which is different for each pair of headphones. Open up settings on your computer, and find the Bluetooth settings menu. There should be a list of devices, and the headphones should show up as a device to connect to. Click on the name of the headphones in the menu, and you should connect almost instantly.
For top-tier noise elimination on the microphone end, ensuring clarity for the person on the other side of your call, the Sony WH-1000XM5 stands out. Its microphone boasts highly effective noise suppression, ensuring that even in environments with wind or background noise, the person on your call won’t be disturbed.
Based on our testing and analysis, the Sony WH-1000XM5 stands out as the best overall choice for office use. It offers exceptional noise canceling to block out office distractions, an outstanding microphone for clear calls, and a long battery life to last through your workday. However, your specific needs may vary. If you’re an Apple user, the AirPods Max might be a better fit, while budget-conscious buyers should consider the Anker Soundcore Life Q30.
In most modern office environments, wearing headphones while working is generally accepted and often encouraged. They can help you focus by blocking out distractions and signaling to coworkers that you’re in a focused work mode. However, it’s always best to check your specific workplace policies. Some offices may have guidelines about when headphones are appropriate, especially in customer-facing roles or during meetings. It’s also important to be mindful of your coworkers and maintain awareness of your surroundings. Many of the headphones we’ve recommended, like the Sony WH-1000XM5 and Bose QuietComfort Ultra, offer transparency modes that allow you to hear your environment when needed, making them well-suited for office use.