Top 5 compared
The best wireless headphones
Cushioned, cord-free listening for the walk to work, a long flight or an evening on the couch.
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The top 5 at a glance
Wireless headphones connect to a phone, tablet or laptop over Bluetooth, with the battery and controls built into the ear cups. Over-ear pairs surround the ear with cushions and shut out more of the world, which helps on buses and planes; on-ear pairs rest on the ear itself, with smaller cups that take up less room in a bag.
Every pair here comes with a cable for wired listening, handy for a plane’s seat screen or a dead battery, and the battery figures are the makers’ own. Several also connect to two devices at once. Noise canceling comes on the Bose and the soundcore Q20i; our noise-canceling headphones list compares more pairs like them.
What matters
- Battery life with noise canceling on, if it has it.
- Weight, for long wear: lighter pairs are easier to forget.
- Quick charging, so a few minutes buys hours of play.
- A carrying case, if they travel in a bag.
#1Beats Solo 4 Wireless On-Ear Headphones (Matte Black)
$75–$100
On-ears with plush cushions and a battery that runs for up to 50 hours, with a 10-minute top-up good for five more. Cables come in the box for lossless listening over USB-C or the 3.5mm jack, and one-touch pairing works with iPhones and Android phones alike.
What owners say: Clear, punchy sound and a solid build win them fans. Opinions split elsewhere: comfort (some get sore ears after a while), charging and the price, and a few had a pair stop working.
A closer look: Angled ear cups adjust on the flex-grip band, so it’s worth a minute of fitting them before a long listen. Plugging in the USB-C cable plays lossless audio from a laptop, and the carrying case keeps them safe in a backpack.
- Spatial Audio with head tracking
- Lossless audio from a laptop
- One-touch pairing
- Angled, adjustable ear cups
Best for: Mixed iPhone and Android households
- Fit
- On-ear
- Noise canceling
- No
- Battery (maker’s figure)
- 50 hrs
- Quick charge
- 10 min = 5 hrs
- Weight
- 7.7 oz
- Cable for wired listening
- USB-C or 3.5mm
- Case in the box
- Yes
#2Marshall Major V Wireless On-Ear Headphones
$75–$100
Over 100 hours of playtime makes charging a rare job, and when it’s needed they top up on a wireless charging pad like a phone. Marshall, the amplifier maker, began in 1962 in Hanwell, west London.
What owners say: The battery gets the warmest words, with days of play between charges, along with the classic Marshall look and a solid, balanced sound. Fit divides owners, some saying they don’t sit right on the ears, and a few report dropouts or a pair that stopped working.
A closer look: On-ear pads rest on the ears rather than around them, which keeps the weight down but lets in more outside sound than an over-ear pair. A 15-minute top-up over the USB-C cable gives about 15 hours of play, plenty on the rare day the battery does run low.
- Charges on a wireless pad
- Shortcut button for Spotify
- Foldable
- USB-C cable in the box
Best for: Long stretches between charges
- Fit
- On-ear
- Noise canceling
- No
- Battery (maker’s figure)
- 100+ hrs
- Quick charge
- 15 min = 15 hrs
- Weight
- 6.6 oz
- Cable for wired listening
- Yes
- Case in the box
- No
#3BERIBES 65H Bluetooth Over-Ear Headphones (Black)
$10–$20
Over-ears with soft cushions, 65 hours on a charge and six EQ modes to choose between bass-heavy and brighter sound. At 6.1 oz they’re the lightest pair here, and they pair with a phone and a tablet at once.
What owners say: Soft, comfortable cushions that don’t hurt after hours of wear, easy pairing and a battery that seems to go on and on are what owners mention most. Some find they block outside noise well; others hoped for more.
Heads up: They block sound with their cushions only, with no active noise canceling, so they suit a quiet office better than a jet engine.
A closer look: Plug in the 3.5mm cable once the battery runs out and they carry on as wired headphones, so they never leave you without music. A full charge takes about two and a half hours, and the band folds to pack them into a school or gym bag.
- Six sound modes
- Pairs two devices at once
- Plays wired when battery dies
- Folding headband
Best for: School and gym bags
- Fit
- Over-ear
- Noise canceling
- No
- Battery (maker’s figure)
- 65 hrs
- Quick charge
- 2.5 hrs to full
- Weight
- 6.1 oz
- Cable for wired listening
- 3.5mm cable
- Case in the box
- No
#4Bose QuietComfort Wireless Noise Canceling Headphones (Sandstone)
$150–$200
Bose built these around its noise canceling: Quiet mode shuts out engine drone and office chatter, Aware mode lets the world back in at a button press, and Wind Block steadies it outdoors. Plush cushions make them easy to wear for hours.
What owners say: Owners say they can wear them all day without discomfort and rate the sound and the quiet they bring highly; the battery charges quickly too. Value, Bluetooth connection and long-term reliability split opinion.
Heads up: Bose also makes the QuietComfort Headphones (2nd Gen), with lossless audio over USB-C, for more money; this first version still runs 24 hours a charge.
A closer look: The Bose app sets the EQ and lets the multipoint toggle hop between a phone and a laptop, and Spotify Tap starts the music from a button on the side. On the cable, its in-line mic still takes calls, handy when the battery runs low.
- Button lets outside sound in
- Steadier canceling in wind
- Pairs two devices at once
- Adjust sound in Bose app
- Button starts Spotify
Best for: Flights and noisy commutes
- Fit
- Over-ear
- Noise canceling
- Yes
- Battery (maker’s figure)
- 24 hrs
- Quick charge
- 15 min = 2.5 hrs
- Weight
- 8.3 oz
- Cable for wired listening
- Cable with mic
- Case in the box
- Yes
#5soundcore by Anker Q20i Noise Canceling Headphones (Black)
$30–$50
Hybrid noise canceling: four mics tune out the hum of a bus or office, and the battery lasts 40 hours with it on. Transparency mode lets announcements through without taking them off.
What owners say: The noise canceling and long battery life are the big draws, and pairing with two devices is easy. Fit and volume are mixed: many find them snug, others too loose, and a few call the sound muffled.
A closer look: Twenty-two EQ presets and a HearID test in the soundcore app shape the sound to your ears, worth a few minutes on day one. The AUX cable carries Hi-Res audio from a laptop, and the app’s white noise helps with a nap on the train.
- Transparency mode
- 22 sound presets in app
- Hearing test tunes the sound
- Pairs two devices at once
- Hi-res audio over cable
Best for: Buses, trains and open offices
- Fit
- Over-ear
- Noise canceling
- Yes
- Battery (maker’s figure)
- 40 hrs NC on, 60 off
- Quick charge
- 5 min = 4 hrs
- Weight
- 9.1 oz
- Cable for wired listening
- 3.5mm cable
- Case in the box
- No
How they compare
Swipe sideways or rotate device to see all 5.
| Feature | #1Beats Solo 4 | #2Marshall Major V | #3BERIBES 65H | #4Bose QuietComfort | #5soundcore Q20i |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Best overall | Longest battery | Best budget | |||
| Picked Rating | 9.1 | 9.0 | 8.9 | 8.8 | 8.8 |
| Price | $75–$100 | $75–$100 | $10–$20 | $150–$200 | $30–$50 |
| Fit | On-ear | On-ear | Over-ear | Over-ear | Over-ear |
| Noise canceling | No | No | No | Yes | Yes |
| Battery (maker’s figure) | 50 hrs | 100+ hrs | 65 hrs | 24 hrs | 40 hrs NC on, 60 off |
| Quick charge | 10 min = 5 hrs | 15 min = 15 hrs | 2.5 hrs to full | 15 min = 2.5 hrs | 5 min = 4 hrs |
| Weight | 7.7 oz | 6.6 oz | 6.1 oz | 8.3 oz | 9.1 oz |
| Cable for wired listening | USB-C or 3.5mm | Yes | 3.5mm cable | Cable with mic | 3.5mm cable |
| Case in the box | Yes | No | No | Yes | No |
| Best for | Mixed iPhone and Android households | Long stretches between charges | School and gym bags | Flights and noisy commutes | Buses, trains and open offices |
| Buy now | Amazon | Amazon | Amazon | Amazon | Amazon |
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