pair of earphones in case on dark background
pair of earphones in case on dark background

8 Best Noise-Cancelling Earbuds For 2022

Here are the best noise-cancelling earphones to keep background noise at bay wherever you are.

You may be wondering why you should get noise-cancelling earphones to begin with. Essentially, when you turn on the Active Noise Cancelling (ANC) feature, the earbuds will invert certain sound waves to cancel out frequencies that would otherwise disturb your audio.

But what does this mean? An unmatched and super clean listening experience. And while they cost a little more than your average earphones, today’s technology means they’re way more accessible and worth every penny, especially if you want to cut out annoying noises around you.

Here are the best noise-cancelling earphones, including USB-C earphones and the best all-round wireless earbuds to suit all budgets and preferences.

​​Best noise-cancelling earphones

If you want the creme de la creme, these are the best noise-cancelling earphones to reduce black noise. 

Panasonic RZ-S500WE-K  — £89.99-£99.99

These Panasonic earbuds are a strong contender in this list. While they aren’t a go-to for earphones or headsets, the RZ-S500WE-K features Ambient Mode (which you’ll know all about if you read our best noise-cancelling headphones guide), touch controls to pause and play music, twin mics for when you need to make a call and very decent battery life of up to 19.5 hours. This means all-day listening without any distractions.

Plus, the box comes with five different ear tips to suit all sizes. We love that Panasonic has you and your comfort in mind, so it was a no-brainer to include them. All in all, it’s worth it for the price you pay.

Panasonic RZ-S500W specs

What’s in the box
  • 1 x Panasonic RZ-S500W earbuds
  • 5 x five pairs of silicone earpieces in sizes XS, S, M, L and XL 
  • 1 x 50-centimetre USB-A to USB-C cable. 
Technical specifications
  • Dimensions (earphones): 2 x 2 x 3 cm
  • Dimensions (charging case): 74 x 39 x 30 mm
  • Weight (earphones): 2 x 7 g
  • Weight (charging case without earphones): 45 g
  • Battery life: Up to 19.5 hours
  • Charging time: 2 hours
  • Material type: Plastic
  • Dust and waterproof rating: IPX4
  • Bluetooth version: 5.0.
Audio specifications
  • Noise-cancelling: Dual Hybrid Noise Cancelling Technology
  • Driver diameter: 8mm
  • Sensitivity: Unknown
  • Frequency: 20 Hz – 20,000Hz.
Pros
  • Great battery life
  • IPX4 water rating (splash-proof)
  • Multi-sized ear tips
  • Ambient Mode for noise-cancellation.
Cons
  • We can’t really think of any!

Save 15% on these earbuds with our Panasonic student discount.

Bose QuietComfort Earbuds — £249

This is Bose’s first noise-cancelling earbuds offering ever. They went down a treat and are popular to this day. What’s special about them is their QuietComfort (noise-cancelling) feature, which is sweat and weather-resistant, so they can be worn while you workout without any worries of damaging them.

From a single charge, you can get six hours of battery life, however, the charging case supplies up to two more charges, meaning you can get 18 hours of battery life from this pair of noise-cancelling earphones. The extra charging may be off-putting for some, but if this doesn’t bother you, then its dynamic sound quality will definitely make up for it. Plus, these earphones come in four colours: Triple black, sandstone, soapstone and stone blue.

Bose QuietComfort specs

What’s in the box
  • 2 x Bose QuietComfort® Earbuds (fitted with size 2 ear tips)
  • 1 x Charging case
  • 1 x Small and Large ear tips
  • 1 x USB-C (A to C) charging cable
  • 1 x Quick-start guide
  • 1 x Safety sheet.
Technical specifications
  • Dimensions (earphones): 18 x 17 x 8.1 cm
  • Dimensions (charging case): 8.9 x 5 x 3.3 cm
  • Weight (earphones): 85 g
  • Weight (charging case without earphones): 76 g
  • Battery life: 20 hours
  • Charging time: 2 hours
  • Material type: Plastic, glass-filled nylon and corrosion-resistant stainless steel.
  • Dust and waterproof rating: IPX4
  • Bluetooth version: 5.1.
Audio specifications
  • Noise-cancelling: ANC
  • Driver diameter: 0.22mm
  • Sensitivity: 112.72 dB/V
  • Frequency: 1 and 6 GHz.
Pros
  • Unmatched sound
  • Impressive noise-cancellation
  • Sweat and water-resistant. 
Cons
  • Average battery life of 6 hours without a case.

Get a student discount on Bose headsets and earphones.

Sony WF-1000XM4 — £199

Sony’s WF-1000XM4 model of noise-cancelling earphones made waves in the audio world. It’s equipped with bigger magnets, a fast V1 processor and other cutting edge tech that’ll give you the best sound there is. 

The WF-1000XM4 has also been commended for its balanced music performance, meaning you won’t get anything that’s treble-y or too bassy. Vocals sound true to real-life and you can listen all day long, thanks to its eight-hour battery life.

Finally, they’re water-resistant, super comfortable and feature a “Speak-To-Chat” function that’s incredibly useful when you don’t want to remove your earphones when having an in-person conversation.

Sony WF-1000XM4 specs

What’s in the box:
  • 1 x WF-1000XM4 headphones 
  • 3 x  sizes of Noise Isolation Earbud Tips
  • 1 x USB-C charging cable.
Technical specifications
  • Dimensions (earphones): 6.7 x 4 x 3 cm
  • Dimensions (charging case): 14.2 x 11.9 x 6.4 cm
  • Weight (earphones): 2 x 7.3 g
  • Weight (charging case without earphones): 41.1 g
  • Battery life: 8 hours
  • Charging time: 1.5 hours
  • Material type: Polyurethane foam, plastic
  • Dust and waterproof rating: IPX4
  • Bluetooth version: 5.2.
Audio specifications
  • Noise-cancelling: ANC
  • Driver diameter: 6mm
  • Sensitivity: Unknown
  • Frequency: 20Hz – 20,000Hz.
Pros
  • Great battery life life
  • Superb sound
  • Noise-cancelling.
Cons
  • No aptX which can be a deal-breaker for some.

Shop these Sony earbuds with a John Lewis student discount.

Sony WF-1000XM3 — £99

Although older than the Sony WF-1000XM4, the WF-1000XM3 still offers some of the best features and sound when it comes to noise-cancelling earphones.

The battery life is six hours, and the carry case has the capacity to supply three charges. Plus, they come with tons of ear tip sizes so you can ensure you get a nice snug fit that isn’t just a “one size fits all” set of earbuds (we all know how annoying they can be at times).

Plus there’s a fast-charge function: 10 minutes of charging breathes 90 minutes of life into these buds. For just £99, these are probably the best budget noise-cancelling earphones out there.

Sony WF-1000XM3 specs

What’s in the box:
  • 1 x Sony WF-1000XM3 earphones
  • 1 x USB-C cable.
Technical specifications
  • Dimensions (earphones): 3.5 x 2 x 2 cm
  • Dimensions (charging case): 14.2 x 11.9 x 6.4 cm
  • Weight (earphones): 2 x 8.5 g
  • Weight (charging case without earphones): 77 g
  • Battery life: 6 hours
  • Charging time: 1.5 hours
  • Material type: Hybrid silicon rubber
  • Dust and waterproof rating: None
  • Bluetooth version: 5.0. 
Audio specifications
  • Noise cancelling: ANC
  • Driver diameter: 6mm
  • Sensitivity: Unknown
  • Frequency: 20Hz – 20,000Hz.

Pros

  • Great noise cancellation
  • Affordable version of the M4.

Cons:

  • No ear-tip size choices.

Get these Sony earbuds with a Currys student discount.

USB C earphones

Only got a USB-C cable? Then you may be interested in the best USB-C earphones out there so you don’t have to swap and change your cables.

Logitech G333 — £44.99

One of the best USB-C noise-cancelling headphones out there, the Logitech G333 comes with a USB-C adaptor, allowing you to connect to your PC or phone at will. One of the most amazing features (considering the price), is there’s practically no latency (“lag”) in the audio, meaning you can stream your favourite programs in fully-synced audio with no delays.

Plus, they’re incredibly comfortable, meaning tons of time on your favourite games or Netflix shows. It’s on the bassy side, but the advantage is it can block out a good amount of mid-range background noise and doesn’t leak out audio. All in all, a solid choice if you’re after cheap noise-cancelling earbuds.

Logitech G333 specs

What’s in the box:
  • 1 x Logitech G333 earphones
  • 3 x sizes of ear tips (S, M, L)
  • 1 x Carrying pouch.
Technical specifications
  • Dimensions (earphones): 1.2 m
  • Weight (earphones): 19 g
  • Dust and waterproof rating: None.
Audio specifications
  • Noise-cancelling: Passive
  • Driver diameter: 5.8 MM + 9.2 MM
  • Sensitivity: 101.6 dB
  • Frequency: 20Hz – 20,000Hz.
Pros
  • Decent wired mic quality
  • No latency.
Cons
  • No active noise cancellation
  • No mute buttons.

Earfun Air Pro — £69.99

For true wireless noise-cancelling earphones with USB-C charging, the Earfun Air Pro is a fantastic choice. Especially if you’re on a budget.

It comes with basic yet active noise-cancelling functions (there’s a non-pro version with no ANC), 9 hours of battery life (plus 18 hours if charging in the case) and under two hours of charging time, meaning you won’t have to leave them charging overnight. Sound-wise, you can triple-tap on the left earpiece and select Earfun’s noise-cancelling, ‘normal’ and ‘ambient sound’ modes depending on your environment. For the price you pay, that’s some serious versatility.

Earfun Air Pro specs

What’s in the box:
  • 1 x Earfun Air Pro earbuds
  • 1 x Charging case
  • 3 x  Sized ear tips (S, M and L)
  • 1 x USB-C cable
  • User manual.
Technical specifications
  • Dimensions (earphones): 5.08 x 3.81 x 6.35 cm
  • Dimensions (charging case): Unknown
  • Weight (earphones): Unkown
  • Weight (charging case without earphones): 53 g
  • Battery life: 9 hours
  • Charging time: 1.5 hours
  • Material type: Silicone, plastic
  • Dust and waterproof rating: IPX5
  • Bluetooth version: 5.0.
Audio specifications
  • Noise-cancelling: ANC
  • Driver diameter: 10mm
  • Sensitivity: Unknown
  • Frequency: 20Hz – 20,000Hz.
Pros
  • Great water resistance
  • Noise cancellation.
Cons
  • Harsh upper-mid range.

Save with an Amazon student deal when shopping for these Earfun earbuds.

Wireless earphones

If you just want the best wireless earbuds out there, this list has it all. Check out the best wireless Bluetooth earphones on the market, and all the specs they come with too.

Apple AirPods Pro —£189

This isn’t a list about earbuds if we don’t include AirPods…

AirPods, compared to some of the other items on this list, aren’t 100% in terms of audio quality, but if you’re about keeping things in the Apple family then you’ll be pleased to know its noise-cancelling properties are pretty decent. In only 2020, they seriously upped their game by introducing “spatial audio” too, a new virtual-sound mode for watching movies and TV shows, though it only works with iPhones and iPads running iOS 14 or later.

Plus, they just look good. And they’re great for working out thanks to their IPX4 rating.

Earfun Air Pro specs

What’s in the box:
  • 1 x AirPods Pro
  • 1 x MagSafe Charging Case
  • 1 x Silicone ear tips (three sizes)
  • 1 x Lightning to USB‑C Cable
  • 1 x Documentation.
Technical specifications
  • Dimensions (earphones): 3.9 x 2.18 x 2.4 cm
  • Dimensions (charging case): 4.52 x 6.6 x 2.17 cm
  • Weight (earphones): 2 x 5.4 g
  • Weight (charging case without earphones): 45.6 g
  • Battery life: 4.5
  • Charging time: 1 hour (approx)
  • Material type: Stainless steel mesh, nickel, plastic
  • Dust and waterproof rating: IPX4
  • Bluetooth version: 5.0.
Audio specifications
  • Noise-cancelling: ANC
  • Driver diameter: 11 mm
  • Sensitivity: Unknown
  • Frequency: 5 Hz – 21,000 Hz.

Pros

  • Audio transparency mode to hear what’s happening around you
  • Multi-device connectivity
  • Noise cancellation.
Cons:
  • Expensive.

Bang & Olufsen Beoplay EQ — £349

Bang & Olufsen Beoplay EQ are a real contender here. Sporting Multipoint Bluetooth pairing to connect multiple devices, ANC and three mics on each bud for clear audio when you chat on the phone.

Design-wise, they’re super lightweight thanks to their aluminium casing. Battery life is an average of 6.5 hours and sound has been known to be “deep” and dynamic across the board. Use them while you work out (thanks to its IP45 water resistance rating) and listen all day without any discomfort or fatigue. Lastly, it has aptX audio functionality, meaning you’ll receive high-quality audio from your Bluetooth device for a better listening experience.

All in all, these are some versatile noise-cancelling earphones to keep your eye on.

Bang & Olufsen Beoplay EQ specs

What’s in the box:
  • 1 x Bang & Olufsen Beoplay EQ
  • 1 x Charging case with built-in wireless charging
  • 1 x USB-A/USB-C cable for charging
  • 4 x sizes of Silicone Ear Tips (XS, S, M, L)
  • 1 x size Comply™ tips (M)
  • 1 x Quick start guide.
Technical specifications
  • Dimensions (earphones): 24  x 22  x 27 mm
  • Dimensions (charging case): 77 x 40 x 26 mm
  • Weight (earphones): 2 x 8 g
  • Weight (charging case without earphones): Unknown
  • Battery life: 6.5 hours
  • Charging time: 1.5 hours
  • Material type: Hard anodised Aluminium in spacecraft-grade quality, polymer and silicone
  • Dust and waterproof rating: IP54
  • Bluetooth version: 5.2.
Audio specifications
  • Noise-cancelling: Adaptive Noise Cancellation
  • Driver diameter: 6.8 mm
  • Sensitivity: 107 dB
  • Frequency: 20Hz – 20,000Hz.

Pros

  • Volume controls on the device
  • Long Bluetooth range
  • Detailed audio.
Cons:
  • Expensive
  • Average battery life.

Get the Bang & Olufsen Beoplay EQ earbuds for less with a Selfridges student discount.

And that’s our top noise-cancelling earbuds to look into when you’re shopping for the best earbud deals! You can save even more cash by signing up to Student Beans. Why? We offer exclusive discount codes with your favourite brands, meaning you can save on all the earbuds mentioned above.

What is Active Noise Cancellation?

Active Noise Cancellation (aka “ANC”), is a piece of technology that uses microphones and speakers to reduce background and surrounding noises. This is the most known type of noise cancellation and has mostly been used in over-ear headphones (and more recently, earbuds!). 

What are the best noise-cancelling earphones?

Based on our recommendations, we’ve taken sound, price, fit and material into account and ranked the best noise-cancelling earphones to buy in 2022:

  1. Panasonic RZ-S500WE-K 
  2. Bose QuietComfort Earbuds
  3. Sony WF-1000XM4
  4. Sony WF-1000XM3
  5. Bang & Olufsen Beoplay EQ
  6. Apple AirPods Pro
  7. Earfun Air Pro
  8. Logitech G333.

We’ve got everything you need to find the perfect earbuds or headphones, whatever your need or budget — check out our headphones hub for more information.

Check out more of our student tech deals to get even more cash off your next set of gadgets. Sign up to Student Beans to save across a ton of other categories too like fashion, beauty, travel and more.