Headphones: The Ultimate Buying Guide 2022
Great headphones can change your life, whether it’s to drown out the noise of your commute or loud neighbours, or you just want a decent pair for listening to music or make calls. Annoyingly, it’s also quite hard to choose a decent pair of headphones due to the sheer number of options, as well as the fact you can’t try them on if you buy online.
Don’t worry, though, whether you’re after over ear headphones or earbuds, headphones for the gym or specifically for gaming – we’ve aimed to slimline the process of choosing for you.
In this guide:
- 11 Best Noise-Cancelling Headphones 2022
- 11 Best Headphones and Earbuds for under £100
- 6 Best Wired Earbuds for 2022
- 12 Best Headphones with a Microphone
- 8 Best Noise-Cancelling Earbuds For 2022
- 11 Best Wireless Earbuds for All Budgets
- 11 Best Noise-Cancelling Headphones under £100
- 10 Best Workout Headphones and Earphones in 2022
- 10 Best Over ear Headphones
- 8 Best Bluetooth Wireless Headphones 2022
There’s a fair few things to consider before you put any money down, especially if you’re a bit specific about what you want.
Options, options, options
In-ear, on-ear, over-ear headphones, open back, closed back etc — the jargon can be a lot to take in. You’ll probably already have a personal preference about the fit of what you want, so – for most people – it’ll come down to the choice between open and closed back over-ear headphones. Personally, we like closed back – but music heads, audiophiles and/or those who mix music will almost certainly want open back.
Brand discounts
At Student Beans, we work with thousands of brands to get you exclusive student discounts. So, from Marshall to JBL – make sure you’re saving all the money you can by shopping around and seeking out discount codes or deals.
Extra features
Some buyers want a little more bang for their buck when it comes to headphones, so check out what specs and features you’ll get with any pairs you’re interested in. This includes things like water resistance, mic and volume controls, touch controls to pause, play and skip music etc.
11 Best Noise-Cancelling Headphones 2022
There are a ton of great noise cancelling headphones to choose from so we’ve made things really simple if you’re on the lookout for the best headset that’ll block out the hubbub of the world around you.
What’s better is this list is mostly wireless, over-ear headphones, allowing you to listen on the go with no wired restrictions.
11 Best Noise Cancelling Headphones 2022
11 Best Headphones and Earbuds for under £100
If you’re looking for some new headphones but you’re on a budget, there are plenty of good quality headphones for under £100 out there.
We’ve done the work of breaking down where to shop for the best headphones if you’re set to spend less than 100 quid – including wireless, wired, closed-back and over-ear options – as well as brands like JBL, Sony and Beats.
11 Best Headphones and Earbuds for under £100
6 Best Wired Earbuds for 2022
Wired earbuds, also known as in-ear headphones, are fantastic for day-to-day listening without lugging around a headset. They’re comfortable, lightweight, easy to transport and reduce the sound lag you sometimes experience with wireless earbuds.
There are also lots of wired earbuds on the market to choose from. From Sony to Bose, we have heaps of wired earbuds to recommend. Here are our top picks for 2022.
12 Best Headphones with a Microphone
Headphones with a microphone allow you to pick up (or decline) calls hands-free if you’re out and about, listening to music, podcasts and the like. They’re also extremely useful when it comes to online classes or online job interviews over Zoom, in addition to using Siri with you iPhone.
So, regardless of whether you prefer the classic over-ear design or smaller, more discreet earbuds – we’ve picked out our favourite headphones with a mic just for you!
12 Best Headphones with a Microphone
8 Best Noise-Cancelling Earbuds For 2022
Why should you want active noise cancelling headphones? When you turn on the Active Noise Cancelling (ANC) feature, the earbuds will block out low frequency ambient noise that would otherwise disturb you; the grumble of your train (or your classmates), the sound of aircon, footsteps – for example. You can find out more about ANC here, from audio experts Bang & Olufsen.
ANC cancels out noise by creating equal but opposite noise, in contrast to passive noise cancellation, which simply isolates your ears from ambient noise instead of actively using technology to cancel it out. Yes, they they cost a touch above your average earphones, but the clean listening experience is genuinely unmatched by non-ANC headphones. Without further ado, here are the best noise-cancelling to suit all budgets.
8 Best Noise-Cancelling Earbuds For 2022
11 Best Wireless Earbuds For All Budgets
If you’re looking for the best wireless earbuds, it can be difficult to choose between certain products, even within one brand’s range. Yet, the most expensive models aren’t always the best and you don’t always have to spend loads to get a good pair of all-around quality earbuds.
So, whatever your budget is, here are the best wireless earbuds that we love and would recommend investing in.
11 Best Wireless Earbuds for All Budgets
11 Best Noise-Cancelling Headphones for under £100
Shopping for noise-cancelling headphones under £100 can be tricky if you’re on a budget. A lot of the most highly advertised headphones styles normally come with a pretty hefty price tag and aren’t affordable on a student budget, even with our student discount codes.
Luckily, there are plenty of noise-cancelling headphones for under £100 in the UK that boast impressive specs and similar features to the more high-end models. Here you’ll find our best picks for ANC headsets under £100.
11 Best Noise-Cancelling Headphones for under £100
10 Best Workout Headphones and Earphones in 2022
Whether you’re hitting the gym, going for a run or doing laps in the pool – workout headphones can help you get motivated and focussed when you need to stay in the zone. We’ve got a ton of water-resistant workout headphones to recommend.
If headphones aren’t your vibe, don’t worry – there are some earphones in this list, too!
10 Best Workout Headphones and Earphones in 2022
10 Best Over ear Headphones
If you’re looking for over ear headphones, you might be overwhelmed by the choice. However, you can get over ear headphones that are wired or wireless (or both) depending on what you prefer.
Over ear headphones tend to be more expensive than earbuds and often get a fair reputation for having better overall specs and sound quality. Whatever your budget is, these are our favourite over ear headphones that we’d recommend checking out.
8 Best Bluetooth Wireless Headphones 2022
Wireless headphones have had some serious advances in technology over the past few years, but how do you pick the best ones? We’re all about budget wireless headphones, but sometimes a little goes a long way, so we’ve got recommendations for all price ranges.
Here are the top wireless headphones with a Bluetooth connection to set your eyes on.
8 Best Bluetooth Wireless Headphones 2022
