The Best Wireless Headphones for 2026
Our Pick
Sony WH-1000XM5
The best wireless headphones for most people. Excellent noise cancellation, superb sound quality, and comfortable enough for all-day wear.
Why you should trust us
We've been testing headphones since 2019. For this guide, we spent over 200 hours listening to music, podcasts, and conference calls across 45 different wireless headphones. We tested them on commutes, in offices, at home, and on airplanes. We measured sound quality using calibrated equipment and surveyed over 500 headphone owners about their preferences.
How we picked
A great pair of wireless headphones should deliver excellent sound quality, effective noise cancellation, and long battery life. They should be comfortable enough for extended wear and well-built to last for years. We focused on these key criteria:
- Sound quality: Balanced, detailed audio across all frequencies
- Noise cancellation: Effective at blocking ambient noise
- Comfort: Can be worn for hours without fatigue
- Battery life: At least 20 hours of playback
- Build quality: Durable materials and solid construction
- Features: Multipoint, app support, voice assistant
Our pick: Sony WH-1000XM5
The Sony WH-1000XM5 continues to be the best wireless headphones for most people. They offer a winning combination of excellent noise cancellation, superb sound quality, and a comfortable fit that makes them easy to wear for hours.
The noise cancellation on the XM5 is among the best we've tested, effectively blocking out airplane engine noise, office chatter, and coffee shop ambiance. The sound quality is rich and detailed, with a warm but not bloated bass response and clear highs.
Battery life is rated at 30 hours with noise cancellation enabled, and the headphones support quick charging — just 3 minutes of charging gives you 3 hours of playback.
Runner-up: Bose QuietComfort Ultra
If you prioritize noise cancellation above all else, the Bose QuietComfort Ultra is the way to go. Bose's noise cancellation is still the gold standard, and the Ultra adds immersive spatial audio for a more engaging listening experience.
They're slightly more expensive than the Sony, but if you frequently fly or work in noisy environments, the extra noise cancellation performance is worth it.
Budget pick: Anker Soundcore Space Q45
If you don't want to spend over $150 on headphones, the Anker Soundcore Space Q45 delivers surprisingly good performance for the price. The noise cancellation is solid, the sound is well-balanced, and the battery lasts an impressive 50 hours.
They don't have the premium feel or the advanced features of our top picks, but for everyday use, they're an excellent value.
Comparison table
| Model | Price | ANC | Battery | Comfort |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sony WH-1000XM5 | $348 | ★★★★★ | 30 hrs | ★★★★★ |
| Bose QC Ultra | $429 | ★★★★★ | 24 hrs | ★★★★☆ |
| Anker Soundcore Q45 | $99 | ★★★★☆ | 50 hrs | ★★★★☆ |
The competition
We also tested several other headphones that didn't make our final picks but are still worth considering depending on your needs:
- Apple AirPods Max: Great if you're in the Apple ecosystem, but expensive and heavy.
- Sennheiser Momentum 4: Excellent sound quality, but noise cancellation lags behind Sony and Bose.
- B&W Px8: Premium build and sound, but at $400, hard to recommend over the XM5.
