RS Recommends: 6 Pairs of Noise-Cancelling Headphones Under $100
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Whether you’re on a busy commute or busy working from home, a reliable pair of noise-cancelling headphones goes a long way towards helping you stay focused and distraction-free.
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Once reserved for expensive, premium headphones, a number of audio brands are now offering Active Noise Cancelling technology (ANC) in their entry-level units as well. What you get: cleaner, more direct sound without the interference of outside noise.
In This Article
The Best Noise-Cancelling Headphones Under $100
How Do Noise-Cancelling Headphones Work?
How We Chose the Best Noise-Cancelling Headphones Under $100
What Are the Best Noise-Cancelling Headphones Under $100?
Of course, no pair of headphones will completely seal out the noise, but these cups on our list come pretty darn close. And at under $100, they’re an easy pickup if you’re looking for a good pair of cheap noise-cancelling headphones to zone out on the plane, to better concentrate on work, or to stay immersed in your favorite tunes.
BEST OVERALL: Sony WHCH710N Wireless Bluetooth Headphones
BEST BATTERY LIFE: Soundcore by Anker Life Q30 Headphones
EDITOR’S CHOICE: Wyze Bluetooth ANC Headphones
BEST DESIGN: OneOdio A10 Hybrid Active Noise-Cancelling Headphones
BEST VALUE: Status Core ANC Headphones
1. Sony WHCH710N
Sony’s WHCH710N headphones manage to have most of the features you’d expect from one of the company’s ultra-lux pairs at a dramatically lower price.
The headphones use a version of noise cancellation that’s automatically triggered when you’re in loud environments. Their microphones pick up the sound, and neutralize harsh frequencies accordingly. You won’t have a lot of control over the headphones’ noise-cancellation feature, but Sony has spent a lot of time getting this feature right in other headphones.
The WHCH710Ns last up to 35 hours per charge, and offer around five hours of music playback off a 10 minutes per charge. Your battery life will vary on how long you keep noise-cancellation enabled, and your audio playback volume. We like that the WHCH710Ns use the ultra-plush earpads and headband Sony uses for its higher-end headphones. You shouldn’t have a problem listening to music for longer stretches of time.
If you want premium-feeling noise-cancelling headphones for under $100, Sony’s WHCH710Ns are the obvious choice.
Sony WHCH710N
2. Soundcore by Anker Life Q30
Soundcore makes some of the best budget-friendly audio equipment we’ve ever heard, and its Q30s continue that trend.
The headphones get an astonishing 40 hours of music playback per charge with noise-cancelling enabled, or 60 hours if you have it turned off. That’s enough juice to get you through several cross-continental trips without reaching for a plug. If they do run out of power, the Q30s offer four hours of music playback off a five minute charge.
Soundcore allows you to switch between three noise-cancellation modes designed to block sound from airplane engines, ambient outdoor sounds (cars), and ambient indoor sounds (typing). This is less control than you’d get from premium noise-cancelling headphones, but better than nothing. You shouldn’t have a problem with the Q30s sound out of the box, but you can tune their EQ to your specifications using Soundcore’s app.
If you’re constantly on-the-go, and want a pair of noise-cancelling headphones that can keep up with your busy lifestyle, Soundcore’s Q30s are our pick.
Soundcore Q30
3. Wyze Noise Cancelling Headphones
Wyze is known for its inexpensive smart-home accessories, and it’s brought that same level of ingenuity to a pair of noise-cancelling headphones.
These headphones use four microphones and a custom-developed processor to detect and eliminate unwanted sounds. They don’t offer any control over their level of noise-cancellation, but Wyze does allow you to tweak their EQ using the company’s free mobile app. Unsurprisingly, these headphones stand out because of their excellent smart features.
They have Alexa built into them, so you can ask the smart assistant to play tracks from your favorite artist, control smart-home accessories, or answer your questions all without touching your phone. This comes in handy if you don’t want to take your phone out of your pocket each time you change a track. Wyze says its headphones get 20 hours of music playback per charge, which is pretty good. You’ll also be able to get four hours of music playback off a four minute charge.
If you want headphones that can show you a glimpse of the future, but don’t want to spend more than $100, Wyze’s Noise Cancelling Headphones are the right pick.
Wyze Noise Cancelling Headphones
4. Status Core ANC Headphones
There’s a lot to love in these basic headphones, which deliver a ton of value for their price point. Don’t let the simple design fool you — the Status Core Headphones offer up to 30 hours of playback on a single charge (and a whopping 20 hours with Active Noise Cancelling turned on). The vegan-leather earpads are lightweight against your ears, offering a fully-sealed fit without getting sweaty or uncomfortable.
Control settings with the side one-touch buttons, or pair the headphones with your favorite voice assistant to control settings using your voice. These headphones pair easily with Bluetooth 5.0 and are great for listening to music, gaming or taking calls at work. While they won’t offer the same detailed audio quality as some of the brand-name picks above (I.e. Sony), the Status Core Headphones will work fine for everyday listening.
A 3.5mm cable is included in case you need to plug in, offering even more versatility. The headphones are available in three colors.
Status Core ANC Headphones
5. JBL Tune 660NC
Noise cancellation used to be a feature exclusively available on over-ear headphones and earbuds, but JBL brought it to its Tune 660NCs.
The on-ear headphones are smaller and lighter than over-ear headphones, but its adaptive noise cancellation is just as powerful. JBL says the headphones’ adaptive noise cancelling automatically blocks unwanted sounds based on your environment, much like the Sony headphones we recommended earlier.
JBL says they last up to 44 hours per charge with noise-cancelling enabled, or 50+ hours when the feature is turned off. Those stats are incredibly impressive for over-ear headphones. The 460NCs offer two hours of music playback off a quick five-minute charge, too.
JBL’s famous “Pure Bass” sound is on full display through these cups, delivering loud, spacious sound with big beats and impeccable clarity. These are a great pick up for music lovers.
JBL Live 460NC
6. OneOdio A10 Hybrid Active Noise-Cancelling Headphones
These sleek and minimalist headphones look way more expensive than their $80 price point, and they boast a host of fancy features too: think Hybrid Active Noise Cancellation technology (ANC), which can filter out up to 95% of ambient sound to ensure that your music comes through crisp and clean.
The ANC tech works on both low and mid-frequency background noise, which means you’ll be able to filter out everything from traffic and environmental sounds, to white noise on an airplane.
Most audiophile headphones can get pricey, but the OneOdio A10s deliver surprisingly powerful sound for its packaging. The headphones deliver crystal clear hi-res audio through a pair of 40mm dynamic drivers. In layman’s terms: you get deeper, punchier bass, better contrasts, and warm, rich tones no matter what genre of music you’re listening to.
Battery life is seriously impressive, with up to 50 hours of playtime when you run the headphones at 60% volume (you get 45 hours at 100% volume). A quick five-minute charge gets you two hours of runtime.
Buy: OneOdio A10 Hybrid Active Noise Cancelling Headphones $79.99
How Do Noise-Cancelling Headphones Work?
The best budget noise cancelling headphones on our list may be inexpensive but they will all help to eliminate engine noise, traffic, nature sounds and even the buzz coming from appliances or an air purifier. They’re great when you’re listening to music, and especially great when you’re taking calls or on a video chat and need to tune out the world around you. Keep in mind that ANC works mainly on lower frequency sounds — ANC does not cancel out high-frequency patterns like talking or music, so if your neighbor is also on a call or listening to his/her favorite track, you’ll still hear a little bit of noise.
The best noise-cancelling headphones under $100 feature two different modes: turn on the noise-cancelling function if you want to listen to a podcast, take a call or listen to music without hearing any outside noise. Turn on ambient sound mode to let some surrounding noise in — say, when you’re biking and need to hear traffic for safety.
Noise-Cancelling Headphones Buying Guide
Whether you’re shopping for pricey picks or cheap noise-cancelling headphones, you’ll always want to look for headphones with cushioned ear pads that can form a tight seal around your ear. A closer fit and tighter seal means less outside noise seeping through. While some luxury brands offer leather or lambskin-wrapped cups, many of the best budget noise-canceling headphones still have soft, vegan leather coverings with memory foam-style padding.
How We Chose the Best Noise-Cancelling Headphones Under $100
There are a number of cheap noise-cancelling headphones available online but we chose the ones on our list based on audio quality, durability and comfort. Noise cancellation was tested both outdoors (to see if the headphones could block out environmental noise and traffic) and also indoors, at the office and on subways and planes.
While all of the headphones on our list were tested by our editors, we also looked at user reviews and experiences. All of the top headphones on our list boast strong reviews from thousands of other reviewers online.
1. Sony WHCH710N Headphones
Sony's headphones manage to have most of the features you'd expect from one of the company's ultra-luxe pairs at a dramatically lower price.
The headphones use a version of noise cancellation that's automatically triggered when you're in loud environments. Their microphones pick up the sound, and neutralize harsh frequencies accordingly. You won't have a lot of control over the headphones' noise-cancellation feature, but Sony has spent a lot of time getting this feature right in other headphones.
The cups last up to 35 hours per charge, and offer around five hours of music playback off a 10 minutes per charge. Your battery life will vary on how long you keep noise-cancellation enabled, and your audio playback volume. We like that the headphones use the ultra-plush earpads and headband Sony uses for its higher-end headphones. You shouldn't have a problem listening to music for longer stretches of time.
Sony WHCH710N Headphones
2. Status Core ANC Headphones
Don't let the simple design fool you -- these headphones offer up to 30 hours of playback on a single charge (and a whopping 20 hours with Active Noise Cancelling turned on). The vegan-leather earpads are lightweight against your ears, offering a fully-sealed fit without getting sweaty or uncomfortable.
Control settings with the side one-touch buttons, or pair the headphones with your favorite voice assistant to control settings using your voice. These headphones pair easily with Bluetooth 5.0 and are great for listening to music, gaming or taking calls at work. While they won't offer the same detailed audio quality as some of the brand-name picks above (I.e. Sony), the headphones will work fine for everyday listening.
A 3.5mm cable is included in case you need to plug in, offering even more versatility. The headphones are available in three colors.
Status Core ANC Headphones
3. JVC Noise-Cancelling Wireless Headphones
JVC doesn't get enough credit when it comes to audio equipment, but these wireless headphones deserve a look -- and a listen.
The company's popular "bass boost" function is featured prominently on these cups, with a side button that pumps up the beats with a single touch, but even softer genres of music (think jazz or classical) fare well with these headphones. You won't have the same rich detail that some of the other models on our list provide, but audio comes through clean, clear and crisp -- at both ends of the volume button.
Noise cancellation is apparent from the moment you put these on, with the headphones sealing out outside noise like annoying co-worker chatter or the hum of heaters or air conditioners nearby.
The soft headband and memory foam pads make this a comfortable pair to wear all day. We've found these to also be the most durable pair on our list. The headband stays put, and the entire unit can handle a few accidental dings and drops with no worry.
Get up to 16 hours of battery life with the rechargeable battery (11 hours when Bluetooth is turned on).
JVC Noise-Cancelling Wireless Headphones
4. Soundcore by Anker Life Q30
Soundcore makes some of the best budget-friendly audio equipment we've ever heard, and its Q30s continue that trend.
The headphones get an astonishing 40 hours of music playback per charge with noise-cancelling enabled, or 60 hours if you have it turned off. That's enough juice to get you through several cross-continental trips without reaching for a plug. If they do run out of power, the headphones offer four hours of music playback off a five minute charge.
Soundcore allows you to switch between three noise-cancellation modes designed to block sound from airplane engines, ambient outdoor sounds (cars), and ambient indoor sounds (typing). This is less control than you'd get from premium noise-cancelling headphones, but better than nothing. You shouldn't have a problem with the sound out of the box, but you can tune their EQ to your specifications using Soundcore's app.
If you're constantly on-the-go, and want a pair of noise-cancelling headphones that can keep up with your busy lifestyle, this pair is our pick.
Soundcore by Anker Life Q30
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