I test headphones for a living: These are the ones Id actually take with me on a plane

Bethany Allard

The standout comfort of these headphones makes them our top pick for long-haul travel days, along with the top-notch ANC, great sound quality, 30-hour battery life, and newly added passive playback.

The first-gen QC Ultra headphones have long been our top pick for the best headphones for flying, so we're not shocked that Bose's next version of the headphones is taking their spot.

While we wouldn't necessarily consider these a must-upgrade if you already own the first generation QC Ultras, they do make improvements across the board that make them an overall better option for travel.

For starters, they come with the top-notch noise cancellation and sound quality you'd expect from a brand like Bose. While they're outdone slightly on both fronts by the Sony XM6 headphones, we do find them a more comfortable pair of headphones, making them great to wear for longer flights. The 30-hour battery life (an improvement over the 24-hour battery life of the first gens) also gives more insurance for any long travel days. The folding ear cup design also makes them one of the more compact pairs of over-ear headphones available, which comes in handy when you're limited to a carry-on.

Other upgrades come in the form of the addition of passive playback and USB-C lossless audio. The latter does require the headphones to be powered on, but the former can be used with the headphones both off and on, which wasn't possible on the first-gen headphones. Priced on par with other premium headphones at $449, these stand out as the best all-around option for travel.

Read Mashable's full review of the Sony WH-1000XM6 headphones.

For frequent travelers who held off on getting the XM5s, the XM6s bring an important travel-friendly upgrade in the form of foldable ear cups, all the while retaining the XM5's updated design, along with improved sound quality and ANC. If you already own XM5s, these headphones might not be worth the upgrade just yet.

Sony's flagship headphones have been a popular option since at least the days of the WH-1000XM4s, thanks to their excellent sound profile and top-tier active noise cancellation.

The WH-1000XM5s lost some points in the portability area when Sony nixed the folding ear cups design, giving them a larger case (and more real estate in your carry-on). With the XM6s, Sony's gone back to folding ear cups, which results in both a thinner and more compact carrying case. The snap-lock closure on the case also makes it incredibly quick to store.

As for how the headphones hold up out of the case, Sony didn't necessarily reinvent the wheel, but they made small improvements that result in an all-over better product, especially for folks who don't already own over-ear headphones or are upgrading from older models. The sound signature is warm and full without any tinkering on the equalizer — noticeably more so than on the XM5 headphones. With the equalizer, they're some of the best sounding headphones on the market, providing clarity and balance on songs from Adele's "Hello" to the Eagles' "Hotel California."

Their 30-hour battery life remains the same as its previous gen — while it would've been nice to see some increase, we're not complaining. The ANC significantly dampens sound (though Bose does a slightly better job than Sony in this department). The design is comfortable, with plenty of padding in the headband and earcups. The subtle change of a circular power button also makes operating the on-ear controls even easier than on the XM5s.

Read Mashable's full review of the second-generation Bose QuietComfort Ultra earbuds.

Top of the line isn't just found on over-ear headphones, and the second-generation Bose QuietComfort Ultra earbuds are proof of exactly that. If you prefer a compact, in-ear design, these are the best travel earbuds available.

The second-generation Bose QuietComfort Ultra earbuds offer some of the best noise cancellation you can find in earbuds, making them an excellent option for taking on a plane.

That's thanks to the eight microphones Bose packs into these earbuds, coupled with a design that manages to provide a strong seal for passive noise cancellation. With three sizes of ear tips and three sizes of stabilizers, it's easy to find a fit that both enhances noise cancellation without causing any ear soreness.

If first-gen users are noticing a lot of similarities so far, it's because these buds aren't that different from their predecessors. In addition to a nearly identical design, both generations of earbuds also come with six hours of battery life per charge and 24 in the case, which is maybe their biggest con in the context of travel, especially considering the seven to eight hour battery life has become more commonplace on ANC earbuds.

The major upgrades on the second generation QC Ultra earbuds come in the form of wireless charging and AI voice enhancement, which does add noticeable clarity to calls (although it's probably not the most useful feature for flights). The noise cancellation and sound quality alike also felt improved over the first-gen buds, but the difference was small enough only to be most apparent in side-by-side testing.

At this point, the main reason we recommend the second-gen earbuds over the first is for availability — with first-gen buds being phased out of the lineup, they'll likely be harder to find. With that in mind, if you already own the first-gen earbuds, we recommend holding on to them.

Whether you don't travel frequently enough to justify a $450 pair of headphones or simply aren't keen on that price point, a solid budget pair of noise-cancelling headphones can be a game-changer, and the JLab JBuds Lux ANC are exactly that.

The best budget headphones should have unbeatable value, and these JLab headphones have exactly that.

Despite being $80 at full price (and as cheap as $30 at their record low sale price), they have a sound profile that easily matches headphones twice their price, especially once you toggle the equalizer settings to your preferences. Even better is their battery life — where our premium options on this list average around 30 hours of battery life, these come packed with 40 hours with ANC, so the likelihood of having to recharge your headphones mid-flight is low.

Mashable's Haley Henschel wrote that her favorite aspect of these headphones was their fit: "I have a really hard time finding headphones that don't squeeze my head, and I can wear these comfortably for hours at a time." On the other hand, Mashable's Bethany Allard found them to squeeze her head, so their price point may show more, depending on your fit preferences. Their design earns points across the board for its portability, however, thanks to the foldable ear cups.

They may not be the perfect pair of headphones, but for what they cost, they're more than worthy to pick up ahead of a trip, especially as an affordable option.

The Sennheiser Momentum 4 headphones have incredibly balanced sound quality, but what really made them stand out to us was their battery life, which lasts for 60 hours with ANC on. They're a great pair of headphones for anyone taking a longer trip who wants one less device to worry about charging.

A lot of over-ear headphones, including many premium options, have battery lives that max out at around 30 hours. While it's not impossible to find impressive battery life — the Soundcore Life Q20 headphones and the Dyson OnTrac headphones have 40 and 55 hours of battery life, respectively — but each of those headphones comes with a drawback.

The Life Q20 headphones are budget-friendly, so you lose the top-of-the-line ANC and premium sound, while the Dyson OnTrac headphones are bulky and don't feel well-suited to travel. The Momentum 4 headphones, on the other hand, sound crystal clear out of the box. In our testing, they made the bass on Magdalena Bay's "Killshot" stand out in a way we'd never heard before, without losing the complexity of the rest of the song. Plus, at $379.95, they're cheaper than the flagship Sony and Bose headphones. You can also catch them for about $280 on sale.

They also feel more thoughtfully designed for travel, with ear cups that have a slightly flatter profile than you'll find on the Sony XM5s, and an included airplane audio adapter in the case (we wish all premium headphones offered this). The ANC doesn't quite match up to Sony's — it's just ever so slightly worse — but on a plane, we doubt you'll notice a drastic difference, especially if you're listening to audio.

We've only found one other drawback so far — the overly sensitive touch controls on the right ear cup, which we often accidentally bumped, especially when taking off the headphones to put them around our neck. We ended up turning off the controls altogether by mistake, which isn't ideal.

Not quite ready to shell out over $400 for our top pick? Bose's latest — the second generation QuietComfort headphones — bridge the gap between the flagship model and the mid-range QuietComforts more than ever before, offering long wear times, great ANC, and solid sound quality equipped with spatial audio, making these a great pick for long travel days.

As great as our top choice Bose headphones are, they're not exactly a budget-friendly option at $449. At $359, the new Bose QuietComfort (2nd gen) headphones aren't cheap, but they get awfully close to the Ultra's performance for nearly $100 less.

New to the QuietComfort line is immersive audio, Bose's spatial audio that allows the sound to feel like it's coming from a live setting (this was formerly limited to the QC Ultra models). As nice as it is to see an audio feature added, where these headphones really shine is in their comfort and noise cancellation. Bose improved both over the previous generation, with a headband that feels more plush and a more oval-shaped earcup that reduces sound leakage. The result? On flights up and back down the West Coast, I heard minimal engine hum and was able to completely tune out conversations from my fellow passengers. I also never felt the need to remove the headphones due to wear fatigue.

The only real flaws I noticed were some popping in the noise cancellation during plane takeoff (due to the spike in noise) and a limited equalizer, but neither bothered me much. The former situation happens rarely and for brief periods of time, while the latter is mitigated by relatively robust sound out of the box.

So, where do they falter in comparison to the more expensive QC Ultra 2 headphones? They're slightly less comfortable, have not quite as great ANC, and the sound quality isn't as rich. In other words, if you want the best of the best, go Ultra, but if you're happy with pretty dang close, these QuietComforts will get the job done.

Read Mashable's full review of the Apple AirPods Pro 3.

Apple users will not only appreciate the easy pairing of the AirPods Pro 3, but also how well features like the built-in heart rate monitor and live translation work in tandem with more standard features like excellent ANC and sound quality.

The AirPods Pro are a fixture on our lists of best headphones thanks to their exceptional integration into the Apple ecosystem, top-notch ANC, and excellent sound quality.

Apple upped the ante with the AirPods Pro 3. On one hand, they're simply an impressive pair of noise-cancelling earbuds. In his review of the earbuds, Mashable contributor Adam Doud writes, "ANC used to be great at removing constant noises, but fell short with sudden noises like a person talking or a car horn. That's still the case with lower-end ANC earbuds, but Apple does a remarkable job at eliminating sudden noises, too."

Doud also calls the sound profile on these buds flat, but it's not a knock against them for anyone who likes to plug and play their audio equipment. While you can adjust the sound somewhat with presets, in a deviation from other premium earbuds, the AirPods don't have a custom equalizer.

What they do have is a built-in heart rate monitor and live translation capability. Both features are exceptionally useful for travelers who like to pack light (and maybe don't want to risk keeping track of too many devices while they're on the go), providing one convenient package of earbuds and a basic fitness tracker. The live translation, naturally, is also great for traveling abroad. As the cherry on top, Apple upped the Pros' battery life from six hours per charge on the previous gen to eight hours per charge, putting them on par with some of the top-performing noise-cancelling ANC earbuds.

Despite all the extras (and the Apple name), the Pros will cost you less than earbuds like the Bose QC Ultras and Panasonic Technics EAH-AZ1000, both of which will run buyers $299.

The EarFun Air Pro 4 are the best earbuds you can get under $100, but compare easily to earbuds double their price. If you want a budget pick that punches above its weight class, you'll find it in these earbuds.

The Air Pro 4 earbuds look like most other budget earbuds out there, but their appearance is where the similarities stop. After powering them on, we were immediately impressed by how well their active noise cancellation worked, and that feeling didn't fade as we put them to the test against forces like people talking loudly around us. Once we connected these earbuds to their companion app, we were even more impressed by the five different levels of noise cancellation.

As we mentioned in the intro of this guide, comfort is a key factor in choosing the best headphones for travel, and while these don't reinvent the wheel, we found them to stay put much better than other earbuds (including the first-gen AirPods Pro). EarFun provides five different silicone ear tips with these buds to help you find the right fit.

So, where do they show their lower price point? Not in the sound quality, which we found to be well-balanced and easily adjustable with the equalizer presets and custom EQ feature in the app. Where you'll likely notice it most is in the finicky on-ear touch controls, which, though adjustable, wouldn't always register properly. A single press to pause music, for instance, might actually be treated as a long press to turn on noise cancellation. You can toggle the touch controls off, but you do lose a small level of convenience.

Though we're not a fan of the inconsistency of the touch controls, we will say that they were never overly sensitive — while wearing them with a hood, these buds never registered the jacket's fabric or hair as a button press (the same can't be said for other earbuds we've tested).

Finally, in our few weeks of testing these earbuds by wearing them regularly, we've only had their battery completely run out once, and have only put them on the charger twice. In other words, with the Air Pro 4s, you're not likely to find yourself halfway through a five-hour flight enduring some forced mindfulness while your earbuds juice back up.

When you're on a plane, over-ear headphones are typically going to offer the best experience for noise cancellation. Over-ears create a better seal around your ear that helps you block out even more sound. They also are more likely to have a 3.5mm cable and audio jack so you can use them as wired headphones, which some folks prefer for in-flight entertainment. Active noise-cancelling wired earbuds aren't really a thing, so if you prefer a wired connection, you'll want to opt for wired over-ear headphones.

However, one of their major downsides is that they do take up more suitcase or carry-on real estate than any pair of earbuds will. Earbuds are also generally more comfortable to wear for longer plane rides, but they are more likely to run out of battery (if you're looking for comfortable noise-cancelling earbuds, we recommend the Bose QuietComfort Ultra buds).

Ultimately, when deciding between earbuds or over-ear headphones for flying, it comes down to your preferences and how you travel. In most cases, we prefer over-ear headphones, reflected by our recommendations in this guide.

Noise-cancelling headphones work by reducing unwanted ambient sounds using active noise control. A microphone captures the ambient sounds around you in real-time; meanwhile, an amplifier generates sound waves out of phase with those unwanted sounds. That way, the music you're listening to shines through the chaos. With ANC engaged, crying babies, people talking, or general airplane noise will fade away like magic.

Generally, noise cancellation works best with constant droning sounds like a plane engine rather than sharp sounds like voices, but the best noise-cancelling headphones still do a good job of blocking these out to some degree.

Some headphones offer passive noise cancellation (also known as noise isolation) rather than active noise cancellation (ANC). Instead of using microphones to filter out undesired sounds, these headphones rely on soundproofing by physically blocking outside sounds. It's less effective than using a pair of headphones that use active noise cancellation, but it does mean there's less of a strain on battery life. 

Some people also prefer passive noise cancellation, as active noise cancellation has been known to make people feel pressure in their ears. However, when searching for the best headphones for travel, this is less of an issue and something that frequent flyers will learn to live with.

We'll level with you: that ever-present engine hum of the plane isn't likely to completely disappear, even with the best active noise cancelling. However, ANC can significantly reduce that hum (and the sounds of your fellow passengers), making them a genuinely good accessory to finding more peace on your flight.

Just make sure your headphones are charged beforehand: because ANC typically works by using microphones and amplifiers to cancel out unwanted noise, you won't be able to experience active noise cancelling while using Bluetooth headphones passively (aka with a cable) or with wired earbuds.

As we mentioned above, active noise cancellation becomes much less enjoyable if the headphones delivering it squeeze your head for the entirety of your flight. Any headphones that weren't favored for long-term wear didn't make our list.

If your headphones' battery is going to die 30 minutes into your flight, they're not going to cut it for even the shortest of trips. Our picks were typically in a higher price range that have better battery life and quick charge options for the times when you forget to juice up your headphones the night before you leave.

There are lower cost options for ANC, but not all active noise cancellation is delivered the same. That's why we focused on picks that either offered multiple levels of ANC, or delivered a strong level of ANC on its own, that didn't require music to make a noticeable difference.

Taking your headphones with you through TSA lines just opens them up to more wear and tear, so we went for higher-cost picks that are likely to survive the journey. Plus, we made sure to choose headphones that will last you for years, so the upfront investment is worth it. Headphones and earbuds with good (and portable) cases earned extra recognition in this category.