- The best headphones in 2023
- The best in-ear headphones
- The best noise-cancelling headphones
- The best over-ear headphones
- The best wired headphones
- The best on-ear headphones
Life’s too short to settle for bad audio. Commuting on a train or jumping on a lengthy flight with sub-par cans or cheap wireless buds will be a miserable experience – it's a one way ticket to tinny music, muddy bass and lacklustre noise cancellation. Trust us: if you want to get the most from your music, podcasts and calls, you want to invest in quality headphones.
Here at Esquire, we’ve put a multitude of models through rigorous testing to find the best headphones you can buy in 2023, whether you need Bluetooth buds for your next gym session, a set of luxury over-ears to drown out everyone around you or a wired set to live your best audiophile life.
To uncover models worthy of your attention we’ve done our homework. We test audio performance on a number of genres, before sitting back and relaxing with a few podcasts. We analyse their range, noise blocking, how long the battery lasts and whether they are comfortable to wear for a couple of hours.
The Best Headphones of 2023
Types of headphones, explained
We know that shopping for new headphones is overwhelming if you don’t know what you need. So here are the main types you’ll encounter.
In-Ear Headphones
In-ear headphones (more commonly known as earbuds) are really popular these days – unlike the larger over-ear models they fit snugly inside your ears and pair wirelessly to your smartphone, tablet, or laptop through Bluetooth. Forget the wires, these come with a portable charging case that extends their battery life by hours and keeps them safe when you’re travelling.
Advanced models have active noise cancellation (ANC), which cancels out ambient sounds around you – think the drone of the tube carriage or light conversations from your colleagues in the office. These are lightweight and comfortable for long listening sessions and the best ones are water resistant so you can take them outside in the rain or wear them during sweaty gym sessions. Some have touch or gesture controls, and pair with your phone via an app to launch voice assistance or change the audio mix.
Noise-Cancelling Headphones
Perhaps unsurprisingly given the name, these cancel out unwanted noises. Active noise-cancelling (ANC) headphones and earbuds are a godsend while travelling or if you need to focus without distraction. Using microphones and speakers, they analyse the sounds around you, then blast opposing soundwaves to cancel “low frequency” noises like light conversations, drones and hums. It’s not like they get rid of everything, mind, and you’ll still hear certain “high frequency” sounds such as phone alerts and louder voices.
We recommend adaptive noise cancellation too. This adjusts the level of cancellation, in real-time, based on the sound levels around you. ANC headphones cost a bit more money, but it’s no longer the case that you have to spend many hundreds of pounds to get the technology. And we like that. ANC headphones and earbuds usually also have a transparency mode that lets in more noise, which is good for spatial awareness if you're walking on a busy road or listening out for an imminent train announcement.
Over-Ear Headphones
If you really want to enjoy your music or podcasts, especially while relaxing on the sofa at home, we always recommend investing in a quality set of over-ears. With larger cups that envelop both ears, these are best for audio performance and the highest quality of noise cancelling. You lose out on portability, although many models do fold down into hard cases that fit comfortably in your bag or backpack. The most convenient models will be wireless – connecting via Bluetooth – but some come with a cable to plug into your phone, tablet, console or laptop (more on those below).
You’ll find the largest batteries on these devices, and the sets we’ve chosen are comfortable to wear for hours. While some of the headphones have gesture controls, others still have physical buttons you’ll press to change the volume or switch between listening modes. Extra settings, like changing the sound mix on the go, checking the battery life and adjusting the levels of ANC, can usually be altered via the brand’s smartphone app, too.
Wired Headphones
Serious audio listeners should never discount a pair of wired headphones. What you lose in portability and convenience you gain in pure sound quality. We know, Bluetooth is fantastic for quickly pairing to a phone or laptop, but you know what’s faster, more reliable and never runs out of juice? The trusty 3.5mm audio jack. If you really want to settle down and enjoy hi-res music or get clear voice calls without the possibility of interference or connection drops, you still need that cable.
These come as either small buds, on-ears or large over-ears, and require a headphone jack to connect to audio devices. That means you may need to invest in an adapter if you want to pop them into a phone or laptop lacking that port – you can thank Apple’s “courage” for the current state of jack-less devices. In the view of any music lover or professional, wired headphones are still the desired option for getting a natural audio profile that prioritises sound clarity over loads of bass. It’s no surprise that they remain the only option for anyone working in a music studio and the audiophiles among us. Another bonus is that – unlike battery-powered models – they last for years, with cables and cups being replaceable or repairable.
On-Ear Headphones
On-ear headphones sit on top of your ear rather than covering them completely or fit inside. They’re the middle ground between buds and over-ears, and they’re a great option if you want to balance listening to music while letting in some sounds from your surroundings – like jogging down a busy road at night, working in an office with colleagues or waiting to get updates about a delayed flight.
Most pairs lack active noise cancellation, but turn up the volume and you’ll still hear lots of clarity from your music, even if some of that audio is likely to leak out (blast it, and you’ll get annoyed stares from every other passenger) due to the less secure seal and isolation. On-ear models are generally more portable than over-ears as they have more compact designs and foldable cups, so they won’t add too much weight inside your bag.
The Need-to-Know
So, by this stage you’ve probably got an idea what type of headphones you like – but if you’re still not sure what specs are important to make note of, here's a breakdown of everything to look out for.
Portability: Travel man? Make sure your headphones can come with you. Glance at the weight to make sure they won’t be a burden in a backpack. Then check if the earcups are foldable, which reduces the amount of space you’ll need to transport them and means they’ll have a smaller case.
Noise cancellation: While ANC won’t completely silence the outside world, it is a must-have if you’re planning on using your headphones on a train or a plane. This blocks out annoying hums and drones and lets you focus on the movie or tunes you’re listening to without distractions. We also use it for music or podcasts at home, and it’s invaluable while working, too.
Voice assistants: Lots of us use Alexa, Siri and Google Assistant these days to access information or control tech with our voice. Loads of headphones let you use these assistants to skip tracks, answer calls or adjust the volume. We recommend checking if your buds or cans work with your assistant of choice.
Battery life: Going on a mountain hike? How about a quick walk to the shop to pick up a Snickers? In either case, you’ll need to know how long your earbuds or headphones will last without needing a top-up charge. Over-ears usually come with more in the tank than buds due to the larger size, while wired headphones are able to draw power from the audio source. Models on our list last from 20 to 60 hours. With the earbuds, the carry case holds power so popping them in extends the battery life.
Connectivity: It goes without saying, but wireless headphones and earbuds do not pair to your devices with a cable – they use Bluetooth – while wired models come with a cable for connecting them to a phone or laptop. That’s not to say that there’s no wires involved. Even the portable cases that hold earbuds need to be charged up, and even premium wireless over-ears will eventually need to be connected to a power source, whether that’s using the supplied cable or a wireless charger. Here's one top tip for free: you may need to buy a Lightning to 3.5mm or USB-C to 3.5mm adapter if you’re connecting wired headphones to some phones.
Water resistance: Sweating it out at the gym or heading to a beach? Make sure the elements aren't damaging your headphones by checking if they’re water and dust resistant. You’ll see this described as an IP rating. If you see IPX7 or IPX8 on the box, they should survive submersion for 30 minutes. IPX5-6 means they are resistant to sprays. IPX4 is not resistant, but should be able to withstand splashes of liquids, so that's enough for workouts.