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The Best On-Ear Headphones for Comfort and Convenience in 2023
Lighter than over-ears and ideal if you find in-ears uncomfortable
If your priorities when looking for headphones are portability, folding designs, the lightest weight and convenience, check out the best on-ear headphones. These are the middle child in the category, between the tiny true wireless in-ear models and chunkier over-ear cans.
It's worth noting that it's a bit rare to find noise-cancelling in these wireless on-ear models, so we've focused on picking a list of models that prioritise top-quality audio, long battery life, supreme comfort and the ability to fold down to fit in a small bag.
We’ve focused on the best wireless on-ear headphones for this list, but we recommend looking at the best wired headphones if you’re after better sound and lower latency, especially if you’re connecting them to an MP3 player or turntable.
Just here for the recommendations? These are our top picks for the best on-ear headphones in 2023:
The Best On-Ear Headphones
How The Esquire Team Tests Headphones
We keep things simple when testing out headphones – pairing them with our phones and using them at home, on our commute, in the office and when popping out to the shops to pick up milk. We’ll play the latest releases and classics from a variety of genres, before jumping into our podcast queue. When possible, we test the mic quality on calls, and we note the audio capabilities, voice assistant integrations, comfort for long listening sessions and battery life as we go.
Jabra Elite 45h
Jabra Elite 45h
Pros
- Top sound quality
- Portable design
Cons
- Unlikely to stay put during a workout
The Jabra 45h is our top pick for on-ear all-rounders, delivering excellent sound quality, long battery life and reliable Bluetooth multipoint connectivity that keeps them working from two devices simultaneously.
In fact, we’d say they offer a performance that’s far better than what we’d expect for the price, especially now they’re often on offer for far less than the RRP. The excellent microphone quality makes these a great workday companion for all your Zoom and Slack calls, while they perform just as well for music, movies, podcasts and everything in between.
We like how they come with a little pouch to enhance portability, and that they’re lightweight, discreet and comfortable to wear. In our experience, they also leak much less sound than a lot of on-ear rivals.
| Weight | 160g |
|---|---|
| Battery Life | 50 hours |
| Colours | Titanium Black, Black, Copper Black, Gold Beige, Navy |
Marshall Major IV
Marshall Major IV
Pros
- Incredible battery life
- Lightweight and comfortable
Cons
- Sound still leaks in and out a little
When it comes to what matters most for travellers, this Marshall pair is the on-ear model we’d pick. An ultra-lightweight design? Tick. More battery life than you’ll know what to do with? Tick. Attention-grabbing style? Tick. Okay, that last one may not be an “essential”, but we like that the Major IV looks the part while delivering a thumpy and exciting sound without excessive leakage for a ridiculous 80 hours.
Were it not for the presence of a certain solar-charging pair from Adidas on this list, there’s no doubt that these would be our pick as the best on-ear headphones for battery life. One charge alone will get you almost four days of continuous listening. We also like how they refuel quickly via a USB-C cable (a 15-minute charge gets you 15 hours of playback) or by putting the right ear cup down on a wireless charger (yes, you read that right).
If you’re looking for one comfy pair to keep you going for days away from a charger, these are an ideal pick.
| Weight | 165g |
|---|---|
| Battery Life | 80 hours |
| Colours | Black, Brown |
Adidas RPT-02 SOL
Pros
- Never runs out of battery
- Removable and washable parts
Cons
- May be too bass-heavy for some
We were really impressed by these innovative Adidas RPT-02 SOL headphones when we tried them last year, noting just how difficult it is to run the battery down on these solar-charging beasts. In bright sunlight, they’ll gain more battery than they’re using on playback, and if you do manage to deplete them, you can always recharge via USB-C.
We reckon they’re ideal for the gym with a bass-boosted sound and both a headband and earcups that are fully removable and washable. If you’re doing vigorous cardio, of course, stick with something with secure wing tips like the Beats Fit Pro, but for the weightlifters, stair-steppers and stationary cyclists among us, these make for an ideal workout companion.
| Weight | 256g |
|---|---|
| Battery Life | 80 hours without light, unlimited with light exposure |
| Colours | Night Grey |
Grado GW100x
Grado GW100x
Pros
- Sumptuous sound quality
- Minimal retro look
Cons
- Loads of sound leakage
Wireless open-back on-ear headphones? These are clearly pretty niche, but they excel for their intended audience. The GW100x on-ears deliver a bare-bones retro aesthetic, and it’s a look that reminds us of our simple headphones from the IT classroom at school. They’re hardly basic, though, offering serious low-end punch and an expansive soundstage that closed-back models struggle to match.
This pair is our favourite on-ear option for pure sound quality, and we were impressed with its capabilities when playing the likes of ‘Machine Gun’ by Portishead and Ásegir’s ‘Snowblind’.
The only issue? These leak sound more than your average on-ear pair, so we’d only recommend this set for listening at home, or at lower volumes if you’re in the office or on the go.
| Weight | 188g |
|---|---|
| Battery Life | 46 hours |
| Colours | Black |
House of Marley Positive Vibration 2 Wireless
House of Marley Positive Vibration 2 Wireless
Pros
- Comfortable and lightweight
- Made with recyclable materials
Cons
- Fabric material fades over time
You don’t need to spend over a hundred quid to get a decent pair of on-ear cans, and we like this option from House of Marley for budget-conscious shoppers. They’re a solid pick for audio quality, and we find them comfortable to wear, but where they don’t deliver as much is in the battery department.
You’ll find yourself heading back to the charger more often with these as they only offer a 12-hour playback life. Keep a decent power bank in your bag? You probably won’t need to worry that much.
For a balanced, engaging and dynamic sound, along with solid materials (all recyclable, House of Marley says) and lightweight construction, we think these are terrific value for your hard-earned cash.
| Weight | 132g |
|---|---|
| Battery Life | 12 hours |
| Colours | Signature Black, Blue, Copper, Rasta, Silver |
Do On-Ear Headphones Leak Sound?
There had to be a downside, right? Leakage is the term we use to refer to your music escaping into the world around you, and it happens a little more with on-ear designs because they don’t create as much of a seal around your ear when compared to over-ears.
However, we wouldn’t view this as a reason not to buy on-ear headphones. There are so many factors that contribute to sound leakage, and the biggest one is that you’re probably listening too loud.
Preserve your hearing for years to come by turning the volume down, and you’ll find that your fellow commuters won’t end up listening to your playlist too.
The type of earpads also affects leakage, as can an open-back design, which will leak more and is better for use at home. We reckon the Jabra Elite 45h is your best bet to limit sound leakage, with high-quality cushioned earpads that keep your music locked in.
What's The Difference Between On-Ear And Over-Ear Headphones?
The big difference is fit – on-ear models are designed to sit on your ears, while over-ear headphone pads sit around your ears to keep the sound a bit more contained. As explained above, one of the key design differences is that on-ear models tend to let sound escape into the space around you a little bit more. On-ear headphones are also smaller and lighter and may not feature as much padding as over-ear models.
Which ones you find more comfortable is a matter of personal preference, but we think there are some major plus points for on-ear, depending on what you’ll use them for. The lighter weight makes them more portable and convenient, and they often fold down to a smaller size too. We also find the lighter weight a winner for the gym, especially in dedicated workout headphones like the Adidas RPT-02 SOL.
The Need-to-Know
Much of what you need to keep in mind when shopping for a pair of on-ear cans is the same as what you’d need to look at when hunting for over-ears. These are the key things we’d look for when sifting through the specs.
Weight
On-ear headphone fans tend to like how convenient these models are to toss in their bag when heading out for the day, so it’s unsurprising that the weight of the headphones is a key thing to look at. This means they feel lighter on your head and will, in theory, be more comfortable.
The ones featured in this roundup range from around 130g to 250g, so nothing we’d consider particularly heavy. For comparison, chunky over-ear headphones like Apple’s AirPods Max weigh almost 400g.
Battery Life
Nobody wants to have their trusty cans out of action for hours at a time because the battery life just doesn’t cut it. The good news is that some of the top models on this list deliver 80 hours (or more) of playback.
We definitely wouldn’t put up with anything under 10 hours, and our budget pick’s 12 hours gives you just a little more than that. It’s just as important that it doesn’t take ages to recharge. So keep an eye out for quick charge tech that’ll give you hours of extra battery life from a short trip to the wall plug.
Smart Features
If you ask us, it’s somewhat unlikely you’ll be striking up a conversation with Google Assistant or Siri mid-commute, so we see smart features as more of a bonus than an essential when weighing up the pros and cons of different models.
Most headphones in 2023 connect to an app so you can tweak the equaliser or customise settings, and this is where you’d set up a smart assistant if one is available.
What Didn’t Make The Cut
For this roundup, we’ve aimed to avoid overly plasticky headphones that don’t feel built to last, and that’s why we haven’t included some now outdated models like the Beats Solo3 and Urbanears Plattan 2.
We’d have liked to have included the excellent Beats Solo Pro, which was launched in 2019 and are potentially the best pair Beats has ever made. Not only is it one of the only on-ear noise-cancelling models out there, but we’ve had a pair since 2020 so can attest to their longevity. Sadly, Beats discontinued this terrific model in 2021 so you’ll only find it on the second-hand market.
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