16 best over-ear headphones for sound quality, design and affordability

Headphone prices can be astronomical. If you’re after a high-quality pair of mid-range cans, it can sometimes feel as though the only options are either at the affordable end of the spectrum or are far too expensive. Sennheiser's Accentum Plus are made to bridge this gap. They offer premium performance and versatility, for under £200. At this price, they beat all the competition, and we’d say they’re better than many models that go for around £250.

These brilliant over-ears give you adaptive noise-cancelling, a classy and understated style, lovely balanced audio quality, more battery life than you need, loads of extra app-based features, on-ear cup touch controls, wired audio via the 3.5mm jack and included cable and a welcome travel-ready carrying case. We’re highly impressed. There are only minor downsides – the ear cups are a little smaller than some and could feel tight on your head, and more expensive pairs can cancel more noise and may sound even better – but we don’t consider them dealbreakers.

The noise-cancelling on offer here is fantastic at bringing the sounds of commuter trains and office chatter down to a reasonable level – they’ll work well for plane trips and make the din of our local coffee shop bearable. They’re comfortable to wear for hours on end, they sound fantastic, they last for ages and work for wired playback if you ever do run the battery down.

For anyone with an absolute limit of £200 to spend on headphones, we’d also consider the lower-cost Sennheiser Accentum, which has most of the features of the newer model but lacks touch control, the carrying case, and the upgraded noise-cancelling of the Plus. We’d also recommend the brilliant Final UX3000, the Soundcore Space Q45 and the 1More SonoFlow at this budget.

If you’re prepared to invest in the best all-around wireless headphones, we recommend the Sony WH-1000XM6. At £399, they’re not cheap, but there are numerous upgrades to justify the price hike. They’re better at noise-cancelling, have improved sound quality, a refreshed folding design, sleek style and lots of customisation.

They’re essentially neck‑and‑neck with the Bose QuietComfort Ultra when it comes to noise-cancelling, and we think they’re just a little more adaptable and sound more natural, so they’re a top pick in this department. The XM6 are also brilliant for audio quality, with a lot of customisation available in the app. The sound is rich, detailed, impactful and well-rounded – and it’s easy to change the equaliser to your preferences, too.

These headphones also have improved comfort compared to the XM5, and new metal folding hinges so they can be easily stored in the compact travel case with its magnetic latch. Overall, this makes them brilliant for portability. They’ve got an improved ambient sound mode, too. Our only downsides are that we don’t love touch controls (even though they’re intuitive here) and the “background listening” modes in the app seem a bit pointless.

Overall, though, there’s a strong argument that these are now the best overall choice in the flagship headphone field, impressing across the board.

Read our Sony WH-1000XM6 review

If you’ve only set aside £100 for your new over-ears, a lot of models won’t quite fit that budget. However, there are a few pairs, including the JLab JBuds Lux, that pack in a lot of value without a high price tag. We have a couple of caveats, but we’re highly impressed with these overall, and think they’re a great pick for immersive sound, comfort and long battery life.

The JBuds Lux are made with robust-feeling plastic, foam cushions and they weight a light 235g, which makes them more portable than many of their rivals. It’s a shame they don’t have a carrying case and the plastic can creak a little, but it’s rarely noticeable. Once they’re switched on and playing, we liked the warm and energetic sound profile. They're a little bass-heavy, and can feel muddy at times, but they’re great for the price.

Additionally, they’ve got a great companion app with an equaliser, so you can adjust the sound to your liking. They have dual-device multipoint connectivity, a “Safe Hearing” volume limit feature, and support for spatial audio. They’re comfortable, don’t leak sound to those around you, have intuitive (and customisable) button controls, and a whopping 40-hour battery life with noise-cancelling on.

Speaking of noise-cancelling, we were impressed. These headphones are good at silencing the rumble of our morning commute, but a little less likely to deal with loud conversations at the office. Even if we’d like a carry case or a little less creak to the construction, we'd recommend them as the best headphones under £100.

The Soundcore Q20i over-ears prove that it’s possible to get a quality set on a tight budget. For under £50, they deliver effective noise elimination, a battery of up to 60 hours (with ANC off) and speedy charging – just five minutes of power gives you up to four hours of juice.

The build quality lacks the premium materials of some rivals, but we can’t argue with the price. On test, we found them comfortable to wear and appreciated how much quality is on offer for this low price, including reliable sound, excellent battery and a folding design. Just note that they don’t come with a case or pouch at all, and aim to get the Q20i over the Q20. It has app support, a custom equaliser, and better USB-C charging for the same cost.

While there aren't many alternatives at this price point, if you don’t mind them being wired and without ANC, then we recommend the Audio-Technica M20x. You can pay an extra £20 to buy the wireless model, too. Another of our top budget over-ears is the 1MORE SonoFlow, which has a premium-looking design and a top battery life of up to 70 hours (with ANC off) for under £100.

Read our Soundcore Q20i review

It can feel like a lot of the best over-ear headphones cost much more than £200 or even £300, making them a proper investment. To find some great value in this category, you may need to pick a brand you haven’t heard of before. But, when it comes to the Final UX3000, you won't regret it.

We've used these since 2023 and have never been disappointed. They’re made by a respected Japanese audio company, they have a minimal, lightweight and discreet look, and cost only £120. We love the fingerprint-resistant exterior material, the wired audio support and capable active noise-cancellation.

It’s a shame that they have no app support, so you won’t be able to tweak the sound or settings, and it’s worth noting that they’re quite compact and better for those of us with smaller ears. However, they’re comfortable and well-padded, cancel loads of noise, and offer a lovely audio quality.

The sound is balanced, precise and engaging. They stand out against most competitors, which often have a very bass-focused approach, and they’re easy to use wired, too. We really like how Final has separated controls for noise-cancelling and wireless use (you’ll need to remember to turn off both separately) because this means you can use them wired (and with Bluetooth off) but with noise-cancelling engaged, which is handy and unique.

There’s almost nothing else we’ve tried that cancels as much noise as the Bose QuietComfort Ultra headphones. They don’t only eliminate low-frequency noise like the rumble of a train, but they also silence high-frequency sounds, including coffee shop chatter and the unpredictable din of fellow shoppers in the supermarket.

The Ultras are also fantastic for their headband padding, and they're our overall favourite for comfort (it’s in the name) and we can happily wear them for hours on end.

The app control works well, sound quality is excellent (although the “immersive” mode is a little hit-and-miss), they’re sturdy, fold up into a compact travel case and have reliable button controls with a touch surface on the right side for volume. The only real downside is the high price.

We’d also look at the standard Bose QuietComfort headphones for the brand’s high-end noise-cancelling at a lower price, and the Sony WH-1000XM5, Sony WH-1000XM4 and the Sennheiser Momentum 4 are worth keeping in mind too.

Read our comparison between the Bose QuietComfort Ultra headphones and the Bose QuietComfort headphones

The latest cans from British brand Bowers & Wilkins are astonishing headphones. The Px7 S3 are our top pick if you’re after a premium experience in three key areas: sound quality, comfort and style.

They’re slimmer and lighter than the Px7 S2 that they replace, and are available in three sleek colourways: white, black and blue. They don’t only look elegant, though – they’re also precision-designed for extended listening with their pillowy soft earcups and headband. We wore them all afternoon and didn't tire of them.

The listening experience is exceptional, too. It’s easily the best in its price tier, and better than several more expensive rivals. They’re rich, detailed, well-balanced, distortion-free and incredibly immersive, with a wide soundstage. You'll be able to pinpoint subtleties you couldn’t previously hear in your favourite songs.

Acoustically, these even improve on the Bowers & Wilkins flagship, the already excellent Px8. They offer such clear audio that we can happily use them all day long. And the upgrade to noise cancelling helps; they’re significantly better than their predecessors and deliver powerful ANC.

Are there any downsides? A handful. The ear detection tech is so temperamental that we’d turn it off entirely. There aren’t loads of features in the app that you wouldn't find on rivals, too, and that £399 price tag is steep. They’re also likely to be beaten by a more expensive Px8 S2, due out later this year. However, if those rather minor nitpicks don’t put you off, these are the best premium over-ears we’ve tried.

The Sonos Ace headphones are easily among the best we’ve tried for comfort and softness, with a considered design prioritising matte plastic, soft memory foam cushions and functional metal accents (with a hidden hinge that won’t snag on your hair). The look is sleek and stylish, but once they’re on your head, you might forget they’re there. That’s because they’re lighter than many other premium offerings at 312g, competing with heavier and pricier models from Apple, Bowers & Wilkins and Bang & Olufsen.

That’s not to say that the Ace isn’t an expensive competitor. At £449, these are far from a budget pair, but they’re priced to rival other high-end ANC headphones. When it comes to sound, they deliver a detailed and engaging quality, and they impressed us with their instrumental separation and wide soundstage. We find them great for a range of genres, providing clear vocals and a balanced sound.

The noise-cancelling feature is also powerful for reducing loud rumbles and background office conversations. It doesn’t beat the Bose QuietComfort Ultra, but it comes close. The “Aware” mode for enhancing outside sounds is almost as good as transparency on Apple’s AirPods Max.

You’ll also find the battery life lasts for 30 hours and the physical controls for playback, pairing, noise control and volume adjustment are all intuitive. They support Bluetooth multipoint, allowing connection with two devices at once, too.

For dedicated Sonos users, there’s a single button press to “swap” audio over from a compatible soundbar to the headphones – we can see this coming in handy if you want to keep watching TV without disturbing everyone else at home!

Read our Sonos Ace review

The Bose QuietComfort Headphones tick both boxes we look for in a pair of travel-friendly headphones: portability and comfort. They fold down so they’ll easily fit inside small bags, and the faux leather on the ear cups is soft and doesn’t cause irritation, even after a few hours of having them on your head.

They go into a super compact travel case and deliver enough battery to get you through multiple flights and train journeys. The noise-cancellation is class-leading too, silencing all the deep rumbles and chattering voices you might encounter when making your way through an airport or when finding some peace at a coffee shop.

While the design is the same as the older QC35 and QC45 headphones (so it has been around for several years now), not all of us need eye-catching over-ears, and it’s a reliable design with proper clicky buttons that won't get too confusing. We always appreciate having physical buttons to switch modes or change the volume over touch or gesture controls that can be tricky to learn and imprecise. Compared to some of the best options, we should note that the 24-hour battery life is on the lower side, but it’s enough for a few days of use at a time.

We should flag that the 1MORE SonoFlow also fold down for easy transportation in a backpack or bag, and they’re more affordable than these. The Sony WH-1000XM4s are ideal for noisier journeys like trains and planes as they have excellent noise-cancelling too.

Soundcore has focused on the essentials by making these over-ears comfortable, portable and great at noise-cancelling. The Space One Pro are a well-rounded option for those who want excellent ANC and a folding design without a hefty price tag. Their clever hinge makes them travel-friendly, fitting easily into bags, though they lack a protective hard case. We like their soft cushioned ear cups and adjustable headband, and we've found them comfortable to wear all day long, something that's crucial if you're using them for trips or at the office.

On test, the advanced noise-cancelling capabilities impressed us in many different environments, and they've got a highly capable transparency mode for ambient awareness too. Sound-wise, these headphones emphasise bass and treble for a lively, energetic sound that’s well-suited to several genres including pop and rock, although audiophiles will find them a bit unbalanced. However, the full-featured companion app is great for customising the sound, and we found the “HearID” feature (that tunes the audio to your hearing preferences) works well.

Battery life is another strength — they offer up to 40 hours with ANC on — which is more than enough for most trips. Overall, they're great value for the features and performance they deliver. While they're priced at £149.99, they can be picked up for less during sales. Sure, they may lack a few premium touches, such as a wear sensor or protective case, but the Space One Pro is a top choice for ANC, portability and comfort. When we're low on space in our bag, this is the pair we'd reach for.

Read our Soundcore Space One Pro review

Committed Apple fans will absolutely love the high-end AirPods Max. The brand’s over-ear headphones feature a seriously luxe design with aluminium ear cups, a headband made with a stainless steel frame and knit mesh, removable memory foam padded cushions and smooth telescoping headband arms. They look and feel the part, and they come in a great range of colours so they’ll feel your own.

When it comes to downsides, it’s worth saying that 385g is a bit heavy, but they’re not the heaviest we’ve tried (that honour goes to the 451g Dyson OnTrac) and they do a good job of distributing that weight. We find there are some usability quirks, like how these don’t have an on/off button and instead go into a low power state when in their carry case. They’re also super pricey, so you need to be sure they’re worth the investment.

As you’ll be able to tell from our review, though, there aren’t many drawbacks once they’re on your head, and you’re listening to music. These deliver absolutely terrific sound quality that's rich and balanced. They’ve got impressive “Spatial Audio” that enhances tracks and films mixed for Dolby Atmos.

Their noise-cancelling and transparency modes are some of the absolute best you’ll find, and their controls are intuitive. They’re also loaded with perks for Apple users, like audio sharing, device switching, Find My support and notification announcements. Essentially, if they’re within your budget, and you’re mainly listening on an iPhone, iPad or MacBook, they’re a terrific – albeit pricey – pair of over-ears.

Read our Apple AirPods Max review

Some over-ear headphones can look functional and unexciting. We’d recommend looking at these best on-ear headphones if you’re a music lover who doesn’t want to compromise on style. The upgraded Marshall Major V headphones don’t only look great, they’re also lightweight, foldable and have a comfortable fit you can wear for hours and hours on end.

The big difference is that they’re more breathable, as they sit on top of your ears, rather than fully encompassing them. One downside to this style is that you won’t get any noise-cancelling, but we also don’t tend to find that the music “leaks” out to your surroundings when played at a normal volume. It will be audible to those around you if you play it on high volume, though. The lack of noise-cancelling also means the battery life is enormous, with these promising a 100-hour listening time that’s unheard of in ANC models.

They also have an intuitive metal control knob, and the latest version adds a dedicated custom button that we set to launch us straight back into our Spotify playlists. While we wouldn’t pick these for a flight, or anywhere you need to silence external noise, they’re easily the best headphones for a lightweight on-ear approach. They’re not only soft and pleasant to wear, but sound terrific with a well-rounded audio reproduction that works well whatever genre of music you’re playing.

Read our Marshall Major V review

You’ll need strong active noise cancellation (ANC) if you want to silence background noises on planes and trains – including rumbles, hums and light conversations – and just focus on your music. The Sony WH-1000XM5 headphones have some of the best ANC around, easily reducing traffic sounds, coffee shop chatter and typing on a mechanical keyboard during our hands-on tests.

The app could be a bit more user-friendly, but the audio quality is undeniable, and we like the speak-to-chat feature that launches the ambient mode if it senses you talking, before turning your tunes back on when you’re done.

Remember, if you don’t mind a slightly older design, you can save some money by picking up their popular predecessor, the Sony WH-1000XM4, for under £230. You’re getting the same battery life and these fold down for travel, too.

The Space Q45s are ideal if you’re on a budget, and the Bose QuietComfort QC45 are another top rival for ANC, with a more comfortable build and foldable ear cups. We also recommend the Soundcore Q20i for solid ANC at under £50.

Read our Sony WH-1000XM5 review

The Momentum 4s have been one of our go-to pairs of over-ear headphones for months when working from our home office, and that’s largely because of their massive reserve of battery power. These give you up to 60 hours of life, and that’s with the noise cancellation enabled.

The ear cups are chunky but comfortable and we like that the cans and the band both sit flush so they don’t look big on your head. The audio quality is excellent – with a nice balance between clarity and bass – and the touch controls are responsive.

If you want a more affordable option for battery life, Soundcore models are generally all excellent for battery, usually lasting for dozens of hours between charges. The Q30s give you 40 hours with ANC on, rising to a huge 60 hours with it switched off. The 1MORE SonoFlow give you even more power – you can get up to 70 hours with the ANC switched off.

Finding a pair of headphones that excels in every area, whether for work, travel, or home listening, is no easy task. But these come impressively close, making them our top pick for versatility.

On test, these wireless over-ear cans delivered fantastic sound quality, borrowing studio-grade drivers from Beyerdynamic’s pro audio lineup. They offer a customisable listening experience through the companion app, allowing you to fine-tune the sound and even enable Dolby Atmos for immersive 3D audio in films and TV shows.

Their active noise cancellation isn’t the strongest out there, but it does a solid job of reducing background noise, whether that’s a busy office or the rumble of a train. Meanwhile, a massive 50-hour battery life means you can travel without having to worry about constant recharging.

Comfort-wise, they strike a nice balance, with plush ear cushions and a foldable design for portability. The included accessories – a hard case, soft pouch, and both USB-C and 3.5mm cables – make them even more practical.

At £359, they’re an investment, but one that pays off if you're after premium audio, flexibility, and long-lasting battery life. If noise cancellation is your top priority, the Bose QuietComfort Ultra or Sony WH-1000XM5 might be better. But for a mix of sound quality, comfort, and adaptability, the Aventho 300 is a great choice.

Read our Beyerdynamic Aventho 300 review

If you’re tired of headphones that all look a bit “samey”, we think the Marshall Monitor III ANC headphones are an excellent choice. They deliver great sound and have a rock-inspired look that makes them stand out from the crowd, a lot like the on-ear Marshall headphones we also love.

With the Monitor III, you’ve got that classic and rugged aesthetic with the vintage Marshall logo and a tactile brass control knob that’s satisfying to use. Now, though, they also have a customisable “M” button that we set to “Spotify Tap” so we can jump straight back into our playlists.

The Monitor III ANC delivers an immersive listening experience and features Marshall’s spatial audio tech, which can be adjusted in the app to create a broader soundstage. It works well for making everything sound more expansive, but it isn't quite the same thing as head-tracked spatial audio on the likes of the Bose QuietComfort Ultra or Apple AirPods Max. However, while we like the sound performance overall, we’re not sure that they do a lot to stand out in a highly competitive market — some models cost less and deliver more engaging and punchy audio quality.

We like a lot about the headphones, although they don’t quite have the build quality of £299 cans, and we’re not that impressed by the lack of padding on the headband. Having said that, the ear cups are still comfortable, the ANC is effective, and it’s great that they last up to 70 hours of battery life on a single charge, though. If you’re prioritising style, they’re a good pick, but we’d probably wait until they’re on offer before buying.