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Best Noise-Canceling Earbuds for 2023

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With noise-canceling earbuds, you can enjoy your music, podcasts or audiobooks anywhere without having to worry about background noise getting in the way. Active noise canceling, or ANC, true-wireless earbuds have taken over the headphone industry, and while just a few years ago, it would have cost you $200 or more to get noise-canceling capabilities, these days you can get a decent pair of ANC earbuds for as little as $60. And to help you find the pair that’s best for you, we’ve rounded up some of the best noise-canceling earbuds on the market right now below.

Noise-canceling technology continues to evolve and improve with each passing year, with the best noise canceling able to mask a wider range of frequencies and do it on the fly («adaptive» noise canceling) with sophisticated software algorithms and more powerful but energy-efficient processors embedded in the buds. Apple, Sony and Bose remain among the leaders in the category, but they have plenty of competition.

This list is all about great noise-canceling earbuds, but you can see more styles, including plenty of over-ear headphones, in our list of the best noise-canceling headphones. We update both of these lists regularly as new models hit the market.

Read more: Best Wireless Earbuds for 2023: Top Picks for Every Listener

Honorable mentions:

Soundpeats Air Pro 3 — The Soundpeats Air Pro 3 are lightweight buds that sound quite good and offer decent noise canceling for their modest price point. They use Qualcomm’s latest QCC3046 chipset (Bluetooth 5.2) with aptX Adaptive Bluetooth audio streaming that’s supported by many Android smartphones. IPX4 splash-proof, they have a battery life rating of six hours, with an additional three charges in their compact charging case, which is around the same size as the AirPods Pro’s case.

While the buds’ biggest strengths are their lightweight design, sound quality (you get big, bold sound with strong bass that only lacks that extra bit of clarity and definition that higher-end buds offer), the only downside is the voice-calling performance is only so-so — callers said the microphone pick up and voice clarity just wasn’t as good as some earbuds we’ve tested and reduction of background noise was not great either. In other words, don’t buy these if voice-calling is a priority.

Samsung Galaxy Buds 2 — Available in four color options, the Samsung Galaxy Buds 2 noise-canceling headphones don’t feature as good sound or noise canceling as the Galaxy Buds 2 Pro, but they’re compact (15% smaller and 20% lighter than the earlier Buds Plus, they barely stick out of your ears) and cost significantly less. Because they sit more flush with your ears — and have that curved design — they also pick up less wind noise. They’re IPX2 sweat-resistant while the step-up Galaxy Buds 2 Pro are fully waterproof (IPX7).

Is it ‘noise canceling’ or ‘noise cancelling’?

Short answer: both. Either spelling is correct, as «canceling» is more common in American English while «cancelling» is more common in British English. CNET uses «noise canceling» since the company is based in the US, but the noise is canceled just the same, regardless of spelling. If you’re looking to see what different noise-impacting technology is out there for headphones, check out our article on noise-canceling versus noise-isolating headphones, which highlights differences in function — and not just a difference in spelling.

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