The 7 Best Wireless Bluetooth Headphones – Winter 2024 Reviews
Whether your phone has nixed the audio jack or you prefer the freedom of going wireless, Bluetooth headphones are a great way to enjoy your favorite music cable-free. There are a couple of disadvantages compared to wired headphones, like needing to keep an eye on battery levels and possible sync issues when watching videos, but not having to worry about tangled cords when you’re running out the door on a busy morning makes wireless headphones worth it for many.
We’ve tested over 770 pairs of headphones, and below are our recommendations for the best wireless headphones to buy. Also, check out our recommendations for the best wireless earbuds, the best true wireless earbuds, and the best budget wireless headphones.
Best Wireless Bluetooth Headphones
Neutral Sound
Commute/Travel
Sports/Fitness
Wireless Gaming
Wired Gaming
Phone Calls
Type Over-ear
Enclosure Closed-Back
Wireless Yes
Transducer Dynamic
Noise Cancelling Yes
The Bose QuietComfort Ultra Headphones Wireless are the best wireless headphones we’ve tested. These premium over-ears have an outstanding noise isolation performance thanks to their adaptive noise cancelling (ANC) system. They can cut down a wide variety of noise, like the low rumble of bus engines to ambient chatter and the high-pitched hum of AC units. With their ANC on, they last 29 hours continuously, so they can get you from point A to B. These headphones have a very comfortable and lightweight fit, so you can wear them for hours without discomfort. Their bassy default sound profile is nice if you like genres like EDM and hip-hop since they deliver extra thump, punch, and warmth to audio. You can fine-tune their sound to suit your tastes using their companion app’s graphic EQ and presets. Additionally, they have a head tracking feature, which allows audio to follow your head movements, creating a more immersive audio experience, and they support multi-device pairing.
Best Upper Mid-Range Bluetooth Headphones
Neutral Sound
Commute/Travel
Sports/Fitness
Wireless Gaming
Wired Gaming
Phone Calls
Type Over-ear
Enclosure Closed-Back
Wireless Yes
Transducer Dynamic
Noise Cancelling Yes
If you’re looking for premium headphones at a slightly lower price point, you’ll want to consider the Sony WH-1000XM4 Wireless. They’re the previous generation of the Sony WH-1000XM5 Wireless, but are still available on the market. They also offer a better noise isolation performance than their successor and even have the edge over the Bose QuietComfort Ultra Headphones Wireless. Their ANC can easily cut down a fantastic amount of sound across the range, so you can enjoy your audio in peace. They aren’t quite as comfortable as the Bose, although they’re similarly well-built. They have a pretty bass-heavy sound out of the box, but their companion app offers a graphic EQ and presets for customization. They also support LDAC, Sony’s proprietary codec for streaming high-quality audio. You can connect them to your PC and smartphone simultaneously, and their continuous battery life of over 37 hours means they’ll easily last through long days on the go. If you’re looking for even longer-lasting headphones, try the Sennheiser MOMENTUM 4 Wireless. They last over 62 hours continuously and even support audio while charging. However, their ANC doesn’t block out as much background noise as the Sony.
Best Mid-Range Wireless Bluetooth Headphones
Neutral Sound
Commute/Travel
Sports/Fitness
Wireless Gaming
Wired Gaming
Phone Calls
Type Over-ear
Enclosure Closed-Back
Wireless Yes
Transducer Dynamic
Noise Cancelling Yes
The Anker Soundcore Life Q45 Wireless are another great pair of wireless Bluetooth headphones available for less. These well-built and comfortable headphones offer an outstanding noise isolation performance that’s great for your commute. Their active noise cancellation (ANC) system is almost as good as what you get with the Sony WH-1000XM4 Wireless, and it can easily block out the noise from bus engines and chatty coworkers. Their 28-hour continuous battery life is great for active days on the go, and they support multi-device pairing, too, so you can easily switch up your audio source. When it comes to sound, these headphones aren’t quite as neutral-sounding as the Sennheiser right out of the box. Instead, they have a very excited, V-shaped sound profile with plenty of boomy bass and bright treble. They’re well-suited for rock and pop, but fans of jazz or folk may find instruments and vocals sound veiled and lacking detail. You can fix it, however, with the companion app’s graphic EQ and presets, which let you personalize the sound to your liking. For the price, these versatile headphones offer a really solid performance.
Best Budget Wireless Bluetooth Headphones
Current Deal: The Anker Soundcore Life Q30 Wireless has dropped in price by $24 at Amazon.com. Get Deal
Neutral Sound
Commute/Travel
Sports/Fitness
Wireless Gaming
Wired Gaming
Phone Calls
Type Over-ear
Enclosure Closed-Back
Wireless Yes
Transducer Dynamic
Noise Cancelling Yes
The Anker Soundcore Life Q30 Wireless are our top budget pick. These headphones are less comfortable than the Anker Soundcore Life Q45 Wireless and leak more audio at high volumes, so they aren’t ideal if you like blasting your music at the office. Still, their ANC performance almost matches the Q45’s. When set to ‘Transport’ mode, it blocks out an outstanding amount of sound, including rumbly bus engines, making them well-suited for your daily commute. However, there’s a noticeable difference in sound quality depending on if the ANC is on or off. When turned off, your audio sounds somewhat hollow and thin compared to the fuller sound you hear with the ANC on. Out of the box, they have a bass-heavy sound profile that can muddy and clutter mixes. If you prefer a more neutral sound, their app includes an EQ and presets for sound customization. They also support multi-device pairing, and their continuous playback time of over 44 hours means you don’t need to recharge every day. However, if you’re looking for a slightly cheaper alternative, consider the JBL Tune 760NC Wireless. They have a better mic recording quality and a more neutral sound profile that’s well-suited to a variety of genres. However, their ANC can’t block out as much background noise, and their battery doesn’t last as long on a single charge.
Best Cheap Wireless Bluetooth Headphones
Neutral Sound
Commute/Travel
Sports/Fitness
Wireless Gaming
Wired Gaming
Phone Calls
Type Over-ear
Enclosure Closed-Back
Wireless Yes
Transducer Dynamic
Noise Cancelling Yes
Check out the Anker Soundcore Life Q20 Wireless for the most economical option. With three picks in a row from Anker, it’s evident that this manufacturer dominates the lower-cost end of the market. These are no exception, and although they’re a lot simpler in design than their successors on this list, they’re still worth checking out if you’re willing to sacrifice extra features for a lower price. Their build reflects their affordability, as the plasticky hinges feel hollow and could be prone to damage over time. These comfortable over-ears have a V-shaped sound profile. It’s well-suited for genres like pop and rock that benefit from extra bass and brightness. However, they don’t have any customization features to help you adjust their sound if you prefer something more neutral. However, you can’t adjust their ANC level to suit your environment like the Anker Soundcore Life Q30 Wireless. They also fall short when blocking out the low rumble from a bus or plane engine, but they’re much better at reducing office-type noise like ambient chit-chat and whiny computer fans. They last over 32 hours continuously; you can use them wired if you run out of power.
Best Sounding Wireless Bluetooth Headphones
Neutral Sound
Commute/Travel
Sports/Fitness
Wireless Gaming
Wired Gaming
Phone Calls
Type Over-ear
Enclosure Closed-Back
Wireless Yes
Transducer Dynamic
Noise Cancelling Yes
If you want headphones optimized for sound quality, you’ll want to check out the Focal Bathys Wireless. With a wireless design and ANC, these audiophile headphones stand out among other hi-fi models that typically are open-back and wired. You can stream your favorite hi-res tracks over Bluetooth using aptX-Adaptive or wired via their USB-DAC connection, which converts digital audio signals to analog. Their sound is fairly neutral, so you get adequate bass in mixes, while vocals and instruments sound clear, although a little veiled in detail. Their companion app also has a graphic EQ and presets to give you full reign over their sound. Their ANC is also very good and has a few isolation settings. While it can’t cut out as much low-bass noise, like rumbly bus engines or heavy traffic, as the Sony WH-1000XM4 Wireless, these headphones can easily isolate you from ambient chit-chat and whiny PC fans. They also support multi-device pairing, are comfortable enough for extended wear without fatigue, and have a 29-hour continuous battery life that will last several workdays without recharging.
Best Wireless Bluetooth Headphones For Calls
Neutral Sound
Commute/Travel
Sports/Fitness
Wireless Gaming
Wired Gaming
Phone Calls
Type Over-ear
Enclosure Closed-Back
Wireless Yes
Transducer Dynamic
Noise Cancelling Yes
The best Bluetooth headphones for calls we’ve tested are the Bose 700 Headphones Wireless. Even though low audio and mic quality are limitations of Bluetooth technology, these stand out from other options as they offer the best mic performance on this list. They outperform their successor, the Bose QuietComfort Ultra Headphones Wireless, when it comes to noise handling, as the mic easily separates speech from background noise, allowing you to take calls in noisy environments without being drowned out. Their mic also does a good job of recording your voice clearly, and they have a dedicated button for muting and unmuting the mic. They last over 20 hours continuously, which is a bit shorter than the QuietComfort Ultra, and they aren’t quite as comfortable. However, you can still wear them for long periods without significant fatigue. Their default sound profile keeps vocals clear and accurate in your audio, so voices over the phone are easy to understand. Their app also features a graphic EQ that you can use to customize their sound to suit you. Their ANC feature does an excellent job of blocking background noise so you can hear the person you’re speaking with, even if you’re calling from a busy office. However, if you don’t mind sacrificing ANC for better battery life, check out the Audeze Maxwell Wireless. Even though they’re gaming headphones, they look fairly nondescript. They last over 77 hours on a single charge, and their boom mic better isolates your voice from background noise than the Bose’s integrated mic. However, the Audeze are less comfortable.
Notable Mentions
- Apple AirPods Max Wireless: The Apple AirPods Max Wireless are over-ear headphones with a premium design, well-balanced sound profile, and great noise isolation capability. However, their ANC system is less effective than the Bose QuietComfort Ultra Headphones Wireless, and they have fewer sound customization options. See our review
- Sennheiser Momentum 3 Wireless: The Sennheiser Momentum 3 Wireless are a popular choice if you’re looking for premium over-ears. Their sound profile is more neutral out of the box than the Sony WH-1000XM4 Wireless. However, their continuous battery life is much shorter, and they block out less background noise. See our review
- Audio-Technica ATH-M50xBT2 Wireless: The Audio-Technica ATH-M50xBT2 Wireless are audiophile-centric Bluetooth headphones with a closed-back design. While they don’t have as many features as the Focal Bathys Wireless, like ANC and aptX support, their sound profile is more neutral, with a better-balanced bass range that doesn’t overwhelm the rest of the mix. See our review
Recent Updates
- Jan 16, 2024: We’ve made minor updates to the text and checked that the products are in stock.
- Dec 20, 2023: We’ve updated the text to ensure our picks remain valid. The JBL Tune 760NC Wireless have replaced the Wyze Noise-Cancelling headphones as a comparison to the Anker Soundcore Life Q30 Wireless.
- Nov 20, 2023: We’ve made the Bose QuietComfort Ultra Headphones Wireless our top pick as they offer a more versatile performance than the Sony WH-1000XM4 Wireless. That said, the Sony headphones perform better than the Sennheiser MOMENTUM 4 Wireless and have a similar price point, so we’ve replaced the Sennheiser with the Sony as the ‘Best Upper Mid-Range Bluetooth Headphones’.
- Oct 18, 2023: We’ve made minor changes to this article’s text to improve readability and accuracy, but our picks have remained the same.
- Sep 20, 2023: Product picks remain the same. Minor text edits for clarity.
All Reviews
Our recommendations above are what we think are currently the best Bluetooth headphones to buy for most people in each price range. We factor in the price (cheaper headphones win over pricier ones if the difference isn’t worth it), feedback from our visitors, and availability (no headphones that are difficult to find or almost out of stock everywhere).
If you would like to choose for yourself, here is the list of all our Bluetooth-compatible headphone reviews. Be careful not to get caught up in the details. There are no perfect headphones. Personal taste, preference, and listening habits will matter more in your selection.