Which Noise-Cancelling Headphones Should You Actually Buy?
JBL’s Tour One M3 wins on battery, ANC and features; Sony and Bose still beat it on polish.
Shortlistd Editorial
Editor
By Tech Editorial | April 2026
JBL’s Tour One M3 wins this roundup because it gives you class-leading battery life, strong ANC and rare extras like LDAC, Auracast and USB-C audio for £224.16. It’s the most useful all-rounder here if you want one pair for work, travel and calls without babysitting the charger.
Our picks at a glance
| Pick | Product | Price | Best for |
|---|---|---|---|
| Best overall | JBL Tour One M3 | £224.16 | Work, commuting and travel when battery life matters as much as ANC |
| Best upgrade | Bowers & Wilkins Px8 S2 | £629.00 | Sound-first buyers who want luxury headphones and can pay for it |
| Best budget | Sennheiser MOMENTUM 4 Wireless | £199.99 | Buyers who want strong battery life and a more mature sound for less |
| Best comfort king | Bose QuietComfort Ultra Headphones (2nd Gen) | £332.11 | Long-haul flights, office days and anyone who prioritises fit and silence |
| Best sound-first luxury | Bang & Olufsen Beoplay H95 | £861.42 | People who want premium materials and richer sound more than value |
| Best repairable option | Fairbuds XL | £160.00 | Buyers who want to keep headphones for years, not replace them |
| Best value budget ANC | JLab JBuds Lux ANC | £79.99 | Cheap ANC, multipoint and big battery without flagship pricing |
| Best open-back home listening | Sennheiser HD 505 | £189.99 | Home listening, study and casual gaming when isolation is not needed |
Based on hands-on research, expert review consensus (RTings, Wirecutter, relevant subreddits), and current pricing.
Best overall: JBL Tour One M3
JBL Tour One M3 — £224.16
This is the smart buy if you want premium ANC headphones that do the boring stuff brilliantly: block noise, last ages and stay useful across phones, laptops and flights. The 7.8 score is about right — it’s not the prettiest-sounding set here, but it is one of the most capable.
Why we picked it:
- Up to 70 hours of battery life with ANC off, or 40 hours with ANC on, which is seriously better than most premium rivals.
- True Adaptive Noise Cancelling 2.0 with a 10-mic system does the job in trains, planes and open offices.
- The feature list is unusually complete: Bluetooth 5.3, multipoint, LDAC, Auracast and USB-C audio.
The trade-off: JBL does not beat Sony or Bose on sound quality or long-wear refinement, and that matters at this price. If you’re picky about tuning, you’ll notice.
If you want one pair that can cover commuting, calls and travel without asking for much back, buy the JBL Tour One M3.
Best upgrade: Bowers & Wilkins Px8 S2
Bowers & Wilkins Px8 S2 — £629.00
The extra money buys cleaner, more convincing sound and a more upscale feel in daily use. This is the pair you choose when music matters more than app tricks, and you already know you’ll hear the difference.
Worth it if: you want luxury ANC headphones and you value fidelity above battery bragging rights or a huge feature list.
Best budget pick: Sennheiser MOMENTUM 4 Wireless
Sennheiser MOMENTUM 4 Wireless — £199.99
This is the better value if you want a cheaper premium pair that still feels grown-up. You get up to 60 hours of battery life, solid adaptive ANC and a more natural-leaning sound profile than the JBL, which is why it remains such a safe recommendation.
Worth it if: you want a near-premium experience without paying JBL money for extra features you may never use.
Also worth considering
Bose QuietComfort Ultra Headphones (2nd Gen) — £332.11
Bose still owns the comfort conversation. The ANC is excellent, the fit is plush for long sessions and the new Cinema Mode makes travel video less annoying than it has any right to be. The downside is simple: you pay a lot, and the battery is good rather than exceptional.
Bang & Olufsen Beoplay H95 — £861.42
This is a luxury object that also happens to be a proper headphone. The sound is spacious and detailed, the materials feel expensive and the case is excellent, but the ANC is not the point here and the price is brutally high.
Fairbuds XL — £160.00
Fairphone’s pitch is repairability, and that is the reason to buy them. Nine replaceable parts and a user-replaceable battery make these unusual in the best way, but the ANC and sound are only competent, not class-leading.
JLab JBuds Lux ANC — £79.99
If you just need cheap ANC, multipoint and stupidly long battery life, this gets the job done. It is not a sonic standout and the noise cancelling is only decent, but the price is low enough that those compromises make sense.
Sennheiser HD 505 — £189.99
This is the right pick if you listen at home and care about openness, detail and comfort. The open-back design gives you a wider, airier sound, but it leaks sound both ways, so it is a bad fit for commuting or shared spaces.
How we chose
We weighted the stuff that actually matters for ANC headphones: noise cancellation, battery life, sound quality, comfort, connectivity and price. For the broader market view, we checked consensus from RTings, Wirecutter, SoundGuys and recent review coverage, then matched that against current UK pricing.
Frequently asked questions
Are the JBL Tour One M3 good for travel?
Yes. The long battery life, strong ANC and USB-C audio make them a good fit for flights, trains and hotel life.
Is the JBL Tour One M3 worth £224.16?
Yes, if you want feature-rich ANC headphones and battery life is a priority. If sound quality is your main obsession, spend more on the Bowers & Wilkins Px8 S2 or save money with the Sennheiser MOMENTUM 4 Wireless.
Do these headphones work well for calls and laptop use?
Yes — the multipoint support and 10-mic system make them a sensible work pair, especially if you bounce between phone and laptop all day.
Products in this article
