There was once a pretty popular question on “ask Reddit”, regarding the best thing you’ve ever purchased for yourself. Over 8000 redditors left a comment.

Here’s the number one answer with more than two-thousand upvotes.

As you can see, buying yourself noise cancelling headphones is a great investment.
And today I’ll show you the best noise cancelling headphones Reddit is recommending. Updated for 2023, with clear most-upvoted answers.
Best Noise Cancelling Headphones Reddit
So, let’s check out the best noise cancelling headphones for 2023.
I’ve checked tons of different Reddit posts and subreddits. After reading through the most recent posts, here’s what redditors recommend the most.


And here’s the answer for budget noise cancelling headphones.

The Verdict
The best Noise canceling headphones according to Reddit are the SONY-MX4 or the Bose QC35. Both noise canceling models are being upvoted the most on Reddit. If you’re looking for a budget option, make sure to check out the Soundscore QC 30.
Disclaimer: The Amazon links you’ll find here are affiliate links.

As of March 2023, SONY already upgraded their MX4 model to the MX5 version. But I’ve found divisive opinions on whether the upgrade is worth it or not.
I’d say if you’re looking for new noise canceling headphones, go get the MX5 version. Otherwise there’s no need to upgrade from the MX4 model to the MX5. As this redditor pointed out already, the MX4 are one of the best headphones ever made.
The Advantages of Noise Cancelling Headphones
There are many different reasons why you should get noise cancelling headphones. You can focus way better on your work, they can help you relax and even the music sounds better. Noise-canceling headphones are worth it because they block out unwanted noise and give you a better listening experience.
They are especially useful in noisy environments like traveling or working, as they let you better focus on your music or work and help you be more productive.
By eliminating or reducing ambient noise, you can hear and enjoy music or podcasts more clearly. Also, when making calls, you can hear and be understood better by the person you are talking to.
If you’re in a loud enviroment, this can be life-changing.

And just as this redditor said, let’s not forget how useful they are on flights or in other loud enviroments. For instance, if you’re someone who travels a lot by train, they should give you the exact same benefit as for someone who’s flying a lot.
Are Noise Cancelling Headphones Worth It?

This is not only helpful for work.

Hearing Protection
Noise Cancelling Headphones offer Hearing protection. If you often work or listen to music in a noisy environment, it can affect your hearing. Noise-canceling headphones help protect hearing by helping to reduce the volume of music or other audio content.
Over-ear, On-ear or In-ear?
There are three types of noise cancelling headphones. In-ear, over-ear and on-ear. I’ll focus on the difference between in-ear and over-ear since on-ear is currently not in demand.
As always, it really depends on your personal preference. But the general consensus is that over-ear headphones are better in terms of active noise cancelling. But you still may be someone who doesn’t feel comfortable with them.
Just to show you how it differs from one person to another. I’ve found opinions like this on Reddit

but also like this:

So, you have to decide for yourself what you’re more comfortable with wearing.
Over-ear headphones are being worn on the entire ear cup, providing comprehensive sound isolation.
Over-ear advantages:
- Excellent noise cancellation
- Comfortable to wear them
- Great sound quality and bass response
Over-ear disadvantages:
- If it’s hot outside, they can be a burden
- More difficult to travel
On the other hand in-ear headphone with the noise cancelling function also come with soem advantages and disadvantages:
In-ear advantages:
- Very easy to carry or travel with
- Still provide good sound isolation
- More comfortable for the gym
In-ear disadvantages:
- Noise cancelling is usually better with over-ears
- Can become waxy really quick
- May be uncomfortable for many people
How Does Noise Cancelling work?
There is this “explain me like I’m 5”post on Reddit, which explains in really good.

It’s really fascinating and since you know which ones to pick now, you can easily get yours. Who knows, maybe it will be also the best thing you’ve ever bought.
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