The only thing worse than being at work is the commute, but there is one way to make traveling to your day job a bit better: a killer set of headphones! Whether you’re heading to the office or your next vacation destination, the right set of headphones can make the difference between rocking to your favorite tunes or being stuck in a boring conversation with the person in the next seat.
When you’re jamming on the bus, train, plane, or as a passenger in the car, make the time fly by with a trusty pair of headphones to fit your needs and style. Here’s how to find the best travel headphones for commuters, along with a couple of our favorite picks from the AMS pros.
AMS pro picks: Top 3 headphones for travelers and commuters
We got our gear nerds on the case to find the best travel headphones on the market today. Here’s what they found for best overall, best budget pick and best in-ear options to satisfy any traveler’s need and style:
Best overall headphones: Audio-Technica ATH-M50xBT2
There’s a reason the Audio-Technica ATH-M series is one of the most popular recording headphones on the market. And the friendly folks at Audio-Technica went and crammed all that audio goodness into a wireless Bluetooth model for consumer use (hence, the “BT” part of the name).
These amazing headphones are perfect for whatever type of travel or commute you can throw their way. With whopping 45mm drivers powered by the legendary tech that made Audio-Technica famous with recording professionals everywhere, you can easily drown out the sounds of public transportation.
From bass-bumping hits to precision classical music, everything sounds good on the M50xBT2 with adjustable EQ settings that’ll please even the pickiest audiophiles.
Since life doesn’t stand still for long, the ATH-M50xBT2 also comes with a built-in microphone that offers improved vocal pickup. With voice clarity like that, your coworkers won’t even know you’ve “stepped away” from the office. And the up to 50-hour battery life means your minor step outs can be as long as you want without missing a beat — not that we condone playing hooky…
Life just sounds better with Audio-Technica M50xBT2s on your head.
Budget pick: Mackie MC-100
Professional studio audio quality for under $30? How could anyone resist!
The Mackie MC-100 packs high-quality professional drivers into a comfortable yet affordable package. You’ll be blown away by the sound quality you can get without breaking the bank! And the large drivers will give you plenty of power to drown out the world around you.
No, they’re not wireless or noise-canceling headphones, but look on the bright side: At least you won’t have to worry about running out of battery or remembering to charge your headphones before your next big trip!
Plus, it’s hard to beat the Mackie logo dancing right along with your tunes.
Best in-ear headphones: Audio-Technica ATH-CKS50TW
For studio-quality sound you can cram in your pocket, look to the Audio-Technica ATH-CKS50TW wireless earbuds. With brand-new 9mm drivers, they deliver that iconic Audio-Technica sound directly to your eardrums in a small, yet stylish, package.
The hybrid eartip structure combines hard and soft silicone material to block outside sound for incredible passive noise insulation. But if by some miracle someone actually has something interesting to say (or you just like to be aware of your surroundings), you can toggle the hear-through function to let in outside sound.
With up to 20 hours of continuous playback, unless you’re Neil Armstrong, you can easily make it through a week of commutes or even a long business trip without needing a charge.
These nifty earbuds come with a durable carrying case that fits right in your pocket, and Qualcomm® cVc™ Generation 8.0 noise suppression technology keeps all your calls crystal clear no matter how loudly the people on the bus are yelling.
For quick portability and legendary audio performance, the Audio-Technica ATH-CKS50TW wireless earbuds have your travels covered.
Tips to pick the right commuter headphone for travel
You might be part of the millions of travelers and commuters going about their business every day, but nobody does it like you do. That’s right! Everything your mom ever told you is absolutely correct; You’re special!
Because the way you travel is so unique, it’s important to carefully consider the options and pick the one that works for your needs. It’s like picking what you’re going to have for lunch. Your coworker can totally eat their vegan all-soy faux meat wrap, but an overflowing burrito whose flavor can’t be contained by a simple flour tortilla might be more your style.
Here are the main considerations to help you choose the best headphones for airplane, bus, train, car, or any other way you like to travel:
Look at the price tag
Obviously the price is going to impact your decision. It’s typically the first thing anyone looks at (and runs away from) when choosing anything. But in the case of commuter and travel headphones, the price says way more than how thin your wallet will be after the purchase.
Ever hear the phrase, “You get what you pay for?” Well, it’s true. In the most basic sense, the more expensive the headphones, the better the quality. If you want the absolute best of the best, just look for the higher price tag. It’s as easy as that!
Here’s what you can expect to pay for travel headphones at different quality levels:
- Budget [$50 and under]: Basic functions, not many bells and whistles, it produces sound. "Just give me some sound to drown out the world."
- Affordable [$50 - $100]: Better functionality and some basic noise-cancelling abilities. "I'd like to at least hear the instrumentation."
- Mid-Level [$100 - $200]: Decent audio and build quality. Better features like LDAC codec for high-res wireless connectivity. "Actually pretty nice!"
- High-End [$200 - $500]: Even better build and sound quality with the best of the best active noise cancellation. "This sound quality is amazing. Woah, that freight train really snuck up on me!"
- Audiophile [$500+]: Luxury build materials and the highest quality drivers to bring out all the minute details. "I think the D# key on the piano in the background is slightly flat."
Of course, that’s not always the case — which is why there are so many words left to read in this article — but price is a pretty good indicator of the quality you can expect from your ear-pleasing investment.
How do you like to travel?
The way you get from point A to point B says a lot about the type of headphones you should get (not to mention your knowledge of Archimedes’ theories). The way you listen to tunes in a car might not be the best when you ride the rails on a train.
Keep your favorite travel method in mind as you look through these various headphone features to find the one that fits your ride.
Noise cancellation
Traveling can be noisy business — and no, not just because of the person next to you who won’t stop talking. Considering a nice conversational noise level is around 60 decibels (dB) and an increase of ten decibels means something is twice as loud, here’s how loud different travel methods can be:
With that said (at a reasonable volume; we’re not yelling), you might want some noise cancellation with your headphones to survive the daily commute — and avoid unnecessary conversation.
There are two types of noise cancelation you can choose from:
- Passive noise insulation (PNI) – The headphones are built to block outside noise from getting to your eardrums, typically with specific molding to fit your ears, tighter seals, or denser foam around the cups.
- Active noise cancellation (ANC) – The headphones use the built-in microphone to listen and produce a sound that’s equal and opposite to the outside noises, actively canceling it out.
The best headphones for traveling have active noise cancellation. They’re typically better at eliminating ambient background environments, like the constant drone of a plane engine or subway cars clanging down the tracks.
However, the “active” part of active noise canceling also means it drains the battery quicker. And all that Batman-like tech also can drive the price tag into the Bruce Wayne range.
If you generally travel using a less-noisy method — like by car, bike, foot, camel, hang glider, etc. — you might not necessarily need the power of ANC. But that doesn’t mean it’s not nice to have sometimes!
Headphones with passive noise insulation are basically equivalent to wearing earplugs that also play music. They’re great at blocking out just about everything and anything, much like your dad at holidays.
Officially, passive noise insulation headphones can provide better outside noise reduction than the best headphones with active noise cancellation, but it all depends on build quality and the fit around your ears.
Driver size
The driver is the speaker of your headphones. It’s what transforms all those useless buzzing electrical signals into useful, entertaining, and commute-quickening sound. And if headphones were a car, the driver size would be equivalent to horsepower.
Typical driver sizes for in-ear headphones are around 8mm to 15mm, and over-the-ear headphones can range anywhere from 20mm to 50mm.
As you might have guessed, the larger the drivers, the louder the headphones. So if you want some major bass-booming power to drown out a plane or train, get some headphones with big ol’ drivers!
Just be aware that driver size doesn’t always correlate with sound quality. Just because a race car has more horsepower than a Cadillac doesn’t mean it’s going to be a more comfortable ride. If you want the best sound, the quality of the drivers is just as important as the size — and that’s where choosing a quality manufacturer comes in, but we’ll get to that!
Portability
Bigger might be better in many respects, but not every travel method lends itself to giant-ass headphones. The airline gate attendant might get you for having an extra bag if your headphone carrying case is the same size as your luggage!
Thinking about portability is an important part of any travel headphone purchase.
First, consider how much storage you have on the go. Do you carry a big backpack with plenty of compartments, or do you run lean and mean with just a small briefcase? Naturally, the less storage space you have, the smaller headphones you’ll need.
If you don’t carry a bag at all, a pair of quality earbuds to slip in your pocket might be the best option. They might not have the same level of comfort or sound quality as their larger over-ear counterparts, but they can’t be beat when it comes to portability. And if you don’t have pockets at all, it’s time to return that outfit!
Most over-the-ear headphones built for commuting and traveling can fold to nestle cozily into a carrying case. Just make sure the carrying case is small enough to fit in whatever bag you travel with. Some headphone designs don’t fold down as small as others.
Durability
Traveling isn’t the gentlest of tasks. How often do you beat your bag against the seats as you walk down a plane or bus aisle? You want your headphones to be tough enough to handle your daily commute.
Durability comes down to build materials. The two most common build materials for headphones are metal and plastic. If we need to explain which is the more durable material, perhaps your time would be better spent with a coloring book than buying headphones…
But just because a pair of headphones contains as much plastic as the Kardashians doesn’t mean they’re equally as useless. Some of the most durable headphones contain both plastic and metal parts to ensure strength and a lightweight design.
If you want the toughest headphones around, look for designs that use metal in breakable spots, like the hinges around the cups. And for over-the-ear headphones, leather or synthetic leather ear pads will outlast their cheaper plastic counterparts.
You can also find headphones made of wood, which is stronger than plastic but not quite as strong as metal. They might be durable, look cool, and provide unique sound quality with natural acoustics, but they’re also porous which makes them highly sensitive to the wear and tear of everyday life. They’re great for studio headphones but not so much for daily commuter life.
Battery life
Most headphone batteries can easily take on even the longest commutes, but if you regularly travel long distances, you might want a pair of headphones with an extra-long battery life so you don’t have to fist fight someone for an outlet in the airport.
Most wireless headphones can easily go for 15 to 20 hours without needing a charge, even the cheap stuff. But you can get extended battery life in higher-level headphones to take on even the most daunting commutes and trips:
- Basic models – 15-20 hours
- Mid-level – 20-30 hours
- High-end – 40-60 hours
All those amazing features you cram into your headphones like noise cancellation or bigger drivers all do eat away at the battery life. But luckily, most headphones allow you to toggle certain features, so you can get more hours out of your battery in a pinch.
Of course, you can get unlimited playtime if you choose wired earphones without any active noise canceling or fancy features, but what’s the fun in that!?
Wired vs. wireless
It’s the 21st century. Nobody likes cords anymore! And that’s why wireless headphones are typically preferred by commuters everywhere. The cords don’t snag on arm rests and elbows as you walk down the bus or plane aisle. And let’s be honest, headphones look a lot cooler without cords (unless you’re in an iPod commercial from 2004).
Technically, wired headphones produce better sound quality. But you’re riding the train, not mixing the latest Foo Fighters album. Modern wireless Bluetooth technology is advanced enough that unless you’re the biggest audiophile on the planet, you likely won’t notice the difference in sound quality.
Open-back vs. closed back
If you do a search of the most expensive and best quality headphones on the market, you might find some in the ridiculous high-end price range that are open back.
Open back headphones, as the name might suggest, have no covering over the internal workings of the headphones. They allow air to pass straight through the ear cups.
While this may prevent low-frequency buildup and allow the headphones to sound more natural, they’re also terrible in loud environments like public transportation. Their noise canceling abilities would be akin to a fish climbing a tree: just not gonna happen.
If you want a pair of headphones to accompany you on your travels or daily commute, get something with a closed back that will block out the exterior noise. Save the open-back headphones for your next studio gig.
Give them a listen
The best way to determine if anything is a good fit for your needs is to test it out first — just like when you get free lunch samples from Costco.
If possible, always try out a pair of headphones before you buy them. That’s really the only way to tell if it has the sound quality and feel you’re looking for.
When testing a pair of headphones, try to play a mix of songs that really push the limits. Classical and acoustic music can showcase the sound quality nuances, while big electronic beats push the bass to the max.
If you want a few hints for perfect headphone testing songs, Spotify put together a setlist dedicated to testing headphones!
While you’re listening to a few of your favorite tunes, be sure to pay attention to the fit, comfort, and weight of the headphones. You’re going to be wearing these bad boys for long periods of time, and there’s nothing worse than going to work with an ear or head ache.
Try to wear the headphones for at least 20 minutes to really get a sense of how they’re going to feel as you commute and travel. And with AMS’s 45-day return policy, you can even test a pair of headphones for a month and a half of your daily routine before making any decision!
But unfortunately, we don’t accept returns on in-ear headphones and earbuds because, well, that’s gross…
Can you stand your reflection?
Fashion might be second to function, but it’s still an important consideration when choosing the perfect pair of travel and headphones.
There are so many styles of headphones out there ranging from super cool “steal your spotlight and make everyone stare at your gorgeous headphones" to more basic “still lets your face be the star of the show.”
Shop around to find the ones that best fit your style. You never know when you might want to catch the eye of that person sitting across the subway on your way to work…
Best travel headphone brands
As you’re browsing through the hordes of travel headphones available on the market today, it might be helpful to know which manufacturers are known for making some amazing stuff.
In our experience, these are the top 5 headphone manufacturer brands based on performance, sound quality, durability, and features:
- Audio-Technica
- Sennheiser
- Pioneer
- Shure
- Mackie
If you grab a pair of travel headphones from any of these brands, you can feel confident knowing you’re getting the best of the best!
Find the right headphones to take on the daily grind
Work might be a drag, but getting there doesn’t have to be. When you have the right headphones, your commute rolls right along!
Just think about how you commute or travel and choose the right headphone features to suit your style. And when you think you found that perfect pair, try them out with AMS’s 45-day money-back guarantee. If you don’t like them, ship them right back and try a new pair. We’ll help you find those perfect headphones to make your ears buzz with pleasure as you head to your destination every day.
