For me, there is no better way to spend several hours of my time than in a packed airplane, next to strangers, 30,000 feet in the air, transcending time and space. I hate flying (if you haven’t picked up the sarcasm) so watching “The Real Housewives of Salt Lake City” for hours requires a solid pair of headphones to make it bearable.
Also: The Best Headphones and Earbuds of 2025
There are plenty of headphones and earbuds that are great on their own, but the real test is taking a pair to a major airport and on a flight. Over the past six weeks, I took five pairs of headphones to airports in Atlanta, Los Angeles, and New York City — multiple times — and evaluated each of their performance.
Traveling twice from Atlanta to New York and twice from Atlanta to LA, I wore the Sonos Ace, Sony WH-1000XM6, Bose QuietComfort Ultra earbuds (2nd generation), AirPods Pro 3, and Bose QuietComfort Ultra headphones (2nd generation). Here’s how each pair excelled, as well as some areas where they lagged.
Sonos Ace: ATL to LGA roundtrip
Good: Comfort, Sound, ANC
The Sonos Ace are easily the most comfortable pair of over-ear headphones I’ve worn, even more so than the Bose. Although my flight from Atlanta to New York City was only two and a half hours, I could have stuck them for at least four more hours. The Ace features a comfortable and comfortable clamping force, a plush headband, and spacious earcups padded with memory foam.
The Ace’s sound is dynamic, featuring elevated bass response with a slight bounce in the treble that isn’t too bright or piercing. This sound profile makes the Ace suitable for hours of listening, and provides enough warmth to enjoy my audio content without too much brightness that can cause listening fatigue.
Thanks to a software update this summer, the Sonos Ace is even better at canceling noise. They performed well at the airport, significantly reducing the sound from the PA system. On the plane, however, the roar of the engines was background noise, although the crying baby, chatter of the couple next to me, and the flight attendant’s snack cart were more challenging to the Ace’s noise-canceling abilities.
Cons: Portability
I prefer not to wear over-ear headphones through the TSA line and instead keep them in my bag. Because I’m a glutton to be punished, I don’t have TSA PreCheck, instead opting to go through the normal screening line. Keeping them in your bag makes it one less loose item in the airport bins.
Also: Here’s how a free software upgrade made the Sonos Ace worth their price
However, the Ace does not fold, and their carrying case is heavy. My options are leaving them on my neck or stuffing them in my bag – I choose the latter option. So far, there have been no scratches or scuffs on my Ace headphones, but it would be nice if they were easier to carry around.
Sony XM6: ATL to LGA roundtrip
Good: ANC, Portability, Auracast
The Sony WH-1000XM6 are phenomenal noise-canceling headphones that did an excellent job of substantially reducing noises and sounds coming from airplane engines. I didn’t have to turn up the volume of my audio content too much to further influence my external environment. Additionally, their foldable design makes them easy to fold and put in your bag.
A recent software update has gifted the XM6 with Bluetooth LE audio sharing, letting you share your device’s audio with another person, provided both parties have compatible headphones and smartphones. I haven’t tested this feature on a plane, though, but I can imagine it would make flying with a friend a lot more fun. Apple’s headphones support iPhone-to-iPhone audio sharing, but Bluetooth’s audio sharing technology is compatible with many Android smartphone brands.
Bad: Comfort
Although the Sony XM6 are incredibly light, their clamping force is tight and felt overwhelming for me. I couldn’t keep them on during my entire second trip from Atlanta to New York City, and switched to the AirPods about an hour into the flight. I decided to stick with the AirPods Pro 3 during my flight home.
Bose QuietComfort Ultra Earbuds 2nd Generation: ATL to LAX
Good: Comfort, Sound, ANC
The Bose QC Ultra Earbuds 2 don’t have the traditional bud-and-stem design that comes out of your ears, making it perfect for window seat head-liners like me. They have an incredibly stable and comfortable fit, reinforcing their already top-tier noise-cancelling performance. Their tight in-ear seal created a nice bubble of personal noise cancellation during my cross-country flight.
Bose’s sound profile is characterized by a warm tone, defined by a thumping bass response and a reserved treble presence, providing a listening experience that is easy on the ears for hours.
Cons: Portability, battery life
The QC Ultra Earbuds 2 come with a fairly bulky charging case, so it’s not the best option for people who want to quickly slip their earbuds case into their pocket. Additionally, the earbuds are larger than earbuds from Sony, Google, or Apple. However, without their impressive size, they will lose the components that make their fit more comfortable, stable and practical than their competitors.
Also: I tried the Bose QuietComfort Ultra earbuds’ AI noise canceling, and can’t go back to regular ANC
The earbuds promise six hours of continuous battery life, and my battery ran out as I was getting off the plane and waiting for my Uber to my hotel. Their battery life isn’t as long as the AirPods Pro 3, but the Bose QC Ultra 2 earbuds make up for it in comfort, fit, and noise cancellation.
AirPods Pro 3: LAX to ATL
Good: ANC, health features, battery life, sound
The AirPods Pro 3 easily have the most powerful noise cancellation for a pair of small earbuds. Due to the in-canal fit, their in-ear seals are tighter, allowing their ANC to compete with over-ear headphones. Their noise cancellation, combined with their eight-hour battery life and dynamic, spacious sound profile, made them a great companion for my flight from Atlanta to Los Angeles.
The Pro 3’s in-ear heart rate monitor and compatibility with iOS 26’s fitness apps allowed me to leave my Apple Watch and Watch charger on for a few days while I was out of town, and I could still do my daily Move and exercise rings.
Bad: Stiff Fit
As much as I like the audio and noise-canceling performance of the Pro 3, I struggle to keep them in my ears despite finding them very comfortable. Any movement of my mouth to chew or talk immediately broke my noise-canceling seal, causing me to constantly readjust the earbuds compared to the AirPods Pro 2.
Bose QC Ultra Headphones 2nd Generation: ATL to LAX Roundtrip
Good: ANC, Sound, Power Management, Portability
During my second trip to Los Angeles, I picked up the Bose QC Ultra Headphones 2. They feature Bose’s high-performance noise cancellation, but I found that Bose’s ANC performs better at handling voices and sudden noises than blocking out airplane engines. Although the roar of the engines was significantly reduced, the sound of the aircraft’s PA system, the chatter of other passengers and the banging of the overhead bins was almost negligible.
These headphones sound just like Bose: warm, with strong bass and low-end overtones. Their Auto Standby Power feature was the star of the show during my trip, as the headphones automatically entered ultra-low-power mode when removed from my head.
Also: Bose did what Apple couldn’t with QuietComfort Ultra headphones — and I’m sold
This feature, combined with their foldable design, eliminated the usual chaos of removing my headphones and fiddling with the power button all over the airport.
Bad: Comfort
Bose lost points to me in the comfort department here, which was incredibly surprising. The first generation QC Ultra headphones are very comfortable, but the second generation has a slightly tighter clamping force and shallower earcups. For the last hour of my five-hour flight from Atlanta to Los Angeles, I had to take them off and switch to the AirPods. The same thing happened on my flight to Atlanta.
ZDNET’s shopping advice
During my journey, airpods pro 3 These were the best earbuds because of their exceptional battery life, impressive noise-canceling capabilities, extensive fitness features, and excellent sound quality. Additionally, their excellent microphone quality and seamless integration with my iPhone make them a solid choice for making phone calls on the go, managing calendar invitations, and more.
i love to fly with it sonos ace For their comfort, since I have several ear piercings and wear glasses. These have 30 hours of battery life, Dolby Atmos support and beautiful design. Although they are not at the same level as Sony and Bose in terms of noise cancellation, they compensate in other areas.
