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Headphones

From traveling to commuting to bedtime, the many different ways people use headphones has created a strong market for a variety of headphone products. In such an overwhelming market, we’ve got everything you need to help decide which headphone brand and style is best for you with top headphone guides including best headphones, best earbuds, best noise-cancelling headphones for flying, and more. Explore headphone reviews and deals from popular brands like Bose, Beats, and Sony, and keep up with all the latest headphone news and releases.

Table of Contents

sony xm5 and xm6 headphones held in hand
The 13 best headphones of 2026: We tested the top contenders from Sony, Apple, Bose, and Beats
sony xm6 earbuds in case with red light shining on them
The 10 best wireless earbuds we've ever tested
open earbuds from anker soundcore, shokz, nothing, and bose on oak tabletop
The 7 best open earbuds stay put, sound great, and keep us aware of the world
back view of woman with dark hair wearing Bose over-ear headphones
The 10 best noise-cancelling headphones we use, love, and recommend
Apple AirPods Max 2
Rare Apple deal: Save $120 on the H2-powered AirPods Max 2 at Amazon
Beats Studio Pro
The Beats Studio Pro headphones are 50% off at Amazon right now — save over $150
Mashable 101

Meet Our Experts

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Bethany Allard
Lead Shopping Reporter

Bethany Allard is a Los Angeles-based shopping reporter at Mashable covering beauty tech, dating, sex and relationships, and headphones. That basically means she puts her hair through a lot, scrolls through a lot of dating apps, and rotates through a lot of different headphones. In addition to testing out and rounding up the best products, she also covers deals for Mashable, paying an especially obsessive amount of attention to Apple deals and prices. That knowledge comes in handy when she's covering shopping holidays like Prime Day and Black Friday, which she's now done for three years at Mashable.

portrait of a woman wearing glasses
Samantha Mangino
Lead Shopping Reporter

Samantha Mangino, is an e-reader expert. She's tested all the Kindle and Kobo e-readers, diving into the buzziest models. Her love of reading extends beyond the e-reader beat, covering books and authors, too. In the tech space, she covers tablets, smart rings, and headphones.

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Miller Kern
Deputy Shopping Editor

Based in New York City, Miller Kern is the Deputy Editor of Shopping and Reviews at Mashable, where she writes and edits reviews, roundups, deals, and news stories about tech products, including headphones, skincare devices, laptops, sex toys, e-readers, robot vacuums, and more. She's been covering all things shopping and tech, including shopping holidays like Prime Day and Black Friday, for Mashable since 2019. Miller can tell you which products are actually worth your money. She also explores trends in the shopping sphere, such as dupes and viral TikTok moments.

Headphones

person wearing pink shirt and pink sony xm5 headphones in pink room
The Sony WH-1000XM5 headphones are still less than $200 following October Prime Day
The Beats Studio Buds+ are at their best-ever price after Prime Day — $80 off deal is still live
Top 25 noise-cancelling headphone deals for October Prime Day: Time is running out to grab AirPods, Bose, Sony, and more
I found 15 October Prime Day earbuds deals to shop before the sale ends: Bose, Apple, Beats, and more
The best headphones and earbuds deals on October Prime Day, including my favorite Bose headphones
icy blue bose headphones surrounded by ice The Bose QuietComfort headphones remain at their lowest price ever after October Prime Day's end
Bose QuietComfort Headphones (2nd Gen) Missed Prime Day? The 2nd Gen Bose QuietComfort headphones are still on sale for $319.
airpods pro 3 against a pink and purple background Prime Day is over, but Apple’s AirPods Pro 3 are still hanging out at $179
Beats Solo 4 The Beats Solo 4 are still on sale after Prime Day — last chance to save $100
Sony WH-1000XM6 The October Prime Day deal on Sony XM6 headphones is still live — save over $80 with the best-ever deal

Best Products

bowers and wilkins px8 s2 headphones on their side The 5 most comfortable headphones we've ever tested
four pairs of earbuds on a table We found the 8 best noise-cancelling earbuds after extensive testing
green bose quietcomfort 2 headphones held by person in airport I test headphones for a living: These are the ones I'd actually take with me on a plane
bose open earbuds with charging case on sidewalk We tested every pair of Bose headphones and earbuds. We found 5 we love, and 1 to buy on sale.
three pairs of headphones around airpods max on tile outside I've tested dozens of earbuds. I like these 3 AirPods alternatives.
Earbuds on a blue background Go back to basics with the best wired earbuds of 2026
A person holding a pair of Beats Fit Pro against a lawn We tested the 9 best headphones and earbuds for working out
A pair of Bose QuietComfort earbuds Don't break the bank: The best budget earbuds, tested by our audio experts
pairs of headphones piled up on each other The 9 best budget headphones we've tested under $100
Sony XM5 earbuds on record player, sony xm5 headphones on red mat I tested the best Sony headphones and earbuds for ANC, sound, and cool factor: See my top 7 picks

Versus

purple sony linkbuds clip next to blue bose ultra open earbuds on wooden table next to purple and green plant Comparing the Sony LinkBuds Clip to Bose Ultra Open Earbuds: Which open earbud is for you?
The Bose QuietComfort Ultra (Gen 2) and Sony WH-1000xM6 headphones on a colorful background Bose QuietComfort Ultra (Gen 2) vs. Sony WH-1000xM6: Which headphones should you buy?
The Apple AirPods Pro 3 and the Beats Powerbeats Pro 2 on a colorful background AirPods Pro 3 vs. Beats Powerbeats Pro 2: Which wireless earbuds should you buy?
bose quietcomfort ultra gen 2 and gen 1 headphones Bose QuietComfort Ultra headphones: How the first and second generations compare
A photo of the Apple AirPods Pro 3 sitting on an orange table next to the Sony WF-1000XM5, both in their case Apple AirPods Pro 3 vs. Sony WF-1000xM5: Which noise-canceling earbuds are better?
airpods pro 3 and bose qc ultra earbuds on abstract background that says "vs" Apple AirPods Pro 3 vs. Bose QuietComfort Ultra Earbuds 2
apple airpods pro 2 vs powerbeats pro 2 AirPods Pro 2 vs. Beats Powerbeats Pro 2: Which is better?
the sony xm5 headphones next to the sony xm6 headphones Sony WH-1000XM6 vs. Sony WH-1000XM5: Is it worth the upgrade?
sony xm6 headphones next to apple airpods max Apple AirPods Max vs. Sony XM6: Which noise-canceling headphones should you buy?
skullcandy earbuds on banner versus bose earbuds Skullcandy Method 360 ANC vs. Bose QuietComfort: Comparing Bose-powered earbuds

Deals

three pairs of airpods on graphic background The best AirPods deals on October Prime Day: $79 AirPods 4 and AirPods Pro 3 on sale
Bose QuietComfort Ultra Bose QuietComfort Ultra 2nd Gen headphones hit their lowest-ever price for Prime Day — last chance to save $80
Beats Power Beats Pro 2 Beats Powerbeats Pro 2 have dropped to their best-ever price — save $70 this Prime Day
airpods, beats studio pro, and nothing open earbuds on pink and blue background The best headphones and earbuds deals on October Prime Day — my favorite Bose headphones are on sale
AirPods, EarFun Air Pro 4, JLab JLux ANC, and Beats Studio Pro against an abstract colorful background The top 15 October Prime Day noise-cancelling headphone deals: Save 53% on Bose QuietComfort
Soundcore Sleep A30 Special earbuds laying on bed Our favorite sleep earbuds are the cheapest they've ever been on October Prime Day
Sony headphones, Apple AirPods, and JLab headphones with colorful abstract background The best headphones we found on October Prime Day for under $100
SHOKZ OpenDots ONE Open-Earbuds, apple airpods, and bose quiet comfort earbuds on a pink, orange, and black background I found 15 October Prime Day earbuds deals that are worth buying: Shop Bose, Apple, Beats, and more
three pairs of airpods on graphic background The best AirPods deals on October Prime Day: $79 AirPods and AirPods Pro 3 on sale
Various Sony headphones on a pink backdrop Sony headphones are hitting record lows on October Prime Day: Shop XM6, XM5, and budget headphones

News

black nothing headphone (1) pro on desktop Nothing's new flagship headphones are for listening and taking to the studio
Sonos Ace Ultra headphones with sonos beam gen 2 soundbar New Sonos Ace Ultra headphones have a genius 'linking' feature I can’t live without
bose wired anc earbuds and their carrying case Bose announces ANC wired earbuds, and I got to try them early
apple airpods, black sony xm4c, and bose ultra open 2 earbuds on gradient background The 5 headphones deals we want to see on sale during October Prime Day
person in gym wearing white beats 360 with blue cushions After months of teasing, the Beats 360 are finally here
person holding airpods 5 and airpods 4 in case on display AirPods 4 vs. AirPods 5: Is there any benefit to buying last-gen?
person sitting at table wearing apple airpods 5 The new AirPods 5 are now available to buy at Amazon and Apple: Shop the best launch deals
person in sunglasses wearing pink ultra open earbuds Bose doubles the size of its open earbuds line with new Ultra Opens and a new sports-focused model
person holding airpods 5 and airpods pro 3 in open charging case on table Apple AirPods 5 vs. AirPods Pro 3: Which should you buy?
person sitting at table wearing apple airpods 5 The new AirPods 5 are available for pre-order at Amazon and Apple

More Headphones

We found AirPods Pro 3 for $179 on October Prime Day — act fast to save $70
By Hannah Hoolihan
airpods pro 3 against a pink and purple background
Record Prime Day deal: Sony XM6 earbuds hit all-time low price at Amazon ($71 off)
By Lois Mackenzie
Sony WH-1000XM6 earbuds
The 15 best early October Prime Day noise-cancelling headphones deals: Shop Bose, AirPods, and Sony
By Bethany Allard and Christina Buff
AirPods, EarFun Air Pro 4, JLab JLux ANC, and Beats Studio Pro against an abstract colorful background
The best headphones and earbuds deals before October Prime Day — my favorite Bose headphones are on sale
By Bethany Allard
airpods, beats studio pro, and nothing open earbuds on pink and blue background
The best AirPods deals ahead of October Prime Day: $79 AirPods are live
By Bethany Allard
three pairs of airpods on graphic background
I found 15 early October Prime Day earbuds deals that are worth buying: Shop Bose, Apple, Beats, and more
By Lauren Allain
SHOKZ OpenDots ONE Open-Earbuds, apple airpods, and bose quiet comfort earbuds on a pink, orange, and black background
Sony’s XM6 headphones are down to a record-low price for Prime Day — save over $80 at Amazon
By Soumya Kumar
sony wh-1000xm6
AirPods Pro 3 plummet to $179 at Amazon ahead of October Prime Day — act fast to save $70
By Hannah Hoolihan
airpods pro 3 against a pink and purple background
Bose QuietComfort Gen 2 headphones are $40 off ahead of Prime Day — act fast to buy for $319
By Soumya Kumar
Bose QuietComfort 2nd gen headphones
First discount: The new Bose QuietComfort 2nd Gen headphones are marked down by $40
By Matt Ford
Bose QuietComfort Headphones on orange and pink backdrop
Sonos Ace Ultra headphones review: Comfy, versatile, and a little odd
By Stan Schroeder
Sonos Ace Ultra headphones on wood panels
15+ noise-canceling headphones deals live before October Prime Day: Shop Beats, AirPods, and Sony
By Christina Buff
AirPods, EarFun Air Pro 4, JLab JLux ANC, and Beats Studio Pro against an abstract colorful background
I found 13 early October Prime Day earbuds deals that are worth buying from Bose, Apple, Beats, and more
By Lauren Allain
SHOKZ OpenDots ONE Open-Earbuds, apple airpods, and bose quiet comfort earbuds on a pink, orange, and black background
12 expert-sourced deals on headphones and earbuds ahead of October Prime Day: Shop Beats, AirPods, and Sony
By Bethany Allard
airpods, beats studio pro, and nothing open earbuds on pink and blue background
Launch day deal: You can already score $20 off the new Beats 360 at Walmart
By Joseph Green
Beats 360 on composite background
Beats 360 headphones review: Modular, baby!
By Mashable Video
Beats 360 headphones review
I found 3 AirPods deals live ahead of October Prime Day (and 3 to wait for)
By Bethany Allard
three pairs of airpods on graphic background
Apple AirPods 5 review: Who needs the Pro, anyway?
By Stan Schroeder
Apple AirPods 5
Amazon just knocked $70 off the Beats Solo 4 — upgrade to quality sound for under $130
By Lois Mackenzie
Beats Solo 4
New AirPods deal: Amazon has already cut the price of the new AirPods 5
By Soumya Kumar
AirPods 5
Tribit just dropped a pair of featherlight earbuds with 45dB noise cancellation — and they weigh just 4 grams
By Soumya Kumar
Tribit FlyBuds C3 earbuds
Beats Studio Pro headphones just got a huge discount at Amazon — save $180 ahead of October Prime Day
By Lois Mackenzie
Beats Studio Pro
New AirPods deal: Amazon just cut the preorder price for the new AirPods 5
By Soumya Kumar
AirPods 5
$99 AirPods alert: Walmart has the AirPods 4 on a rare discount (for now)
By Lauren Allain
the apple aipods gen 4 on a pink, purple, and coral background
First-time discount: The Anker Soundcore Liberty 5 Pro Max earbuds are over $20 off
By Lauren Allain
the Soundcore Liberty 5 Pro Max on a pink and purple background