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My non-negotiable for any kind of trip is a good pair of headphones. Public transport without a way to zone out from my surroundings? Unthinkable. A good podcast, playlist or audiobook can make any tediously long journey pass in double-quick time.
Day-to-day, my over-ear cans are my playlist-deliverer of choice, and so far I’ve been lugging them around on my vacations too, but I’ve decided it’s time to invest in some earbuds for travel. The main benefit of an in-ear option is that it’s significantly more compact for packing, but in hotter climes, I’ve also been struggling with overheating ears (it’s a privileged problem, but a problem nonetheless, okay?) — and I’m concerned about what the sweat and suncream is doing to my earcup padding.
Luckily, the talented TechRadar Audio team has been busy testing dozens of pairs of earbuds, and I have plenty of well-reviewed options to choose from — I’ve rounded up my top contenders below. All of these come highly recommended, but the top three are 5-star buys. Click the ‘View details’ button for more info about each one, and why I’m considering it. For more options, head to our general roundup of the very best headphones for travel.
Brilliant travel earbuds
Top contenders because they’re both very good and very affordable — I personally find it stressful to have any of my pricier gadgets with me when I go away, and it wouldn’t be a disaster if I left one of these in a hotel room or dropped it in a pool. We called these headphones “a sure-fire hit”. The noise cancellation, sound quality, comfort and battery life are all far better than we’d expect at this price point.
Pros
- Fun, zealous, expansive sound
- Vastly improved active noise cancellation
- Smaller, more pocketable case
Cons
- No wireless charging support
- No flagship sound profile curation
The main reason I’m considering these earbuds for travel is because the noise cancellation is second to none. We said: “These buds are the most sonically exuberant listen I’ve heard to date in this type of form factor, a fact only enhanced by their rock-solid, near-impenetrable active noise cancellation (ANC), which you can usefully tweak on a slider when creating Bose’s hugely successful ‘Modes’.”
Pros
- Bose’s noise cancellation is still top of the class
- Tailored immersive profiles add value
- Excellent device agnostic spatial audio with head tracking
Cons
- Earbuds are still a touch big
- No guided hearing tests
- EQ tweaks limited to three tabs
We called these “a highly competent set of earbuds and a joy to wear”. They’re especially great for using on flights, because you can plug the case’s USB-C port into the headphone jack on an in-flight entertainment system, and it’ll work as a wireless audio transmitter. The ANC is also great.
Pros
- Incredible levels of detail and dynamism
- Vastly improved comfort; better stamina
- Effective ANC
Cons
- Lacks ear-tip or fit tests
- No proprietary spatial audio
- Battery life can still be beaten
Another noise-cancellation hero — we called the ANC “truly remarkable”. These also stand out for offering extra perks like Live Translation, which will come in handy on further-flung trips. A potential down-side is the slightly limited battery life when making use of all those extra features.
Pros
- Wall-of-silence active noise cancellation
- Much comfier and more secure fit
- Heart-rate monitor adds value
Cons
- Still questionable stamina (with all features deployed)
- Case button will be missed
- Live translation requires work to set up
These are a little different, because they’re open-ear headphones. While I love all-encompassing noise-cancellation, there are situations — particularly when traveling alone — where I want to be more aware of my surroundings, and these would work well for that. They’re also nice and affordable, with good sound and fit.
Pros
- Top-tier sound
- Competitive price
- Comfortable fit
Cons
- App download pains
- Middling battery life
- Would benefit from ANC
Like the Freearc buds above, these open-ear headphones are designed for times when you want to be aware of what’s going on around you. We’re also fans of the performance — our reviewer said: “The buds nail the basics; they’re comfortable to wear, grip reliably in the ear… and don’t weigh too much.” They also praised the “hardy” build — a bonus for travel.
Pros
- Fantastic listening test
- Comfortable build
- Competitive value
Cons
- Low max volume
- Cheap-feeling case
- Touch control issues