Having a good set of headphones is an absolute necessity for the immersion audiobooks can provide. There's nothing worse than your story being drowned out by coworkers, traffic or the lawn mower. This page has been completely redone for 2026, so here are the headphones I'd buy today, and why.
Good headphones for audiobooks still come down to the same four things: comfort (you'll wear them for hours), clear voices, noise reduction, and a battery that outlasts the book.
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My picks for 2026
- Best overall
- The quietest
- Best earbuds
- Best for iPhone
- Best on a budget
- Best for walking and running
- Best for falling asleep to a story
- Best for mowing and loud jobs
- Best for kids
Best overall
Sony WH-1000XM6
Over-ear, noise cancelling
If I could only own one pair for audiobooks, this would be it. The noise cancelling is right up with the best, voices come through clear and natural, and they stay comfortable for the long sessions an epic fantasy demands. The testers agree: RTINGS calls them the best noise cancelling headphones they have tested.
- Great for
- Commutes, long flights, a whole Stormlight book in a weekend.
- Watch out
- Big and not cheap. Last year's WH-1000XM5 is still great if you find it for less.
See it on Amazon Paid link
The quietest
Bose QuietComfort Ultra Headphones (2nd Gen)
Over-ear, noise cancelling
Bose still makes the world go quietest. If your listening happens on planes, trains or next to a noisy office, these shut the most out, which means you can keep the volume down. Your ears will thank you later.
- Great for
- Planes and very loud places.
- Watch out
- The Sony sounds a touch better for the money.
See it on Amazon Paid link
Best earbuds
Sony WF-1000XM6
In-ear, noise cancelling
Small enough for a pocket, and in-ears still give you the best isolation, just like I said back in 2018. These are the testers' favourite all-rounders this year, with top-tier noise cancelling and great sound.
- Great for
- Out and about, the gym, the bus.
- Watch out
- Try the different ear tips. A good seal is everything with in-ears.
See it on Amazon Paid link
Best for iPhone
Apple AirPods Pro 3
In-ear, noise cancelling
If you listen on an iPhone, these just work: they pair in a second, switch between your Apple devices, and the noise cancelling is excellent. Tom's Guide put them on top in its test of the three big flagship earbuds.
- Great for
- iPhone and Apple Books or Audible on Apple devices.
- Watch out
- You lose most of the clever parts on Android.
See it on Amazon Paid link
Best on a budget
Soundcore Space 2
Over-ear, noise cancelling
Proper noise cancelling and a huge battery without the big-brand price. SoundGuys measured over 50 hours with noise cancelling on, which is several of the longest audiobooks I know back to back.
- Great for
- Anyone who wants noise cancelling without spending a fortune.
- Watch out
- Plasticky next to the Sony and Bose.
See it on Amazon Paid link
Best for walking and running
Shokz OpenRun Pro 2
Open-ear (bone conduction)
When you are running or walking near traffic, you want to hear the world. These sit outside your ears, so the story plays and you still hear the car coming. RTINGS and Tom's Guide both call them the best bone conduction headphones around.
- Great for
- Runs, walks, cycling, the dog walk.
- Watch out
- Useless on a plane: they block nothing. Don't turn them up to beat traffic noise.
See it on Amazon Paid link
Best for falling asleep to a story
Soundcore Sleep A30
Tiny in-ear sleep buds
Plenty of us fall asleep to an audiobook. These are small enough to lie on your side in, and the noise cancelling even takes the edge off a snoring partner. Pair them with your app's sleep timer so you don't lose your place.
- Great for
- Bedtime listening.
- Watch out
- The battery is shorter than normal earbuds.
See it on Amazon Paid link
Best for mowing and loud jobs
3M WorkTunes Connect
Hearing-protection earmuffs with Bluetooth
For anyone who listens on the lawn mower like Gabby's mum. These are real hearing protectors first, with Bluetooth inside, so the mower stays out and the story stays in without you cranking the volume.
- Great for
- Mowing, power tools, the workshop.
- Watch out
- Too bulky for anything else.
See it on Amazon Paid link
Best for kids
BuddyPhones POP Fun
On-ear, volume limited
Kids' ears are worth protecting, and the volume limit on these is one of the most accurate that testers have measured, holding at the 85 dB that hearing experts recommend.
- Great for
- Kids listening to Harry Potter on the car ride.
- Watch out
- Check the limit is switched on: on most kids' headphones it can be turned off.
See it on Amazon Paid link
Compare them in a table
| Best for | Headphones | Type | Keeps noise out |
|---|---|---|---|
| Best overall | Sony WH-1000XM6 | Over-ear, noise cancelling | Active noise cancelling |
| The quietest | Bose QuietComfort Ultra Headphones (2nd Gen) | Over-ear, noise cancelling | Active noise cancelling |
| Best earbuds | Sony WF-1000XM6 | In-ear, noise cancelling | Active noise cancelling plus a sealed fit |
| Best for iPhone | Apple AirPods Pro 3 | In-ear, noise cancelling | Active noise cancelling plus a sealed fit |
| Best on a budget | Soundcore Space 2 | Over-ear, noise cancelling | Active noise cancelling |
| Best for walking and running | Shokz OpenRun Pro 2 | Open-ear (bone conduction) | None, on purpose |
| Best for falling asleep to a story | Soundcore Sleep A30 | Tiny in-ear sleep buds | Active noise cancelling |
| Best for mowing and loud jobs | 3M WorkTunes Connect | Hearing-protection earmuffs with Bluetooth | Passive hearing protection |
| Best for kids | BuddyPhones POP Fun | On-ear, volume limited | Volume limit (85 dB) |
What matters for audiobooks
Comfort. I listen to audiobooks for very long periods: car rides, planes, the lot. Over-ears spread the weight around your ears; in-ears live or die on the ear tips, so try every size in the box.
Clear voices. Audiobooks are speech, so you don't need audiophile gear. You want voices that sound natural and not muffled, which every pick above does well.
Noise reduction. Ambient noise attacks in many forms: the low rumble of engines and road noise, and the chatter of the office. Do not turn up the volume to fix this. That only leaves damage, some of which is permanent. As someone whose father suffers from tinnitus, trust me, you do not want it!
Battery and connections. A long fantasy audiobook runs 40 hours or more. Look for at least 25 to 30 hours on over-ears, and for "multipoint" if you swap between your phone and computer.
Noise cancelling or noise isolating?
Noise cancelling (or active noise cancelling, ANC) uses microphones to listen to the sound around you and plays the opposite sound wave, cancelling it out.
Noise isolating is a physical barrier between your ear and the noise: a sealed earbud or a padded ear cup.
The best headphones today do both. Noise cancelling is the thing to look for, because the quieter it is around you, the lower you can keep the volume.
Which kind is right for you?
Over-ear headphones are the most comfortable for hours at home or on a plane, with the biggest batteries. In-ear buds are best on the go and still give the best isolation for their size. Open-ear headphones are for when you need to hear the world, like running near traffic. Sleep buds are for falling asleep to a story, and earmuffs with Bluetooth are for loud jobs like mowing.
How I picked
The headphone world moves fast, and I haven't tested every pair here myself. These picks lean on the people who test hundreds of pairs: RTINGS, What Hi-Fi?, Tom's Guide, SoundGuys and Crutchfield, weighed for what matters when you're listening to a story. Checked 29 October 2026.