The best neckband headphones overall
V-Moda has an excellent track record when it comes to building headphones that are high-quality and great-sounding, and as a result its headphones have topped this list. When it comes to neckband-style headphones, we think the V-Moda Forza Metallo Wireless headphones are the ones to get.
There are a number of reasons we like these headphones so much. For starters, they feature a great design. On the left of the neckband, you'll get playback controls that are relatively easy to use and feel high-quality, and on the right, you'll find a power button. There's a somewhat large bulge at the back of the headphones, but it likely serves as a way to store a bigger battery. The headphones have a 10-hour battery life, which is good for wireless headphones.
Then there's sound quality, which is excellent. The headphones offer great bass response, but they don't go over the top. You'll get nice and punchy kick drums and thick bass tones without the bass sounding unnatural. There's plenty of warmth in the low mids, and there's excellent high-end response, too, which ensures that music will sound detailed and exciting.
So what about downsides? The only real downside is that the battery could be a little longer, but the battery life isn't necessarily bad either — it's just middle-of-the-road. Because of the great features and sound quality, Trusted Reviews gave the headphones 9/10, while Headphone Review scored them a slightly more conservative 8.4.
Pros: Nice design, excellent sound-quality, comfortable
Cons: Battery life could be better
Buy the V-Moda Forza Metallo Wireless headphones on Amazon for $129.99The best noise cancelling neckband headphones
There are plenty of great neckband headphones on the market, but few of them come with noise cancellation technology. If you want noise cancelling neckband headphones, then we recommend the Bose QuietControl 30 headphones, which offer a great sound and good design, with the noise cancelling tech that Bose has become known for.
There are a number of things that make these great headphones. For starters, they're very well-designed, featuring easy-to-use playback controls on the right arm. They're also pretty comfortable, both around the neck, and in the ears.
Ultimately, however, the most important thing to consider is how the headphones sound, and they sound great. The headphones offer nice, pronounced bass, a scooped but still good-sounding midrange, and well-tuned high-end. Sure, they may not be the most natural-sounding headphones out there, but for most, having natural-sounding headphones isn't all that important, as long as they still sound good — and they do.
And, of course, they have noise cancellation, which is well-implemented and good at cutting out any outside noise.
So what are the downsides here? Well the biggest is perhaps the price. At $299, the headphones aren't necessarily cheap. Despite that, however, many reviewers love the headphones — TechRadar scored them 4/5 stars, while TechHive went further with a rating of 4.5 stars.
Pros: Good sound, comfortable, well-designed
Cons: Expensive
Buy the Bose QuietControl 30 headphones on Amazon for $299The best neckband headphones for sports
Looking for a pair of neckband headphones to take to the gym? Neckband headphones may not be the most conducive for sports use, but there are still some great options out there — like, for example, the JBL UA Sport Wireless Flex headphones, which are the result of a partnership between JBL and Under Armor.
So what makes the JBL UA Sport Wireless Flex headphones so great? Well, for starters, they're relatively easy to use, which is great news for those who need quick access to their headphones when they're running or at the gym.
The headphones are also pretty comfortable and good at staying on your neck without moving around too much. That's thanks in part to the adjustable design, which allows you to tighten or loosen the neckband when you want. They even have a light on the back, which is great for those who like to run or cycle at night.
When it comes to sound quality, the headphones are pretty nice. For those that like a bit of an extra kick when they work out, there's plenty of bass, while mids are relatively warm. The high-end sounds fine, but it's not quite as detailed as we might have liked — though for many, bass response will be more important anyway.
Plenty of reviewers loved the headphones, too. TechHive gave the headphones 4/5, while Headphone Review gave them a slightly more conservative 7.4/10.
Pros: Well-designed and customizable, relatively inexpensive
Cons: Don't sound as good as others
Buy the JBL UA Sport Wireless Flex headphones on Best Buy for $129.99The best budget neckband headphones
All of the headphones in our guide are great options, but they're all a little pricey. Thankfully, if you want a pair of neckband headphones and don't have a ton of cash, there are still some great options for you, like the Sol Republic Shadow Wireless headphones.
Now, the Sol Republic Shadow Wireless headphones may be cheap, but they still offer a number of awesome features. For starters, the headphones feature a relatively sleek design, offering some quick-access controls on the right arm for things like volume and playback.
They also come in a few different colors, including Black, Black/Red, Gray, and Gold. The headphones are relatively comfortable — though not amazing — so don't expect to be able to use them for things like sports.
So how do the headphones sound? For their price, they actually sound great. The headphones offer plenty of bass response, a well-tuned midrange, and relatively detailed highs — which is something that cheaper headphones often forego.
There are, of course, a few downsides to these headphones. As mentioned, the headphones don't fit as well as some others, and the battery life comes in at 8 hours, which isn't all that great.
Still, despite those downsides reviewers seem to like the headphones. CNET gave them 7.8/10, while Android Police went a step further, giving them a hefty 9/10.
Pros: Nice design, good sound, inexpensive
Cons: Battery life isn't amazing, could fit better
Buy the Sol Republic Shadow Wireless on Amazon for $59.95The best neckband headphones with Google Assistant
Want a pair of headphones that are a little smarter than the rest? Google Assistant is arguably the best digital assistant out there, and there are a few neckband headphones that support it — including the LG Tone Platinum+ headphones.
There are a number of things that make these great headphones, but most notable is how they support Google Assistant. The headphones feature a simple Google Assistant button that allows you to summon the assistant when you need to.
They also feature a nice, sleek design, with easy to access buttons for quick control. Then there's the sound quality, which is quite good. There's a good amount of bass response without going over the top, plus the midrange is well-tuned, and the high-end offers plenty of detail despite connecting over Bluetooth.
The headphones also offer noise cancellation, and while it's not quite as good as Bose's it's still decent and should help cut out some outside noise.
Pros: Well-designed, Google Assistant support, great sound-quality
Cons: Expensive
Buy the LG Tone Platinum+ headphones on Best Buy for $199.99Check out our other headphone buying guides
Bluetooth headphones get rid of those annoying wires and increase convenience so you can take your music with you anywhere.
We've been testing as many wireless Bluetooth headphones as we can get our hands on over the past few years, and we've put together this list of the best wireless headphones we've tested. We'll continue to add to this list as we test more models and different types of wireless headphones.
Here are the best wireless headphones you can buy:
- Best wireless headphones overall: Sennheiser Momentum 2.0 headphones
- Best noise-cancelling wireless headphones: Bose QuietComfort 35
- Best on-ear wireless headphones: AKG N60 NC Wireless
- Best wireless headphones under $150: JBL E55BT headphones
- Best wireless headphones for great sound: Master & Dynamic MW50 headphones
- Best wireless earbuds less than $50: iFrogz Impulse Duo earbuds
- Best wireless headphones for travel: Sony WH1000XM3 headphones
- Best stylish wireless headphones: Bower & Wilkins PX Wireless headphones
True wireless earbuds offer ultimate convenience and ease-of-use because they eliminate wires entirely.
Perhaps the most famous of these wireless earbuds are the Apple AirPods, Apple's self-built true wireless headphones, which provide ultimate convenience and ease of use for iPhone users. But AirPods aren't the only true wireless earbuds out there, and many other companies have created great alternatives that work with both Android devices and iPhones. We've tested several wireless earbuds to find out which ones are the best you can buy.
Here are the best truly wireless earbuds you can buy:
- Best wireless earbuds overall: Master & Dynamic MW07
- Best wireless earbuds for Apple fans: Apple AirPods
- Best wireless earbuds for workouts: JLabs Audio Epic Air
- Best wireless earbuds for fitness tracking: Bragi Dash Pro
- Best wireless earbuds for subtle style: Erato Apollo 7
Headphones used to be boring black things that looked okay and sounded amazing. Now, headphones look as great as they sound — if you get the right pair.
We test a lot of excellent sounding headphones at Insider Picks and many of them are very stylish, too. We've rounded up our absolute favorites below:
- Best for unique design: Bowers & Wilkins PX Headphones
- Best for iPhone fans: Beats Studio3 Wireless Headphones
- Best wireless earbuds: V-MODA Forza Metallo Wireless In-Ear Headphones
- Best with noise canceling: Bose QuietComfort 35 Headphones
- Best for fun colors: Bang & Olufsen H4 Wireless Headphones
- Best for fashionistas: Carolyn Rowan for Master & Dynamic Headphones
- Best Hi-Fi cans: V-MODA Crossfade 2 Wireless Over-Ear Headphones
- Best sport earbuds: Monster iSport Victory In-Ear Bluetooth Headphones
- Best for kids: Wicked Audio Rad Rascal Headphones
- Best earbuds: Master & Dynamic ME05 Headphones
Audiophiles will be the first to tell you that it's easy to spend thousands on a great pair of headphones, but you're probably not looking for a pair of multi-thousand-dollar headphones. We've rounded up the best over-ear headphones in a variety of price points from $100 to $1,000 and everything in between.
Here are the best over-ear headphones you can buy:
- Best over-ear headphones overall: Beyerdynamic DT 1990 PRO
- Best wireless over-ear headphones: Sennheiser Momentum Wireless 2.0
- Best noise-canceling over-ear headphones: Bose QuietComfort 35 II
- Best over-ear headphones under $200: Beyerdynamic DT 770 PRO
- Best over-ear headphones for $100: JBL E55BT headphones
- Best stylish over-ear headphones: Bowers & Wilkins PX
- Best over-ear headphones for deep pockets: Sennheiser HD 800
Active noise cancelling headphones are a little different from normal headphones that simply have padding that physically blocks out noise. Instead, they have a microphone that picks up noise around you, and the headphones play a sound opposite to that noise to block it out. It's a pretty neat concept that has given rise to tons of noise cancelling headphones that are great for travel or simply getting a bit of peace and quiet.
Here are the best noise cancelling headphones you can buy:
- Best headphones overall: Bose QuietComfort 35 II
- Best on-ear noise cancelling headphones: AKG N60 NC
- Best in-ear noise cancelling headphones: Bose QuietComfort 30
- Best affordable headphones: Audio Technica ATH-ANC7b
- Best-sounding headphones: Sennheiser HD 1 Wireless
Earbuds need to be well constructed to deliver the same kind of audio quality you'd expect out of a bigger pair of headphones. Master & Dynamic pulled it off with the ME05 earbuds. They are still the best earbuds I've used, delivering excellent sound quality in a nice, neat package.
You should also consider the iFrogz Impulse Duo earbuds, the Pioneer Rayz Lightning Earbuds, the Etymotic ER4SR Studio Reference In-Ear Monitors, and the Apple Airpods.
The best on-ear headphones you can buyOn-ear headphones give you great sound in a portable package that's comfortable to wear. Master & Dynamic's MW50 are the best on-ear headphones we've tested yet. They're an investment, but you'll appreciate these headphones more each day, as you rediscover favorite songs and fully appreciate new ones.
Koss' Porta Pro headphones are a great budget option, Plantronics' Backbeats 500 are incredibly convenient, Bowers & Wilkins' P5 headphones are beautiful, and Grado's SR80 headphones are a little different than what you're used to.
The best headphones under $100If you don't mind wires, Status Audio's CB1 headphones offer the best audio quality I've heard in headphones costing less than $100. The headphones themselves are comfortable when listening for extended periods of time, and unlike most studio monitor-style headphones, the cable is manageable.
You should also consider the Sony MDR7506 Professional headphones, the iFrogz Impulse Duo earbuds, the Plantronics BackBeat 500 headphones, and the Grado SR80e headphones.
