The 7 Best Noise Cancelling Headphones For Freelancers in 2024

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Want to become more productive? Noise-canceling headphones are the way to go!

Freelancers know how important staying focused is and how hard it is to concentrate when we’re surrounded by noise of every kind. You don’t have to live beside a highway to hear annoying noises: it can be children screaming in your communal garden, someone in the flat upstairs with loud music on, your freelance partner getting into a long and lousy meeting, and we could keep going on and on. Thank God, active noise-canceling headphones were invented!

Active noise-canceling headphones are perfect for blocking out unwanted sounds, and the good thing is that you can use them not only for work but also when you travel or anytime you’re tired of being drowned out by noises from the street!

I’m here to help you pick out the best. But first, a few insights on how these active noise-canceling headphones work and why they’re perfect for us, freelancers.

How Active Noise Cancelling Headphones Work

If you’re used to traditional headphones, you’ll be stunned by the power of the most innovative noise-canceling headphones: in fact, as soon as you put them on, you feel completely isolated from the outside world. The reason for this is easy to explain: these accessories record the noise around you then neutralize it before it reaches your ears.

When you put the headphones on, they create a muffled space where external noise is not allowed. And you can listen to your favorite music without turning the volume too high since your ears have no problem hearing the sound as external noises are canceled.
It goes without saying that if you need to concentrate and find your safe space while working as a freelancer, the active noise-canceling headphones can be savage.

The Best Active Noise Cancelling Headphones For Freelancers

Choosing the best noise-canceling headphones is hard: some have a better sound quality, others are more effective at canceling noise, others have extra features that allow you to set up the level of noise you want to hear and cancel. We’re here to help you pick the best active noise-canceling headphones for your freelancing business, whether you work from home or from a co-working space, whether you use them only for work or also for leisure.

The best Active Noise Cancelling Headphones also include a built-in mic to take hands-free calls.

1. Apple AirPods Max

The latest add-on to the Apple family, the AirPods Max, has already conquered freelancers and music lovers worldwide. They’ve two main built-in features that are worth exploring: the Active Noise Cancellation and the Transparency mode so that you can keep them on while working, choosing whether you want to be completely isolated from the rest of the World or not. If you use a Macbook, an iPhone, or an iWatch, you will benefit from the instant connection. They don’t come at a low price, but they’re definitely a gift you want to work better and be more productive.

2. Apple AirPods Pro

The minute Apple has released its AirPods Pro people have gone crazy! The AirPods Pro are possibly one of the best noise-canceling headphones for freelancers, especially if you are looking for something light and not invasive. They work especially well with iPhones and Macbook but you can connect them to every device via Bluetooth and you won’t ever be disappointed. They’re so light that you can use for work and for leisure, also as a tool for meetings and calls.

3. Bose Noise Cancelling Headphones 700

Bose has been a pioneer of noise-canceling devices for years and its technology is now one of the most prominent and recognized. The Bose Noise Cancelling Headphones 700 are comfortable, cancel the noise, and also offer a great sound quality. You can decide how much noise you want to cancel by using the app and, if you’re in for a treat, you can link your headphones to Alexa or Google Assistant to use them as your virtual assistant.

4. Beats Solo Pro Wireless Noise Cancelling On-Ear Headphones

The Beats Solo Pro Wireless Noise Cancelling On-Ear Headphones are some of the most famous headphones for work and leisure. They’re well known for their look but they don’t lack in features: the Active Noise Cancelling (ANC) blocks external noise and use real-time audio calibration so that you can enjoy working without being annoyed by external noise. One of the most important features of these headphones is battery life: if you turn Noise Cancelling and Transparency off you’ll get up to 40 hours of battery life! Available in various colors and completely foldable.

5. Sony Noise Cancelling Headphones WH1000XM3

Slick and light design is one of the main features of the Sony Noise Cancelling Headphones WH1000XM3. They offer up to 30 hours of battery life, premium sound quality, and of course noise cancellation to hear everything with incredible clarity, no matter your environment. They are also Alexa-enabled for hands-free voice access to music, information, and more. They can be folded neatly into the carry case along with the cable for easy storage and portability.

6. Bose QuietComfort 35

Another pair of Bose Active Noise Cancelling Headphones, this time the QuietComfort 35 with Alexa voice control, three levels of noise cancellation for a better listening experience in any environment, and a noise-rejecting dual-microphone system. The headphones can be controlled via the Bose Connect app to adjust the level of noise cancellation, unlock Bose AR, enable music sharing, manage Bluetooth connections, and access software updates.

7. COWIN E8 Active Noise Cancelling Headphones

We’re on the cheap side with this COWIN E7 Active Noise Cancelling Headphones but, in complete honesty, they work very well. The noise cancellation is pretty good as they do not totally block out noise, they just reduce low-end noise (they can cancel the noise of a vacuum, just to name one) so that you can work without getting too distracted. It’s not Bose nor Apple quality, but quality-wise they’re not bad at all.

Active Noise Cancelling Headphones FAQ

These are the most asked questions when it comes to active noise cancelling headphones.

1. Is it worth buying noise-cancelling headphones?

It is. If you have to decide how to spend your money, and you’ve already bought an ergonomic chair and a home office desk, it’s worth investing in a good pair of noise-canceling headphones for freelancers. They will be savage when the noise starts making you crazy, and they will also be a good tool to help you relaxing and concentrating by choosing the music you like at the volume you like. You don’t have to spend a lot of money on a pair of headphones, but remember that even if the best ones are not cheap, they’re definitely gonna serve for a long, long time.

2. Are noise-cancelling headphones better than earplugs?

There are very few noise-canceling earplugs, with the Apple Pods Pro being probably the best available. It’s definitely a personal choice.

3. Which is better noise cancelling or noise isolating?

Despite this controversial question, and there are many theories around it, noise cancellation is generally more effective than noise isolation because noise-canceling headphones make use of both cancellation and isolation.

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