10 of the best Wireless headphones on the market

Navigating the wireless headphone market these days can feel a bit chaotic, with dozens of different brands and types of headphones and there’s surprisingly quite a lot to think about before making a purchase. Are they noise cancelling? How long is the battery life? These things do matter as you may be wearing headphones for hours on end, whether you’re commuting, working at home or just unwinding.

We’re aiming to make your headphone purchase a bit easier with this list. 

Last updated October 2023.

Sony has been making stellar audio devices for a few years now and the XM5 is no different. An upgrade on the lauded XM4, it boasts high quality noise cancelling and excellent sound quality, perfect for use when you’re out and about—or at home. With a more than long enough battery life and ergonomic design, the XM5 does the simple things well, and it’s easy to see why it often tops best headphone lists.

Bowers & Wilkins may not be that much of a household name, but they do make notably high-quality audio devices, namely the PX range. The PX8 being the latest release and upgrade from the PX7. You should note that you will pay a premium price for these headphones, but you’ll also get silky smooth sound, very high build quality and a comfortable listening experience.

The Bose 700 headphones are made to a high standard, with great voice calls and equally capable noise cancelling for listening to music, podcasts or for taking calls. They also have Alexa voice control built in, letting you easily navigate music, check the weather and more. They may look a tad bulky with large earcups but they’re surprisingly lightweight and make for a no-frills experience.

An upgrade on the Momentum three, with the Momentum four you get four microphones, ideal for making crystal clear calls as well as a 3.5mm audio jack for wired listening if required. And with brilliant battery life—up to an advertised 60 hours—you won’t have to worry about charging them during the day.

Apple may have raised a few eyebrows when they burst into the over ear audio market with the AirPods Max—which released in 2020 but interestingly, they’d never made a pair of over ear headphones until the Max. In typical Apple fashion, they’re simplistic in design but boast high quality sound, spatial audio and transparency mode along with noise cancelling. They may be pricey, but as per usual with Apple you’ll be paying for good build quality and impressive technical features.

Beats has just recently put out a brand new pair of headphones with impressive features, including lossless audio, USB-C charging and up to 40 hours of battery life. Also included is spatial audio and head tracking, with Beats signature build quality and design to boot, all for £349. It's everything you’d really need in a quality listening experience at a more premium price.

The space Q45 prove that you don’t necessarily have to spend hundreds of pounds on headphones to get great sound quality and an overall good listening experience. They also notably feature five noise cancelling levels to select from while in use and plenty of battery life to keep you going. The ergonomic design should also prove comfortable and convenient for extended use. 

If you’re after a versatile headset that can deliver great sound, this may be a great choice for you, with a closed back design made to help drown out external sound and distraction, ideal for making calls or listening to music. They’re capable of USB-C fast charging and with a foldable compact design, which makes them easy to carry on when you’re out and about.

With the Life Q30, you get high resolution sound, a comfortable fit and three noise cancellation modes (transport, outdoor and indoor) for different settings, helping you to adapt how you listen depending on where you are. Meanwhile noise detecting microphones also help to filter out ambient noise and help you focus. With a thought out and confident design, they seem to be good value for money.

Sony’s WHCH520 headphones are a recent upgrade on the WHCH510, proving that you don’t necessarily have to break the bank for decent headphones, being on the lower end of the scale as far as price goes—and still classed as entry level.

Despite this they’re up to the task to provide a good listening experience—comfortable and compact, they’re easy to get up and running via Bluetooth pairing with improved battery life and more robust ear cups to make for more comfortabl extended use. 

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