Our collection of the best wireless headphones on the market covers both the luxurious over-ear style and the more practical and portable in-ear buds.
Bluetooth technology has improved in leaps and bounds over the years and now offers more reliable connectivity and excellent battery life without compromising too much on sound quality.
This list pulls together the best examples of personal wireless audio tech we could lay our hands on, and we're confident you will find the right product to suit your personal listening style here.
To make your decision easier, we've split our guide into full size over-ear headphones, and cordless earbuds so be sure to check back regularly as new products are added.
Best over-ear wireless headphones
- Sony WH-1000XM4
- Bose Noise Cancelling 700
- Bowers & Wilkins PX7 Wireless
- Jabra Elite 85H
- Bose QuietComfort 35 II
- Sennheiser Momentum 3 Wireless
- Sennheiser HD 450 BT
- JBL Tune 750BTNC
- Plantronics BackBeat Go 810
- Plantronics BackBeat Go 600
- Skullcandy Crusher ANC
- Also consider: LETSCOM Bluetooth headphones
The Sony WH-1000XM4 deliver excellent noise-cancellation and surprising sound quality all in a lightweight, wireless design.
While they don't look significantly different from their predecessors, the Sony WH-1000XM3, a number of new features including multipoint pairing, DSEE Extreme upscaling, conversational awareness and auto-play/pause using a built-in sensor all help the WH-1000XM4 claim the title of best headphones in 2020.
By every possible metric, the Sony WH-1000XM4 are a wonderful pair of wireless noise-cancelling headphones. They deliver exactly what they promise and then some thanks to their exceptional noise cancellation and cutting-edge codec support.
On top of the adjustments listed above, the Sony WH-1000XM4 support Sony’s 360 Reality Audio format that enables spatial audio on stereo headphones plus the LDAC codec that can send a bitrate of up to 990 kbps. The unfortunate bit there, though, is that it no longer supports aptX or aptX HD, so your Hi-Res Audio support mileage may vary.
Read more: Sony WH-1000XM4 Wireless Headphones review
Bose has really outdone itself with the Headphones 700 – and a big part of these cans’ appeal, is the sophistication of the noise cancellation they offer.
As an alternative to the Sony WH-1000XM3, these headphones sound fantastic, with a vibrant, lively character and well-balanced soundstage and offer the same great noise-cancellation you'd expect from Bose.
They don't have the same dexterity as the WH-1000XM3 and the battery life is also 10 hours less than Sony headphones despite costing more, but they're still well-worth considering when looking for a pair of wireless headphones.
Read more: Bose Noise-Cancelling Headphones 700 review
If you’re looking for wireless noise-cancelling headphones and you're not put off by the R7689 price tag, the Bowers & Wilkins PX7 are well worth considering.
With sophisticated noise cancellation, much-improved sound quality, and a honed aesthetic, the PX7 could give any of the headphones on this list a run for their money.
Plus, they're packing aptX Adaptive for improved stability and latency between the headphones and your device, as well as high-quality (24-bit) streaming aptX HD brought to the table.
Read more: Bowers & Wilkins PX7 Wireless Headphones review
Offering class-leading battery life, terrific style and plenty of personalisation when it comes to sound profiles, the Elite 85h is easy to recommend. That said, purists will bemoan the lack of high-end codec support and there are punchier headphones on the market at this price point. When you consider that Jabra’s Elite 85h headphones are the company’s first attempt at premium wireless ANC headphones, the result is quite commendable. We can’t wait to see what the company’s next premium ANC headphones will accomplish.
If you want an alternative to Sony's WH-1000XM3, this is it.
Read more: Jabra Elite 85H review
Bose took the already-excellent QC35 and updated them with Google Assistant. This means you still get the class-leading noise cancellation Bose is known for, good sound quality, and incredible comfort. Said simply, they sound great and their battery life is long enough for all but the longest of flights.
Despite the popularity of the QC35s, Bose has shaken things up by releasing a totally new wireless noise-cancelling headphones model, with a focus on sleek design and “breakthrough” audio tech: the Bose Noise Cancelling Headphones 700. They may not have pipped Sony to the top spot of the best noise-cancelling headphones, but they're still a fantastic pair of over-ear headphones, coming in at number two.
Read more: Bose QuietComfort 35 II review
These Sennheiser over-ear wireless headphones sound fantastic, with high levels of detail, warm bass, and natural-sounding highs.
Customizable noise cancellation is a great touch, though it doesn't quite reach the class-leading standards set by Sony and Bose. Battery life also doesn't compete with the Sony WH-1000XM3s, and they're more expensive to boot.
So, why buy the Sennheiser Momentum 3 Wireless? Well, if built-in Tile tracking appeals to you, and you like the industrial design and premium materials of the Momentum Wireless, that could be reason enough – and if you do opt for them over the Sony model, you won’t be missing out on any audio quality. In that respect, they’re truly matched.
Read more: Sennheiser Momentum Wireless (2019) review
Although Bose has long been the default choice for noise cancelling technology, arch-rival Sennheiser has definitely closed the gap and are now as good at sound isolation. However, here Sennheiser has scored a victory on another front: price. The HD 450BT sound every bit as good as cans costing twice as much and the noise cancelling is excellent too.
With the foldable design Sennheiser has also managed to keep these properly compact, and they're still quite light, especially for headphones offering an impressive 30 hours of battery life with active noise cancellation turned on.
The HD 450BT work equally well as a well-padded over-ears to use on your morning commute and all day at work, and for the frequent traveler who wants great sound and noise cancelling in a more affordable package.
Read more: Sennheiser HD 450BT
JBL is a popular name in the world of wireless headphones and Bluetooth speakers, and rightly so. Solidly dependable, consumers know what to expect from the brand – decent sound quality for a decent price.
That's what we found with the JBL Live 650BTNC last year – and now, ready to take their place are the JBL Tune 750BTNC, a superior successor to the 650BTNC's as a high-spec and well-priced set of over-ear headphones.
The JBL Tune 750BTNC sound great, look great, and they fit well. Reliable and easy to use, you might miss waterproofing and a few minor features – but at this price, it feels foolish to complain too readily.
Read more: JBL Tune 750BTNC review
These were always going to suffer in the shadow of the excellent, upmarket Plantronics Backbeat Pro 2, but they still stand head and shoulders above any budget Bluetooth headphones by offering a sturdy build, good sound and decent noise cancellation.
The metal headband and forks feel robust and hardwearing which is just as well since they don't fold up for travel. The silicon covered cups with faux leather pads are properly comfortable for the long haul, although not as comfy as more expensive leather and cloth-covered models.
Sound performance is very good at the price, with decent bass. The noise cancelling, while not in the same league as more pricey, specialised ANC cans, keeps commuting noises at bay.
Read more: Plantronics BackBeat Go 810
The headset for the "rest of us" the BackBeat GO 600 does all the basics well, and then brings a little bit extra, which is how it squeezed out the rest of the affordable, over-ear headphones to sneak a spot on our list.
These have a durable all-plastic build with some flexibility and movement on the cups to ensure a comforable fit against the ear. The sound was clear, full and significantly more exciting than for typical budget headphones. There's even a built in equaliser with presets for music genres, so you can cycle through these if you're needing more bass or more mid-range on specific tracks. The mic is also well-positioned for handling voice calls.
Read more: Plantronics BackBeat GO 600
Skullcandy is better known for its "street" styling but its audio tech and build quality have improved a lot over the years. The Crushers have the unusual distinction of providing haptic bass that you can physically feel and can be scaled up to teeth rattling effect using a slider on the left cup. But Skully have added some other smarts to these pop music monsters, including three noise cancelling modes and the Tile feature which can be used to locate your headphones when misplaced in the home or office.
They sound great too, with some decent mid-range response which is unusual for pop music cans. Although it's an all-plastic affair with a tough steel headband, there's ample cushioning on the cups or all-day use at your desk or on the street. They also fold down to a surprisingly portable package and come with a quality carry case.
Full review: Skullcandy Crusher ANC
Wantitall |R1,235 R1,115| 13% saving
With an incredible battery life of up to 100 hours and the option to go wireless or wired depending on the situation, LETSCOM's Bluetooth headphones are a great option for those looking for something in a lower price range. Imported from the US and still cheaper than some South African options, the extra 13% off only sweetens the deal. View Deal
Falling somewhere just above affordable but well below expensive, the LETSCOM Bluetooth headphones are a great medium ground.
They have an impressive promised 100 hours playing time, which is especially useful when living in South Africa and you've got to content with power outages at inopportune moments.
The upgrade to Bluetooth 5.0 technology also means you can go through calls or watch movies without the risk of the sound dropping out, which is is key as video calling has become a key communication tool during these times.
The final benefit is the wireless/wired aspect so you can choose to plugin if you want to, though who ever really wants more wires.
Wireless vs true wireless: what's the difference?
Wireless headphones are traditional over-ear or on-ear headphones without the wire – the two earcups are connected by a headband.
Wireless earbuds have existed for a while now, basically since Bluetooth was invented. Though battery-powered and not physically connected to your phone, they have a cord connecting both buds – and sometimes a band around the neck too. Check out the best wireless earbuds for more.
True wireless earbuds have no cord whatsoever. While wireless allows us to wear headphones a few feet away from our music players, True Wireless cuts the cord between the earbuds, giving us true freedom. If you're looking to go full wireless, we also have a round-up of the best true wireless headphones.
Check out TechRadar's exhaustive guides to the best headphones to buy today including the best on-ear headphones and the best in-ear headphones.
For some more specialist pairs, take a look at our guides to the best wireless headphones, best true wireless earbuds, best wireless earbuds, and the best noise-cancelling headphones.
Need a specific brand? We have guides to the best Sony headphones, the best Bose headphones, and the best Audio-Technica headphones.
Looking for some headphones you can work out with? Check out our guide to the best swimming headphones and the best running headphones.