Best Noise Cancelling Headphones Under £100: Sony, Anker, JBL & More
- Lydia Kah-Pavlou
- Jul 23, 2024
- 12 min read
We've got the best noise-cancelling headphones under £100 in the UK — perfect for the festive season!
Information and product links updated 31/10/24.
Shopping for noise-cancelling headphones under £100 in the UK can be tricky if you're on a budget. A lot of the most highly advertised noise-cancelling headphones styles normally come with a pretty hefty price tag and aren't affordable on a student budget, even with a student discount code. Booooo.
Luckily for you, there are plenty of noise-cancelling headphones for under £100 that boast impressive specs and similar features to the more high-end models, but without spending a small mortgage on them. So, whether you prefer over-ear wireless headphones or wired headphones, here are our picks for the best noise-cancelling headphones under £100 in the UK.
Whether you're looking for headphones for travelling, sleeping or in the gym, we've reviewed a whole range of brands from Sony to Anker and JBL to ensure you find the right ones for you. Our in-depth reviews include looking at battery life, sound quality, value for money and their noise-cancelling technology so you know exactly what you're buying.
Pssst… use your noise-cancelling headphones to study in peace. Need some help? Here are the best study apps for students to boost productivity and the best laptops under £300 to use your headphones with.
Best overall noise-cancelling headphones under £100
Life is too short to have people's conversations interrupting your jamming sesh (or your true crime podcasts). So, we've reviewed sound quality, battery life, connectivity, value for money and more — these are the headphones that came out at the top of our list.
After reviewing tons of noise-cancelling headphones, from high-end Bose QuietComfort to your budget-friendly JBLs, we've listed our absolute favourite headphones below.
There's nothing worse than going to use your headphones only to find they're out of battery. Well, that's a thing of the past with these Sony headphones. With up to 35 hours of battery life, you can get through a whole week's worth of library study sessions before you need to charge these up.
Even if they do run out of battery, a quick 3 minutes of charging will give you an hour of playback, so you'll never be stuck without your favourite sounds again.
That's not the only reason we love them, though. These headphones are wireless and can connect up to two devices at one time, meaning you can have them connected up to your laptop and your phone to receive calls while you're watching videos.
They have a built-in mic so you can chat away to your heart's content without being interrupted by background noise.
Speaking of background noise, you won't be hearing much with these over your ears as these noise-cancelling headphones come with a Processor V1 which is the exact same one that Sony use in their award-winning WH-1000XM5 headphones which cost more than double what this pair costs.
There's a reason that Sony headphones are a fan favourite and it has everything to do with their Digital Sound Enhancement Engine (DSEE) and 360 Reality Audio Certification, as well as two microphones in each earcup Dual Noise Sensor technology to capture any ambient noise to fully immerse you in your music or movie.
Sony also has an app where you can customise your sound settings to ensure they work perfectly for you, whatever your preferences. Could you really ask for any more?
If you like to live in your headphones, you'll be wondering about just how comfortable these are too. From our research, we've found that most people found them light and comfortable to wear for hours at a time, however, sometimes they need a break from the pressure on the ears.
Reviewers also found the headphones to be relatively easy to set up and connect to devices, great at blocking out sound on commutes and the buttons easy to use while wearing. However, occasionally the on/off switch can be a bit fiddly as it's quite small.
For well under £100, we really don't think you can go wrong with a pair of Sony WH-CH720 headphones as a budget option with some pretty high-end features, including great battery life and noise reduction so you can listen in peace.
Best budget noise-cancelling headphones
Noise-cancelling headphones for less than the cost of your weekly shop and with nearly 14,000 five-star reviews on Amazon? Oh, we really know how to find you a good deal.
Anker pretty much dominates when it comes to budget tech, so it's no wonder that their noise-cancelling headphones have made our list. With 40 hours of battery life with active noise cancelling (ANC) and a whopping 60 hours in normal mode, frequent charging will be a distant memory. You can even get 4 hours of listening time on a 5-minute charge — a game changer for your busy schedule.
So, what about the sound? The Anker soundcore headphones come with 40mm dynamic drivers, which means pretty decent sound quality for the price. Similar to the Sony headphones, there's an app so you can customise the sound to suit you.
While you're not going to get the sound quality of a £400 headphone set, reviewers generally feel the sound quality is good value for money. Most buyers found that the sound quality was perfect for listening to podcasts as well as most music.
On to the all-important noise cancelling. The Anker soundcore headphones come with active noise cancelling that works thanks to two internal and two external microphones that work together to detect and reduce up to 90% of external noise.
According to reviewers, these headphones match up with some of the bigger names when it comes to noise cancelling. So, if you're looking to block out those noisy housemates or chatty library-goers, then you should try these.
You can also connect these headphones to two devices simultaneously and you can also attach a cable if you'd rather not listen wirelessly. Most reviewers find these headphones pretty comfortable for long periods of time and we especially love the fact that they fold away, making them great for on-the-go listening.
Best headphones for battery life
If you spend all day with headphones glued to your head, then you need a set that can go the distance. With a 70-hour battery life, the JBL Tune 770NC headphones are on another level. That's right — SEVENTY. WHOLE. HOURS. You won't be charging these headphones for weeks, even if you listen daily.
They also come with some other great features too. If you love your bass cranked up, then these JBL headphones are here for it. Using the same technology as music venues for that floor-shaking bass, the Pure Bass Technology from JBL is most definitely for you.
With JBL, you get a lot more than just active noise cancelling tech too. They come with VoiceAware technology which means you can hear yourself speak when on a call and adjust the sound all from the buttons on the earcup.
We're also impressed by the level of comfort of these headphones. They're overear headphones which means, while your ear may get a bit warm, there's no pressure put on the actual ear, with wearers reporting top comfort levels for hours at a time.
Like the Anker and Sony headphones, you can also control the sound levels from the JBL app, meaning you can switch up the bass, make it easier to hear your surroundings, or generally make the sound work best for you.
The JBL Tune 770NC also comes in four colours — black, white, blue and purple — so you'll always find a pair to suit your style and fold down, making them ideal for travelling.
Best headphones for the gym
For the gym, we prefer something that's not going to get in the way while allowing you to leave the real world behind and focus on your workout. These in-ear noise–cancelling headphones from Sony allow just that.
With Adaptive Sound Control to automatically adjust to whatever you're doing and provide a more natural and adjustable ambient sound, you can listen to your favourite music or podcasts while you smash out your workout, totally uninterrupted.
Hands-free calling is available to make your life easier, and the shape of the headphones is more ergonomic to fit better in the ear, and more comfortably. They also come in 4 colours; lavender, green, black, and white so you can choose whatever best suits your personal style.
Considering these don't cover your ear, users are generally pretty impressed with the noise cancelling and find the app makes them even easier to use.
Users also found the buds very comfortable to wear for a couple of hours and generally felt they were very secure, so you'll easily make it through a workout without wanting to tear your ears off!
Get a John Lewis student discount.
Best headphones for travelling
Spend a lot of time on planes, trains or buses? You need something that blocks out the noise, adapts to different environments and doesn't cost a fortune (we know you're blowing open your bank account on train fares rn).
Meet the YMOO 5.2 Hybrid Active Noise Cancelling headphones. They come with a wireless and wired option which includes an adapter for aeroplane jacks, meaning you are set for every eventuality.
If that's not enough, they also come with up to 75 hours of playtime, meaning that 2 days of travelling you're doing is totally covered.
In terms of sound quality, users have reported that it's pretty good for the price. Again, you're not going to get £400 worth of sound quality for a tenth of the price, but they do the job.
Users also reported that the noise cancelling blocked out plane engines and background noise perfectly, making them perfect for those long-haul flights where you need to grab some shut-eye.
The earcups also come with memory foam padding, meaning hours of comfort while you listen to your favourite tunes.
Best headphones by brand
beats noise cancelling-headphones under £100
beats Studio Buds — £124
If you're after some beats noise-cancelling headphones for under £100, then you might be out of luck unless you buy them second-hand. However, the beats Studio Buds are available for just over budget at £124 if you can stretch your budget a bit. If you're willing to give up on the noise cancelling, you can also pick up a pair of beats Solo Buds for just £79.
Focusing on the Studio Buds, these little in-ear noise-cancelling headphones may be small but they are mighty. They both have active noise cancelling and transparency mode which means you can choose to block out the sound or hear everything around you — great if you're out running and need to hear traffic.
On that note, they're also sweat-proof and come with different bud sizes to fit your ear perfectly. They also have up to 8 hours of charge on their own and a total of 24 hours thanks to their handy charging case.
Users love that they work well with both Apple and Android devices and how comfortable they are to wear for in-ear headphones.
Best Sony noise-cancelling headphones under £100
As we mentioned above, our favourite Sony noise-cancelling headphones for under £100 have to be the WH-CH720N wireless headphones. They're sleek and come with top-of-the-range noise cancelling technology and 35 hours of battery life.
They come highly reviewed on Amazon, with thousands of five-star reviews for their comfort, sound quality, functionality and good connectivity.
Best JBL noise-cancelling headphones under £100
JBL have a whole range of noise-cancelling headphones under £100, including their JBL Live Pro 2 TWS True Wireless earbuds which are great for blocking out chatter in the library or the rumble of the train.
They have about 8 hours of battery life, plus around another three full charges in the case they come with. The IPXS water resistance feature makes them perfect for gym or outdoor wear, while the smart ambient mode means you can focus in on your surroundings when you need.
Users love the build and sound quality of these headphones and generally like the earbud design too.
While we love the JBL 770NC headphones, the 660NC headphones, coming in at just under £100 are pretty epic too. These over-ear headphones come with 40 hours of playback with ANC and 50 hours without it on, with 4 hours of playback time after just 10 minutes of charge.
While they have adaptive active noise cancelling technology, their real winner is the Smart Ambient mode so you can tap back into your surroundings whenever you want. There's also TalkThru technology which ensures your speech is amplified so you can hear yourself on calls.
You can also use the app to balance out the sound to your specifications, as well as set up your voice assistant and Smart Ambient settings and so much more.
Users who have tried the JBL 660NC headphones love how comfortable they are thanks so the excellent size adjustability as well as the quality of sound compared to the value for money. However, the build quality could be better. Overall, we think these aren't bad for the price, but still prefer the 770NC headphones.
Best Anker noise-cancelling headphones under £100
We've already had the soundcore by Anker Q20i Hybrid Active Noise Cancelling headphones claim the top spot for best budget headphones, so now we're bringing in the big guns.
The Anker Space Q45 ANC headphones bring with it a fully upgraded noise-cancelling system built to block out everything from crying babies to plane engines. The noise cancelling is adaptive, this means that the levels needed will be adjusted for every kind of situation and you can use the app to pick the best setting for you.
With an impressive 50 hours of playtime in noise cancelling mode, you'll be able to spend days in the library before you need to charge them up and can then get as much as five hours of playtime from just a five-minute charge.
The headphones also support Lossless Digital Audio Codec (LDAC), an audio coding technology that allows you to stream high-resolution audio over a Bluetooth connection. Paired with 40mm double-layer diaphragms made from silk and ceramic, your ears are in for a treat when it comes to sound quality.
Users generally think these are great value for money, with a strong build, good noise cancellation and quality sound. Occasionally there are connectivity issues, so if you struggle with new tech, these may not be for you.
Frequently Asked Questions
How do noise-cancelling headphones work?
According to Sony, "noise-cancelling devices have a built-in microphone which produces the opposite reversed soundwaves to neutralise surrounding noise." Pretty science-y stuff then!
Basically, ANC works by using external microphones to pick up surrounding noise and then generates inverted soundwaves that are then played into your ears through the headphones to "cancel out" the external noise. The process by which this happens is called destructive interference.
Lots of headphones now also have a transparency mode which means you can switch off the ANC so you can hear what's going on around you. This is useful if you're navigating traffic as a pedestrian as well as on public transport when you need to hear an announcement.
Some headphones now also have voice recognition which means your own voice won't be cancelled out. This is useful if you're using your headphones on a call so that you can hear yourself speak.
To get the best out of your noise-cancelling headphones, Sony suggests making sure the ambient sound around you is constant and around the low to medium pitch range.
Do noise-cancelling headphones cancel all noise?
Noise-cancelling headphones aim to block out all ambient and background noise and allow you to focus on the audio playing from your headphones. While no headphones can really block out 100% of the noise, most noise-cancelling headphones will claim to block out around 80-90% of background noise.
In terms of the sounds you hear day to day, noise-cancelling headphones are generally good at blocking out low-frequency sounds such as the rumble of the plane engine or traffic.
Your noise-cancelling headphones may struggle to block out mid- to high-frequency sounds such as a car horn or someone shouting if the sound is sharp or sudden, so bear in mind that you will still hear some sounds in busy environments.
Is it worth buying noise-cancelling headphones?
We recommend noise-cancelling headphones for anyone who likes to listen to their music or podcasts outside the house.
With noise-cancelling headphones more affordable than ever, there's no reason why everyone can't enjoy a bit of peace while they listen to their favourite tracks.
There are plenty of eventualities where noise-cancelling headphones will come in handy — we've listed some below.
Studying or working in a busy environment: Noise-cancelling headphones are great at blocking out background chatter so you can focus on your work. If you often get distracted by others in the office or library, then noise-cancelling headphones will help you get down to work.
Travelling on public transport: Whether you regularly get the train or bus to work or university, or spend a lot of time travelling abroad on planes, then noise-cancelling headphones are definitely for you. They'll help to blog out rumbling
engines and background chatter so you can listen to your favourite songs in peace.
While doing sport: While we recommend you have your whits about you if you're running in high-traffic areas, noise-cancelling headphones can be a life saver in the gym. Block out the awful gym music or the whirring machines so you can focus on your performance.
Do noise-cancelling headphones work better than earplugs?
Earplugs are good for blocking out background noise if you want complete silence.
However, noise-cancelling headphones aren't for silence, it's for blocking out background noise so you can focus better on the audio coming out of your headphones.
If you like to listen to music while you sleep or study, then noise-cancelling headphones may be a better option as you'll be able to really tune into the sounds you want to hear and tune out the ones you don't want to hear.
What is black noise?
Black noise is an informal term that means little or no noise, also known as silence. It can also be known as infrasound which is any sound that's below the frequency that humans can hear.
What is ANC?
ANC stands for Active Noise Cancellation. ANC headphones use microphones and speakers to reduce external background noise by playing back a sound at the same frequency which essentially cancels out the sound. This is done by inverting the soundwaves and allows you to focus on the audio playing from the headphones instead.
Still not found the headphones for you?Check out our headphones hub to find the perfect set.
After more than just new headphones? Check out more great tech deals exclusively for students.
