The 15 Best Over-Ear Headphones of 2025
When it comes to headphones, one size does not fit all, both literally and figuratively. You have a lot of factors to consider in your personal quest to find the “best” pair of over-ear headphones. Here are some important questions to ask yourself:
Wired or wireless? Generally speaking, you can get better performance for less money if you choose wired headphones, since the cost goes mainly into performance and design instead of features like Bluetooth. And with wired headphones, you don’t have to worry about charging a battery. Still, many people love the freedom and convenience that wireless headphones bring. If both connection methods sound appealing, consider a pair that can work both wired and wirelessly, but be sure to check whether some features are disabled in wired mode.
How will you use them? Are you looking for a good all-purpose pair of headphones that you can take everywhere? Or do you have a specific use in mind, such as travel, workouts, TV watching, office use, or gaming? Some headphones do everything well, while others excel at a certain task. Are you mostly listening to music, or do you need good microphone quality for phone calls and video chats? For office use and gaming, a headset with a boom mic might be the way to go. Do you need your headphones to be waterproof or sweatproof for workouts?
Do you want active noise cancellation? Active noise cancellation is great for reducing lower-frequency sounds like the hum of an airplane engine or an HVAC system, but it isn’t as effective with higher-frequency sounds like voices. How effective and adjustable do you need the ANC to be? Some headphones offer just on/off, while others offer adjustable ANC that makes it easier for you to find a performance and comfort level that works. If you don’t like how ANC affects your ears at all, an over-ear pair with excellent passive noise isolation may be a better choice.
How long is the battery life? Are you good about keeping your wireless devices charged, or do you need wireless headphones that can go for long stretches of time without being plugged in? Be honest with yourself on this one, or you’ll just be frustrated later.
Do you prefer an over- or on-ear design? Comfort is a crucial element of overall headphone enjoyment. Larger, over-ear designs generally cause less pressure on your ears and block sounds more effectively, but a smaller, on-ear design may be better for people who wear glasses. If you’re shopping for more audiophile-oriented headphones, you should also decide between closed-back headphones, which block out noise, and open-back designs, which can deliver a more spacious, airy sound.
What (and how intuitive) are the control options? When it comes to controlling power, volume, track skip, and the like, do you prefer physical buttons or touch-sensitive pads? We recommend that you try both kinds of controls before you buy, if possible. How important is voice control, and are you tied to a certain platform, such as Alexa, Siri, or Google Assistant?
