Best Noise-Canceling Headphones for Students in 2020

It's impossible to recommend noise-canceling headphones without the wireless Bose QC 35 II at least being considered. Not only do they deliver stellar noise cancellation and a delightful sound stage with punchy, but not over the top bass, but they're lightweight, extremely comfortable, and have great battery life. If you use with an Android phone you also get NFC pairing and a companion app to help you really get the most from them. They're pricey but truly exceptional.

In most circles, it's incredibly hard to choose between these and the Bose QC 35 II, and which you prefer will always come down to personal preference. Sony has achieved sublime sound quality with virtually no sacrifice in the pursuit of wireless operation and active noise cancellation. They're great to use with a laptop, tablet, or phone, and with the latter in particular, the gesture controls and one touch Google Assistant activation are nice touches.

Great noise-canceling headphones can be in-ear, too, and this pair from Razer is perfect if you have a USB-C port. The headphones are powered over USB-C, so you have no battery life worries, and Razer has packed in hefty active noise-canceling considering the small size. You get great volume and a rich sound from the dual-drivers, included Comply memory foam tips, and an inline remote.

Not necessarily a brand you've heard of, but this is a good set of noise-canceling headphones at a stunning price. They're well made, comfortable to wear for long periods of time, and offer a solid, well-rounded sound either wirelessly or wired. The earcups swivel for easier storage, there's a decent microphone so you can make wireless calls, and with 25 hours battery life you'll never have to worry about running out before the end of the school day.

Microsoft's first pair of headphones packs the style and build quality that you can expect from any Surface product. But they don't just look good. The sound quality is excellent, the battery life is still solid, if not class-leading, and the active noise cancellation is definitely good enough for a busy school day. The Surface Headphones come into their own when used with a PC, too, with easy pairing and built-in Cortana voice assistant.

These aren't Sony's highest-end noise-canceling headphones, but for a lower price you get a solid pair. They're still wireless, so you can simply hook up to a laptop, phone, or tablet and get a similarly good quality sound as the company's range toppers. The biggest change is passive, rather than active noise cancellation, so they're not quite as strong on this front. And the battery life, which lasts up to 35 hours, is excellent.

This is a pair of headphones that punches above its price tag. For a lot less money, you still get some of the features you'd find on more expensive headphones, such as active noise cancellation, amazing battery life at up to 30 hours, and NFC pairing for smartphones. You can use them handily with any of your school bound devices, and to prolong the battery life a little further you can always hook them up over the included 3.5mm cable while you work.

These have been around for a while now, but as a good value pair of noise -canceling earbuds they're still worth it. It's perhaps a little old fashioned to power them with a AAA battery, but on the other hand, if you run out it's simple to just pop another in and keep on rocking out. They sound great, have a nice durable build quality, and while they're only wired, it does mean the battery lasts a little longer. And as long as you have a headphone jack (or a dongle) you can always use them to listen to music, even if you do run out of power.