The best cheap noise-canceling headphone deals for January 2023

With more people working from home than they used to, owning a good pair of noise-canceling headphones has become more appealing than ever. However, they can be expensive and difficult to shop for due to the range of available models, many of which cater to different lifestyles and priorities. Some are better suited for long-haul flights, for instance, while others are ideal for multitasking and marathon listening sessions.

That’s why we’ve curated this list of the best deals on noise-canceling headphones. Here, you’ll find sales on all kinds of on-ear and over-ear headphones, all of which are designed to eliminate outside noise but come with their own strengths and weaknesses. And if you want to do even more research before making a buying decision, we’ve put together a guide to the best noise-canceling headphones, which can help you determine which is right for you.

If you’re looking for the best sound quality you can get in a pair of noise-canceling headphones, we recommend the AirPods Max. The headphones pair seamlessly with other Apple devices and they sound superb, especially combined with Apple’s spatial audio feature, which allows for a more immersive experience when listening to or watching compatible content. They also tout the best transparency mode of all the headphones on our list, and they boast incredible build quality thanks to a luxe design that opts for aluminum, steel, and fabric over plastic.

With an MSRP of $549, the AirPods Max can be pretty expensive, but they’re often on sale. Right now, for instance, the headphones are currently on sale in white and pink at Amazon for $479.99. You can also buy other shades for $20 more from Amazon, Best Buy, and Adorama. Read our review.

If you’re looking for a pair of noise-canceling headphones with terrific battery life, Sennheiser’s Momentum Wireless 4 is your best option. These headphones are capable of lasting up to 60 hours on a single charge. They also sound terrific and match the Sony WH-1000XM5, our favorite noise-canceling headphones, in comfort.  They may not boast physical controls or the stylish, retro-inspired design their predecessor has, but they do offer improve noise-cancellation (though still not on par with rivals like Sony’s or Bose’s).

The Momentum Wireless 4 typically retail for $349.99, but right now you can buy them in black at Crutchfield for $274.95 and at Amazon for $279. Read our review.

For those shopping for a stylish pair of noise-canceling headphones, you’ll certainly capture attention with Marshall Monitor II ANC. The Monitor IIs stand out for their unique looks, and come with a gold joystick that makes it easy to control your headphones. They offer warm, textured sound and silence ambient noise adequately. While they may not match some of the other headphones on this list in terms of noise-canceling effectiveness or sound quality, they can last up to 45 hours with the noise cancellation turned off. With it on, they still last up to 30 hours, beating many of their rivals.

Right now, you can buy the Marshall Monitor II ANC for $299.99 instead of $319.99 from Best Buy. That’s a modest discount and not an all-time low, but still a rare price drop.

Multitaskers will appreciate Microsoft’s Surface Headphones 2, given they offer terrific multipoint Bluetooth support, which allows you to pair them with multiple devices and switch back and forth between them with ease. The headphones also offer intuitive dial controls for both volume and noise cancellation, as well as improved sound quality and battery life over their predecessor. While Microsoft’s noise-canceling tech isn’t quite as effective as Bose’s and Sony’s, the Surface Headphones 2 still adequately silence outside noises so you can focus.

Right now, antonline (via its eBay storefront) is selling the headphones in gray for $227.45 instead of their typical asking price of $249.99, while Walmart has them for $230.99 and Amazon and B&H Photo are selling them in black for $233.99. Read our review.

Bowers & Wilkins’ PX7 S2 are, according to reviewer Chris Welch, the best-sounding noise-canceling headphones. They boast a detailed, warm sound quality that some prefer to the AirPods Max. Chris is also a fan of their physical buttons and luxurious design. Their 30-hour battery life are more than sufficient, as is their noise cancellation, even if not on par with Sony’s or even Apple’s. Just be aware they lack traditional 3.5mm and 2.5mm outputs for a headphone cable, so you’ll have to use USB-C if you prefer to listen to these wired. Also, while the voice quality is decent, it’s not particularly impressive.

If those things don’t matter a lot to you, though, these are a good pair of headphones you can currently buy for $375.34 instead of $399 at Amazon. Read our review.

While we couldn’t recommend these to anybody outside of the Apple ecosystem, the Beats Studio 3 Wireless could be a decent alternative if you want a pair of over-ear headphones for an Apple device but find the AirPods Max to be too expensive. The Beats Studio 3 are comfortable to wear, fold inward for easy stowing, and feature Apple’s last-gen W1 wireless chip, which still allows you to quickly connect and switch between Apple devices. Note, however, that unlike those built with Apple’s newer H1 chip, the headphones lack hands-free Siri support. They also charge via a Micro USB port instead of a Lightning port or USB-C.

The Beats Studio 3 are showing their age at this point — the headphones launched in 2017, after all — but they are currently on sale at Amazon and Best Buy for $199.99 ($150 off). Read our review.