9 Best Noise Cancelling Headphones under $100

Here are the best noise cancelling headphones under $100 you can get today. We tested their ANC (see tests below) and examined them on 9 key categories.

All headphones on our list are evaluated based on 9 key factors (Sonic9Score).  But the main criteria we looked at to pick the top recommendations are ANC performance and battery. We picked out of 193 tested headphones. See our testing and ranking methodology.

The price range under $100 offers the best value-for-money active noise-canceling performance. While these headphones are not top-of-the-line, they’re a solid budget choice for users who want to reduce background noise.

Read more on the advantages and disadvantages of sub-$100 headphones.

So, if you’re looking for modern headphones that are good for use in noisy environments without paying too much, this guide is for you.

For more options, see the best noise-cancelling earbuds, the overall best noise-cancelling headphones at higher prices, and the best noise-isolating headphones for passive noise reduction.

Best Noise Cancelling Headphones Under $100

1. Anker Soundcore Life Q30

Anker Life Q30 are the best over-ear noise canceling headphones under $100 we’ve tested. These are the best bang-for-the-buck by far – Anker Soundcore Life Q30 review.

Hear the Anker Soundcore Life Q30 ANC Test:

There are 3 different ANC modes, each made for a specific occasion. In general, the active noise-cancelling performance is outstanding, especially in the price range. It can rival the likes of Sony WH-1000XM4 and Bose 700.

Bass lovers will enjoy a powerful bass impact with overall natural tonality in the mid-range and treble.

In-app EQ customization brings their audio quality to an almost neutral sound. That brings out even more detail in your favorite music, which starts to sound great.

These wireless headphones support multipoint, which is useful if you use multiple devices at home. And ambient sound mode for when you want to hear the ambient.

They’re also very comfortable to wear for long listening sessions and boast an impressive 44-hour playback with ANC turned on (according to our test). Without it, they last for 60 hours of playback (fast charging adds 4 hours in 5 minutes of charging). If they run dry, you can use them with an audio cable.

At the moment, there are no better noise canceling headphones under $100 that would beat the performance of the Anker Soundcore Life Q30.

Runner-Up ANC Headphones Under $100

2. SoundPEATS Space

The Space might not remove the most noise, but they’re the most consistent throughout all frequencies, even doing a good job at cancelling speech – SoundPEATS Space review.

Hear the SoundPEATS Space ANC test:

Space are a mix of balanced midrange and bassy bass. Playing around in the app’s EQ makes the sound more enjoyable and suitable for various music genres, including rock and metal.

As mentioned in the intro, the specialty of these headphones is consistency. While most ANC headphones struggle with midrange, Space don’t. That makes them a safer choice for office work than most competitors in this guide.

Fortunately, the battery is big enough to get you through a day or even an entire week with 65+ hours of playtime with noise cancelling enabled.

Moreover, thanks to plush and spacious earpads, you can wear them comfortably until the battery runs off.

Best Noise Cancelling Workout Headphones Under $100

3. Treblab Z2

If you want noise-canceling headphones for working out under $100, the Treblab Z2 are the best we’ve tested. They have bassy sound, sweat resistance, and noise-cancellation – Treblab Z2 review.

Disclaimer: These have been tested before we started calculating average A-weighted ANC performance.

For sweatproof and stable over-ear headphones with noise cancellation, these have no competition.

Turn ANC off, and the sound gets bass-heavy, suitable for hip-hop, EDM, etc. The bass is enjoyable for most people, but not everyone likes it, covering the fine details.

On the other hand, when noise canceling is on, the audio quality gets cleaner and tighter, but the bass is almost gone. So, the ANC performance of these is slightly lower compared to other models on the list.

Moreover, expect around 35 hours of battery life (20 hours with ANC), while it takes 3 hours for a full charge (sadly still uses Micro-USB charging cable).

Active noise reduction, on top of already great passive isolation, is pretty good. It makes sure you don’t have to live with ambient noise around you. It does a decent job of eliminating air conditioning and other constant noises.

Fit is also above average. They’re IPX4 water-resistant, similar to some of the best workout headphones. The build is easily comparable to more expensive models. And they stay stable when lying down on a bench for some bench presses.

But while these are great for sports, they’re not the best ANC headphones for daily use. Other models on the list are better.

In the end, the sweatproof design that doesn’t slip makes the Treblab Z2 the best noise-cancelling sports headphones under $100 right now.

Find similar headphones:

• Bluetooth headphones under $100
• Best cheap noise-cancelling headphones
• Best bass headphones

Best Comfort in Noise Cancelling Headphones Under $100

4. 1MORE SonoFlow

If you’re looking for the longest battery life with ANC enabled, the 1MORE SonoFlow are the best we’ve tested. In our test, these lasted for 61 hours and 29 minutes, the longest of all other options – 1MORE SonoFlow review.

Hear the 1MORE SonoFlow active noise canceling test:

The headphones reduce outside noise with pretty good results. They have decent ANC that’s suitable for non-demanding user. However, they aren’t as good as some competitors like the Anker Soundcore Q30 we recommend.

Even by default, 1MORE SonoFlow sound close to natural, with just a tiny boost in bass and a peak at 8 kHz.

One thing worth noting is that to ensure the best sound quality, you have to enable the ANC. While that means more battery drain, in our test, the headphones lasted for 61.5 hours with noise cancelling enabled. This is the best battery of all noise canceling headphones under $100. If you often run out of power and forget to recharge, these are for you.

Aslo, the 1MORE Music app offers fully custom EQ, which makes the sound quality much closer to reference tuning (you can find our EQ settings in the full review). And the Ambient sound mode allows you to hear your surroundings.

To safely store them during long travels, headphones come with a hard-shell carrying case.

All in all, these are a top choice for those who want ANC headphones that last for days without recharging.

Best Noise Cancelling In-Ear Headphones Under $100

5. EarFun Air Pro 3

For maximum portability, the EarFun Air Pro 3 are the best ANC in-ear headphones under $100 we’ve tested. They have an average ANC of 18,38 dBA – EarFun Air Pro 3 review.

The Air Pro 3 uses the latest noise-canceling chip with surprising results. On average, they reduce background noise by 18,38 dBA (see results below) but produce a slight hissing noise in the background. This is the reason why these don’t get a higher ANC score.

This is similar to premium models like Sony WF-1000XM4 or Apple AirPods Pro. Even ambient sound mode works admirably well.

Hear the EarFun Air Pro 3 ANC test:

Here’s a table of EarFun Air Pro 3’s active noise cancellation measurements:

What makes these the best choice for most people is their overall performance in other categories.

The sound quality a is bit dark and bass-heavy out of the box. But you can make it more natural with custom EQ in the companion app. For the price they have excellent audio quality.

They offer a pretty solid Bluetooth connection with up to 40 feet of range. That makes it easier if you like walking around the house listening to music. They also support LC3 Bluetooth codec, the latest and greatest standard codec from Bluetooth. Multipoint connectivity and Game mode for mobile gaming.

The earbuds are sweatproof and incredibly comfortable to wear. Due to their minimalist aesthetic, they weigh only 4 grams and don’t create any pressure points. However, they don’t have the stability for extreme sports.

Their battery is top of the line with over 8 hours per charge.

If you’re looking for overall great true wireless headphones under $100 with good active noise cancelling for daily use, check out the EarFun Air Pro 3.

Great Value ANC Over-Ear Headphones

6. EarFun Wave Pro

The second-best pair of noise-cancelling headphones under $100 we’ve tested, the EarFun Wave Pro have a Hi-Res sound quality with capable noise reduction – EarFun Wave Pro review.

Hear the EarFun Wave Pro ANC Test:

The noise cancellation in the W820NB Plus is overall equally effective with all frequencies except the very lower ones. Down there, they’re unable to reduce much, so you can still hear a bit of faith rumble when exposed to engine noise.

Edifier headphones have a very balanced response, even bass, which other headphones boost. You get just the right amount of bass, and the midrange sounds natural and crisp.

Frequent commuters will appreciate decent quality build and lightweight construction. You even get the travel case. Included ear pads are sufficiently padded but don’t seem replaceable.

They have a great battery life that can last up to 80 hours on a single charge if you don’t use ANC. Otherwise, expect more, around 51 hours and 8 minutes of playtime, according to our test.

EarFun Wave Pro are an excellent choice for daily listening in all situations.

Check related:

• Best cheap earbuds
• Best earbuds with microphone

Honorable Mentions to Consider

7. TOZO HT2

8. Edifier W240TN

9. SoundPEATS Capsule3 Pro

Considered Models That Didn’t Make The List

• Panasonic RP-HTX90N: These have a pretty design but less effective ANC than the alternatives.
• iTeknic IK-BH005: Solid headphones that are not available anymore.
• Anker Soundcore Space A40: Have good noise cancellation, but the ones on the list are better.
• Sennheiser HD 450BT: These over-ear headphones MSRP is over the $100 price limit.
• Skullcandy Hesh ANC: The bass monsters have an MSRP of around $130, over our limit.
• TOZO NC7: These are the best cheap noise-canceling in-ear headphones under $50, which is under our budget.

How We Test

We test each pair of headphones on 9 categories. We objectively measure categories where possible and write about our hands-on experience for a universal approach. For example, we measured ANC performance at specific frequencies. Then, we transformed the values into A-weighted results according to the International standard IEC 61672:2003 to better reflect the noise cancellation humans can detect. Finally, we calculated the average noise cancellation in dBA for quick comparison.

Combined with the real-world experience of our experts, this approach gives us a good understanding of how good active noise cancellation is.

We compared the ANC results to the currently top-performing models, like the Sony WF-1000XM4 and XM5 models. We also test other categories that are important. Read more about it in our testing and scoring methodology.

How did we choose the models?

For good noise-cancelling headphones, the main focus is on active noise cancelation, battery life with ANC turned on, and other categories as the third criterion. We want to recommend headphones that remove a lot of background noise, but also sound good, are comfortable for long-term wearing, and have reliable wireless connectivity. We picked from 193 tested headphones and those we tried. Then, we ranked them for different user needs and features.

What to Expect from ANC Headphones Under $100?

This is what you can generally expect:

Middle-of-the-road active noise cancellation: Decent to good noise reduction with 70% – 80% performance of premium models. With some “surprise” models that hit above their price point, these are on our list.

Quite good sound quality, but not as detailed: Expect balanced or v-shaped sound with decent details and clarity, suitable for casual users.

Similar build quality and comfort: Even premium headphones are mostly plastic today. And the majority of models are designed for comfort, with big earcups and thick padding.

Good battery life (depending on the model): Expect from 20 to 40 hours from over-ear headphones and 5 – 8 hours from in-ear headphones.

Modern features (depending on the model): Many headphones at this price come with a companion app, adaptive ANC, different modes, equalization, multipoint connectivity, Game mode, and the latest Bluetooth codecs like LC3. But not all of them. Check the reviews for details.

Popular brands: While you won’t find headphones from brands like Beats or Apple, there are many options from Sony, Skullcandy, JBL, Sennheiser, Soundcore, EarFun, and others.

Good microphone quality in quiet places: But worse voice quality in noisy environments due to a cheaper microphone setup and technology.

How does active noise cancellation in headphones under $100 compare to ANC in premium models?

Affordable headphones under $100 reach around 70% to 80% of premium ANC performance. They’re good at reducing low-frequency noise like traffic, city hum and similar. But less effective at canceling high-frequency noise like bird chirping.

Premium headphones reduce more background noise, especially higher frequencies. But they cost hundreds of dollars more while providing a 20-30% better cancellation.

What are Active Noise Cancelling Headphones Under $100 Best for?

These are best for:

Commuting: They’re great for removing unwanted noise like engine noise on public transport, considerably improving the listening experience.

Working in an office: If you work in a noisy office, they can remove the ambient chatter and help you focus on the work at hand, increasing productivity.

Non-demanding listening: If you want decent headphones for daily listening to music, podcasts, and audiobooks without looking for Hi-Fi audio, these are a good fit.

Phone calls and online meetings in a quiet environment: The majority of headphones at this price have a good microphone in a low-noise environment. In a noisy setting, the quality drastically lowers.

Value-for-money-seeking users: These are perfect for budget-conscious listeners who want good headphones for an affordable price.

FAQ: Frequently Asked Questions