In the days of isolating oneself and of long trips to and from work, headphones are our most trusted companion as well as the sole savior for people who want to avoid eye contact with strangers.
Headphones provide us easy access to a whole different world where we can get lost to relax and get away from the daily humdrum of life. We have come quite a way from the days of hard, uncomfortable headphones which cannot be used more than 30 minutes or so without getting a dull ache in your ears and hurt your head.
The big clunky pairs of headphones of the past have been slowly but surely replaced by lighter, smaller and more compact ones, focusing not just on the sound quality but also on the comfort of the user for extended listening.
Factors To Consider
With newer features like noise cancellation and wireless operation coming into the market, we tend to focus more on ease of use and sound quality, than on usage comfort. Granted, without good sound quality, we will not be using a particular set of headphones at all, but comfort is also something you must seriously consider while buying a specific pair.
Love listening to music but have to remove your headphones because they are too uncomfortable and hurt your ears? Yes, we know the feel. There are many of us who fell in love with the sound quality of the headphones we own, but could never really stomach or accept the discomfort that came along with it.
Hence, we are preparing a comprehensive list of most comfortable headphones which not only provide absolute comfort during long term usage, but also provide fantastic sound quality and have a solid build.
If you have been meaning to trade your good but uncomfortable pair of headphones for a more comfortable one, then all you need to do is go through the list given below. We can assure that you will be benefitted out of it.
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Our Top Picks for Most Comfortable Headphones
1. Bose QuietComfort 35 (Series II) Wireless Headphones
Specs:
If you are on the lookout for a pair of premium quality headphones, then you can opt for this model. This set of headphones has an effective noise cancelling feature to shut out the external sounds and noises.
Apart from that, the model is wireless, so you do not have to worry about tangled wires. The headphone comes with certain smart features, which can be accessed with the help of the default virtual assistant of your phone, such as the Google Assistant or Siri.
The design is quite basic, almost to the point of being minimalistic, but they do exactly what they advertise - cancel out the noises in the background and are extremely comfortable. The ear cups are soft, and you do not feel any discomfort at all in wearing them over long periods of time.
The headphones come with dual microphones for voice access to the virtual assistant of your phone as well as for crystal clear phone calls. You even have the option of adjusting the level of noise cancellation you want on your headphones.
Wireless connections are made easy with the help of NFC as well as Bluetooth. If you are going wireless, you can listen to music up to 20 hours straight. If you prefer the wired mode, then you get the longer life of up to 40 hours. You even have the option of having any notification read out to you aloud.
See Also: 5 Best Earbuds Under $100
2. Sennheiser PXC 550 Wireless
Specs:
This set of over-the-ear wireless headphones is designed for absolute comfort. Its NoiseGard Adaptive Noise Cancelling feature works like a charm, and enhances its extremely good sound quality. You can adjust the level of noise cancellation to your liking.
The headphones offer hiss-free sound quality in almost every environment, effectively muffling the ambient noises. This model comes with selective sound modes (like movie, club, speech, etc) so that you can choose the one that suits you most.
The tuning can be done with the help of the CapTune app on your Android or iOS smartphone, though the app is not mandatory for the functioning of the headphones. . Voice clarity is exceptional, thanks to its triple microphone array.
These lightweight headphones are collapsible, making it easy to carry around. It uses the Bluetooth 4.2 technology, and it can also be paired using NFC. Apart from that, the touch controls located on the right ear cup are easy to use and there are options for automatic on/off as well as smart pause.
The extra cushioning provided by Sennheiser in the middle of the headphones offers added comfort while using them over a prolonged period of time. You also have the option of wired listening, for which the cable have been provided with the standard 3.5mm headphone socket.
3. Sony XB950B1 Extra Bass Wireless Headphones
Specs:
This high quality wireless set of headphones comes with extra bass for better and clearer audio. The added bulk to the headphones signifies heavier padded, which basically means more comfort in using them.
The headphones come with a special Bass Effect button, and they can be easily paired with your smartphone. The Bass Effect can also be used for wired listening. The companion app used on your smartphone, with necessary tweaking of the equalizer, makes listening to music a wonderful experience.
There are also ways to properly tweak the surround sound settings, the results of which can really blow your mind. There are options like Outdoor Stage and Arena to choose from. If you are looking for headphones which can effectively muffle background noises and provide you with isolation, then you can go for this pair.
They do the job pretty well, as is expected judging from the size of the ear cups provided by Sony. The microphone does a decent job, delivering clarity. Bluetooth connectivity does not disappoint either, though the microphone cannot be used unless you use the Bluetooth mode.
However, you will need to adjust the Equalizer levels to get the perfect sound quality. On an average, you are expected to get about 18 hours of battery life as per the estimation given by Sony.
4. Sony WH-CH700N Wireless Noise Canceling Headphones
Specs:
This headphone is of very build high quality with unbelievable sound reproduction. The pair of headphones is designed to give you vibrant sound and a high level of comfort. The Dynamic 40 mm HD Drivers have got the capacity to adjust to the high pitched vocals with immediate drop in the sound.
For vibrant sound, the body of the speaker is manufactured with titanium coated diaphragms. A new technology has been used for beat response through which deep bass comes out. The headphone is High-Resolution Audio compatible.
For the comfort of the user, draped ear pads have been fitted. This way the leakage of sound of the earphone is also controlled. The aesthetic shape of the headphone will give you full freedom to use both the hands for talking on mobile and doing something else like driving or working on your laptop.
This headphone is one of those in the lower price segment and hence lacks the wireless feature. The set is built with silent joints so that nothing disturbs your music experience. The speakers come in different colors and have a detachable audio cable. Another advantage is that this headphone is compatible with smart phone with inline remote microphone.
5. Sennheiser HD 599
Specs:
With a premium build quality and lightweight German design, this pair of headphones is built for extreme comfort. It comes with luxurious velour ear pads and is compatible with almost every conceivable kind of audio devices starting from computers and tablets to phones, and even stereo components.
The headphones are built with open-back feature, which provides a crystal clear and completely natural sound experience. The sound quality is as good as it gets when it comes to accuracy.
The velvet ear cushions make sure to provide absolute control to the user, no matter how long you use the headphones. The headphones use the Ergonomic Acoustic Refinement technology built by Sennheiser which are specially designed to use acoustic baffles in order to guide the sound on to your ears directly.
The headphones come with extremely lightweight aluminum voice coils and Duofol drivers. There is also a detachable 3 m cable which incorporates a standard 3.5 mm audio plug. It is an absolute pleasure to listen to deep bass on this set of headphones.
The exceptional soundstage makes watching movies and listening to music equally pleasurable. Amplifiers can effectively improve the high-end resolution. However, they do not come with the noise-reduction feature and hence are not suitable for public transport.
Conclusion
These were 5 of the most comfortable headphones that we found are worthy of mention. If you can think of a few more, then you are of course free to let us know!