Whether you're working from home or living the digital nomad lifestyle and taking calls on the go, having high-quality headphones is essential for ensuring that your important discussions happen without any disturbances. While you can use any headphones for calls, we recommend choosing options with excellent active noise cancelation (ANC), clear sound quality, and an easy-to-switch transparency mode for the best experience.
To make your search easier, we've curated a list of the best over-ear headphones with microphones for calls. If you prefer earbuds, don’t worry—we also have a list of the best earbuds for phone calls. Let’s get started!
Best overall headphones for making calls
Sony WH-1000XM5
- Excellent sound
- Very good comfort
- Ultra-clear call quality
- Best-in-class noise canceling
- Very good battery life
- Hi-res compatible (wired/wireless)
- Hands-free voice assistant access
- Classy, modern design
- Fold-flat, but don’t fold up
| Specification: | |
| Weight | 250 grams (8.8 ounces) |
| Type | Open |
| Ambient Sound Modes | ANC, Ambient Mode, Speak-to-Chat |
| Battery life | Up to 30 hours with ANC, 40 hours without |
Sony is well-known for making some of the best headphones around, and this pair is one of the best they have — they currently top both our best headphones and best wireless headphones lists. With unmatched sound quality and top-tier noise cancellation, the Sony WH-1000XM5 is a solid 10/10. Their powerful noise cancellation "erases" outside sound, as our reviewer says, so you can take calls anywhere from a busy coffee shop to a noisy construction site. Thanks to their powerful processors, your sound reaches the person on the other end of the call quite clearly, even if you're standing in the middle of a bustling street or operating heavy machinery. The transparency mode is just as impressive, giving you a good mix of inner and outer sounds for those moments when you have to be aware of the world around you.
The XM5s get even better with their long-lasting battery life. You get 30 hours of continuous runtime with ANC on and a whopping 40 hours when ANC is off. This means you can go the whole week without a charge. Just three minutes of charging gives you three hours of playback, making them one of the best pairs of headphones for phone calls as well as overall use.
The only issue here is the hefty price tag setting you back $400. But the remarkable features are quite worth the price, so if you have a bigger budget, absolutely go for it.
Best for Apple users
Apple AirPods Max
- Best-in-class ANC
- Amazing transparency mode
- Excellent build quality
- Excellent sound quality
- Top-notch call quality
- Charges via Lightning cable
- Heavy on head
| Specification: | |
| Weight | 384.8 grams (13.6 ounces) |
| Type | Open |
| Ambient Sound Modes | ANC, Transparency |
| Battery life | Up to 20 hours with ANC |
If you're an iOS user, the Apple AirPods Max are, no doubt, the best pick for you. Featuring excellent, clear sound and top-notch noise cancellation, these are perfect for both indoor and outdoor calls, snagging a spot on our list of the best noise-canceling headphones. The transparency mode and ANC features are everything you could ask for, giving you better performance than other similarly priced headphones.
Calling is as smooth as it gets with the AirPods Max. They handle wind noise and minimize disturbances to the point where you don't even realize there's noise around you. You also get a large, intuitive button to switch between ANC and transparency mode so you can handle calls and listen to music just the way you like.
Connectivity is excellent as well, especially with Apple products, although they're terrible for Android users. The $549 price tag also puts them out of many people's budget range, but if you're deep in the Apple ecosystem and have money to spend, we highly recommend the AirPods Max. There's also a wide range of great AirPods Max accessories to spice things up, too.
In 2024, Apple slightly updated the AirPods Max. Instead of Lightning, it now connects through USB-C. It also removed the ability to use the headphones wired. Keep these points in mind before considering them.
Mid-range headphones with top-shelf calling
JBL Tour One
- Effective ANC
- Good sound quality
- Excellent call quality
- Great battery life
- No sidetone for calls
- No aptX/aptX HD/LDAC codecs
| Specification: | |
| Weight | 282 grams (9.9 ounces) |
| Type | Open |
| Ambient Sound Modes | ANC, Smart |
| Battery life | Up to 25 hours with ANC, 50 hours without |
JBL isn't the first name that comes to mind when you think of headphones, but the JBL Tour Ones are seriously worth considering, especially for frequent callers. These are cheaper than the popular Sony and Apple models but offer good ANC with brilliant call quality even in noisy settings. The noise cancellation isn't as good as the Sony WH-1000XM5, AirPods Max, or Bose headphones, but they more than make up for it with calling performance. The mic doesn't pick up external noise and keeps your voice crystal clear for perfectly smooth, professional-sounding calls.
You get a transparency mode called Ambient Aware to keep track of your surroundings, as well as a TalkThru mode for speaking to someone in front of you. But this doesn't work when you're on a call. The battery life is another plus point, giving you 50 hours of playback with ANC off and about 25 hours with continuous ANC. Charging is also fast, adding three hours with a 10-minute charge.
We didn't get a chance to try the Tour One M2. However, we do plan on reviewing the Tour One M3, so stayed tuned.
Bose quality and all-round performance
Bose QuietComfort Ultra Headphones
- Premium materials and design
- Excellent comfort
- Best-in-class noise canceling
- Natural-sounding transparency
- Impressive spatial audio
- Hi-res compatibility
- Tricky volume control
- ANC can't be turned off
| Specification: | |
| Weight | 253 grams (8.9 ounces) |
| Type | Open |
| Ambient Sound Modes | ANC, Aware, and Custom |
| Battery life | Up to 24 hours |
If we lived without the AirPods Max and the Sony WH-1000XM5, the Bose QC Ultra Headphones are the best wireless headphones for call quality. Their ability to virtually erase environmental noise is impressive, especially in bustling or noisy environments, allowing your voice to come through clearly. When in transparency mode, the QC Ultra provides an exceptional experience, enabling you to hear your voice distinctly, which is crucial for maintaining conversational clarity.
However, it’s important to note that the QC Ultra can have challenges maintaining voice consistency. At times, when the headphones focus on suppressing background noise, your voice may come across as wavering or echoey. This is where the competition shines; Sony and Apple excel at balancing noise cancellation with voice clarity, ensuring that your voice remains consistently audible regardless of surrounding distractions.
Another key advantage of the QC Ultra is its compatibility with Snapdragon Sound-equipped phones; this combination enhances your voice quality significantly, thanks to aptX Voice technology, which delivers a more prosperous and fuller audio experience. Despite this, if you frequently find yourself in varying environments for calls, the AirPods Max and the WH-1000XM5 may be more suited for your needs. They have developed a reputation for effectively handling diverse acoustic challenges, making them ideal for professionals and everyday users who rely on clear communication in any setting.
In summary, while the QC Ultra Headphones are certainly a strong contender for excellent call quality—especially in quieter, indoor environments—those who require consistent performance across a broader range of conditions might find the features of the AirPods Max and Sony WH-1000XM5 to be more advantageous.
Best on a budget
1More SonoFlow
- Great sound quality
- Very comfortable for long periods
- Ridiculous battery life
- Solid ANC performance
- Great app support
- Affordable price
- No wear sensors
- Wired mode disables extra features
| Specification: | |
| Weight | 250 grams (8.8 ounces) |
| Type | Open |
| Ambient Sound Modes | ANC, Transparency |
| Battery life | Up to 50 hours with ANC on, 70 hours without |
If you can't invest in a $300-plus pair of headphones at the moment, worry not. You can still get good-quality calling headphones with a mic for just $100. Take the 1More SonoFlow, for instance. You get decent ANC considering it's a third of the price of other premium headphones, and the call quality is good enough for everyday use.
The sound quality is fairly good, too, with our reviewer gushing about the SonoFlow's punchy 40mm drivers and support for Sony’s LDAC hi-res codec, if you're into that sort of thing. But where these cans really shine is with their impressive battery life. You get 50 hours of runtime with ANC on and an unbelievable 70 hours with ANC off, putting these ahead of most of the popular, high-end headphones.
You also get Bluetooth multipoint and 12 EQ presets, which are quite a lot of features for $100 headphones. As expected, these aren't our best pick for noise cancelation and sound quality, though, but if calling is your focus, these will do a great job for a budget pick.
The best headphones in windy conditions and battery life
Sennheiser Momentum 4
- Amazing battery life
- Outstanding sound
- Effective wind noise reduction
- Comfortable
- Effective ANC
- No auto-off function
| Specification: | |
| Weight | 293 grams (10.3 ounces) |
| Type | Open |
| Ambient Sound Modes | ANC, Transparency |
| Battery life | Up to 55 hours with ANC, 60 hours without |
The Sennheiser Momentum 4 headphones deliver exceptional sound quality with a balanced profile that suits various music genres, from classical to hip-hop. The sound signature is rich and detailed, emphasizing clarity in both vocals and instrumentals, resulting in a truly immersive listening experience. Equipped with 42mm drivers, these headphones provide deep, punchy bass without overpowering the mids and highs, ensuring a well-rounded audio performance.
They feature a comfortable, ergonomic design with plush ear pads and an adjustable headband, making them suitable for long listening sessions, whether at home, commuting, or relaxing. The lightweight construction helps reduce fatigue, allowing you to enjoy hours of playback without discomfort.
The Momentum 4 effectively cancels ambient noise. It adapts well to windy conditions, maintaining a precise listening experience, although you might notice some minimal wind noise in powerful gusts. Additionally, the headphones include an ambient mode that allows you to hear your surroundings when needed, providing versatility in different environments.
One of the standout features is the impressive battery life of up to 60 hours on a single charge. This means you can enjoy your music for days without worrying about recharging, making them a fantastic choice for travel or extended use. They also come with fast charging capabilities, allowing for several hours of playback from a quick charge. Connectivity is seamless with Bluetooth 5.2, ensuring a stable connection to your devices, and the onboard controls are intuitive, making it easy to adjust settings on the go.
Overall, the Sennheiser Momentum 4 headphones combine high-quality sound, comfort, and impressive battery life, making them an excellent investment for any music lover.
Frequently Asked Questions
We test our headphones by using them in real-life situations, often putting them through rigorous conditions that active individuals typically face.
Rather than assessing headphones in a controlled environment, we evaluate their performance in challenging, everyday scenarios. We play audio from various sources across different settings, including on a bus, in a listening room, and at an office. We recognize that many headphone users listen to music via smartphones, often using lower-quality audio tracks and streaming services, so we incorporate this into our testing.
Additionally, our team assesses a range of high-resolution audio files across different devices. We connect headphones to PCs and Macs, experiment with USB DACs (digital-to-analog converters) and turntables, and use top-quality portable players and amplifiers. After completing these tests, we make final comparisons to identify the differences between the headphones we're evaluating and our preferred models. We compare them based on performance class and price, pushing them to the limits to see if they can still deliver good quality under stress.
