The best headphones for travelling

If you love listening to music with your headphones when travelling, you’re in luck, as today, we bring some of the best styles of headphones to make sure you have top-quality sound on your next trip.

We all know that there are endless options, brands and styles of headphones however, some are more specialised and specific than others, so we want to tell you about the best versions of headphones for you to enjoy your favourite music on the next trip you organise.

In-ear

These are the typical headphones you usually get for free when you buy a smartphone or tablet, and which you later change for others of better quality. Their small size means you just pop them into your ear canal, and some models come with a clip to offer a more secure fit.

Pros: Ultra-compact. Lightweight. Most models come with a control on the cable to adjust the volume and let you skip between songs. The offer good isolation from external noise and don’t interfere with glasses, earrings, etc. Some models like the Bose QuietComfort 20 now come with noise cancellation technology. Generally speaking, they’re less expensive as other types of headphones and are used for playing sports.
Cons: Sound fidelity and the bass response are nowhere near as good as other, bigger models that cover your ear completely. Some models don’t fit well, so you’ll need to use earpads too.

On-ear (supra-aural)

These completely cover your ears, but they don’t enclose them like the circumaural models, which provide better sound insulation. The on-ear version is quite popular with people who work in offices as they still let you hear a little external noise.

Pros: Comfortable and less likely to make your ears feel warm. Some models are foldable, which is great for travelling, and they’re generally not so expensive.
Cons: Noise insulation is not as effective as the full-sized models. The bass is not as strong as they over-ear models, and they let the sound escape a little.

Over-ear (circumaural)

This category includes all types of headphones that completely enclose your ears.

Due to their size and sound insulation, these over-ear headphones are mostly used at home, but the noise-cancelling Beats headphones were a real game-changer, and now everyone seems to use them everywhere.

Pros: They are quite big, which means they give you an excellent level of top bass and volume, and the surround sound effectively blocks out all noise. They provide the best sound fidelity, and they’re great for gaming if you have a microphone.
Cons: Often too big to carry everywhere, make your ears feel warm, awkward to use with glasses, earring, etc. and expensive.

Wireless Bluetooth

These are mainly used at home or to take with you when you don’t want the annoyance of tangled cables. Bluetooth is the most popular format for streaming music, but it also means you sacrifice some of the sound quality. However, some new models support aptX Bluetooth, which offers better sound fidelity.

Pros: Wireless, affordable price, very comfortable, beautiful design and ideal for smartphones.
Cons: Music is interrupted once the battery dies (some have an auxiliary cable) Sound quality is lower.

Noise-cancelling

These headphones make sure you can listen to music without any interference from external noises. You can listen to music at a lower volume, which reduces ear fatigue. They also let you hear every detail of the music.

Pros: Active Noise Cancellation technology eliminates ambient noise, making them ideal for travelling or when using public city transport.
Cons: Usually more expensive. Alter the sound.