We selected the best headsets from among those we have personally used, and those which have a sterling reputation. Whether you’re looking for a headset to make hands-free phone calls on the go or one with great noise cancellation, here are the best headsets available right now. The Bose 700 is remarkably comfortable and easily adjusts to fit a wide range of head sizes, and yet it retains a sleek, minimalistic profile. The headset also includes a unique gesture control scheme where volume and other settings are adjusted simply by swiping and tapping on the smooth surface of the headphones. It comes with a superb leather case that befits the admittedly expensive price point. The Bose Noise Cancelling Headphones 700 are easily the best overall headphones on the market. Noise-canceling: Yes | Wireless: Yes | Battery life: Up to 20 hours Although it has a decent range of physical controls on the headset, the B450-XT can also be conveniently controlled using voice commands, and a customizable button lets you choose other custom features to be accessible with a single touch. Noise-canceling: Yes | Wireless: Yes | Battery life: Up to 24 hours Noise-canceling: Yes | Wireless: Yes | Battery life: Up to 30 hours The Mid ANC also offers phenomenal battery life with 20 hours of playback time with active noise canceling turned on and over 30 hours with it turned off. The headset folds up to be remarkably compact and comes with an extremely attractive carrying case. Noise-canceling: Yes | Wireless: Yes | Battery life: Between 20 to 30+ hours The GSP 370 is also remarkably comfortable due to the split padded headband and ball joint hinges that ensure a perfect fit. The closed-back design prevents sound leakage and noise isolation while the flip-to-mute microphone provides noise-isolating, broadcast-quality audio input. Noise-canceling: Yes (only on microphone) | Wireless: Yes | Battery life: Up to 100 hours Noise-canceling: Yes | Wireless: Yes | Battery life: Up to 10 hours Noise-canceling: No | Wireless: Yes | Battery life: Up to 20 hours Noise-canceling: Yes | Wireless: Yes | Battery life: Up to 10 hours of call time and 7 days on standby
What To Look for in a Headset
Bluetooth
If you want to use your headset with your phone, the headset needs to have Bluetooth capability. Bluetooth will allow you to hook it up to just about any device quickly and easily, and even if your headset has a 3.5-millimeter or USB cable, having Bluetooth as well gives any headset an extra boost in terms of compatibility.
Durability
Hours of daily use take a toll, as do unforeseen accidents. It’s important to look for a headset that won’t fall apart after a month. Look for robust materials, particularly at locations on the headset that are likely to be points of failure, such as joints and the headband.
Comfort
Just as with the clothing you wear to work, your headset should offer all-day comfort. Look for thick padding on headphones and headbands and for in-ear headsets that come with multiple sizes of tips to help you get the right fit. Also, think about whether you prefer the feel of cloth or leather.