Airplane noise cancelling headphones  help you focus on the podcast or movie of your choice, rather than the engine hum or crying baby in the row behind you. The best airplane headphones will also be comfortable for long flights and include a convenient connection to the aircraft’s media console.

A few additional accessories can make your headset even better. For example, a stereo headset feeds a different audio signal to each ear, which can improve the sound quality and make it easier to distinguish your favorite track or movie. A good audio codec like aptX or LDAC can make your music and video content sound even more immersive, too.

Silencing the Skies: Discover the Best Airplane Noise-Canceling Headphones

The most important feature when choosing airplane headphones is active noise cancellation (ANC). This technology works by inverting intruding sounds to erase them. It’s well suited to the low hum of a plane’s engine, but higher or transient sounds like crying babies or people’s voices can still seep through depending on the headset’s quality.

Closed-back over-ear headphones are generally considered the most comfortable for airplane travel, thanks to their large ear cups that can form an isolating seal around your ears. The Sony WH-1000XM5s are an excellent example of this—the headband is comfortable and lightweight, and the ear cups fit snugly over your ears without applying excessive pressure. They’re also compatible with the Airbus A320 and Boeing 787 Dreamliners, so you can use them on most domestic and international flights.