Budget
Before anything else, you’ll want to figure out how much you’re willing to spend on new over-ear headphones. The quality of value-priced headphones continues to improve, so you can find good affordable headphones for less than $100. But the premium models, which offer better build quality and performance, tend to cost $200 or more — sometimes much more.
Noise canceling: Yes or no
The majority of over-ear headphones feature active noise canceling. But it does slightly affect sound quality, so if you’re an audio purist, you may want to go with a model that doesn’t have noise canceling. You can also sometimes save some money by getting non-ANC headphones, though noise canceling is becoming a fairly standard feature.
Wired or wireless
Most headphones these days are Bluetooth wireless headphones. But you still tend to get the best sound going the wired route. Many wireless headphones also come with a headphone cable for wired listening (and some offer USB-C Audio using a USB-C cable). But we have a few headphones on this list that are wired-only.
Fit, aka comfort
It’s key that the headphones you buy fit your head well. They should offer a comfortable fit that’s snug yet not too snug. Ideally, you want headphones you can wear over the course of a day with minimal breaks.
Durability
You want headphones that hold up well over time, so look for models that we note have sturdy build quality.
Maximize performance and features for your budget
You want the best-sounding headphones with the best noise canceling, call quality and features for whatever you’re able to spend.
Return policy
It’s critical to buy your headphones at a retailer that has a good return policy, in case you have buyer’s remorse. Some people who are having trouble deciding between two models sometimes buy both, try them out for a few days and then return one.
