Staying connected is key when working from home. Now you can stay productive all day long by focusing and collaborating while working from home with the best professional earbuds.
Noise-cancelling earbuds offer the perfect solution to this problem and ease the transition to an office environment.
Designed to neutralize, rather than mask, ambient noise, the best business earbuds feature active noise-cancelling technology to help you maintain a strong level of productivity and focus on the task at hand.
Best Earbuds for Working From Home
1. EarFun Air earbud
You don’t need high-quality earbuds to take business calls, so you don’t have to spend a fortune on them. The EarFun Air earbuds are a great example.
The EarFun Air earbuds are easy to set up. Simply open the case lid, start connecting from the earbuds, open Bluetooth on your phone or computer, and select EarFun Air.
That’s it for setup. Plus, just like any other wireless earbud, they connect to your previously paired device as soon as you put them in your ears.
During my testing, there was no issue with lag or slowness in connecting. For example, I was able to join a chat with my team during a video call and everything was in sync.
When someone spoke, the sound was perfectly in sync. Other headphones I’ve tested, like the TaoTronics, often had sync issues and even had audio dropouts.
Likewise, when speaking, the audio was concise and free of muffled sounds. The EarFun Air earbuds have built-in Bluetooth 5.0, which helps create this strong connection.
There are two microphones inside each earbud, one on the bottom of the stem and one on the top. There are four in total.
While there’s no noise cancellation or fancy flagship features, these microphones do a great job of picking up active voices while also eliminating some background noise.
While other earbuds overcompensate and turn our voices into ASMR-like whispers, the EarFun Air produced clear vocals with minimal background noise.
This applies to recorded voice memos (which you can hear along with phone calls below), video calls, and even quick SnapChat bites.
If you’re the type who listens to podcasts or great playlists while you work, you won’t be disappointed with the EarFun Air.
They have strong audio prowess and can deliver a wide soundstage across all genres. Tracks come through clearly and balanced, which is a trait that’s not often delivered, especially at this price point.
These earbuds are very comfortable to wear. They’re made mostly of plastic with rubber eartips, and the stem design puts weight on your ears.
Unlike smaller buds that sit on your ears, we didn’t feel any extra pressure on our inner ears, and four eartips are included in the box.
Once you find the right ones, they’ll be comfortable to wear for back-to-back Zoom meetings during your workday.
Battery life isn’t an issue either. The EarFun Air lasted for seven hours on a single charge, and the case holds three additional charges, giving you an additional 28 hours of continuous use.
One annoyance we had, however, is that the onboard controls are disappointing. They’re unintuitive and can be downright annoying.
Both the left and right earbuds have touch sensors, but they don’t always work and require a firm press to transmit.
This isn’t a dealbreaker, though, as you can easily rely on your connected device (laptop, phone, tablet, or smartwatch) to control the earbuds and adjust volume and playback.
There’s no built-in mute command if you’re on a call, though. Use the app or a basic command on your phone to mute it.
2. Edifier TWS NB
The Edifier TWS NB offers great ANC active noise cancellation in wireless earbuds. At just $100, they’re significantly cheaper than Apple AirPods and offer more powerful noise cancellation.
Double-tap the button on the right earpiece to activate noise cancellation, and the Edifier TWS NB instantly cancels out ambient buzzing, humming, and background noise.
Common household sounds like clapping, slamming doors, and the sound of a kettle are all greatly reduced by the Edifier TWS NB.
It’s far superior to the passive noise cancellation of most other wireless earbuds, and better than other ANC wireless earbuds.
The Edifier TWS NB battery is also a monster. The earbuds last for 5 hours with ANC on, and over 9 hours with noise cancellation off.
You can also activate Ambient Mode, which lets you hear the surroundings through the earbuds.
All this tech means that the earbuds are larger than average, but they fit snugly and securely in your ears thanks to the attached rubber ear hooks.
The Edifier TWS NB (read our full review here ) has clear call quality when taking calls in a quiet place. In terms of sound quality, the TWS NB is exactly what you want in an active noise cancellation set.
The TWS NB offer a warm, somewhat relaxed sound that you can listen to for hours, with no harsh or harsh tones or volume peaks.
The Edifier TWS NB are very effective ANC active noise cancellation earbuds that you’ll want to carry around with you all day long.
3. Jabra Elite 85t
The Jabra Elite 85t is our second pick for best working-from-home earbuds, with almost the same features and only a slight drop in performance compared to the QC Earbuds II.
The Elite 85t features a dedicated noise-cancelling processor, an upgrade from the previous Elite 75t. This improves the ANC, effectively reducing low-frequency and some high-frequency background noise.
However, it falls a bit short compared to the more powerful ANC, which is our overall best choice.
Also, unlike the QC Earbuds II which have Bluetooth 5.3, these earbuds feature Bluetooth 5.1.
However, these earbuds allow you to connect to two devices at the same time, so you don’t have to worry about switching between devices.
With three microphones per earbud, calls are clear and you can activate HearThrough mode during a call to know if you’re talking too loudly.
Even in noisy environments, background noise is effectively minimized, so your call quality isn’t interrupted.
The Elite 85t only supports AAC and SBC codecs, but they are great for casual listening and have a V-shaped sound signature that’s ideal for pop and hip-hop.
The Jabra Sound+ app lets you customize the EQ, set your own audio profiles, and even find your earbuds if they’re lost, making your listening experience very personalized and convenient.
With the volume set to 70% and ANC enabled the battery lasted for 5 hours and 45 minutes. However, with ANC disabled, the battery life increased to over 7 hours.
Sometimes, the seal of the earbuds created a vacuum in my ears, which was uncomfortable. This issue was alleviated by switching to a smaller eartip.
4. Apple AirPods Pro
Everyone you know, including your coworkers, seems to have a pair of Apple’s AirPods Pro. And it’s easy to see why.
These sleek earbuds are noise-canceling, so you can hear your music clearly while commuting or waiting for the train. They also have a transparency mode so you can hear what your boss is saying in the office.
Like the JBL earbuds above, you can choose from three silicone tips to find the size that fits best—something we wish previous versions of AirPods had included (yet another reason to finally upgrade).
Apple also made them sweat-resistant, so you can wear them while working out or on your bike commute in the heat of the summer.
These are the kind of earbuds you want to stick in your ears even at the end of the day. And while they’re still in stock, you should buy them now.
5. Cleer Enduro ANC
The Cleer Enduro ANC offers an almost irresistible combination of affordable price, rich audio, active noise cancellation, and battery life.
During our testing, we got over 50 hours of battery life at medium volume with ANC enabled, making it the cheapest model to get the 60-hour battery life offered by the powerful Sennheiser Momentum 4 Wireless flagship.
Unlike many budget headphones, the audio quality is good enough to be used as a headset for calls.
The Enduro ANC folds up for easy portability and comes with a bunch of features, including NFC pairing, a bundled cable for Hi-Res audio support, and a canvas carrying pouch.
6. AirPods Pro
The AirPods Pro are pretty much the best choice, as they offer incredible sound, with Adaptive EQ to adjust the mix, and an updated design that focuses on comfort.
They come with three rubber eartips in the box, and they perform an “eartip fit test” that analyzes which earbuds fit your specific ears.
Both the left and right AirPods Pro have two microphones for voice pickup, which work in conjunction with the Apple H1 chip to eliminate background noise.
The latter can interfere with what you’re saying, and can even muffle your voice. This microphone is also used to block out noise when the ANC (Active Noise Cancellation) kicks in.
It’s better at blocking out the world than the Galaxy Buds Pro, but only slightly better. It also has a single-stage transparency mode that falls behind the Galaxy Buds Pro’s multi-stage ambient noise.
For $50 less, the Galaxy Buds Pro is a great option that offers a nearly identical experience in terms of features. Those who don’t like the stem design of the AirPods Pro will be happy with the Buds Pro, too.
7. Poly Voyager Free 60+ UC
The Poly Voyager Free 60+ UC earbuds are a great choice for anyone who uses multiple devices simultaneously across multiple platforms.
These earbuds are specifically designed for excellent cross-platform compatibility, meaning they work seamlessly with apps like Zoom, MS Teams, and Google Meet.
That means you can connect the headphones to your UC app with a single tap. You can also control calls via the built-in earbud controls.
The earbuds’ charging case doubles as a remote control with a touchscreen for play/pause and volume control, and it also acts as a Bluetooth transmitter.
This makes them ideal for connecting to non-Bluetooth devices, like airplane entertainment systems or older computers. The case also includes a BT700 Bluetooth USB dongle for a wider range.
The Voyager Free 60+ supports deep bass response and the AAC and aptX codecs. When paired with the case or the included dongle, it switches to LC3, which reduces power consumption.
Battery life is a decent 4-5 hours, depending on ANC use and call frequency. A quick 15-minute charge will give you 1 hour of playback.
EDM tracks like Deadmau5’s Strobe are immersive on these, but I found that the boosted sub-bass could overwhelm instruments and vocals in other genres.
Fortunately, I was able to tone down the bass intensity by adjusting the EQ settings in the Poly Lens app.
8. Bose QuietComfort Earbuds
The Bose QuietComfort Earbuds go a step further than the AirPods Pro and Galaxy Buds Pro when it comes to noise cancellation.
They reduce all environmental sounds (across the entire frequency spectrum) to a hum. The result is a truly silent bubble that lets you focus.
True to Bose’s heritage, the audio is a balanced mix that places elements of the track in the space around you.
We have some gripes about the companion app, as it can be a bit finicky at times. Once paired, however, it’s a very smooth experience.
For $249.99, you get a pair of true wireless earbuds that shine as noise-canceling champions.
They all feature large earbud constructions that stick out quite a bit from your ears, and come with very comfortable eartips.
However, they’re not as unobtrusive or intuitive to use as the Galaxy Buds Pro. And they cost $50 more.
9. Taotronics Sound Liberty 79
We had high expectations for the Taotronics Sound Liberty 79. At just $50, they were cheaper and slimmer than the EarFun Air.
Like the Galaxy Buds Pro, they have a dial-like design that sits in your ear without sticking out.
The sound quality was decent for the price range, but the bass was noticeably lacking. Battery life was a middling 5-6 hours at high volume.
The real dealbreaker was the call quality and voice reception. They sounded like ASMR wannabes taking calls in the shower or caught in a downpour.
They were muddy, had a lot of background noise, and the clarity wasn’t great. If you’re working from home and don’t want to spend a fortune, the EarFun Air is the way to go.
10. Sony WF-1000XM5
The Sony WF-1000XM5 earbuds are perfect for a focused, distraction-free experience when working from home.
The advanced digital noise-cancelling system uses two proprietary processors and noise-isolating eartips to make them the best noise-cancelling earbuds.
These earbuds feature the new V2 and QN2e processors, which offer faster and more accurate noise-cancelling performance than the V1 and QN1e processors in the WF-1000XM4.
We were impressed by how they managed to block out low-frequency noises almost entirely.
Adaptive Sound Control is powered by an AI algorithm that automatically adjusts the audio when listening or on calls.
And you can customize this feature and ANC levels in the Sony Headphones Connect app. There’s also a Speak-to-Chat feature that automatically switches to Ambient Mode when on a call.
In terms of sound, the WF-1000XM5 offers LDAC streaming and a wider frequency response via Dynamic Driver X. It processes audio quickly, but doesn’t offer a wider sound experience.
The powerful bass tends to mask some of the high-frequency details. In particular, LDAC streaming reduces battery life to around 6 hours, which is a compromise to consider.
The WF-1000XM5 offers Bluetooth 5.3 connectivity, but there are times when the connection drops unexpectedly for no apparent reason.
11. Ultimate Ears UE Fits
Poorly fitting earbuds can be a nuisance, especially when you’re working from home. But the Ultimate Ears UE Fits are incredibly comfortable thanks to their custom-fit eartips and unique ergonomic design.
The gel-filled eartips fit perfectly in your ears after 60 seconds of first wear. You can then use the UE Fits app to use Lightform technology to shine LED lights through the gel-filled eartips.
This process tightens the eartips, allowing them to permanently conform to the shape of your ears.
The custom-fit eartips do more than just provide comfort. They also improve your overall perceived sound quality.
They create a nearly airtight seal that blocks out ambient noise, improving audio. That means you can work from home without distractions, even without ANC.
The UE Fits earbuds support aptX and AAC codecs, the former improving song detail at the expense of battery life.
They also feature a dual-mic setup for high-quality calls while reducing wind and noise interference. Some people have said my voice sounded thin, but everyone else can still understand what I’m saying.
Without ANC or transparency mode, the UE Fits rely solely on passive isolation, which means they’re limited in how much noise they can block out.
Conclusion
With this focused approach, you’ll find earbuds that deliver great sound quality and a clear, reliable connection that’s essential for productivity.