Best travel headphones: Sennheiser tops Rolling Stone’s flight list
Rolling Stone picked Sennheiser Momentum 5 Wireless as its top travel headphones, with Bose and Sony close behind for frequent flyers.
By Bianca Rossi · Entertainment Editor
3 min read
Sennheiser’s Momentum 5 Wireless headphones are Rolling Stone’s pick for the best travel headphones in a 2026 guide by Jonathan Zavaleta, beating out big-name rivals from Bose and Sony for long flights and noisy terminals.
Rolling Stone said it may earn an affiliate commission when readers buy independently reviewed products through its links. The outlet said its writers regularly test audio gear while traveling, with noise canceling, battery life, case design, comfort and sound quality all weighing into the ranking.
What are the best travel headphones?
Rolling Stone’s top choice is the Sennheiser Momentum 5 Wireless, listed at $399.95. Zavaleta cited stronger active noise canceling than the previous Momentum 4, a slimmer carrying case and comfort that held up during extended wear.
The guide says the Momentum 5 offers up to 57 hours of battery life. Zavaleta wrote that he had not formally tested that claim, but said he used the headphones for several weeks before needing to recharge them.
Bose’s QuietComfort Ultra Second Gen landed as runner-up, priced at $449 through Bose and listed at $369.99 on Amazon in the guide. Rolling Stone praised the headphones for noise canceling, comfort, adjustable ANC modes and an auto-wake feature that turns them on when worn and puts them into a lower-power state when laid flat.
The Bose model is rated for up to 30 hours of battery life, according to the guide, up from 24 hours on the earlier version. Rolling Stone also noted the 3.5mm jack, a travel-friendly detail for plugging into seatback entertainment systems.
Sony’s WH-1000XM6, priced at $449.99, was named the feature-heavy option. Rolling Stone said the headphones include 12 microphones, up from eight on the prior generation, plus four beamforming microphones for calls.
The Sony pair also gets a redesigned hinge that lets the earcups rotate, helping shrink the case, according to the guide. Rolling Stone highlighted the magnetic case closure, up to 30 hours of battery life, app-based EQ, speak-to-chat and a quick transparency shortcut using the right earcup.
What should travel headphones have?
Good travel headphones should cut steady engine noise and busy public-space chatter while still offering a transparency mode for announcements, boarding calls or a flight attendant. Rolling Stone also emphasized long battery life, a protective case that is easy to pack and earcups and headbands comfortable enough for hours of use.
The guide focused on over-ear headphones rather than earbuds. Rolling Stone said some otherwise strong noise-canceling models, including Apple’s AirPods Max, missed the list because of case protection and battery-life concerns.
The other picks
Bose QuietComfort Headphones, $359: Rolling Stone named these the best basic option, citing adjustable noise canceling, a zippered hard case, up to 24 hours of battery life and passive wired listening through a 3.5mm jack.
Beats Studio Pro, $179.95: The guide listed these as the most compact pick.
TwelveSouth AirFly Pro 2, $59.99: Rolling Stone called this the best accessory for travel headphone users.
Airplane Headphone Adapter, $4.99: The guide also included this as an accessory to consider.
Rolling Stone’s travel shortlist puts the usual audio heavyweights in the overhead bin: Sennheiser for battery and comfort, Bose for noise control and convenience, and Sony for travelers who want more features to fiddle with before takeoff.
This story draws on original reporting from Rolling Stone.