About this time last year, I was preparing to hop on a 6+ hour flight and thought it was high time to invest in a new pair of headphones. The ones I had, while handy, weren’t cutting it. And I was looking for a pair with Active Noise Cancellation;

I have been keeping a keen eye on two models in particular – the Bose QuietComfort Ultra Headphones and the Sony WH-1000XM5. Both are flagship pairs of wireless, noise-cancelling headphones, and our review team rates both at five-stars at their respective price points.

Pro-level noise cancellation, amazing battery life, deep bass, and supreme comfort make these among the best $249 headphones anywhere.