JLab · Budget
Over-ear Bluetooth headphones with hybrid active noise canceling that JLab quotes at up to 35 dB, 70 hours of playtime with ANC off and 40 hours with it on, and a USB-C cable that also carries wired audio.
Expert pick · Tom's Guide, Aug 2024
Check price on Amazon (affiliate link, opens Amazon in a new tab)As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases. How we pick our gear
We have not tested it ourselves: strengths and weaknesses below come from the tests cited.
Long journeys and long waits in stations reward battery life, and JLab quotes 70 hours of playtime with ANC off and 40 hours with it on, plus 7.5 hours of playback from 10 minutes of quick charging. JLab also builds in a Be Aware Mode that switches off ANC and lets surrounding sound in. Tom's Guide tested the noise canceling on a main road and in a busy supermarket during an hour-long walk, and heard no drilling from nearby construction or reversing trucks; that test did not involve a train, so it says nothing about rail noise specifically. Noise canceling reduces what you hear of your surroundings, so treat these as headphones for sitting in a station or on board, never for walking beside active track.
Bluetooth Multipoint connects two devices at once, and JLab says the included USB-C cable charges the headphones and also carries wired audio, which keeps them usable when the battery runs out. The design folds, and JLab says the earcups rotate. Tom's Guide found the pads soft and light, said the headphones are light enough that the tester forgot wearing them several times, and described three rubbery buttons on the right cup for play/pause (a long press powers on or off), ANC and volume, which are hard to press by accident. The buttons can be remapped in the JLab app, which also offers EQ, noise control settings and firmware updates, per JLab. For calls, JLab lists five condenser microphones with 3-mic ENC, and Tom's Guide says the tester's coworkers found the microphone good on work calls. The tester found sound quality very listenable for a budget pair, but described bass and kick drum as a little muffled in some tracks and said the headphones struggle most with heavier, layered songs. There is no wear detection, so Tom's Guide warns that music may keep playing for hours after you take them off, although it adds that the battery life makes that matter little. There is no carry case, and Tom's Guide says it would not take them out in a dust or rainstorm, as the headphones have no IP protection class. JLab's box list includes the headphones, the USB-C charging and audio cable and a 2-year limited warranty.
Expert pick · Tom's Guide: Tom's Guide called them an excellent choice for solid noise canceling, long battery life and decent sound at a budget level. Its downsides were the lack of wear detection, LDAC support and a carry case, and heavier tracks did not get as much justice as the tester would have liked. Read the review
Strengths
Weaknesses
| Specification | Value |
|---|---|
| Design | Foldable; faux leather ear cushions; button controls |
| Driver | 40 mm dynamic |
| Playtime | 70 hours with ANC off; 40 hours with ANC on |
| Bluetooth | 5.4; SBC and AAC; Multipoint (2 devices) |
| In the box | Headphones, USB-C charging and audio cable, 2-year limited warranty |
| Microphones | 5 condenser microphones, 3-mic ENC |
| Quick charge | 10 minutes gives 7.5 hours |
| Wired playback | Yes, USB-C to C cable |
| Noise canceling | Hybrid ANC, up to 35 dB; Be Aware Mode |
Travelers who want over-ear noise canceling and a long battery for trains, stations and long waits, and who will use them seated and aware of their surroundings. Tom's Guide calls them a good fit if you do not want to pay for luxury headphones; buyers who want a carry case, wear detection or LDAC will have to look at other models.
JLab's own lower tier is the Go Lux ANC, which JLab's comparison table lists with ANC quoted at 30 dB and 70+ hours of playtime; JLab's own top tier is the Epic Lux Lab Edition ANC, listed with adaptive ANC quoted at 42 dB, LDAC and 90+ hours of playtime.
Image: Apple · source
Apple · Premium
Apple's in-ear true wireless earbuds with active noise cancelling, which RTINGS tested as outstanding for travel, with most extras tied to an iPhone.
Expert pick · RTINGS, Oct 2025
Image: CMF by Nothing · source
CMF by Nothing · Budget
A closed-back over-ear Bluetooth headphone with hybrid adaptive noise cancelling, a wired option and ear cushions that twist off, tested by RTINGS in the light green colorway.
Expert pick · RTINGS, Jul 2026
Image: Soundcore (Anker) · source
Soundcore · Budget
Over-ear Bluetooth headphones with hybrid noise cancelling, a battery measured at 49 hours in testing and USB-C charging, aimed at long journeys on a modest budget.
Expert pick · RTINGS, Sep 2026
As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases. How we pick our gear
Compare all headphones & earpieces.
