Now that this technology is ubiquitous and relatively affordable, noise-canceling headphones are an absolute must-have on airplanes. Assuming they work as advertised, noise-cancelling headphones can not only provide entertainment with music, podcasts, or audiobooks, but they can also drown out the screeching voices of young children and the annoying grumbling of grumpy adults to help you tune out your own concerns. Create a personal sound that dissipates. Free privacy bubble.
Several brands, including Apple, make some of the best noise-cancelling headphones on the market. If you’re looking for a compact product that won’t take up much space in your luggage, the 2nd generation AirPods Pro (2022) are a great choice. It offers wireless audio and active noise cancellation (ANC).
Despite their small size, the Bluetooth earbuds are packed with cutting-edge technology with Apple’s H2 chipset, delivering the best ANC available. It also has a great transparency mode, allowing you to clearly hear the sounds around you, even when they’re in your ears. This is very important when flight crew need to make important announcements.
It also sounds great, offering a wide frequency range and features intuitive voice and touch controls, including the ability to adjust volume with a swipe of your finger. However, they’re not perfect, and in our hands-on review, SlashGear noted that the spatial audio this product offers “feels like a gimmick.” AirPods integrate naturally with many other Apple products, but if you’re not already part of the Apple ecosystem, you won’t be able to take advantage of the peripheral’s full capabilities. However, if so, you can buy the Apple AirPods Pro (2022) from Amazon for $269.