Building Your Business Office Setup The 8 Best Headsets of 2023 Make work calls without disruptions By Andy Zahn Andy Zahn Andy has been writing professionally since 2010 on a variety of topics, focusing on technology, consumer products, and the outdoors. He has experience testing and reviewing a wide range of tech from cameras and laptop computers to headphones and hiking gear. learn about our editorial policies Updated on September 13, 2022 Fact checked by Hilarey Gould We independently evaluate all recommended products and services. If you click on links we provide, we may receive compensation. Learn more. A good headset is a necessary part of the modern office; it enables clear and productive communication with colleagues and customers. As a home office essential, a headset usually offers a higher quality microphone and better audio output than those features built into your computer, smartphone, or other devices. It will isolate your voice and make it easier to hear other people on a call when working in noisy environments or shared office spaces. We selected the best headsets from among those we have personally used, and those which have a sterling reputation. Whether you’re looking for a headset to make hands-free phone calls on the go or one with great noise cancellation, here are the best headsets available right now. Best Overall: Bose Noise Cancelling Headphones 700 Courtesy of Bose Buy on Amazon Buy on Bose.com Buy on Best Buy When it comes to sound quality, noise-canceling ability, comfort, and style, the Bose Noise Cancelling Headphones 700 come out on top. This headset offers both wonderful sound reproduction and excellent noise canceling, allowing you to hear and be heard even in loud environments. The Bose 700 is remarkably comfortable and easily adjusts to fit a wide range of head sizes, and yet it retains a sleek, minimalistic profile. The headset also includes a unique gesture control scheme where volume and other settings are adjusted simply by swiping and tapping on the smooth surface of the headphones. It comes with a superb leather case that befits the admittedly expensive price point. The Bose Noise Cancelling Headphones 700 are easily the best overall headphones on the market. Noise-canceling: Yes | Wireless: Yes | Battery life: Up to 20 hours Best for Loud Offices: BlueParrot B450-XT Courtesy of Walmart Buy on Amazon Buy on Walmart Offices can get loud, and the noise of everyone communicating with one another can make it hard to have conversations. The BlueParrott B450-XT is a top-notch solution with its ability to cancel out 96 percent of noise and keep your calls clear and uninterrupted. What's more, it can do so for 24 hours of call time and is heavily padded to make those long phone calls less of a pain. Additionally, with 300 feet of wireless range, you aren’t tied to your desk and are free to move about without losing connection. Although it has a decent range of physical controls on the headset, the B450-XT can also be conveniently controlled using voice commands, and a customizable button lets you choose other custom features to be accessible with a single touch. Noise-canceling: Yes | Wireless: Yes | Battery life: Up to 24 hours Best Style: Bang & Olufsen Beoplay H8i Courtesy of Amazon Buy on Amazon Buy on Bang-olufsen.com Sometimes style counts as much as substance, and the Bang & Olufsen Beoplay H8i has both in spades. This on-ear headset oozes high-end style, and in this case, function matches the form, as the H8i delivers excellent audio and call quality. It also offers excellent noise cancellation, and the lightweight leather design is luxurious and comfortable. You don’t need to worry about running out of juice either, as it has an impressive play time of up to 30 hours thanks to intelligent battery-saving functions; one, for example, automatically pauses audio when you remove the headset. Noise-canceling: Yes | Wireless: Yes | Battery life: Up to 30 hours Best Noise Cancelling: Marshall Mid ANC Courtesy of Amazon Buy on Amazon Buy on Marshallheadphones.com If you need to shut out distracting noise and concentrate on work, the Marshall Mid ANC is highly effective at minimizing outside noise. Its effective active noise canceling system paired with also impressive passive noise-canceling provides a welcome relief from the distracting buzz of an office environment. This highly compact, durable on-ear headset offers top-notch build quality and possesses a highly attractive aesthetic that emphasizes Marshall’s long history in the music industry. Its prowess as a manufacturer of high-end guitar amps is reflected in the superior audio quality this headset delivers. The Mid ANC also offers phenomenal battery life with 20 hours of playback time with active noise canceling turned on and over 30 hours with it turned off. The headset folds up to be remarkably compact and comes with an extremely attractive carrying case. Noise-canceling: Yes | Wireless: Yes | Battery life: Between 20 to 30+ hours Best Gaming-Style: Sennheiser GSP 370 Courtesy of Walmart Buy on Amazon Buy on Walmart Buy on Best Buy Despite the fact that this one was designed with gaming in mind, the Sennheiser GSP 370 possesses an elegant and professional aesthetic that is just as at home in the office as it is in a gaming den. It lives up to Sennheiser’s reputation for excellent audio quality and robust design at a reasonable price point. It features a low latency wireless connection and up to 100 hours of battery life, so even if you use it constantly throughout the work week, you’ll only need to recharge it about twice a month. The GSP 370 is also remarkably comfortable due to the split padded headband and ball joint hinges that ensure a perfect fit. The closed-back design prevents sound leakage and noise isolation while the flip-to-mute microphone provides noise-isolating, broadcast-quality audio input. Noise-canceling: Yes (only on microphone) | Wireless: Yes | Battery life: Up to 100 hours Best for Phone Calls: Sennheiser Presence Courtesy of Amazon Buy on Amazon Buy on Walmart The Sennheiser Presence is best suited for people looking for high-quality audio and microphone components as well as portability and comfort. It features voice detection and optimization technology that singles out your voice, optimizes it, and reduces background noise. Additionally, it features another bit of smart technology that protects your ears against acoustic shocks caused by sudden bursts of sound. Its 10-hour battery life will get you through a day at work, and a retracting microphone boom arm mutes and activates the microphone. Noise-canceling: Yes | Wireless: Yes | Battery life: Up to 10 hours Best for Streaming: Corsair Virtuoso RGB Wireless SE Courtesy of Walmart Buy on Amazon Buy on Walmart Buy on Best Buy When streaming, whether it is for professional or social purposes, it’s important to be heard and look good doing it. The Corsair Virtuoso RGB Wireless SE headset is perfect for any time you put yourself out there in a video chat, with its slick gunmetal color scheme and customizable RGB lighting that can switch it from professional to fun at a moment’s notice. Its microphone delivers crisp, high-quality audio to your audience, and its 7.1 surround sound provides an excellent listening experience. This wireless headset will last 20 hours on a charge, or you can use it while plugged in via USB. Corsair is known for making durable gear, and the Virtuoso is no exception; this headset should stand the test of time. Noise-canceling: No | Wireless: Yes | Battery life: Up to 20 hours Best Minimalist: Jabra Talk 55 Courtesy of Amazon Buy on Amazon Buy on Jabra.com For top-notch sound quality and crystal clear communications in the smallest form factor possible, Jabra Talk 55 is ideal for working professionals who desire the sleekest and most stylish headset possible. This minuscule, single-ear Bluetooth headset does away with all the extraneous bulk to offer a lean, lightweight device that looks as businesslike and modern as the cutting-edge technology inside it. Noise cancelation makes communication easy even in loud environments, and the petite charging case provides up to 10 hours of call time and lasts a full week on standby. At just 5.5 grams, the Jabra Talk 55 is a minimal presence on your head or carried in your pocket, and its understated design makes it an elegant and professional accessory. Noise-canceling: Yes | Wireless: Yes | Battery life: Up to 10 hours of call time and 7 days on standby Final Verdict The best headset for any situation has to be Bose Noise Cancelling Headphones 700 (view at Amazon). Due to the sleek style, incredible sound quality, desirable comfort, and top-notch noise-canceling ability, you won’t want to take them off even after using them through a day at work. If you just need a super light and portable headset for minimalistic communication, though, the Jabra Talk 55 might be a better option (view at Jabra). What To Look for in a Headset Bluetooth If you want to use your headset with your phone, the headset needs to have Bluetooth capability. Bluetooth will allow you to hook it up to just about any device quickly and easily, and even if your headset has a 3.5-millimeter or USB cable, having Bluetooth as well gives any headset an extra boost in terms of compatibility. Durability Hours of daily use take a toll, as do unforeseen accidents. It’s important to look for a headset that won’t fall apart after a month. Look for robust materials, particularly at locations on the headset that are likely to be points of failure, such as joints and the headband. Comfort Just as with the clothing you wear to work, your headset should offer all-day comfort. Look for thick padding on headphones and headbands and for in-ear headsets that come with multiple sizes of tips to help you get the right fit. Also, think about whether you prefer the feel of cloth or leather. Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) Is active noise canceling right for you? Active noise canceling (ANC) can be extremely useful if you need to cut down on distracting noise, but it does have its downsides. ANC works by listening to incoming noise and then outputting a sound pattern that cancels out that noise. It’s important to remember that the sound is still there; you just don’t hear it, so loud noises can still damage your hearing even with ANC. Additionally, you may find that when using ANC, you experience the illusory feeling of pressure in your ears. Should I buy wired or wireless? While ditching annoying wires may seem like a no-brainer, there are good reasons to choose a wired connection for your headset. A wired headset doesn’t need to be charged and works with devices that lack the necessary connectivity. However, a wireless option gives you the flexibility to use anywhere, anytime, if that's a priority. Ideally, you should look for a headset that offers both wired and wireless connection options. What kind of headset is best? If you don’t already know what type of headset you need, consider what you’ll be using it for. If you’re working in an office where you need to communicate with people both on the phone and in person at the same time or if you need to be aware of your surroundings while commuting, then a single earpiece is probably your best option. If you tend to do most or all of your communication via phone or video call, and if you want or need stereo sound, then a headset with a full pair of headphones will be a better choice. Meet the Expert Andy Zahn is a writer specializing in consumer technology. He has accumulated considerable experience testing and reviewing headsets and other technology for Lifewire, including several devices featured in this roundup. Was this page helpful? Thanks for your feedback! Tell us why! Other Submit Sources The Balance uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read our editorial process to learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy. Bose. "Bose Noise Cancelling Headphones 700." BlueParrott. "BlueParrott B450-XT." Bang and Olufsen. "Beoplay H8i." Amazon. "Marshall Mid ANC Active Noise Cancelling On-Ear Wireless Bluetooth Headphone, Black (04092138)." EPOS. "GSP 370." Amazon. "Sennheiser Presence Grey Business (100659) - Dual Connectivity, Single-Sided Bluetooth Wireless Headset for Mobile Devices, Grey." Corsair. "Virtuoso RGB Wireless SE High-Fidelity Gaming Headset — Gunmetal." Jabra. "Talk 55."