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If you make one upgrade to how you fly, make it this one. Not a better seat, not a fancy pillow — a good pair of noise-cancelling headphones. They do more to change how you feel on arrival than almost anything else you can carry.
Why engine noise is the real enemy
The thing that wears you down on a plane isn’t just the crying baby or the chatty neighbour — it’s the constant, low-frequency drone of the engines. You stop consciously hearing it within minutes, but your nervous system doesn’t. Hours of it produce a specific, grinding fatigue that’s a big part of why you step off a long flight feeling hollowed out.
Active noise cancelling attacks exactly that low, steady rumble. Switch it on and the cabin doesn’t just get quieter — it gets calmer. You can hear a film at a normal volume, actually sleep, and land feeling closer to human.
The pick: Sony WH-1000XM5
We fly with the Sony WH-1000XM5, and it’s the pair we recommend without hesitation:
- Best-in-class cancellation — it eats engine drone better than almost anything on the market.
- Comfortable for a full flight — light clamp, soft pads, no fatigue over ten hours.
- Battery that outlasts the longest routes — roughly 30 hours, plus a quick charge for hours more.
- Comes with a cable so you can plug into the seatback screen or run them passively if the battery ever dies.
It’s a genuine investment, but it’s one you’ll use on every flight, every commute, and every noisy café for years. Cost-per-hour, it’s one of the best things in our bag.
What to look for if you’re comparing
Not everyone wants over-ear, and that’s fine. When you compare options, weigh these in order:
- Cancellation quality — the whole point; read reviews specifically about flights.
- Battery life — 25+ hours so a charge survives a long-haul day.
- Comfort over hours — clamp force and pad softness matter more than any feature.
- A wired option — for seatback screens, which are still wired.
- Packability — earbuds win here if bag space is tight.
The cabin you’re stuck in for ten hours is largely a noise problem. Solve the noise and you’ve solved most of the flight.
Pair them with the rest of the under-seat comfort kit — eye mask, layer, water — from our guide to what to pack for a long-haul flight, and build the sleep schedule to use them on with our free Jet-Lag Planner. Everything else we travel with is in The Edit.
Frequently asked
Are noise-cancelling headphones worth it for flying?
For frequent or long-haul flyers, absolutely. Constant engine drone is low-frequency noise that causes fatigue even when you don't consciously notice it — active noise cancelling removes most of it, so you arrive less wrecked. It also lets you actually hear a film or podcast at a sane volume. It's the most-recommended single comfort upgrade for a reason.
Over-ear or earbuds for a long flight?
Over-ear headphones cancel low-frequency engine noise best and are more comfortable for a full flight, but they're bulkier in your bag. Noise-cancelling earbuds are far more packable and fine for shorter hops. For long-haul, most travellers prefer over-ear for the comfort and the deeper cancellation.
Can I use wireless headphones with the seatback screen?
Not directly — most in-flight entertainment systems still use a wired jack. Either bring a short 3.5mm cable (many good headphones include one and can run passively) or a small Bluetooth-to-jack transmitter that pairs your wireless headphones with the seatback screen. Pack whichever your headphones need.
How much battery life do I need for a long-haul flight?
Look for 25+ hours of playback with noise cancelling on, so a single charge survives a long-haul flight plus the airport time either side without anxiety. The best over-ear models comfortably exceed that, and a quick top-up gives hours more.
This guide is general information from the PoshReady editors, not professional, medical, or financial advice. For health decisions — including anything involving medication or supplements — consult a qualified professional.