Noise Cancelling for long flights: Earbuds vs Head Phones

I have thought about this too. I have always brought ear-plugs, but started wondering if maybe headphones would be better at canceling noise. The downside I see to headphones is that if I want to fall asleep, I couldn't lay my head on its side again the seat...
Curious to hear others thoughts

p.s. I also have an eye mask, and inflatable neck pillow, both from seatosummit

Definitely recommend noise-canceling headphones for longer flights. They may not be as flexible as earbuds, but blocking out that engine drone and surrounding activity more than makes up for it, in my experience.

Thanks Matt - Just to be clear, the earbuds would be noise-cancelling as well, so they should be doing the same function as the head phones but just more flexible.

If earbuds don't bother you and they are noise cancelling, I would think they would be more convenient for use on the plane and throughout your trip. I have noise cancelling over the ear headphones because earbuds drive my ears insane! If they didn't, I'd use good ear buds for the above stated reason.

I use the earbuds .They do a decent job of reducing noise ( the airplane , restive children , etc. ) Most importantly , they weigh nothing and take no room in my travel kit . Packing light , both as far as weight and bulk , is of paramount importance for me .

I’ve used both. The headphones did a better job of noise canceling, but were too uncomfortable for me when trying to sleep. Now, I use ear buds and they’re very comfortable to me. Mine came with three sizes of ear inserts (whatever you call them) and it was critical to find the best fit for the noise canceling feature. The buds take far less space, which is a big positive for me.

I have the Bose Quiet Comfort 20 earbuds. They are excellent at reducing the constant engine hum in airplanes, and they muffle conversation, but don't do much to block one-off noises like bangs, engine explosions, gunfire, coughing, etc.

Seriously, I doubt they work as well as around-the-ear headphones, but I don't want to carry headphones around with me on my travels. These weigh virtually nothing and take up virtually no space. For me it's a case where good enough is good enough.

I just went through this on my last flight to Mexico. Couldn't hear the on-board movie because of all the ambient noise unless I turned the volume up all the way. I thought I had a good set of earbuds, but . ... So I started looking at noise cancelling. All research led to the Bose, both earbuds and headphones. I wanted earbuds for ease of packing, sleeping etc, but the cost was keeping me away. So I looked at many others, but for one reason or another, they didn't appeal to me. Too large of a battery compartment, wires too short, weight etc. and all reviews kept pushing me toward the Bose. But the cost, and the non replaceable battery, and that I would probably only be using them on one or two flights a year didn't make me feel they were worth it. So a chance discussion with my son, a drummer, suggested ear monitors designed for musicians. He said they are made purposefully to cut out ambient noise but provide a great music signal, and best of all, are quite inexpensive. For about a $100, I picked up some Fender ones (Shures are another highly regarded brand), and they work quite well. They don't block out all noise, but most. If I'm watching TV, I can still make out talk, but if I plug my phone in and keep it at the lowest volume, everything disappears. And they are comfortable.

I have tinnitus really bad and I am paranoid about my hearing. I used the Bose Quiet Comfort 15 headphones for many years. I then upgraded to the Bose Quiet Comfort 35 headphones, which I used for a year and a half. Both worked very well with the only problems being eventually my ears would begin to sweat and the pressure on my head would build during long flights, necessitating removing them periodically for a short time. Not really a big deal. They also messed up my hair. :)

Last December, for a trip to London, I decided to try the Bose Quiet Comfort 20 ear buds. I took both my QC-35 headphones and QC-20 ear buds for testing and WOW! I will admit my ears are old but I really could not tell the difference in noise cancelling performance. I had zero discomfort of any kind with the QC-20 ear buds and they worked fine for standalone use, with my Samsung Note 8 smartphone, and with my Apple IPad. The QC-20’s are now my go-to noise cancelling device, which I have used on several US flights since then and will be using on a flight to Rome next month.

They make two versions, one for androids and one for Apple products. I purchased the one for android products, which worked fine with my IPad. I understand the Apple version has some additional controls specific to Apple products and may not work as well with other products. Battery life was great. I flew 3 ½ hours from Anchorage to Seattle and 9 hours from Seattle to London and still had battery power left. I bought them from an official Bose dealer so I had a 30 days money back guarantee to try them out.

Hope this helps!

In the past, say 20 years ago, I used the inflated neck pillow. It was all right but found out that I could do without it, ie still sleep without it, so I stopped using it. I sleep anyway on a transatlantic 10-11 hr non-stop flight, be it 2hrs or almost 7 hrs, never used the ear buds let alone head phones, basically don't need it.

I can (and do) sleep almost anywhere, but I find my $40 Sony noise-canceling earphones make it SO much easier on long flights. Can't use earbuds because I already have a hearing aid, but the headphones fold up nicely in my Euro tote.

I've tried both, and for me the earbuds work better when I'm sleeping. The headphones mean I can't turn my head on my side, and I almost always turn my head one way or the other when I sleep.

I have seen plenty of people sleep with headphones, though.

As far as quality goes, I have both Bose headphones and earbuds. I have used both when traveling. They are both excellent as far as sound quality goes. So I'd go with a brand and style that works for your ears, budget and sleep style.

A few years ago, I got folding head phones that are pretty compact, then a couple years later I got earbuds. For a really long flight, I take both - otherwise just the earbuds. For some reason, after a few hours, my ears start hurting with either one, so I alternate. I find the earbuds are better for sleeping. Both are good for the in-flight entertainment too.

I wouldn't worry too much about the sound quality - there's so much other noise. But as far as the noise-reduction, I find both are equally good, not just for engine noise but also for people noise, even tiny people noise.

I use earbuds but they don't stop noise pretty well, except when I volume up music, which is not good for the ears. You'd better buy a good headphone, use the Bluetooth one if you don't want the mess with cables.

Thanks everyone for the great advice and feedback. I think I will try out the Bose QC20 earbuds. Seems like it does a great job of blocking out the noise (even if not 100% as good as head phones), lightweight, and better for head positioning in my case.

I have both. The headphones are better at reducing noise and giving better sound. The problem is they are too big for my very light packing so I don't take them on trips. The earbuds are a little larger than regular earbuds. They have a slightly larger than AAA battery size noise reducer. They aren't as effective as the headphones but they aren't bad and the weight and bulk means I don't worry about adding them to my bag.

Pro tip on the inflatable neck pillow. You don't have to fully inflate them. Think of them like a sleep number mattress. Find the inflation level that's most comfortable for you, then turn them 90 degrees so you have something under your chin.

I have the Bose QC20 and think it's one of the best investments I've ever made. I usually don't like earbuds but find these very comfortable. I can wear them for hours at a time without a problem. They do a great job and I can easily hear whatever I am either listening to or watching without that constant din of engine noise in the background. They're not cheap but worth every penny.

I've tried both as well and my one complaint about my Bose is that the headphones make my head hot...like wearing a hat would. So lately I've been using the ear buds more on longer flights.

my one complaint about my Bose is that the headphones make my head hot...like wearing a hat would.

I've experienced the same thing. I thought that was just a me complaint!

Jeff: do a search for forum posts on SleepPhones. By far the best solution IMO.

cgichard, SleepPhones do look nice and comfortable, but don't have any noise-canceling feature as far as I can tell.

The best noise cancelling strategy? Buy a ticket that sits you in the Upper deck of the 747 or A380. Most of the noise comes from the 280 other people. The engine drone actually helps me sleep. It's when it stops that I wake up...