Nowadays, many people work remotely and it may remain like that for a while.
As you might have figured out by now, if you work from home, you will need reliable headphones as part of your work tools, especially where you have other people around you that may chatter away on your Zoom calls.
Even if you stay alone, it may be unwise to rely on your laptop speakers for calls given that most built-in speakers are incapable of delivering a good sound experience.
Getting a good pair of headphones will not only isolate you from background noise and other disruptive forces, but it will also provide you with an extra bit of comfort and flexibility.
In this article, I have included the 10 best headphones that are suitable and optimized for Zoom Calls.
Best Headphones for Zoom Calls
1. Bose Noise Canceling Headphones 700
This new headphone is a good example of when a company listens to what their target audience says they want and creates a product that meets expectations.
The best part about it is the new and elegant design. This design is a step up from previous Bose versions and it is a pretty unique look.
There are no obvious hinges on the new Bose 700, so it is just two bare ear cups attached to the headband, and you have all the freedom to move them around as it gives you complete flexibility.
The adjustability for height is made with the aid of smooth slides instead of the click you usually get from almost every other headphone.
The additional features on these headphones are to reclaim the number one spot from the other headphones that have been coming with many innovations that surpassed previous versions of the Bose headphones.
The Bose also has the USB Type-C for fast charging and you can connect to two USBs simultaneously, which means that you can swap back and forth for any reason.
You can control your media by swiping or double-tapping on the touchPad that is affixed on the side of the headphone.
This device has three physical buttons: The power/Bluetooth button, a Google Assistant button, and a noise cancelation button.
You can check how much battery life you have left on the Bose Music app and you can also regulate the noise cancelation with the maximum level being 10.
These headphones can last for up to 20 hours, so you can enjoy your Zoom meetings for almost a full day without worrying about recharging your headset.
Also Read: Best Backgrounds For Zoom Calls
2. Apple AirPod Pro
Apple quietly dropped the new AirPods Pro in October 2019 and they are pretty high-end, so they definitely sound great and can compete with other high-end headphones.
First, the new designs are smaller and they have a shorter stem. This new design is more reasonable looking and compact than previous versions.
They come in a glossy white color and are water-resistant thanks to their IPX4 rating. This means that they are also sweat-resistant and fortified against light rain for when you go outdoors.
They come in three different sizes of rubber tips. They will automatically connect to your phone when in proximity and when you open the case because of the presence of H1 chips.
There’s a short tutorial on how to use the headphones, especially the media controls, text-to-speech messages, and, noise-canceling to give you the ultimate Zoom meeting experience.
The AirPods Pro noise cancelation feature doesn’t just rely on the isolation that the earbud makes when they make a seal over your ears. It also uses the mic to bounce back unwanted external sounds.
The noise cancelation is pretty decent and about on par with headphones such as the Beats Solo Pro. As far as noise-canceling earbuds go, the AirPods Pro is the best I have come across.
They have passages on the side that let you hear some background sounds so that you don’t feel completely isolated when you put them on.
It has a transparency mode that enables you to turn on the noise cancelation in different ways. You can flip it on in the quick settings or squeeze the pressure-sensitive stem and it will be activated.
The AirPods Pro still has wireless charging like the previous version with quick charging, and it gives you up to 34 hours of total battery life, so you can have your Zoom meetings for an entire day and still have at least 10 hours of battery life the next day before needing a recharge.
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3. Sony WH-1000XM4
The Sony WH-1000XM4 looks almost identical to the Mark III’s from the last generation, which is fine because there are really no complaints with those.
For the M4, Sony smartly took the “if it ain’t broke, don’t fix it” approach and addressed all the little requests that people had with the M3 generation.
One improvement in the new Sony Mark is the multiple device support. So the Mark IV can pair up with more than one device at once.
This can come in handy as it can be very convenient to be able to pair your computer and phone to your headphones at the same time.
It is a better experience than going into Bluetooth settings to unpair and then re-pair manually every time.
Sony has also made the noise cancelation better on the M4’s than on the Mark III’s.
The Mark IV sounds incredible and is super clean. It is full of all the noise cancelation features as the M3, but the newer version also cancels noise of some higher frequency too.
The M3 was always great at dealing with low-frequency sounds such as airplanes and trains, but the M4 takes it up a notch and addresses noise from sources such as dishwashers, cars, and even people’s voices, which makes it a powerful choice for Zoom meetings.
You may not be able to tell the difference immediately between the M3 and M4, especially in terms of noise cancelation until you notice its effectiveness in tackling high-frequency noise such as keyboard clicks.
Sony made a couple of physical adjustments to the M4 headphones too. The cushions are 10% larger and they have proximity sensors inside the ear cups for wear detection.
The Mark IV also has a better mic pattern with five microphones for better call quality and voice recognition.
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4. Jabra Elite 45H
The Jabra Elite 45H is the perfect example of a headphone with solid noise cancelation, incredible battery life, and yet very affordable.
This headset is elegant and when it comes to decent headphones for Zoom Meetings and other teleconferencing applications, the Jabra 45H is definitely a contender.
Like most headphones with the same price range, the Elites are constructed from plastic.
If you get a close-up look at the headphones, you might notice some familiar design elements, but regardless, they look absolutely fine, especially from a distance.
It comes in a straightforward design, and you certainly cannot fault the construction on it. The headphones can withstand punishments and all kinds of twists and bendings.
While they are not completely water-resistant, they can do absolutely fine under light showers.
You can buy the Jabre Elite in a couple of different colors, but the most popular colors you will find are black, navy, or beige.
While most headphones opt for a cup design that completely envelopes the ear, the Jabre Elite 45H just perch lightly on top of your ears instead.
Of course, this type of design offers many advantages, but most notable is that you will be more aware of what is going on around you.
Although you can still hear what is happening around you because of the design, it takes nothing away from its audibility.
They are comfortable to wear even for hours at a stretch, as they don’t press too hard on your ears because of the wide design and the generous amount of padding by the eardrums.
The connectivity is made possible via Bluetooth 5.0 and the headphones can connect to smartphones and computers easily with no bother.
The media controls are well arranged around the right cup in the form of various push buttons which are mostly multifunctional.
Also Read: Best Chromebooks For Zoom Meetings
5. Jabra Elite 75T
The Jabra Elite 75T is one of the best Bluetooth headphones you will ever come across.
They are pleasingly comfortable when you shove them in your ears. They are fairly compact, subtle, and do not stick out.
You will get a selection of sizes for the little silicone rubber tips so you can put on the one that feels most comfortable for you.
They fit in nice and snug and will hardly fall out even if you are in motion, which makes them perfect for you on the go.
If you are the type to get on long Zoom meetings with colleagues, then these headphones will suit you well as they are super comfortable to wear for hours without suffering from an earache or any sort of discomfort.
You can pair them with your Android or iOS devices nice and simple and once they have been connected before, you can immediately reconnect as soon as you pull them out of the case.
The Jabra Elite 75T has a sublime sound quality that slaps hard.
You can download the free Jabra mobile app from the Google Playstore and the Apple store. There you can experiment with the audio output which has several customizable presets.
While the Jabra Elite 75T does not have an active noise canceling feature as you would find in the AirPods Pro, the noise isolation is so good that you probably don’t need any special cancelation feature.
It blocks out the entire outside world, so you don’t have to worry about background distractions when you are having your meetings, whether at home or on the train.
In fact, because the noise isolation feature is so good, Jabra created a hear-through feature so that you can hear what is going on around you whenever you want to.
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6. Apple AirPods Max
The AirPods Max is another high-end Apple product that has unique features.
When Apple pushes a new product to the market at the first attempt, they usually bring something that is difficult to compare to the other players. They tend to focus on characteristics and features that are lacking in other brands.
With the AirPods Max, they focused on design. It does not look like the standard pair of headphones.
When you compare them to other noise cancelation headphones, the Apple Max looks distinctly different, and you can get them in different colored ear cups, and the ability to customize the different colors of ear cushions.
The AirPods Max has a lot of metal in its construction and most of the similar headphones on this list pale in comparison to it in build quality.
It has two control components: one button for turning active noise cancellation on and off and a jog dial which is like the crown on the Apple watch.
The battery of these headphones can last up to 20 hours, so you can stay on your Zoom Meetings for almost the entire day before having to recharge.
In terms of noise cancellation capabilities, the AirPods Max is very similar to Sony’s Mark IV. They are known to be good at removing background voices or sounds that are less consistent such as a kid playing in the background.
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7. Jabra Evolve2 30
The Jabra Evolve2 30 was recently released in 2021.
They are battery-free headsets which means that they do not support Bluetooth, so they use a USB-A or USB-C connector.
It comes in a sleek package that looks like a bag and contains quite a bit of information about the headphones.
These headphones work perfectly with Zoom meetings, Microsoft Teams, or Skype sessions, and a whole lot of teleconferencing applications.
You will be able to download the Jabra Direct app onto your computer which would help you update the headphones.
They have a stress-free type of headband and you will see that there’s a slight bit of memory foam, plus the headband is adjustable.
You will also have the ability to move the mic up and down, and set it in the right place.
When you wear it, the cups are going to be on your ear model, so they will not cover the entire ear, but they are going to rest right on top of it.
You will not experience any heat or fatigue when you put on the headphones because they are so light.
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8. Shure Aonic 50
The Shure Aonic 50 has excellent sound quality and is beautiful looking. They were among the top premium headphones that were launched in 2020.
Shure has been around for many years and they are leaders in the audio industry. This headphone is a culmination of that experience and their dedication to improving their customers’ experience.
The headphones have a luxurious feel to them. It usually comes in brown leather and it is adjustable depending on your head size.
It has lovely memory foam-like padding which you can remove to be washed, and you can also move them around freely without causing any damage.
The Shure Aonic 50 includes a USB-C socket, so the headphones will go from empty to full within two hours of charging and the socket also doubles as a data port.
The control also features a power on and off, noise cancellation, and Bluetooth pairing.
It also comes with a headphone jack that accommodates between 2.5 to 3.5-millimeter cables, so that you can plug and use your headphones and still have your Zoom meetings when they are not charged.
If you want to go full-on Bluetooth mode, simply hold the power button to initiate the pairing process and you can connect any device that you want to.
It has an E and C slider that has three different settings. There you will find the active noise cancellation feature, the regular E and C on and off button, and an awareness feature.
The audio quality is absolutely superb and enhances the finest details of whatever you are listening to.
9. Jabra 85H
The Jabra 85H is an active noise canceling headphone.
It has an impressive look and was built with fabric all around.
It is rain resistant thanks to the Nana coding on the internal component. However, the fabric retains water, so you will have to wait until it dries up before putting it back on.
This headphone is perfect for you if you take your Zoom meetings while commuting, so if you ever get caught up in the rain, you will have one less thing to worry about.
Its arms are resistant and friction-based, so it doesn’t make the usual click sound when you adjust it over your head.
Their ear cups are replaceable, so you will not have any problem taking them out if you grow tired of them.
It is relatively heavy, however; the designers did a fantastic job in distributing the weight, so you will never feel sore even after several hours of wearing it.
The button on the left ear cup enables you to circle through three options of the amount of land that you want to let in after each click.
The first click simply helps with passive noise isolation.
On the other hand, the second click allows you to pump in your environment through the built-in microphones, as though you are not wearing headphones at all. The last click is the active noise cancellation feature.
It has a 3.5-millimeter input for physical connection and also has a USB Type-C slot which gives it fast charging.
Typically, a 15-minute charging time can give you up to five hours of meeting time and can last up to 34 hours when fully charged, and that is if the active noise cancellation is on.
10. Epos Adapt 660
The Epos Adapt 660 is perfect for you if you work from home and are constantly being distracted by background noise.
While it is a fairly new brand, the company behind them, De Mont is known for manufacturing some of the best audio technology for the last 100+ years.
It has a very low-key design. It comes in matte black and is lined with active noise cancellation microphones on the back of each cup.
The back of the right ear cup also has invisible capacity touch controls, so you can perform various media functions via touch and swipes.
Also on the right ear cup, you will find a headphone jack and charging port. The Bluetooth pairing button is also located there and blue, making it easy to identify.
The Adapt 660 is very lightweight and comfortable to wear for a long period so you will never get worn down by it even if you take your Zoom Meetings for the entire day.
Conclusion
There are many variables you will want to consider before you commit to a particular headphone for your Zoom Meetings, so our conclusion reflects our particular circumstances.
That being said, our top pick is the Bose 700 because they offer better noise canceling, greater comfort, sound quality, and transparency mode.
