‘I’ve been on four flights in two weeks and these are the headphones I swear by to block out the noise’
Updated
In the past few weeks alone, I’ve been on a long-haul flight from Sydney to London and then London to Ibiza, Ibiza to Copenhagen, and finally back to London (I’m trying not to think about the final leg back to Sydney).
As fun as it sounds, we all know how stressful and tedious flying can be. There are times when you’re begging your body to sleep, but your mind is kept awake by the constant rumbling of the engines, babies crying, or your neighbours having a particularly loud conversation.
However, to block all that out, there’s one set of headphones I’d recommend over and over again – and that’s the AirPods Pro 3 Wireless Earbuds.
AirPods Pro 3 Wireless Earbuds at a glance…
AirPods Pro 3 Wireless Earbuds Apple
The Apple AirPods Pro 3 are one of the best pairs of headphones on the market. They excel for travelling thanks to their powerful active noise cancellation, long battery life, and compact, comfortable design.
Key features:
Stellar ANC: The active noise cancellation technology is twice as powerful as previous AirPods 2 models. Plus, the new foam-infused tips create a lighter acoustic seal in your ear, meaning you can block more passive noise out without trying.
Adaptive audio: The AirPods automatically adjust their volume to the environment so you can listen to your media when flying or on land at safer volumes.
Longevity: They last for up to eight hours in noise-cancelling mode, which has you covered for the majority of any long-haul flight if you’re listening back-to-back.
Comfort: When wearing headphones for extended periods of time, you’re likely to experience an ache around the ears. These come with redesigned shapes and multiple tip sizes to help alleviate discomfort.
The Apple AirPods Pro 3 also help to block out the hustle and bustle of London. Supplied
What I liked about them:
I’m someone who values complete and utter silence; I find extra and unnecessary noise really jarring. These are perfect for me, as when the plane starts to take off and the engine noise really kicks in, in noise-cancellation mode, these AirPods suck all the background noise right out of my ears. You can actually feel it happen; it’s crazy. But in a good way.
They also offer immense comfort solutions for travel-induced sticking points. Through integrated vents that dynamically equalise cabin pressure changes, they offer pressure relief during takeoff and landing, alleviating the dreaded ear-pop. Plus, with optimised weight distribution closer to the ear canal, they reduce soreness and irritation on long-haul flights.
Whether I was 30,000ft in the sky or cruising (or queueing) through airport security, I was able to use the Conversational Awareness mode when speaking to gate agents or attendants, which automatically lowers audio volume when I was talking to someone.
Plus, the AirPods Pro 3 provide loud noise protection by utilising the Apple H2 Chip, reducing sudden loud environments like sirens, jet engines, or airport construction.
The AirPods Pro 3 also have the stamina to deliver eight hours of continuous audio on a single charge, so I didn’t actually need to recharge them for quite a while. But if I did, thankfully they have universal charging via standard USB-C cables, allowing me to use my MacBook (or iPad) charging bricks.
And if I wanted to, I could use them for live translation purposes in non-English-speaking countries, which is pretty neat. They have the power to translate spoken foreign languages directly into your ears while displaying text on your iPhone.
Would I recommend them?
Absolutely. Though they might be one of the more pricey options on the market, I think they are worth it. They have withstood multiple flights, beaches, city breaks, nights out, being dropped, and still function to perfection.
Other noise-cancelling options
Beats Studio Pro ANC Over-Ear Wireless Headphones
Beats Studio Pro ANC Over-Ear Wireless Headphones Beats
Bose QuietComfort SC Wireless Noise Cancelling Headphones
Bose QuietComfort SC Wireless Noise Cancelling Headphones Bose
Sony WF-1000X M6 Truly Wireless Noise Cancelling Earbuds
Sony WF-1000X M6 Truly Wireless Noise Cancelling Earbuds Sony
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