Bose, Beats or AirPods Pro: Three Pairs of Travel Headphones, and When Each One Comes Out of the Bag
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I own three pairs of noise-cancelling headphones, and I’ve used every one on a plane. My rule of thumb: over-ear for long-haul flights, in-ear for domestic. If I could keep only one, it would be the AirPods Pro 3. Here’s how each pair earns its place, and what the makers say about them.
| Bose QuietComfort (35) | Beats Studio Pro | AirPods Pro 3 | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Type | Over-ear | Over-ear | In-ear |
| Noise cancelling battery | See note below | Up to 24 hours (40 with it off) | Up to 8 hours in the earbuds; up to 24 with the case |
| Quick charge | See note below | 10 minutes gives up to 4 hours | 5 minutes in the case gives about 1 hour |
| Wired option | Cable for wired use | 3.5 mm cable included, plus USB-C lossless | None |
| Comes with a case | Yes | Yes, but you’ll want to upgrade it | Charging case |
| Best for me | Long-haul flights | Long-haul flights, Apple devices | Domestic flights, walks, runs, calls |
Note: my Bose are the QuietComfort 35, about ten years old. Bose now sells the QuietComfort Headphones (2nd Gen), with up to 24 hours of battery with noise cancelling on. I haven’t included numbers for a model I haven’t confirmed.
Bose QuietComfort 35: the pair that changed how I fly
I first saw a pair in first class in the mid-2010s, and I knew I wanted them. I bought a pair, and it changed air travel for me. They block a lot of the engine noise, the sound is excellent, and I can plug them into the seatback screen. They were comfortable on long-haul flights, and they fold neatly into their case. I’ve had them for ten years and they still work.
If you’re buying today: Bose’s current model is the QuietComfort Headphones (2nd Gen). Bose lists up to 24 hours of battery with noise cancelling on, a 15-minute quick charge that gives up to 2.5 hours of listening, Bluetooth 5.4 and connection to two devices at once. It has Quiet, Aware, Immersion and Cinema modes, comes with a carry case, and includes a USB-C to 3.5 mm cable for wired listening. Those are the specs of the current model, not of my old pair.
Beats Studio Pro: a year in
I’ve had the Beats for a year, and they remind me of my Bose. They work smoothly with my Apple devices, and they cost a bit less than the Bose, but I don’t see any drop in quality. The case that comes with the Beats is flimsy compared with the rigid case that came with my Bose, so I bought a generic rigid case for them for better protection.
What Beats says: up to 40 hours with noise cancelling off and up to 24 hours with it on or in Transparency mode. A 10-minute quick charge gives up to 4 hours of playback. A 3.5 mm cable for planes and wired sources is included, and a USB-C connection supports lossless audio. They fold, come with a case and weigh 260 g. They work with iPhone and Android.
AirPods Pro 3: the one I’d keep
These sit neatly in my ears, and for me the noise cancelling is as good as the over-ear pairs. They’re smaller, so there’s less bulk to carry, and they’re my go-to for flights of five hours or less. On my iPhone I can set how much noise cancelling I get: almost none at the gate, so I can hear announcements, and full on the plane.
I’ve used them on long-haul flights too. On a Chicago-to-Rome round trip I left my over-ears at home, so the AirPods carried me through two 10-hour flights.
What Apple says: up to 8 hours of listening per charge with noise cancelling on, and up to 24 hours using the charging case. That’s the number to plan around on a 10-hour flight: bring the case and top up if you need to. The earbuds and case are IP57 rated for dust, sweat and water. There are five ear-tip sizes, from XXS to L. Live Translation needs an iPhone with Apple Intelligence and iOS 26 or later, and Apple lists it as a beta that isn’t available in every region or language. Apple lists no wired option.
The small gadget that makes AirPods work on a plane: Twelve South AirFly Pro 2
I pair my AirPods with a Twelve South AirFly Pro 2. It plugs into the headphone jack of the seatback screen and sends the audio to the AirPods over Bluetooth, so I can watch the in-flight movies wirelessly. It has worked on every airline I’ve tried that has a standard 3.5 mm jack.
What Twelve South says: the battery lasts 25+ hours and it charges over USB-C. Two sets of wireless headphones can pair to it at once, so a couple can share a movie. It supports aptX-HD. Some older planes use a two-prong jack instead. The airline adapter for that comes with Twelve South’s Deluxe model, not with the Pro 2.
How I choose on the day
- Long-haul flight: over-ear (Bose or Beats), when I want the most sound blocked and the longest battery.
- Flight of about five hours or less: AirPods Pro, with the AirFly for movies.
- Walks and runs: I’ve used all three, but I prefer the in-ear AirPods because there’s less sweat build-up.
- Calls, a cafe, anything work-related: all three work well.
If you’re buying just one pair
All three are good, and I’d get one of them before any trip. They also earn their keep at home, on walks and runs, on calls, and in a cafe. If I could only have one, it would be the AirPods Pro 3.
Where to buy
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Sources
- Bose, QuietComfort Headphones (2nd Gen)
- Apple, AirPods Pro 3 technical specifications
- Beats, Studio Pro
- Apple, About charging and playback time (Beats User Guide)
- Twelve South, AirFly Pro 2
