The Best Headsets and Headphones for Your Home Office

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If you work from home, there's a long list of equipment you need to be productive. A quality pair of headphones or a headset belongs on that list thanks to their ability to help you tune out background distractions and focus on the task at hand. PCMag's audio experts have tested a diverse range of headphones and headsets over the decades—everything from noise-cancelling models for audiophiles to gaming headsets that work just as well for video calls. We also adhere to strict review standards, meaning you can trust that manufacturers do not influence our coverage.

Among our top-tested models below, you can find Editors' Choice winners such as the noise-cancelling Bose QuietComfort Ultra Headphones, the corporate-ready Jabra Evolve2 75, and the gamer-friendly SteelSeries Arctis Nova Pro Wireless. It's worth checking out the full reviews for all our picks here and our buying advice for the category. And if you're looking for a more traditional solution for taking calls, check out our list of the best Bluetooth headsets.

Do You Need Headphones or a Gaming Headset?

If you don't need to take many calls but still want to minimize environmental noise, look for noise-cancelling headphones. They use outward-facing microphones to listen for distracting noises and generate waves that cancel them out before they hit your ear. Active noise cancellation (ANC) circuitry adds to the cost but helps muffle noisy pets, kids, roommates, traffic, and construction. These headphones generally don't have boom microphones, so they aren't quite as good for phone calls.

If your job requires you to take a lot of calls, consider a dedicated Bluetooth headset. These devices can be monoaural (for one ear) or stereo (for both ears) and typically feature powerful boom microphones with noise-cancelling circuitry that blocks out everything aside from your voice. The big appeal of these headsets is their microphones, though some also deliver high-quality sound.

Buy a gaming headset if you want a boom mic and excellent sound for a reasonable price. They are available in a wide range of shapes and sizes. Wired models tend to cost less and work well for taking calls on your computer, though Bluetooth entries offer more convenience.

Other Must-Have Devices for Your Home Office Setup

To work from home successfully, you need more than just a pair of headphones. Check out our coverage of all the essential tech for your home office setup.