If you’re looking for a headset to use for work, you need to be looking out for one that is versatile and meets the challenges of working in both an office and home environment.
Since early 2020, when the Covid-19 pandemic started, hundreds of thousands of businesses around the world have gone fully remote – employees were sent home and IT support companies around the world were tasked with helping organisations adapt their infrastructure for remote work. While some businesses returned to the office (or never left it at all), other businesses have permanently gone remote, or else have transitioned over to a hybrid work model – meaning some employees work in the office, and others work from home.
Whether you’re at home or in an office while working, your headset should fit your personal needs and the needs governed by your environment. For example, is your office noisy? Is the street outside your house loud? Do you sit in one place or move around a lot while working?
Below are some of our picks for the best headsets for work in 2022:
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Best Overall: Bose 700 Headphones Wireless
These are arguably one of the best headsets on the market for any usage, and they will certainly be ideal for work. They are very well-built, and feature active noise cancellation (ANC) that allows you to work in near-silence. They also have a continuous battery life of up to 37 hours – which is equal to about four and a half 9-5 shifts. The integrated microphone is also ranked above many competitor models for performance.
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Best Earbuds: Bose QuietComfort Earbuds
If you prefer a more lightweight setup then these true wireless earbuds are ideal. These too have an ANC system that will eliminate background noise in your environment very effectively. The earbuds themselves will last more than 7 hours of active use before needing a recharge; and the case they are stored in provides two additional charges to the earbuds – so that’s around three 9-5 shifts before the case and earbuds need recharging.
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Best for Apple: Apple AirPods Pro
Of course, if you are an Apple ecosystem user, nothing will come close to Apple’s own brand of true wireless earbuds. There are a few different models currently available, but the best are arguably the Apple AirPods Pro model. These feature changeable rubber ear tips that provide better comfort and some passive noise cancellation, on top of their active noise cancellation system (which is highly rated). The AirPod Pro earbuds offer seamless, interchangeable use between iPhone and all the different Mac desktops and laptops.
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Best Budget: Anker Soundcore Life Q20
This is definitely the best budget headset on the market at the moment. It has many of the features you expect from a higher end headset – such as active noise cancellation (great for focusing at work), and noise isolation (great for avoiding bothering people working nearby), and a long continuous battery life (over 32 hours). They also come with a 1/8” TRS cable, meaning even if you run out of batter mid-shift, you can switch to wired usage.
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Best PNC: Beyerdynamic DT 770
One of the downsides of active noise cancellation (ANC) is that your brain perceives the lack of noise as a pressure differential in your ear – in other words, it feels like the cabin pressure you experience in an airplane. Many people find this uncomfortable and therefore can’t use ANC headphones. This headset is built with passive noise cancellation (PNC), meaning the materials and physical design of the headset isolates noise and blocks out environmental sounds.
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Best PNC Earbuds: Anker Soundcore Life Dot 2
If you prefer passive noise cancelling, and want a lightweight solution, these true wireless earbuds are ideal for you. Their noise cancelling capabilities all come from the design components of the earbuds, and will do a good job of blocking out office chatter and other environmental noises of that level. These earbuds also have a 7-hour continuous battery life, and the case offer an impressive 12 additional charges.
