Working from home during the coronavirus pandemic? Yeah, us too. When we started working from home, we quickly discovered that one of the must-have items for keeping up productivity was a good set of headphones for all those video conferences and conference calls. We also found that the best headphones for making calls weren't necessarily the same ones we used for listening to music.
So, what makes a pair of headphones good for making calls? First, Bluetooth. The best Bluetooth headphones are able to reduce ambient noise even in loud environments (like when you're trying to talk with your boss and your toddler discovers how much noise a spoon and pot make when you bang them together). Sound quality is also imperative, you need to be able to hear people clearly, especially when taking project notes or nailing down the specifics of a contract. As you continue to narrow down what you're looking for, you should also consider ensuring your new headphones have a great battery life, look good and are super comfortable for long calls.
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To that end, we've tested a bunch of Bluetooth headphones specifically for their audio quality during calls. Here are our current top picks for the best Bluetooth headphones for calls. We'll be updating it regularly as we review new products.
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Samsung's Buds Plus look essentially the same as the original Galaxy Buds, but their battery life is rated at 11 hours for music playback (up from 6), and they pack dual drivers for better sound and an additional microphone in each bud to help with external noise reduction while making calls. They're comfortable to wear and also have a feature that allows you to hear your voice in the earbuds while making calls (it's a setting in the app under "advanced").
Previously, these were more geared toward Android users (and Samsung Galaxy smartphone owners in particularly), but now there's an iOS app that gives Apple users most of the same features as Android users.
I was impressed with the sound. It's detailed and smooth, with deep, well-defined bass. The sound is richer and more spacious than that of the original Galaxy Buds.
Read our Samsung Galaxy Buds Plus review.
David Carnoy/CNET
The second-generation Momentum True Wireless 2, available now for preorder and shipping in April, aren't cheap at $300, but they're better all around than the originals, with a slightly smaller, more comfortable design, active noise canceling that rivals that of the AirPod Pro, improved battery life (up to seven hours versus the original's four) and better noise reduction during calls.
Aside from improved call quality (they have a sidetone feature), the Momentum True Wireless 2 have the same stellar sound - for true wireless earbuds, anyway - offering clearly superior sound quality to the AirPods Pro. That makes them arguably the best true wireless earbuds on the market today and earns them a CNET Editors' Choice Award.
These use Bluetooth 5.1 with support for the AAC and AptX codecs (for devices that have AptX like Samsung's Galaxy smartphones).
Read the Sennheiser Momentum True Wireless 2 review.
Sarah Tew/CNET
If you can't afford the AirPods Pro, the Anker Soundcore Liberty Air 2 ($100) are a good alternative and a top model for calls. Like the AirPods Pro, they do a remarkably good job of muffling ambient noise (callers said they could hear me fine even with a lot of street noise around me). While they aren't technically noise-canceling earbuds, they sound nearly as good as those that are, fit comfortably and their noise-isolating design passively seals out a lot of ambient noise. The only thing missing is a sidetone feature so you can hear your voice in the buds.
Sarah Tew/CNET
Believe it or not, you too can be listening to music and audio on glasses. Yes, the Bose Frames ($200) are both sunglasses and headphones - and they sound surprisingly good for sunglasses headphones. What's also impressive about them is how good they are for calls.
The Frames are available in two models: the Rondo and Alto. You can only get them in black for now.
Read our Bose Frames review.
David Carnoy/CNET
While Logitech calls its Zone WIreless a headset, it's really an on ear active noise-canceling headphone with an integrated boom mic. What makes it unique is that you can set it on a Qi wireless charging pad to juice up its battery, which is rated for up to 15 hours of battery life talk time or music listening. The headset also charges via micro-USB.
I found it to be a comfortable fit, especially for an on ear headphone, and it's great for making calls, with a sidetone feature that lets you hear your voice inside the headset so you don't speak too loudly while having conversations. Its only drawback is that the headset sounds just OK for music and audio listening, not great. But if communications is a priority at work, this is a good choice for a headset (it's not really meant to be a mobile headphone though you can walk around with it just fine).
Read the Logitech Zone Wireless hands-on evaluation.
