6 things to check before buying wireless headphones

Headphone boxes list dozens of features; six of them decide the purchase. This guide covers those six in order of importance.

Do you actually need noise cancelling?

For planes, trains and open offices, yes. At home or in a quiet room, active noise cancelling eats battery, adds to the price and makes little difference. Decide where you will use them first.

Battery: measured, not printed

The printed battery life is measured with noise cancelling off at medium volume. Expect about two thirds of that in daily use. Fast charging (a few hours from ten minutes) matters more than a long headline number.

Comfort takes more than an hour

On over-ear models clamping force and pad depth decide; on in-ear models it is the tip size. Buy from somewhere with a return window; you will not know before day two.

Codecs and connections

Anything beyond what your phone supports is wasted. Multipoint (laptop and phone at once) is the feature that helps most in everyday life.

Microphone

If you take calls, listen to the microphone sample in reviews; the one recorded on a windy street is the honest one.

Warranty and spare parts

Ear pads wear out in a year. A model with no replacement pads is a one-year headphone with a two-year price.