The best headphones for working from home in 2025

Budget

First of all, you’ll want to figure out how much you’re willing to spend on a new pair of wireless headphones. The quality of value headphones continues to improve, so you can find decent headphones and earphones for under $100. Premium models that offer better build quality and performance cost $200 or more, sometimes more.

Boom mic or not?

When a headset has a boom mic, it technically becomes what we describe as a “headphone”. While many consumer headphones work well for taking calls, having an extended microphone that sits closer to your mouth can improve how well your voice is picked up and sound clearer. When pulled back, some boom mics will mute the headphones so people can’t hear you. Some boom mics now have mute buttons. This is an important feature for video calls where you want to mute and unmute yourself easily. The downside to a boom mic is that it makes you look like you’re wearing headphones instead of headphones. This is a bit of a factor if you plan to wear anything you buy outside of your home or office.

Fit aka comfort

The most important thing is that the headphones or earphones you buy fit your head well. They should offer a comfortable fit, but not too tight. Ideally, you want a pair of headphones that you can wear throughout the day with minimal interruptions.

Continuity

You want headphones that last well over time, so look for models we’ve noted have solid build quality.

Return policy

It’s very important that you buy your headphones from a retailer with a good return policy, in case you have buyer’s remorse. Some people who have trouble deciding between the two models sometimes buy both, try them out for a few days, and then return one.