The best headphones for students

Accidentally dropping a pair of headphones in a pool, or getting them wet during a downpour between classes is definitely not ideal. You're already soaking wet and now your headphones are dead. However, there is a solution with these waterproof earphones from H2O Audio.

For a relatively low price, you'll receive a great pair that are IPX8 rated for 100% waterproofing in heavy sweat, rain, and complete submersion for up to 12 feet of water.

They also come with five high quality earplug tips for you to find the perfect seal for your unique ear shape. The pair was designed to fit comfortably, yet snugly in your ears for long periods of time, so you should feel good about wearing them during a workout or swimming session.

Grado might be a left-field name — they don’t rank quite as highly as Sony or Bose on lists of the best-known headphone brands — but they’ll be familiar to many audiophiles as niche, well-respected sound gurus. Which is why the Grado SR80x come highly recommended in any category.

The Brooklyn-based brand specialises in wired, open-back, on-ear headphones. That goes against current trends, but they deliver a better, naturalistic sound — very much like listening to live music. It's a kind of sound that Bluetooth and closed-cup headphones simply can’t compete against.

With the Grado SR80x, the results are tried and tested. The sound is pretty much flawless: punchy, detailed, and a pleasure to immerse yourself in.

There are drawbacks to this style of headphones, but it’s all down the personal preference. The open-back design leaks sound, both in and out. That makes them best for listening at home, where you can settle down for a serious listening session with your stereo. But that open-back design is part of what gives the sound its spacial, dynamic quality. You won't be disappointed.

The Triple Driver In-Ear Headphones from 1More were designed for the clearest and brightest audio quality at a fraction of the usual price.

Sound engineer and music producer Luca Bignardi finely tuned these in-ear headphones to deliver a precise and accurate audio experience. Each earpiece contains three audio drivers for balanced and deep bass and dynamic tones in a lightweight presentation that’s comfortable to wear for a long period of time. Even the wires are impressive with their "twine-like" look and texture. 

Students will love these in-ear headphones for their sound, style, and compact size, while parents will love them because they are available for under £100.

Beats are known for their high fashion appeal, as well as cutting-edge technology and great audio. Now, Beats come packed with Apple tech — in this case the W1 chip — creating an unparalleled audio and style combo.

The Beats Flex are, beneath all the brand hype, pleasingly simple. The wired design gives you some extra support around the neck, while being both flexible (as the name suggests) and durable. Magnetic buds keep them held together, so you won’t have to untangle the wire every time you dig them out of your pocket.

The 12-hour battery can’t beat over-ear headphones, but it’s competitive in this style. Other features make up for it. You can share your tunes with any other Beats headphones, while the W1 chip pairs with iPhones, iPads, and MacBooks.

Many headphones offer active noise cancellation, but not all go above and beyond with ANC features. That’s why we’ve picked the Sony WH-XB910N.

Their noise cancellation is powered by Dual Noise Sensor technology, which uses two little microphones to detect the ambient sounds around you and automatically adjusts to ensure you receive the best level of noise cancellation at all times. They aren’t the only Sony headphones to use this kind of ANC tech. But these do it at a much lower price than Sony's top-tier offering.

The Sony WH-XB910N don't stop there. They sound great — as Sony usually does — and controls are simple and intuitive. A 30-hour battery life isn’t the best available, but it’s plenty. They should last as long as you need them, whether it's a marathon travel day or 9-5 work calls. As for Android features, they’re equipped with Google Fast Pair and Google Assistant connectivity.

You can’t go wrong with JBL: hard-wearing, great-sounding headphones that perform above their relatively low price point. There’s also something for every style preference. When it comes to on-ear headphones, check out the JBL Live 460 NC — a stellar set of mid-level cans with noise cancellation.

Indeed, the active noise cancellation sets these apart. ANC is much less common with on-ear headphones, so that feels like a huge bonus. Not to mention the fact that JBL's noise cancellation technology is very good for the price.

The noise cancellation is actually adaptive. That means the ANC reacts to external sound and offers different modes, including Ambient Aware — which allows in some noise to keep you aware of your surroundings — plus SpeakThru, which amplifies voices whenever you begin a conversation IRL.

True audiophiles will look elsewhere for something more specialist, but all in all the JBL Live 460NC are as good as you’ll get at a budget price.

Check out our full review of the Sony WH-1000XM5 headphones.

Who it's for:

If you want good ANC, but especially value clear and well-rounded sound, these are your headphones. Whether you really like to blast your music, or just want to hear the lows, highs, and mids of a song, the WH-1000XM5s are the headphones on our list most likely to deliver.

During July's Prime Day, these headphones dropped $100 in price. For Prime Big Deal Days, we're expecting to see at least the same discount.

Why we picked this:

Sony's flagship noise-cancelling headphones produce a balanced sound that let your music shine, while giving you enough ANC to block ambient noise.

Here's what Mashable Deputy Reviews Editor Miller Kern had to say about listening to Brandi Carlile’s “Right on Time” on the XM5 headphones: "The vocals and instruments all got to shine, and the headphones made it feel like I was there in the studio. These are probably the best-sounding headphones I’ve ever tried." That audio quality, combined with their comfort and effective noise cancelling are what earned them a Mashable Choice Award. And if you're intimidated by messing around with an equalizer, the app presets along with the "Find Your Equalizer" feature make it easy to find the sound settings that hit just right.

Their portability factor could be a little better — the ear cups don't fold in — but chances are, you'll want to be listening to them most of the time, anyway. When you are on the go, the microphone is another standout feature. Kern relayed that even on a walk home in New York City, she could hear who she was calling perfectly, and be heard herself without any background noise getting in the way. As an added bonus, they have a battery life that beats the Bose QC Ultras by a good six hours, offering some of the best battery we've seen from premium over-ear headphones.