Best Budget Noise-Cancelling Headphones Under $150: Three Honest Picks

Cheap ANC headphones used to mean cheap-sounding compromises, but the sub-$150 tier now delivers genuinely useful noise cancelling. The catch is that every option trades something away, so the right pick depends on whether you prioritize noise blocking, comfort, or all-day battery. We pulled the consensus from RTINGS, SoundGuys, TechRadar, and What Hi-Fi.

Best overall

Anker Soundcore

Soundcore Space One

Buy it

$ · ~$100

The best all-round ANC value under $100 — if you can live with bass-forward sound.

Pros

• Strong ANC for the price that beats most passive isolation at this tier
• Genuinely comfortable for all-day wear with solid build
• LDAC Hi-Res support and a deep app with EQ and control customization
• Fast charging: ~4 hours of playback from a 5-minute top-up

Cons

• Sound is bass-heavy and unbalanced, with underwhelming mids and highs
• Real-world battery (~26h) fell short of the 40h ANC claim
• Default tuning needs EQ tweaking to sound its best

Best for: Commuters who want the strongest noise cancelling per dollar and will tweak the EQ.

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Sony

Sony WH-CH720N

Buy it

$$ · ~$100–130

The lightest, comfiest pick with real Sony sound, wrapped in cheap-feeling plastic.

Pros

• At 192g, the lightest wireless ANC over-ear RTINGS has tested
• 40+ hours of ANC battery confirmed in independent testing
• Sound quality reviewers consistently rate above its price tier
• Wired and Bluetooth listening plus a usable mic

Cons

• Lightweight plastic build feels toy-like; it flexes and creaks
• ANC is decent but struggles to filter out voices
• No carrying case and the cups don't fold down

Best for: People who wear headphones for hours and value comfort and battery over build feel.

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JLab

JLab JBuds Lux ANC

It depends

$ · ~$80

Astonishing $80 value with USB-C lossless audio, but the ANC and calls are the weak links.

Pros

• Crazy value at ~$80 with USB-C wired/lossless audio and a strong app
• Long battery: ~70h with ANC off, ~40h with ANC on
• Comfortable cloud-foam cushions and foldable design
• Punchy, immersive bass-forward sound

Cons

• Sources disagree on ANC — some praise it, others rate it below average
• Weak, hollow-sounding transparency mode
• Poor call quality; not one to rely on for daily phone calls

Best for: Budget buyers who want wired USB-C audio and long battery and mostly listen to music.

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We'd skip it

Beats

Beats Solo 4

Skip it

$$ · ~$150

The famous name people grab for a 'noise-blocking' commute — but it has no ANC at all.

Pros

• Long 50-hour battery life
• USB-C lossless wired audio, easy Apple/Android pairing

Cons

• No active noise cancelling at all, despite the price
• Weak passive isolation — bus and engine rumble come right through
• On-ear clamp gets uncomfortable on long wear
• Bass-heavy sound with no EQ or presets

Best for: Honestly, most people should skip it — RTINGS calls it overpriced, worth a look only under ~$99 on sale.

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Sub-$150 noise-cancelling headphones have quietly gotten good — good enough that the real question isn’t “are these any good?” but “which compromise can you live with?” Because at this price, every pair gives something up. We compared the three that testers keep recommending, and each one wins a different buyer.

Soundcore Space One — the best all-rounder

If you want the most noise cancelling for your money, this is it. Reviewers agree the Space One’s ANC punches above its ~$100 price, it’s comfortable enough for a full workday, and the app is genuinely deep (LDAC, EQ, custom controls). Two honest caveats: the default sound is bass-heavy and needs an EQ nudge to shine, and independent testing clocked real battery closer to 26 hours than the advertised 40. Neither is a dealbreaker for a commuter who wants quiet. It’s our Buy for most people.

Sony WH-CH720N — buy it for comfort and battery

At 192 grams, this is the lightest ANC over-ear RTINGS has tested, and it shows — you forget you’re wearing them. Battery is a legit 40+ hours (independently confirmed), and the sound is the most balanced of the three. The catch is right there in your hands: the plastic build feels toy-like and creaks, there’s no case, and the cups don’t fold. If comfort and battery matter more to you than premium hardware or the strongest ANC, it’s an easy Buy.

JLab JBuds Lux ANC — incredible value, with asterisks

At around $80 with USB-C lossless audio, a strong app, and up to 70 hours of battery, the JBuds Lux is a genuinely impressive amount of headphone for the money. So why It depends? Because the two things a lot of people buy ANC headphones for are its weak spots: reviewers openly disagree about the noise cancelling (some like it, others call it below-average for the price), and the call quality is poor. If you mostly listen to music and love the wired USB-C option, it’s a steal. If you need reliable ANC or clean calls, look up the list.

The one to skip

We’d steer you away from the Beats Solo 4. People grab it expecting noise cancelling — but it has none, and its passive isolation is weak, so bus and engine rumble come straight through. At around $150 for a plasticky on-ear with mediocre, no-EQ sound, RTINGS calls it overpriced; it’s only worth a look under about $99 on sale. To actually quiet a commute, any of the three picks above does far more for less.

The bottom line

Start with the Soundcore Space One for the best noise cancelling and features per dollar. Pick the Sony WH-CH720N if all-day comfort and battery win out. Grab the JLab JBuds Lux ANC only if wired USB-C audio and long battery matter more to you than ANC and calls.