Noise Cancelling Headsets for Work & Office

How we test noise cancelling headsets for work

We test what your callers hear. For our blind mic test, we recorded 28 headsets on the same computer, in the same spot, against the same office noise, barking dogs, kids playing and wind, plus a quiet room to judge sound quality. Readers then voted on the clips without knowing which headset was which. In our crying baby mic test, six headsets faced a crying baby, and our reviews add office noise, barking dogs and a blender. Our picks for office calls in noisy settings are in our 2026 test.

These are listening tests, not lab measurements, so we report what we heard, and you can hear the tests in our review videos. As our guide to noise canceling headset microphones puts it, "No matter what any marketing material says, no noise canceling microphone is perfect to block out 100% of background noise."

What we heard

• Yealink HA64 Pro, the only boom mic headset in our crying baby test: "Microphone sound quality was solid, and the noise cancellation was excellent."
• EPOS Impact 1000, against barking dogs, crying babies, office sounds and a blender in our Impact 1000 review: "The results were spectacular!" Our 2026 test calls it a "Very rich sounding microphone, and excellent noise cancellation."
• Discover D722U, against office noise, barking dogs and a blender in our D712U vs D722U test: "the D722U reduced more of the noise."
• EPOS Impact 860 (Impact 800 series), against open office noise, a crying baby and typing in our Impact 860 review: "In each test, the Impact 860 noise canceling microphone consistently delivered clear and intelligible audio no matter what noise we threw at it."
• Jabra Evolve2 55, against office noise, barking dogs, crying babies and a blender in our Evolve2 55 vs Evolve2 65 test: "The Evolve2 55 also does a very good job at removing background noise".
• Yealink UH46, wired USB, in our UH46 review: "The baby crying sounds were reduced to the point that they were not really heard".
• Jabra Evolve3 85, in the crying baby test: "the sound quality was solid, and the noise canceling was equally solid." See the Jabra Evolve3 series.

Mic noise canceling vs ANC: what your caller hears vs what you hear

Noise cancelling means two different things on a work headset.

• A noise cancelling mic works for your caller. From our guide to ANC vs microphone noise cancellation: "A noise cancelling microphone will remove distracting background noise so your callers hear you, and not those sounds going on around you."
• Active noise cancellation (ANC) works for you. It runs in the ear speakers and lowers the noise you hear. "Active Noise Cancellation is designed to remove background noise so you, the person wearing the headset, can stay focused on your work, or have a better music listening experience."

A common mix-up is thinking ANC keeps noise off your calls. It doesn't. As our over-ear headphone test explains, ANC "has nothing to do with eliminating noise for the far end. That requires a noise canceling microphone, which isn't the function of ANC."

If your room is noisy and you also find it hard to focus, get both. On this page:

• Noise cancelling mic plus ANC: the EPOS Impact 1000 (ANC is an option on the dual-ear model), EPOS Impact 860 (with or without ANC), Jabra Evolve2 55 (ANC is standard) and Yealink HA68 Pro (hybrid ANC).
• Noise cancelling mic without ANC: the Yealink HA64 Pro, Discover D722U and Yealink UH46. The HA68 Pro is the step up from the HA64 Pro: our HA68 Pro review names hybrid ANC and larger, softer ear cushions as "the two key features found on the HA68, that aren't on the HA64".

Ear cushions that cover the whole ear also block noise, with no electronics. Our guide on whether noise cancelling headsets work in an office says: "If noise reduction is your primary goal, then you should search for a model that has ear speakers that completely covers the ear." The Discover D722U has them, and we make over-ear cushions for the EPOS Impact 860 and Impact 1000.

Wired, Bluetooth or DECT?

Wired USB noise cancelling headsets

If you take your calls at a desk on a computer, wired USB is the simple choice. It costs less than a comparable wireless model, and there is no battery to worry about. Our 2026 wired USB noise test and our comparison of wired headsets for noisy offices cover the options.

• Discover D722U: ear cushions that fully surround the ear, which our comparison credits with "Strong passive noise isolation".
• EPOS Impact 860 (Impact 800 series): with or without ANC, and it "does a fantastic job to reduce other people talking nearby so you're heard clearly, which is perfect for an office environment."
• Yealink UH46: three noise cancelling mics, with USB-C and USB-A connectors in the box.

Bluetooth headsets with a USB dongle

If you also take calls on your mobile, or move around the office, choose a Bluetooth headset that comes with a USB dongle for your computer. Our mic guide says: "we highly recommend using the USB Dongle." Our guide to USB dongle vs direct Bluetooth explains why IT departments often prefer them.

• EPOS Impact 1000: connects to three devices, a computer and two mobile phones, in a Teams or UC version. It uses the same microphone technology as the wired Impact 860, per our $40 vs $250 business headset comparison.
• Jabra Evolve2 55: ANC is standard on the mono and the stereo model, and the Link 380 USB adapter comes pre-paired to the headset.

DECT and Bluetooth for desk phone, computer and mobile

If you also take calls on a desk phone, or walk away from your desk during calls, look at the Yealink HA64 Pro and HA68 Pro. Both have DECT and Bluetooth in the headset: the base connects to your computer and compatible desk phones, and Bluetooth goes with you to your mobile. Both are rated for up to 606 feet of DECT range. Desk phone support varies by phone model, so check our headset compatibility guide or shop wireless headsets for office phones.

Headphones without a boom mic?

If you are shopping for noise cancelling headphones with a microphone, check the mic before you use them for work. In our test of over-ear headphones without boom mics, a crying baby came through on all five while the wearer was talking, and on the Apple AirPods Max in our crying baby test, "the sound of the crying baby could be heard easily". The tester's verdict: "So for me, I personally wouldn't use any of the headphones on this list if I were making important business calls, or a participant on a business video meeting."

Open office, home office or quiet room

How much noise cancelling you need depends on where you work. From our $40 vs $250 comparison: "If you work behind a closed door in a quiet office, having one of the best noise-canceling microphones available might make very little difference to you."

• Open office: "Noise canceling microphones especially struggle when there's other voices talking nearby." Choose a mic that did well against office noise, and add ANC if you need to focus.
• Home office: kids, pets and deliveries. That is why we test against crying babies and barking dogs.
• Quiet private office: our HA68 Pro review notes, "If you work alone in a quiet private office, Active Noise Cancellation is a feature that may not provide much value to you."

One ear or two?

Two ears block more of the room: "Covering both ears is a great way to help with noise reduction." One ear lets you hear your surroundings, which helps if you work closely with coworkers. The Yealink HA64 Pro, EPOS Impact 1000 and Jabra Evolve2 55 come both ways.

Teams or UC?

Several headsets here come in a Microsoft Teams version and a UC version. Our guide to Teams vs UC headsets sums it up: "if you strictly use Microsoft Teams for your voice calls and meetings, go with the Teams version." If you also use Zoom, RingCentral or other call software, choose UC. The HA64 Pro skips the choice: you set Teams or UC on its touchscreen.

Buying noise cancelling headsets for a team

Not everyone on a team needs the same headset. As our $40 vs $250 comparison puts it, "Grouping employees by use case can make more sense than standardizing solely on one model." Start with a volume quote. Enterprise, government, education and healthcare teams can order with purchase orders, tax-exempt status and payment terms. For teams of 10 or more, the Managed Hardware Program covers headsets for one flat monthly fee per seat, quoted for your team, and replacements ship first. Not sure which mic fits your room? Ask our headset advisors.