The best headphones for teachers offer a way to hear clearly and communicate more effectively for in-class use, remote learning, and for hybrid teaching. Get the right pair of headphones and they can even be useful outside of school for listening to music, watching videos on your smartphone, and more.
A crucial consideration when picking the best headphones for teachers is microphone pick-up. Since you'll likely be using these to record your voice, perhaps for a class presentation or in chat over Zoom, clarity is key. Headphones with multiple microphones are able to pick up your voice with the most realistic clarity. These are also, in many cases, able to recognize and cancel out background noise, leading to the best possible audio no matter where you find yourself.
Other features you may wish to think about include connectivity -- do you want to save money with a wired connection or go for wider connectivity with Bluetooth headphones? How long does the battery need to last as larger, and often comfier over-ear headphones, can go more than 24 hours on a charge with ease.
All these are more factors are taken into consideration so here are only the very best headphones for teachers, with special skills clearly stated, to help you find the ideal pick.
The Sony WH-1000XM4 active noise cancelling over-ear wireless headphones are simply the best headphones for teachers -- or anyone for that matter. These do it all, and to the very highest standard. As such, these are more expensive than most but if you want the best then they will more than satisfy.
Not only are these light and comfortable, with an impressive 30-hour battery life, but they're also super powered when it comes to active noise cancellation. From being on public transport to driving to sitting in a room full of talking students -- these headphones will leave you feeling like you're in a silent space. And thanks to five smart microphones, anyone on the other end of a call, or hearing your video recording, will also think you're in a silent space.
Sony also uses DSEE Extreme upscaling so what you hear is super rich and clear, no matter the quality of the incoming feed. Other features -- such as auto pause when you take off these, pair to multiple devices, and support for Sony 360 Reality Audio -- all make these one of the best headphones options on the planet right now.
2. 1More Triple Driver In-Ear Headphone: Best value in-ear for teaching
The 1More Triple Driver In-Ear Headphones offer a great way to get powerful and clear audio without breaking your budget. Despite these being relatively low-priced this set actually packs in triple drivers so the resulting audio performance you get is superb. From listening to music to having phone conversations, these do a fantastic job of creating a realistic reproduction of audio.
Tuned by Grammy award-winning sound engineer Luca Bernard, these really do punch way above their price point when it comes to quality. And that applies to the microphone too, which allows you to use these to record audio on videos, hold video calls, and more.
Ergonomic tips, in various sizes, make these are comfortable for various ear types, while the use of a wired connection means no worries about recharging. The remote does feel a bit plastic, which could be somewhere money was saved to pass on that low price to you. Despite this, it all feels solid enough to last for the longer term even with daily use.
3. Plantronics BackBeat Go 810: Best affordable wireless headphones for teaching
This Plantronics BackBeat Go 810 headphones give you the best of a few worlds, including the comfort of over-ears as well as the quality of active noise cancelling. Crucially, these manage to do all that, and more, while keeping the price relatively low.
To be clear, these are great for in-class use, remote learning, presentation recording, calls, and more -- but also good enough for personal use to listen to music, game, watch movies, and more. And these can keep doing all that for a long time thanks to an impressive 24-hour battery life on a charge.
The comfy ear pads also make that longer life use a realistic option without the worry of discomfort. Plus, as a brand built on smartphone earpieces, you can rely on microphone quality pick-up to be at a level that will mean anyone listening to your recordings will hear you very clearly.
4. Lypertek Tevi: Best truly wireless earbuds for teaching
The Lypertek Tevi earbuds give you a totally wireless experience, with individual ear buds that pop into each ear for light, comfy, and portable headphones. That makes these very subtle, great for video calls, but also super portable so you can take them between classes all day.
These earbuds come with a charging case so each time you pop them back into the pocket-friendly sized housing, they recharge. So all-in you should get a massive 70 hours of use before needing to charge the case again. The battery on the buds themselves tops out at 10 hours, which is still plenty to last a day of use before charging quickly via USB-C.
Microphones make video chat clear as well as phone calls, although there isn't active noise cancellation here so expect to hear what's around you. That said, the buds fit well and do a good job of passive noise cancellation for listening, only the microphone may pick up more background noise for anyone listening at the other end of calls.
With onboard waterproofing, these are tough enough to handle a trip out in the rain as well as sweating, allowing you to use these for exercise too.
5. Sony WH-CH510: Best value on-ear headphones for teaching
The Sony WH-CH510 on-ear headphones offer a comfy experience with that Sony top-end brand quality but without the high-end price. As such, you can make a saving on premium quality audio, fit, and comfort with these teacher-friendly headphones.
That quality means these are great for listening to music, video, and other recordings with clarity. These also pack in wireless connectivity so you should be able to connect these to most devices using Bluetooth. Yes, you will need to charge these, but thanks to USB-C connectivity, that is a fast process. Plus, these last a massive 35 hours so a top-up should be rare.
The build is more plastic than higher-end Sony products yet these still feel solid. Note these are on-ear, not over-ear, so they have smaller cups that can be a little less comfortable and noise cancelling than others. Maybe worth trying these on in a store before you decide to buy.
6. Apple AirPods Pro: Best for Apple fans teaching
The Apple AirPods Pro 2 are the latest generation of the company's premium earbud offering. As such, you get active noise cancelling and long battery life with all the smart connectivity extras you can expect from Apple.
For the high price you get some beautifully designed earbuds with a charging case that gets you a massive 30 hours on a charge of the case, and six hours for the buds themselves.
These are perfect if you use an iPhone, iPad, or Mac – but also work with other brands using Bluetooth connectivity. The size and design is subtle, making them great for video calls, voice calls, video recording, and more, including listening to music and even exercising thanks to IPX4 water resistance.
7. EarFun Air Pro 3: Best affordable wireless ANC earbuds
The EarFun Air Pro 3 somehow manage to keep the price low while cramming in loads of premium features. First up, these offer active noise cancelling using a 6-microphone array that makes for super-clear call quality as well as video recording, no matter your recording environment.
These are also totally wireless with small buds that fit comfortably in your ears, and last a massive nine hours before going back into the case to charge for a total battery life of 45 hours. A 10-minute charge in the case gets you two hours of use, so these really do just keep going as long as you need.
Pair with most devices using Bluetooth 5.3 with LE and aptX support, making these a rare offering that delivers very high-quality audio -- ideal for music, video, calls, and more. They're also IPX5 sweat- and water-resistant, great for sports use as you need.
