Apple AirPods Pro

Apple’s AirPods Pro have been hugely popular for use outdoors, but we see plenty of reasons why they could be essential for students in the remote classroom, too. First and foremost, they offer a high-quality option for listening to classes over Zoom or Teams, with Active Noise Cancellation to limit distractions. The AirPods Pro also come with microphones, for picking up the student’s voice during a class. And in addition, the wireless earbuds have a strong reputation for being able to stay in your ears, thanks in part to a design that includes three different silicone ear tips.

Apple’s AirPods Pro are priced at $249.

Bose Noise-Cancelling Headphones 700

Another option, for even higher-quality microphones and noise cancellation, is Bose’s Noise-Cancelling Headphones 700. The over-ear, wireless headphones have improved noise cancellation and voice pickup thanks to an advanced six-microphone array. The Bose Noise-Cancelling Headphones 700 also have a touch-sensitive pad on the right earcup to enable touch commands for volume control, changing the song or starting/stopping a track. The headphones provide an impressive 20 hours of battery life, as well.

The Bose Noise-Cancelling Headphones 700 (in black) are currently priced at $339.95 on Bose’s website.

Jabra Elite 45h

A more-affordable alternative for noise-cancelling headphones is the Jabra Elite 45h. The on-ear headphones feature up to 40 hours of battery life on a charge and solid audio quality thanks to the inclusion of large speakers. The headphones connect wirelessly over Bluetooth and include two microphones, and feature Jabra MySound technology--which leverages medical-grade hearing tests to customize the listening experience for users, based on their own hearing capability.

The Jabra Elite 45h headphones are priced at $99.99 on Amazon.