Wireless Headphones

Here at Best Buy, we get lots of questions about all the technology we sell. When it comes to wireless headphones, and Bluetooth headphones we often get folks asking, what are the best wireless headphones, or what are the best in-ear wireless headphones? These are great questions to get you on your journey to choosing just the right pair of headphones.

When it comes to what’s the best; that’s a hard question to give one answer to, since everyone has different headphone preferences. We say, start by choosing a manufacturer you love, and headphones or earbuds that feel comfortable, or that get great ratings on BestBuy.ca.

Do all wireless headphones use Bluetooth?

In short—yes. Because there’s no physical wire connecting your headphones to your phone, tablet, stereo, TV or device, the signal needs to travel from headphones to device via Bluetooth.

How to use wireless headphones

Wireless earphones are, generally speaking, easy to use: put them in your ears, pair them to your device and enjoy!

How do you set up wireless headphones and how do you wear wireless headphones? Most headphones even have a digital voice that will walk you through the steps for pairing and connecting, so it’s ultra-easy. When it comes to how to wear them, that depends on your preferred style of headphones…

Types of wireless headphones

Earbuds & In-ear wireless headphones

As the name suggests,earbuds and in-ear earphones are designed to fit inside your inner ear area, piping great sound, music and podcasts directly into your ear. The advantage of this style is that it often creates a great seal, meaning fewer outside distractions. They’re also small and very portable, as well as discrete.

On-ear wireless headphones

On-ear wireless Bluetooth earphones sit right on your ear. Many folks find them comfortable, and that you’re able to get more sound right into your ear, without jamming something deep into your ear canal.

Over-ear wireless headphones

For those who don’t like things pressing on, or inside their ears, over-ear wireless headphones are a great choice. The thick padding keeps these headphones from pressing on you and becoming potentially uncomfortable. These tend to be the biggest headphones of all, though many do fold flat for travel.

Truly Wireless Headphones

If you’re shopping for wireless headphones, you may see the term “truly wireless headphones”. This means that you’re getting headphones with absolutely no wires whatsoever. This term refers generally to earbuds or in-ear headphones that do not have a band or wire connecting them to each other, a rather common necessity in the early days of wireless Bluetooth headphones when packing enough battery power and audio drivers was all but impossible in something the size of an earplug.

Wireless headphone features: 

Voice Control

Many wireless headphones have support for voice assistants like Siri, Google or Alexa built in. This means you can summon the assistant on your phone without needing to pull it out of your pocket.

Noise Cancelling & Noise Isolation

There’s a difference between Noise Cancelling & Noise Isolation when it comes to wireless Bluetooth headphones.

Noise isolation is the act of physically isolating your ears from outside sound; think fat padding on over-ear headphones, or a great seal on in-ear wireless headphones.

Noise cancellation technology on the other hand uses digital algorithms to listen for outside noise, then block it out by creating a digital mask over that sound bleed. While both can be effective, noise cancelling technology tends to be more expensive, so your budget may determine what you choose.

You’ll probably have other questions as you’re shopping for wireless Bluetooth headphones, like, can you connect wireless headphones to a smart TV? Can you use wireless headphones on XBox One? Or even how do you connect wireless headphones to your laptop? To answer these questions, ask a Best Buy expert in-store, or carefully read the specs online.

Because every headphone is different, some may have exactly these capabilities, while others may not and if these are features that are important to you, you’ll want to shop around.