Zoom is now the most popular voice and video conferencing app with hundreds of millions of users worldwide.
If you’ve hosted or participated in a Zoom meeting before, especially when working from home, you’ve probably struggled a few times with the sound from your laptop or phone.
With headphones, you can lock out the noise around you and focus on the meeting at hand. But, you’ll need a good, clean pair of headphones with the right features that allow you to enjoy clear and crisp audio during your Zoom meeting.
Whether you need to do a conference call or you’re working from home, the best headphones for Zoom meetings will bump up audio quality and help you hear your friends or colleagues clearly.
Sony WH-1000XM4
Sony is a leading electronics brand renowned for its quality products that deliver clear, rich, and detailed sound.
The WH-1000XM4 noise-canceling headphones are lightweight, comfortable for long video calls, and deliver dynamic sound that you need for Zoom meetings.
It has built-in mic, and touch sensor controls to help you play, pause, adjust volume, skip tracks, activate voice assistant, and answer calls. The headphones also come with Bluetooth, can handle lower frequencies, and dig up lots of details.
The WH-1000XM4 pair is ideal for Zoom meetings, but you can also use them to listen to music. Battery life is up to 30 hours, and you can fast charge for ten minutes and get a good 5 hours of playback.
However, the Sony WH-1000XM4 headphones are not waterproof, are pricier than other headphones, and don’t offer aptX support.
Apple Airpods Pro
If you’re all in on the Apple ecosystem, the Apple Airpods Pro are great headphones for Zoom meetings. Not only do they allow you to switch seamlessly between Apple devices, but they also have all the features you need for a great audio experience during your meeting.
The totally-wireless earbuds offer noise-cancellation so you can block any noises within your environment. If you prefer to be alert to your surrounding, you can use the Transparency Mode instead.
Plus, the Airpods Pro earbuds come with different sizes of silicone tips for comfortable fitting, and battery life of up to 24 hours.
A charging case is included so you can charge your earbuds. The built-in mic also allows you to speak during your meeting without struggling with cables or a mouthpiece, and the adaptive equalizer makes for great audio quality.
The main downside with the Airpods Pro is that they’re easy to misplace owing to the small size. The price may not also be favorable for everyone, but you can get a good budget Bluetooth speaker if you prefer, or try other Airpods Pro alternatives you can get for your budget.
Sennheiser Momentum True Wireless 2
Sennheiser’s Momentum True Wireless 2 earbuds are a great alternative for non-Apple users. This pair has impressive features such as customizable touchpad controls built into each bud, and noise-cancelling that allows you to hear responses clearly and loudly.
Plus, the earbuds have Bluetooth, and a 7-hour battery life with 21 hours from the charging case. They’re also lightweight, comfortable, and nicer to use than other headphones for Zoom meetings.
The sound is refined and mature, and the earbuds provide decent voice pickup when you’re in noisy surroundings. This way you can use the earbuds for voice calls and for your video content.
The Sennheiser Momentum True Wireless 2 earbuds are durable, offer enjoyable balanced audio quality and decent battery life. However, the earbuds are relatively pricey compared to other headphones on this list.
Bowers & Wilkins PI3
Bowers & Wilkins PI3 is a set of wireless in-ear headphones that deliver a confident, entertaining sound. The headphones boast a flexible, comfortable neckband with an in-line remote and mic. They also offer support for Android and iOS devices, Bluetooth, and 8 hours of battery life.
The headphones are lightweight, and claim to be resistant to splash, light rain, and sweat even though they’re technically not waterproof. You won’t get as many options for the ear tips as with other headphones in this list, but they’re still comfortable to use for a Zoom meeting.
Plus, the design is attractive with a fine build, clean and insightful sound with weighty bass, and when the battery runs out, you can get up to two hours of playtime with a quick 15-minute charge.
The drawbacks of the Bowers & Wilkins PI3 headphones are that they’re not IPX-rated and the ear tip options are limited.
Bose Noise-Canceling Headphones 700
Bose headphones 700 can turn any space into the perfect place for your Zoom meetings, working, making phone calls, or listening to music. The noise-canceling headphones have an adaptive mic system for superior voice pickup so you can hear and be heard clearly.
Plus, the headphones come with 11 levels of noise cancellation, and are optimized for voice assistants including Google Assistant and Amazon Alexa. Everything sounds just as it should, whether you’re listening to music or your Zoom calls at low or high volumes.
The headphones also come with touch controls, the Bose Connect app for easy access to key features, and Bose Music app to browse and control your music. Battery life is up to 20 hours though this is lower compared to other headphones mentioned here.
Bose noise-canceling headphones 700 offers crystal-clear and upfront sound, comfort, sophisticated and versatile noise-canceling, intuitive touch controls, and a stylish design. However, the Bose headphones lack class-leading insight, and they’re expensive.
What To Look For In The Best Headphones For Zoom Meetings
There are several factors to keep in mind when choosing the right headphones for Zoom meetings. Here are some of the important ones:
Noise-canceling
If you’re working from home or in a noisy environment, you need a pair of headphones with noise-canceling so that you can tune out the noise and focus on your meeting.
Weight
A heavy pair of headphones won’t be comfortable for a long meeting. The headphones you choose should be able to carry you through a video chat or meeting without burdening your head and ears.
Style
There are three different options for headphones: in-ear, over-ear, and on-ear. Some come in form of earbuds like the Airpods Pro, while others like the Bose and Sony headphones come in an over or on-ear design that surround your entire ear with comfortable ear pads.
Other features to look for include a built-in microphone, and touch controls that allow you to tap to receive and end calls, or adjust volume to your liking.
Speak More Clearly On Your Next Zoom Call
Zoom meetings have become part of our daily family and work lives. In order to enjoy your meetings, you’ll need to hear others and to be heard clearly during the meetings. These headphones for Zoom meetings are a great way of enhancing your meeting and improving call quality.