You don’t need to spend €300 to get good wireless headphones with noise cancelling. In 2026 the sub-€100 class is better than ever: several over-ears that launched at €150–200 now regularly sell for well under €100, and they bring proper active noise cancelling (ANC), 30–76 hours of battery and apps with adjustable EQ.
The trick is knowing where each one cuts corners — some have weak ANC, some sound muddy, some don’t fold. This guide is built on hifi.de’s July 2026 round-up of over-ears around €100 and What Hi-Fi’s 2026 Awards, with European prices from MediaMarkt and Amazon. Prices move a lot, so treat them as a guide and check the current offer.
Our picks at a glance
- Best overall under €100Sony WH-CH720N
- Best battery & appSoundcore Space One
- Best budgetEarFun Wave Life
- Best for bassSony ULT Wear
- Longest batteryJBL Tune 780NC
- Best cheap SonySony WH-CH730N
- Best budgetEdifier W820NB Plus
Prices are approximate and change often. Ad
1. Sony WH-CH720N — best overall under €100
The WH-CH720N is the easiest recommendation in this price class. hifi.de praises its noise cancelling as good for the money, its transparency mode as natural, and its weight as very low, which makes it comfortable on long journeys. The sound is lively and fun rather than analytical.
It launched at €149.99 but MediaMarkt has been selling it for around €59–73. The downsides are practical: it doesn’t fold and there’s no carrying case, so it’s less suited to stuffing into a small bag.
Sony WH-CH720N
hifi.de's top pick around €100: good noise cancelling for the price, a natural transparency mode and a very light build.
- ANC
- Yes
- Battery
- 35 h (ANC on) / 50 h (off)
- Fit
- Over-ear, very light
- Folds
- No
Pros
- Good ANC for the money
- Natural transparency mode
- Very light and comfortable
Cons
- Doesn't fold
- No carrying case
2. Soundcore Space One — best battery and app
Anker’s Soundcore Space One is the feature champion. It lasts up to 40 hours with ANC on and 55 hours with it off, supports the LDAC codec for higher-quality Bluetooth from Android phones, and its app includes a hearing test that tunes the sound to your ears. The transparency mode is good for quick conversations.
The weak point is the noise cancelling itself, which hifi.de rates as weak, and the headphones are bulky enough to become uncomfortable over long sessions. Around €78–85, it’s best for people who value battery life and features over silence.
Soundcore Space One
Long battery life, LDAC support and a feature-packed app with a hearing test, at a price well under €100.
- ANC
- Yes (weaker than Sony)
- Battery
- 40 h (ANC on) / 55 h (off)
- Codecs
- LDAC, AAC, SBC
- App
- EQ + hearing test
Pros
- Long battery life
- LDAC hi-res codec
- Extensive app with hearing test
Cons
- Noise cancelling is weak
- Bulky; can get uncomfortable over long sessions
3. EarFun Wave Life — best budget
At about €60, the EarFun Wave Life is one of the cheapest ways into ANC over-ears that aren’t a compromise. Battery life is long (37 hours with ANC, 60 without), the noise cancelling is solid and the app includes an EQ and hearing test.
The sound lacks some fine detail compared with the Sony, and the earcups can get warm. For commuting and travel on a tight budget, it’s excellent value.
EarFun Wave Life
One of the cheapest over-ears with solid ANC, a long-running battery and a capable app.
- ANC
- Yes
- Battery
- 37 h (ANC on) / 60 h (off)
- App
- EQ + hearing test
Pros
- Very low price
- Long battery life
- Solid ANC for the money
Cons
- Sound lacks some detail
- Ears can get warm
4. Sony ULT Wear — best for bass
The ULT Wear started life at €199.99 and now sits at around €99. You get good ANC, 30–50 hours of battery, a mix of touch and physical controls and Sony’s comprehensive app. It’s tuned for bass — that’s the point of the ULT button.
hifi.de notes the downside: the boosted bass and subdued treble make it sound slightly muffled, and on some tracks the bass boost distorts. If you listen mainly to hip-hop and electronic music it’s great fun; if you want balance, pick the WH-CH720N.
Sony ULT Wear
A former €200 headphone now at budget money: good ANC, long battery and Sony's full app — tuned for big bass.
- ANC
- Yes
- Battery
- 30 h (ANC on) / 50 h (off)
- Controls
- Touch + buttons
- Tuning
- Bass-heavy (ULT button)
Pros
- Good ANC
- Long battery
- Convenient controls and full app
Cons
- Boosted bass makes it sound slightly muffled
- Bass boost can distort on some tracks
5. JBL Tune 780NC — longest battery
If you hate charging, the JBL Tune 780NC is hard to beat: up to 50 hours with ANC and 76 hours without. It folds, it has a fun, energetic sound for commuting, and MediaMarkt has listed it at around €98–113 — so watch for it to dip under €100.
That lively tuning can become fatiguing over long sessions, and like the Sony there’s no case in the box.
JBL Tune 780NC
A foldable, fun-sounding over-ear with an enormous battery — up to 76 hours with ANC off.
- ANC
- Yes
- Battery
- 50 h (ANC on) / 76 h (off)
- Folds
- Yes
Pros
- Fun sound for commuting
- Huge battery life
- Foldable
Cons
- Can become fatiguing over time
- No carrying case
- Often just over €100
6. Sony WH-CH730N — the new model to watch
What Hi-Fi named the WH-CH730N its best wireless headphones under £100 in the 2026 Awards. It adds Bluetooth 6.0 with LE Audio and Auracast, multipoint, and a long 50-hour battery with ANC, at 207 g. Its European list price is €119.99, and it has just started to appear for €99.90 on Amazon Italy (October 2026). If it drops under €100 near you, it’s the one to buy.
Sony WH-CH730N
What Hi-Fi's best cheap ANC pick: light, foldable and good for up to 50 hours.
- Bluetooth
- 6.0
- Battery
- ~50 h (ANC on)
- Weight
- 207 g
- Design
- Foldable
Pros
- Very long battery life
- Light and foldable
Cons
- ANC struggles with nearby voices
7. Edifier W820NB Plus — budget ANC with LDAC
From our noise-cancelling headphones guide, the Edifier W820NB Plus is SoundGuys’ best budget ANC pick, with LDAC support and over 30 hours of battery. It doesn’t fold and has no custom EQ, but it’s usually well under €100.
Edifier W820NB Plus
SoundGuys' best budget noise-cancelling headphones: LDAC and surprisingly capable ANC for very little money.
- Codecs
- LDAC
- ANC
- Rated 8.4/10 by SoundGuys
- Battery
- 30+ h
Pros
- Very affordable
- Effective ANC for the price
- LDAC support
Cons
- Doesn't fold
- No custom EQ
Compare the key specs
| Model | Sony WH-CH720NBest overall under €100 | Soundcore Space OneBest battery & app | EarFun Wave LifeBest budget | Sony ULT WearBest for bass | JBL Tune 780NCLongest battery |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| TechHive score | 8.5/10 | 8.0/10 | 7.8/10 | 7.9/10 | 7.7/10 |
| Approx. price | €65 | €80 | €60 | €99 | €105 |
| ANC | Yes | Yes (weaker than Sony) | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Battery | 35 h (ANC on) / 50 h (off) | 40 h (ANC on) / 55 h (off) | 37 h (ANC on) / 60 h (off) | 30 h (ANC on) / 50 h (off) | 50 h (ANC on) / 76 h (off) |
| Fit | Over-ear, very light | — | — | — | — |
| Folds | No | — | — | — | Yes |
| Codecs | — | LDAC, AAC, SBC | — | — | — |
| App | — | EQ + hearing test | EQ + hearing test | — | — |
| Controls | — | — | — | Touch + buttons | — |
| Tuning | — | — | — | Bass-heavy (ULT button) | — |
| Shop Ad | Amazon | Amazon | Amazon | Amazon | Amazon |
How to choose headphones under €100
ANC quality varies most
Every model here has noise cancelling, but its strength differs a lot. Sony’s models and the EarFun cancel steady noise like engines well; the Soundcore Space One is weaker. If you fly or commute by train daily, prioritise ANC; if you mainly listen at home, battery and comfort matter more.
Comfort and portability
Weight, clamping force and whether the headphones fold decide how often you’ll actually take them out. The WH-CH720N is very light; the JBL folds; the Soundcore is bulky.
Codecs and apps
LDAC (Soundcore, Edifier) only helps with Android phones that support it. iPhones use AAC. More useful for most people is an app with an EQ, so you can tame bass-heavy tuning like the ULT Wear’s.
Buying in Europe
Sub-€100 headphones are among the most heavily discounted products around Black Friday and Prime Day, so a former €150–200 model at €99 is often the best deal. EU purchases come with a two-year legal guarantee, and online orders can usually be returned within 14 days. If you want even more silence, step up to our best noise-cancelling headphones; for earbuds under €100, see best budget earbuds.
How we choose
We don’t run our own lab tests. Our picks combine published reviews and measurements from established outlets — hifi.de and What Hi-Fi for this guide — with current European prices, and we always list each product’s weaknesses as well as its strengths. Read more about how we research.
FAQ
Can you get good noise cancelling under €100?
Yes. Models like the Sony WH-CH720N and EarFun Wave Life offer solid ANC for commuting. It won’t match a Sony WH-1000XM6 or Bose QC Ultra, but the gap is smaller than the price difference.
Which is best for long battery life?
The JBL Tune 780NC (up to 76 hours with ANC off) and the Soundcore Space One (up to 55 hours).
Are these good for working from home?
For calls they’re fine, but the microphones are basic. For lots of meetings, a headset or a USB microphone sounds much better.
Should I wait for Black Friday?
Budget headphones are discounted heavily in late November, so if you aren’t in a hurry it’s worth comparing prices then.
