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Product news, reviews, and must-have deals.
Back to school means back to searching for deals. And if it’s wireless noise-canceling headphones or earbuds you’re looking for, we’ve done the searching for you. These sonic study buddies offer a quiet bubble to drown out distractions, whether you’re in the library, the dorm, or walking to class. And if you act now, you can get great picks from Beats, Sony, and Bose at great prices, plus other brands that will let you save money and your sanity. Because anyone who has gone to college has had that roommate.
Half off the over-ear pair that works with any ecosystem.
The Beats Studio Pro plays nice with Apple and Android, making it a top choice. And at $169.95 its price has been cut by more than half, which makes it a no-brainer. It pairs effortlessly with iPhone, and can even connect via USB-C to a Windows laptop of Chromebook. The battery runs about 40 hours with noise cancelling on, so a charge can last through those all-nighters and recovery days.
The old flagship at $152 off, still one of the best deals out there.
Sure, Sony has released the WH-1000XM6, and the even more luxurious The ColleXion headphones, in 2026, but the WH-1000XM5 can still cut HVAC drone and hallway chatter at a lower price. Plus, the earpads are plush enough that you won’t be distracted while you cram for that exam. And it’s $150 less than the current flagship.
Our pick for best study headphones, now $130 off.
We love the Bose QuietComfort Headphones enough to make them a pick in our 2026 back-to-school essentials guide. And we love them even more on sale. Sure, Bose just announced a 2nd Gen., but that’s what helps make the original hit its lowest price of the year. Turn a communal space into a study booth, and the adjustable Quiet and Aware modes let you dial in how much of the room you want to let in.
2026 Popular Science Home of the Future Awards
39 products that will improve your everyday life.
Tony Ware is the Managing Editor, Gear & Commerce for PopSci.com. He’s been writing about how to make and break music since the mid-’90s when his college newspaper said they already had a film critic but maybe he wanted to look through the free promo CDs. Immediately hooked on outlining intangibles, he’s covered everything audio for countless alt. weeklies, international magazines, websites, and heated bar trivia contests ever since.
