These Are the 12 Best Over-the-Ear Headphones for Work or Pleasure

Few pieces of technology play a more intimate role in our daily life than headphones. Whether for entertainment, productivity or simply shutting out the din of the world around us, we end up with something in—or on—our ears for much of the day.

A 2023 study by audio technology company Sonarworks Inc. found that, while working, people choose over-the-ear headphones twice as often as earbuds. And with fall upon us, that ratio will expand: Tony Aama, vice president of New York specialist Audio46, notes that earbuds and in-ear monitors dominate sales during spring and summer, but when the temperature goes down, headphone sizes (and expenditures) go up.