I am a light sleeper and will be taking an overnight flight to Germany. Does anyone have experience with noise cancelling head phones? What brands work and what don't?

Thanks

My hubby loves the Bose headphones..they are kinda pricey but worth it if you travel frequently

For a number of years I have used the "Noisebuster" but it has now been discontinued. For a recent review of availble noise cancelling head phones, see the web page goodcans.com/HeadphoneReviews/noisereductionreview.htm . Be aware "noise cancelling" is a misnomer. Noise is not eliminated, and people talking or babies crying is not reduced. But the loud constant drone of the airplane engine is reduced significantly.

Hi oc,

Can you sleep with headphones on?

My husband just purchased the second generation noise cancelling Bose headphones. He got them in the Denver airport for US300. He raves about them!

Someone we spoke with on the airplane also had them on and says they were some of the best on the market he had found in his extensive research.

My brother has a set--probably the same ones as indie's husband has. He swears by them! He got them at Sharper Image. I think they're very expensive but my brother said they pay for themselves in one flight.

Ira, I suppose you could sleep with them on provided you don't put the side of your face to the seat. Your ears would get squished.

My husband loves the Sony version, but they DO squish your ears (at least they squished my delicate ears.) I also find the white noise annoying for sleeping.

I just use cheapie foam earplugs.

Sometimes I put on an ocean waves CD and listen to that with my regular, non-squishing earphones. I find that waves really help me sleep.

If you can afford them go w/ the Bose. they are great, and so light and well desogned you almost don't know you are wearing them.

I personally don't own the Bose. I have sets from Brookstone and Panasonic. Both cost a fraction of the Bose, but there is a reason. The Brookstone ones are useless - not adjustable enough to fit over your ears and still be snug enough let you sleep comfortably. I was always having to adjust them and they kept slipping sideways.

The Panasonic ones are a little better. very light weight and the fold up really small. But the sound deadening is not as good as the Bose. better than nothing for sure and if you can't swing $299 the Bose costs these might be a good compromise.

BUT -- a friend has let me use his Bose and they are absolutely HEAVEN.

Guess I'll have to stop trying to do it on the cheap and start saving up . . . . . .

Yeah I figured the Bose were the best but I can't see myself (or my wife letting me) spend $300 on head phones. I'd like to stay under $100 if there is something useful on the market.

Thanks

My husband swears by his Bose noise-cancelling headphones, too, and wouldn't dream of traveling without them.

I think they're awfully bulky to carry along, but they really do work.

I'm waiting for a more compact version to come out.

My husband and I each have a pair of Plane Quiet headphones which have been discontinued due to a patent infringement suit filed by Bose. However, the newer version has received very good reviews also. These are really the closest thing we found to the much more expensive Bose headphones as far as quality and comfort. The Travel Insider has recommendd them for the last couple of years.

We paid around $75 each for ours. If you do a search on google.com for Plane Quiet Headphones, you will find a lot of info.

The maufacturer's website is:

http://www.protravelgear.com/catalog...products_id=28

I take 3 trips a week and don't leave home without my Bose headphones!! I used them this AM and slept easily...

I tried a pair at a Bose store and was not impressed. They reduced noise, not elimate it and for $300 I could buy a lot of the foam ear inserts.

The whole time I had them on the salesman was giving his pitch and I could hear him. Not a good way to sell them.

I've had a pair of Sony in-ear type noise-cancelling headphones for a while. Used it on numerous plane trips, and use it everyday on the bus. They work. About $120.

I have two sets, and wouldn't travel without them now. I first got the Aiwa because they were a lot cheaper and had decent reviews. They were around $40-50. They are pretty good, certainly in comparison to nothing, and they fold up in a neat little case and are easy to carry. After a couple years, I upgraded to the $300 Bose.

Now, to be honest, I don't notice any great sound difference in the two. The biggest difference is that the Bose are more comfortable over long term -- ie, beyond a couple hours. They just have a more comfortable headset and the ear phones completely surround your ears (which helps in the noise reduction, also). The Aiwa are more like big ear muffs, and the headband part isn't quite as comfortable as the Bose. So, my ears get a little sore when I wore the Aiwa over a couple hours, as I said. If I took them off for a while to rest them, it was fine. I'd recommend them if you don't want to lay out the big bucks for Bose, they were pretty good. They do actually fold up more conveniently and take up less space than the Bose, also.

I don't use them for sleeping, only for listening to music or to cut off sound when reading or awake. I use regular ear plugs when sleeping.

sorry, I just noticed your main reason for these seems to be for sleeping, not music. IN that case, I wouldn't bother, just use ear plugs. I don't think either would be good for sleeping nor would they stay on. If you sleep facing straight forward and don't turn your head, they might work, and you could do double-whammy with regular ear plugs and the headphones. Noise is the least of my sleeping problems on the plane, I'm just not comfortable.

I love the Bose headphones! Yes, they're expensive but eliminate that droning sound of the airplane. I can't really say I sleep better though because you can't really turn your head. My husband gets a chuckle out of how my hair looks after an 8 hour flight of being mashed around my ears!
Lisa

I got a pair of Jensen JNC50 Traditional Closed Noise Canceling Collapsible Headphones on amazon.com for about $30 and tried them out on a flight to Paris from Washington. They worked great for me. They cancelled the noise pretty well when watching movies and while I slept. They did not feel uncomfortable at all during the 7+ hours I wore them. I forgot I was wearing them until I had to remove them to hear something someone said and then I could not wait to put them back on!

I travel light with carry-on luggage only. I considered the Bose headphones, but they would take up too much of my carry-on allowance. So I searched for in-the-ear earphones and considered several models offered by different companies.

Based on product reviews in audio magazines, I bought the ER-6 Noise Isolating Earphones made by Etymotic. They work like earplugs to reduce ambient noise, and the sound quality is excellent with my iPod. When I want to sleep, I just reduce the volume and enjoy the quiet. The ER-6 lists for $139. http://www.etymotic.com/

Woody

It is good advice to distinguish between headphones or ear buds, which are designed to enable you to hear an entertainment source, and earplugs, which are designed to prevent you from hearing much of anything. If you just need something to keep down the noise while you sleep, any drugstore has earplugs that work very well for a very low cost.

If you want to hear an entertainment source, your choice is between the noise-cancelling headsets, and something like ear buds. The noise cancelling headsets are specifically designed to reduce low frequency noise, but to allow you to hear, for example, conversation or screaming babies. Some think this is a safety advantage, as you remain more alert to your environment. Among these, Bose are widely respected, but many think they are not worth the premium price over something like Aiwa or Sony. The ear bud type, such as Etymotic or Shure, are designed to block out all outside noise and let you hear only your entertainment source. With these, you would not hear conversation or screaming babies, nor warnings from the flight crew. Many people don't want to be that isolated.

Another thing to consider is whether you wear glasses, as some of the headphone types are reported to be uncomfortable with glasses, and whether your ears are tender, as some people just don't like having something in their ears.