The best Alexa headphones and earbuds in 2021
The best Alexa headphones and earbuds allow you to take advantage of Amazon’s handy voice assistant while you’re on the go. And, while Amazon has branched out into making it own earbuds, you’ve still got plenty of choice — audio specialists like Bose, Jabra and Sony all make headphones with Alexa support built in.
Alexa’s skills feature makes it a perfect fit for headphones: simply by speaking you can shop online, summon your favorite songs and get recipe ideas, wherever you are and without you needing to pull your phone out. If you want a great set of cans or buds that feature this smart technology, here are the best Alexa headphones to buy now.
What are the best Alexa headphones and earbuds?
Our current pick for the best Alexa headphones is the Jabra Elite 85h, which offers great audio, tons of customization options, and, most importantly, support for all major voice assistants including Alexa.
If it’s earbuds you’re after, Amazon’s own Echo Buds are a great choice. As an Amazon product, they offer seamless Alexa integration, and sound pretty impressive for Amazon’s first crack at earbuds.
You should also consider the Bose 700, which is our pick for the overall best headphones you can buy. If you want access to Alexa on top of excellent noise-cancelling, these are the way to go.
Read on for all of our picks for the best Alexa headphones and earbuds.
The best Alexa headphones right now
Jabra’s latest release is the most feature-laden pair of headphones we’ve tested on the ANC front. The company’s advanced 8-microphone system enhances digital assistant performance, giving Alexa, Siri and Google Assistant accurate speech recognition. Half of those mics are also used to automatically adjust ANC levels, letting listeners jam out to Spotify playlists uninterrupted. Speaking of sound, the Elite 85h produces sonic depth that surpasses most models in its class. On-ear detection and physical controls provide different ways to manage calls and music. And did we mention the 36 hours of continuous playback on noise-canceling mode?
See our full Jabra Elite 85h review.
If you can’t beat ’em join ’em. Amazon is the latest to enter the truly wireless earbuds arena with the Echo Buds. Currently on sale at a cut-price $80, the Echo Buds offer solid audio quality for the money, as well as up to 5 hours of battery life. Amazon even teamed with Bose to give listeners some quality active noise reduction (ANR). But most importantly, the earbuds allows listeners to get all the benefits of Alexa, including the skills, games and podcast reading, in a small and commuter-friendly package.
See our full Amazon Echo Buds review.
Our noise-cancellation king also happens to feature Alexa support right out of the box. The Bose 700 is a sonic and visual stunner that affords music lovers and travellers amazing audio, and its soundstage is cleaner and more balanced than the QuietComfort 35 II below. ANC is given a significant boost, as eight individual mics work together to silence ambient noise with ease, while amplifying your vocals for better call quality. The svelte design is also something to marvel at. Best of all, Alexa can be enabled via the usual voice command.
See our full Bose 700 Noise Cancellation Headphones review.
Jabra’s sequel to the popular Elite Active 75t isn’t just one of the best sports headphones that money can buy, but also a great option for fitness buffs who require digital assistance when gripping free weights. These buds are 20% smaller than their predecessor and still pack a sonic punch, led by a bass-forward signature that can be customized through the Sounds+ app. You get about 7 hours playtime on a single charge, 28 hours in total with Jabra’s redesigned, super-compact charging case. Lastly, the built-in mics do a solid job of picking up voice commands, which makes using all three digital assistants simple at the gym.
Be aware, though, that the Elite 75t’s days in this list may be numbered. Its successor, the Elite 85t, currently lacks Alexa support, but Jabra says this is due to be added via update in Q1 2021.
See our full Jabra Elite 75t review.
The Sony WH-1000XM4 improves on near-perfection, adding handy new features to what’s already one of the best sets of noise-cancelling headphones you can buy. These cans have even better audio and noise-cancellation than their excellent predecessor, and sweeten the pot with some truly handy smart features fitting of the best Alexa headphones.
The new Speak-to-Chat feature will automatically pause your music when you start talking to someone, as well as take advantage of adaptive playback that adjusts the sound to your surroundings. Of course, the Sony WH-1000XM4 supports Alexa in addition to other top voice assistants, complete with Precise Voice Pickup technology for clearly hearing your voice commands.
See our full Sony WH-1000xM4 review.
The QuietComfort 35 II remained our No.1 noise-cancelling pick for months until its more premium and powerful sibling, the 700, hit the scene. Nevertheless, it’s still a top-tier selection for a multitude of reasons. ANC performance is stellar with Bose’s acclaimed technology silencing everything from crying babies to rumbling engines. Sound is well-balanced with booming bass that doesn’t overshadow mids and highs. The all-new Action Button is a convenient way of activating Google Assistant or Alexa, allowing the built-in mics to pick up every syllable with precision. Having up to 40 hours of playtime with ANC off is clutch as well.
See our full Bose QuietComfort 35 II review.
The Jabra Elite 65t has been revered for its intelligible features and versatility, and its sportier counterpart proves to be an exceptional upgrade. Design-wise, the Elite Active 65t offers the proper comfort and stability to appease hard-core runners. Jabra even equipped these buds with dust- and water-resistant protection to ensure maximum durability. Audio is clean and warm, making calls and music pleasant to hear. Using the free Jabra app will let you adjust EQ settings and select the default digital assistant; Alexa registers and executes commands swiftly.
See our full Jabra Elite Active 65t review.
JBL’s newest cans pack reputable ANC performance and striking audio into a chic, sturdy frame. The Live 650BTNC’s tentpole feature is Google Assistant and Alexa integration, which responds efficiently to vocal commands. Noise cancellation is strong enough to filter out door buzzers and loud chatter, but the same performance doesn’t carry over to call quality. Musical mids sound amazing, and the JBL Headphones app allows users to enable different EQ settings and pick their digital assistant of choice. There is one major caveat – ANC mode is the only way to enjoy bass.
Entry-level headphones can often be hit or miss, and in this case, Sony leaves quite the impression with its sub-luxury noise-cancellers. The WH-CH700N delivers satisfying sound, highlighted by well-balanced mids and signature thumping lows that come attached to the Sony name. Access to the Sony Headphones app opens the door to personalize audio by creating your own sound profiles or enabling one of several EQ options. Noise cancelation is reliable enough to hush nearby conversations and street traffic, but the fact that you can use the feature up to 35 hours on one full charge is pretty cool. The latest 4.2.0 firmware update also welcomes Alexa into the fold.