I bought Sony WH-1000XM5 headphones last year. $349. They are incredible — the noise cancellation makes airplane cabins sound like libraries. But my friend bought the Anker Soundcore Space One for $80 and when I tried them on, I was genuinely annoyed at how close they got to my Sonys for less than a quarter of the price.

The noise-cancelling headphone market has shifted. Budget options that used to be a joke now get you 80% of the flagship experience. Here are the three best under $100 that I have actually tried.

Anker Soundcore Space One (~$80, often $60 on sale)

These cancel noise way above their price class. Anker claims they reduce noise by up to 98% — marketing numbers are always inflated, but subjectively these block about 80% of what the Sony XM5s block. Engine hum, HVAC drone, office chatter — gone. High-pitched sounds like crying babies still get through, but that is true of even $400 headphones.

Sound quality is good — slightly bass-heavy out of the box but adjustable in the Soundcore app. The app also has a hearing test that creates a custom EQ profile for your ears, which is a feature you normally see on $200+ headphones. Battery lasts 40 hours with ANC on, 55 with it off. USB-C charging, fold flat, come with a hard case. Best overall value.

1MORE SonoFlow (~$70)

1MORE is a Chinese audio brand that engineers for other companies and started selling under their own name. The SonoFlow supports LDAC — Sony’s high-resolution Bluetooth codec. If you listen to lossless audio on Android, this matters. On iPhone it is irrelevant because iPhones do not support LDAC.

Noise cancellation is slightly behind the Space One but still solid. Sound signature is more neutral. Battery: 50 hours ANC off, 35 with ANC on. Soft pouch instead of hard case. For $70 with LDAC support, these are the pick if sound quality matters more than absolute noise cancellation.

Monoprice BT-600ANC (~$55)

The cheapest option that is still good. ANC is the weakest of the three but at $55, having functional ANC at all is surprising. Sound is warm and pleasant. Battery: 32 hours. Build quality feels cheaper — lots of plastic. These are the backup pair for an office drawer.