For the most battery
CMF Headphone Pro
Best for: People who hate charging
- Rated 50 hours with quiet on
- Plays over a headphone cable
Catch: Creaky all-plastic frame.
Best noise-canceling headphones under $100
Three over-ears under $100: the most battery, real buttons, or more quiet.
Updated November 5, 2026
For simple controls
Illustration of a noise-canceling headphones; no product photo shown
JBL Tune 780NC
Best for: Daily commutes
- Five physical buttons
- Light and folds up
Catch: Grips the head firmly.
For more quiet
Soundcore Space One
Best for: Open offices and busy streets
- Damps voices as well as traffic
- Soft, comfy fit
Catch: Callers hear you poorly.
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Good to know
What matters at $100, and the trade-offs to expect.
Battery
The CMF and JBL are rated up to 50 hours with noise canceling, the Soundcore up to 40.
Android or iPhone
The CMF and Soundcore add LDAC, which only some Android models can use. On an iPhone, all three play over AAC.
Weight
The JBL is the lightest at 225 g. The CMF is the heaviest, near 285 g.
The trade-offs that matter
Plastic everywhere
All three are built from plastic to hit the price. T3 wondered how long the Space One's folding joints will last.
Phone calls
None is a great call headset. Trusted Reviews found the Space One muffles your voice on busy streets.
No hard case
The CMF and Soundcore come with a soft pouch. The JBL comes with nothing to carry it in.
Final buying advice: Go with the CMF Headphone Pro if you want to charge as rarely as possible. The JBL Tune 780NC keeps things simple with buttons you can feel. The Soundcore Space One is the pick for quieting chatter around you, as long as you don't take many calls on it.
How they compare
Specs from each maker. Price levels come from shop prices we checked recently; tap through for today's price.
| Model | | Illustration of a noise-canceling headphones; no product photo shown For simple controlsJBL Tune 780NC | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Price level | Budget | Budget | Budget |
| Battery, noise canceling on (claimed) | Up to 50 hours | Up to 50 hours | Up to 40 hours |
| Weight | 283 g | 225 g | 265 g |
| Bluetooth codecs | SBC, AAC, LDAC | SBC, AAC, LC3 | SBC, AAC, LDAC |
| Two devices at once | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Folds / case | Folds flat, soft pouch | Folds, no case | Folds, soft pouch |
| Headphone cable | Yes, 3.5 mm (powered on) | USB-C to 3.5 mm cable | – |
| Shop | Check price on Amazon ↗ | Check price on Amazon ↗ | Check price on Amazon ↗ |
Questions people ask
Why isn't the Sony WH-CH720N here?
At our latest price check, the US shop we use listed it above this budget, so it didn't qualify.
Does the Soundcore Space One really last 40 hours?
Not quite. Trusted Reviews measured around 30 hours in its test, which is still more than a week of commuting for most people.
Is the JBL Tune 780NC better than the Tune 770NC?
Only a little. Les Numériques found the noise canceling close to the older pair. The 780NC adds newer Bluetooth, but you lose the headphone socket and use a USB-C adapter cable instead.
Related guides
How we reached this
We shortlisted noise-canceling headphones that independent reviewers rate well and that we saw selling under $100 at a major shop, then compared them on the makers' specs.
We haven't tested these products ourselves. Our picks weigh independent expert reviews against each maker's published specs and the prices we checked. Opinions are ours; facts link to where they come from. How we choose.
Sources: Nothing: CMF Headphone Pro, TechRadar: CMF by Nothing Headphone Pro review, SoundGuys: CMF Headphone Pro review, JBL: Tune 780NC, HIFI.DE: JBL Tune 780 NC im Test, Les Numériques : test JBL Tune 780NC, Soundcore: Space One, Trusted Reviews: Soundcore Space One review, T3: Soundcore Space One review.