Neckband headphones are popular because you can put them behind your neck and enjoy music without distractions. You can enjoy music all day long without worrying about the drop of your earphones while chatting with your friend. The best behind the neck headphones provides good-quality microphones, reliable battery performance, and better ANC. Moreover, they are stylish and comfortable in your and brings a lot of hour for enjoying music due to battery life.
These headbands provide various features for user flexibility. I narrowed down the list of the best behind neckbands below, so have a look at their specifications and features and then choose one that will suit your listening habits and requirements. My experience in musical instruments helped me test and compile neckbands from different manufacturers for this review.
Top 5 Best Behind the Neck Headphones
Table Of Content
- OnePlus Bullets Z2 in Ear Earphones
- Beats Flex Wireless Earbuds
- Otium Bluetooth Earbuds Wireless
- LG Tone Style HBS-SL5 Stereo Neckband
- Sony – C400 Wireless Behind-Neck
After a lot of research and testing, I find all these neckbands very comfortable and easy to use. These neckband headphones can boost your playlist due to their excellent features if you want something that can fit your gym workouts, daily morning walk, and sessions in your room.
I ranked these 5 best behind-the-neck headphones according to their battery life, ease of use, good sound quality, and noise cancellation ability. These are my recommendations, but they come down to your requirements and budget.
Top Microphone: Best Karaoke Microphone With Speaker
1) OnePlus Bullet Z2 Behind Neck Headphone with Microphone
| Model | Wireless Z2 |
| Connectivity Technology | Wireless, Bluetooth v5 |
| Headphone form factor | Over ear |
| Color | Black |
| Battery | 1 Lithium Polymer batteries required. |
| Product Dimension | 14.76 x 4.33 x 0.98 inches |
| Item weight | 0.95 ounces |
It’s not only the audio quality but premium features that have impressed me about OnePlus Bullet Z2 Behind the Neck Headphone with Microphone. It is the only neckband with DIRAC Opteo support. The OnePlus Bullet Z2 can reduce noise up to 25dB and become more comfortable for calling and enjoying music. I find this neckband headphone very comfortable and powerful.
Powerful Beats
With a large 12.4 mm base driver, these best behind-the-neck headphones provide deep bass, creating powerful beats. With a titanium coating dome, you can experience great audio details on every frequency level.
Distortion-Free Experience
It has distortion-free audio technology and keeps your playtime smooth without disturbance. Due to an industry-leading algorithm and larger sound cavity, the notes of sound stay distortion free.
Quick Charge
The OnePlus headphone charges quickly in just 10 minutes and work for up to 20 hours for immersive audio playback. Its flagship-level battery life provides a single charge with an excellent non-stop music experience.
Water Resistance
The OnePlus Bullets have sweat and water-resistance technology. Its IP55-rated internals make it all weather ready. It allowed me to wear it anywhere I wanted, from gym sessions to outdoor cycling.
Built-in Microphone
The built-in mic makes it very sustainable while calling and gaming conversations. Moreover, its noise cancellation feature during calls provides more accurate sound.
Benefits
- It supports DIRAC Opteo technology.
- The ANC technology is highly accurate.
- Provide 5-hour playtime and charge in just 10 minutes.
- Waterproof rating helps outdoor use.
Drawbacks
- It doesn’t support aptX.
2) Beats Flex Wireless Budget Neckband Earphones
| Model | Beats Flex |
| Connectivity Technology | Wireless, Bluetooth |
| Headphone form factor | In ear |
| Color | Beast Black |
| Battery | 1 Lithium Ion battery required |
| Product Dimension | 34 x 4.2 x 0.6 inches |
| Item weight | 0.24 ounces |
I liked Beats Flex Wireless Budget Neckband Earphones due to their affordability and best behind-the-neck headphone design. It has flexible neck cables instead of a rigid neckband. If you are looking for a more portable design for your neck that remains within your budget, then Beast Flex is a great option.
Battery Life and The W1 chip
The rough estimate of its battery life is up to 11 hours which is not as good if we compare them to the other headphones in the list. But its W1 chip makes it capable of making its place in this list due to this W1 chip allows you to pair it with other devices in your Apple ecosystem.
Customized Fit
Its flexible cables make it more comfortable for your neck. The Beats Flex gives you four options for ear tips that will comfortably fit your ears. Moreover, it has a wide range of color schemes so that you can choose one according to your style.
Audio Sharing
You can share audio wirelessly with your friends if they have a pair of Beats Flex headphones or AirPods. So, share your listening with your friends and increase the excitement of your listening.
Well Built
It has good build quality, and if you want a headphone that has less tendency for damage, then the Beats headphone will fulfill your requirements. But it doesn’t have ANC support, so that the environmental noises may create a hassle during your daily commute. However, it works great for your office chatting.
Budget-Friendly
The Beats Flex is a budget-friendly neckband cable with a minimalist design that provides enough comfort and flexibility for all-day casual use. Its W1 chip makes it worthy, as you can pair it with different Apple devices.
Heavy Bass
These headphones have a thump-heavy bass sound profile, providing an extra boom and rumble for mixes. It becomes more worthy when you listen to hip-hop and EDM music. These headphones lack EQ functions and work on plug-and-play options.
Benefits
- Flexible cables comfortably fit around your neck.
- Audio sharing increases your enjoyment experience.
- Build quality is very good and reliable.
- The bass is heavy and adds extra boom for your listening.
Drawbacks
- Its lacks IP rating.
3) Otium Wireless Best Noise Cancelling Neckband
| Model | Otium U18 |
| Connectivity Technology | Bluetooth |
| Headphone form factor | In ear |
| Color | Black |
| Battery | 1 Lithium Polymer batteries required. |
| Product Dimension | 5 x 1.8 x 4 inches |
| Item weight | 3.52 ounces |
If you are looking for a neckband headphone with an ergonomic design, then the Otium Bluetooth best noise cancelling neckbands are a perfect choice. They are very comfortable due to the ear clip and perfect for gym use and morning walk. These inexpensive and best noise-canceling headbands hold up the hype.
Strong and Stable Connection
The Otium earbuds have the latest technology and contain CVC 8.0 chips which make sure to transmit a high-quality sound without any loss. Moreover, its stable and strong connection provides the fastest sound without audio delay and makes your calls and music smoother.
Rich Bass & HD sound
When it comes to the bass and HD sound, no one can beat these best behind-the-neck headphones as they ensure a crisp, clear treble and dynamic bass. It becomes possible due to its upgraded acoustic components.
IPX7 Protection
Its IPX7 waterproof nano-coating prevents penetration and damage to the components due to water and sweat. Due to this feature, you can use the Otium headbands in rain and sun. It is one of the best behind the neck headphones that work properly for your workouts.
Comfortable and Secure Fit
These headphones have high-quality ear hooks which contain rubber material. They come in 4 sizes of ear tips which are skin friendly and give you a comfy fit for your all-day wearing. It is perfect for the ear’s curve and provides a comfortable and secure grip for your exercises and running so that they will not fall off and get ruined.
Lightweight
The Otium Bluetooth headphones are up to 20 grams, and because of this, they are portable and lightweight. It enabled me to wear them for running and sports as it didn’t feel like any extra burden on the ears and neck.
Excellent Playing Time
During testing, I got 15 hours of talk time, music time, and about 250 hours of standby with one charge. You can enjoy your playlist and conversations without worrying about its battery life.
Noise Cancellation
If you are listening to music in a noisy environment, then this headphone is a great option as it can cancel the noise and make your music sound more accurate. Even in a noisy environment, the noise cancellation worked perfectly for me during testing.
Benefits
- Its battery life is outstanding.
- Audio quality is great and clear.
- It has a cool design with waterproof ability.
- The use of this headband is easy.
- The noise cancellation feature is extraordinary.
Drawbacks
- The corners of ear tips are poked a bit and cause pain in your ears.
4) LG Tone Style HBS-SL5 Upper Mid-Range Neckband Headphones
| Model | LG HBS-SL5 |
| Connectivity Technology | Wireless |
| Headphone form factor | In ear |
| Color | Black |
| Battery | 1 CR123A battery required |
| Product Dimension | 7 x 6.2 x 7inches |
| Item weight | 0.509 pounds |
LG Tone Style HBS-SL5 is one of the best behind-the-neck headphones. These LG neckband headphones deliver a great listening experience due to clear, accurate, and rich notes. The lineup of LG neckbands is wide, but the LG Tone Style SL5 sits for upper mid-range neckband headphones. They offer a good price range that is quite suitable for its features.
Vibrating Mechanism
These headphones contain a vibrating mechanism that will alert their users when they have a text message or call. They come without a built-in voice assistant, which I found helpful, especially during travel.
Durable and Sturdy
The high-quality earbud’s hassle-free storage makes them more reliable, and a multi-layer metal and plastic setup makes them more durable. Due to its great design, this headphone fills a space in the market. The design of these headphones is perfect for users who want to have a wireless headset but are also scared that they will break easily.
Variety of Ear Tips
The SL5 comes with three sizes of ear tips, but these tips are without any curves or waterdrops. Because of this, they will not fit tightly in your ear and save you from pain. However, their larger rounded ear tips can create an issue and, for some people, may cause discomfort. For this, you can use foam tips to resolve this problem.
Dual Mic
It is a lightweight neckband headphone with an array of dual mics that will ensure capturing the voice in detail. It is one of the best behind-the-neck headphones that will enhance your gaming and conversation experience with its dual mic feature.
Crystal Clear Voice
Most vocals sit in mid-range frequencies, and some of them sit in high-end vocal frequencies. But these headphones boost them and produce a louder sound than the mix. Even at the crashing of cymbals, you will get overpowered vocals in the mix. Quality audio drivers will make the sound crystal clear at all volume levels.
Built-in Battery
Its larger design has a bigger battery to provide a good listening time. With its built-in battery, you can enjoy music for up to 8 hours, making it suitable for leisure. Its battery is perfect if you want to consistently play a list of songs.
Benefits
- The quality of the sound is outstanding.
- Battery life is more than enough for enjoying music.
- It has retractable earbuds.
Drawbacks
- It doesn’t have a built-in voice assistant.
- It lacks an external speaker.
5) Sony WI-C400 Mid-Range Neckband Headphone
| Model | Sony WI-C400 |
| Connectivity Technology | Bluetooth, NFC |
| Headphone form factor | In ear |
| Color | White |
| Battery | 10 CR2 batteries required |
| Product Dimension | 6.7 x 1.3 x 8.2 inches |
| Item weight | 1.23 ounces |
Sony WI-C400 is a mid-range neckband headphone that is easy to use. They are very stable and perfect for support and exercise. But these Sony neckband headphones have enough heavy sound that is a bit high for some users and lacks bass. But its lightweight design and comfortable features urge me to place it in the best behind-the-neck headphones list.
Crystal Clear Sound
Sony C400 provided crystal clear sound even on the busiest road during commuting. I enjoyed how it provided clear sound despite the external noise, which shows its superior voice cancellation.
Comfortable Fit
They provide a very comfortable fit, and you can enjoy music all day long without any problem. They require enough time to charge but provide a long battery life of up to 17.5 hours which is good for your daily commute and workouts.
Adjustable Cable Length
Sony neckband headphones provide adjustable cables, unlike the other headphones in this list. You can set the length according to your needs, giving you a comfortable posture.
Bass Availability
The bass of the sound is not low, but it is well-balanced. You can hear vocals and instruments in detail, making it a great option for audiobooks and podcasts. They don’t have ANC but can block a decent range of noise from your background. However, they don’t isolate you from your surroundings like plane engines or bus rumbling.
Average For Mixed Usage
The build quality is alright because the cables are thin, and the earbuds look cheaply made. But it’s not a big deal if you look at other vibrant features and price ranges. Moreover, they are lightweight, and you will not feel any burden on your neck even after daily use.
Affordable
These neckband earphones are one of the best behind the neck headphones I have tested in the mid-range. They are very cheap but provide good regular features.
Benefits
- They have long battery life.
- Make sure to give a low leakage of sound.
- The design is durable and lightweight.
- They provide adjustments for cables.
Drawbacks
- Noise isolation is poor and has a high latency.
Choosing best behind the neck headphones is not a simple task. You may get confused due to similar features and functions. I tried my best to simplify this process of finding the best neckband headphones so you can get a great experience while listening to music and conversations. A best behind the neck headband should have good built quality and a listening experience with comfortable features. Beats Flex Wireless Earbuds are best in my recommendation as they are budget friendly. But in this affordable range, they provide good features of durable built, long battery life with the W1 chip, give you the audio sharing facility and customized fit. All of these features make it a trustworthy neckband. However, you can also pick one from the list according to your requirements, as everyone has different needs.
Top Recommended Product
Yes, neckbands headphones are worth it, as they have unique functionality and style. Although other convenient and smaller options are available, neckbands provide an onboard microphone and noise-cancellation feature.
Yes, different neckband headphones are good for running. But most neckband headphones can bounce out from your ears while running and may ruin if they fall off.
The comfort of neckband headphones is one of the top reasons behind their sales. They comfortably fit around your neck, and most weight sits on your shoulders. It will reduce the dragging and tugging you feel while using heavy earbuds.
Yes, they are best for phone calls because they have microphone quality. These neckband headphones have built-in microphones, making them more reliable for getting crystal clear audio through the mic and reducing distortion during the conversation.
