I test headphones for a living — and this is my No. 1 pick for listening to podcasts

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When you're listening to podcasts, the sound quality isn't the number one concern. As long as the headphones are clear and concise, and don't miss any vocal detail, you're going to have a good time. No, the place we have to focus on here lies elsewhere.

It's all about the ANC. See, when you're listening to music, the headphones use bits of the sound to help block out the outside world. When you slim down the sonic pickings and listen to a podcast, there's less audio for the ANC to work with. As a result, the noise canceling isn't as powerful as it could be.

For a pair of headphones that are great for podcasts, we're looking at the quality of the ANC and the passive noise canceling of the headphones more than anything else. And I know just the pair — the 1More Sonoflow Pro.

Listening everywhere

Allow me a moment to set the scene. You're heading to work. The train station platform is busy, people bustling around you as they go about their own commutes. It's noisy. The sound of voices pervades the space, as loud trains come and go. Your podcast? You can barely hear it through the sound of your environment, the ANC struggling to keep up.

I didn't have any of those problems with the 1More Sonoflow Pro. Do they hold a candle to more expensive options in terms of sound quality? No, but they don't need to. Their ANC and snug fit mean that they can block out more sound than other headphones in their price range. You can listen to your podcast in peace.

To test it out, I took the headphones out for a week while I crafted our best wireless headphones buying guide. To test their podcast performance, I spent the day listening to my favorite spoken word content on the bus, the train, and in a busy office.

At the end of my testing period, I knew I'd found the best headphones for podcast and audiobook heroes.

At the end of my testing period, I knew I'd found the best headphones for podcast and audiobook heroes. They don't cost very much, but the noise canceling is good enough that I could hear my content super clearly. Only when something loud and fast plummeted past me was the noise canceling truly defeated.

One caveat — you can't expect total silence from any ANC system when you're listening to spoken word content. Even the most advanced ANC from the Bose QuietComfort Ultra Headphones struggles without music.

The 1More Sonoflow Pro do a valiant job at making sure you can hear your podcasts, no matter how much noise might be around you.

More reasons to love them

While you don't necessarily need great audio reproduction when you're only listening to podcasts, the Sonoflow Pro's sound is excellent. They're some of the best-sounding headphones that you can pick up under $100.

They'll also last for hours and hours on a single charge: 65 hours with ANC on, to be exact. And, because podcasts and other spoken content aren't as taxing on the drivers, you might even eke out a little more than that. Should you forget to charge them, you can always use them with the included headphone cable — if your device has a 3.5mm headphone jack, of course.

Given the fact that you'll be putting them in backpacks and other places where they might get damaged, it's good news that a protective case comes in the box as well. It's not as secure as some of the more expensive competition, but it still keeps your headphones safe from harm.

If you're looking for something to listen to podcasts, audiobooks and more on the go, then you've just found your next pair of headphones.

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Tammy and her generous collection of headphones have found a new home — Tom's Guide! After a two-and-a-half-year stint as iMore's resident audiophile, Tammy's reviews and buying guide expertise have more focus than ever on Tom's Guide, helping buyers find the audio gear that works best for them. Tammy has worked with some of the most desirable audio brands on the planet in her time writing about headphones, speakers, and more, bringing a consumer focussed approach to critique and buying advice. Away from her desk, you'll probably find her in the countryside writing (extremely bad) poetry, or putting her screenwriting Masters to good use creating screenplays that'll never see the light of day.

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