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The best wireless TV headphones for 2023

Rick Broida

If the TV never seems quite loud or clear enough and you find yourself blasting episodes of Grace and Frankie, there are two solutions to keep the general peace with a spouse or roommate without sacrificing your listening experience (or becoming hard of hearing). You can add a soundbar, which would boost voices and make the audio both louder and clearer, or you can look into getting a set of high-quality wireless TV headphones instead. The latter will allow you to hear everything better without disturbing anyone else. Here's the key question, though: how do you find the best Bluetooth headphones with a decent price tag?

Before I dive into our picks for the best wireless headphones used to watch television, let me clarify the two main types, because the landscape has changed in recent years.

How do wireless TV headphones work?

First, there are "traditional" TV headphones designed expressly for this purpose. These include a base station that plugs into your TV and beams audio to the headphones using some kind of wireless technology — usually RF, infrared or Bluetooth. That base station will often double as a headphone charging dock.

Next, there's Bluetooth, the short-range wireless technology that's now built into most TVs and streaming devices (Apple TV, Fire TV, Roku, etc.). This eliminates the need for a base station and, indeed, opens the door up to just about any Bluetooth earbuds or wireless headphones — perhaps even those you already own.

The Zvox AV52 are pretty standard Bluetooth headphones, but they employ AccuVoice technology so you can hear voices more easily, plus active noise canceling to help reduce outside distractions. (Photo: Rick Broida/Yahoo)
The Zvox AV52 are pretty standard Bluetooth headphones, but they employ AccuVoice technology so you can hear voices more easily, plus active noise canceling to help reduce outside distractions. (Photo: Rick Broida/Yahoo)

For example, I paired Anker's Soundcore Space Q45 Bluetooth headphones with a Hisense U7H TV, and presto: wireless private listening. No extra equipment needed, no switching of modes or inputs. When I powered on the headphones, that's where the sound played. When I turned them off, it returned to the TV speakers. (Your mileage may vary depending on the age and capabilities of your TV and headphones.)

Similarly, if you have a Roku TV or streaming device, you can use the Roku app to activate a feature called Private Listening, which routes the TV audio to whatever headphones or earbuds are plugged into or paired with your phone.

Which wireless TV headphone is best?

Wireless TV headphones from Sennheiser, Zvox (which are pink), TV Ears and Avantree.
Wireless TV headphones from Sennheiser, Zvox, TV Ears and Avantree.

So what's the best option here? I can't say there's one type of wireless headphones for TVs that's vastly superior to another; they all have their merits. Ultimately, it depends on your budget and level of tech-savvy: It's hard to beat the convenience and simplicity of a dedicated TV headphone with a drop-and-go charging dock, but you can probably save money by choosing simple Bluetooth headphones or earbuds.

Below, I've rounded up what I consider the best options for wireless headphones across all these categories. Some of them I've tested firsthand; others earned a spot here based on reputation and user ratings. Chances are good you'll be happy with any of them.

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