Since its launch a year ago, the Bose 700 has been at the top of the best headphones list, beating out stiff competition from Sony, Sennheiser, and others. As a result, Bose's superior noise-canceling headphones won the top prize in the headphone category of the Tom's Guide Award for the first time.

Continuing the excellent pedigree established by the Bose QuietComfort 35 series, the Bose 700 combines superior noise cancellation, rich sound quality, and intuitive operation in a stylish headphone that you can wear all day and never get tired of. In addition, Bose headphones can actually be worn all day long, as they offer up to 20 hours of battery life on a single charge.

The Bose 700 is a major evolution from the design of the QC 35 I and II, ditching the somewhat bulky, basic look of the previous models in favor of a sleek stainless steel exterior. The silver look is also stunning, as is the black.

But when it comes to noise cancellation, the headphones really shine; the Bose 700 has 11 levels of noise cancellation, and in our tests, it was able to drown out even the buzzing streets of New York City. Combined with a rich sound quality that emphasizes bass and treble in a balanced manner, the result is a headphone that will immerse you in your favorite tunes for hours on end.

The Bose 700 is not without some serious competition. The excellent Sony WH-1000XM3 offers superior sound quality with built-in EQ and a great lightweight design, and the Jabra Elite 85h has smart features. But the Bose 700's superior noise-cancellation, aesthetics, and battery life have kept it on top for almost a year in a row, and it deserves to be Tom's Guide's first Headphone of the Year.