When Jabra first announced its new Elite 85h ($300, £280 or about AU$435 converted) over-ear premium wireless headphones, it touted how it would be equipped with always-on (hands-free) voice assistant control using Amazon's Alexa or Google Assistant. Alas, that feature didn't make it into the final product -- apparently it affected battery life too much -- but the Elite 85h is nevertheless an excellent noise-canceling headphone that sounds very good, is comfortable to wear and also works great as a headset for making calls.

The Jabra Elite 85h is a good alternative Bose and Sony noise-canceling models for slightly less money, particularly if you value call quality.

The Jabra Elite 85h offers impressive noise-canceling performance, strong sound and excellent battery life with USB-C charging; They're comfortable to wear and are loaded with convenience features, including one-button access to Google Assistant, Alexa and Siri voice assistants; It delivers best-in-class call quality with a customizable sidetone option.

A little heavier than their Bose and Sony competitors, they're not quite as comfortable; May not fit large heads.

Beautiful and inventive design

Noise-canceling could be stronger

It was exciting when Jabra announced its latest Bluetooth headphones at CES earlier this year. The $300 Jabra Elite 85h look like a beefed-up version of the company's well-reviewed Move wireless headphones , and inside there's an intriguing surprise: artificially intelligent noise-canceling...

Beautiful and inventive design

Noise-canceling could be stronger

Beautiful and inventive design

Noise-canceling could be stronger

The Jabra Elite 85h boasts the features and performance to give Bose and Sony's noise-cancelling headphones serious competition. But is it a category leader

Best battery life of any noise-cancelling headphone; Great sound reproduction; Intuitive controls and listening modes; Digital assistant support for Siri; Google Assistant; and Alexa; Companion app with personalized sound options; Strong build quality

Bass distorts in listening modes; Bulky and heavy

I've got an insanely long airplane trip coming up and, no surprise, my very first thought was, which noise-canceling headphones should I bring for the flight Great news for me; Jabra just released the Elite 85h.

With excellent products like their most recent QC35 II and WH1000xM3 models , Bose and Sony have had a stranglehold on the premium noise-canceling headphone world for a few years now. But that's not to say other companies aren't nipping at their heels with compelling products of their own.

Class-leading battery life; Feature-packed app; Clear; focused sound; Comfortable

No power button; No aptX or LDAC

The Jabra Elite 85h are versatile noise cancelling headphones that can be used in a wide variety of daily uses. They have great audio r...

Active noise-cancelling (ANC) headphones are popular for commuters, office workers, travelers, and those who want to shut out the world for a focused audio experience. In the past, Bose set the bar for ANC-enabled cans with Sony, and others, challenging Bose for market share.

Soft comfortable ear cups; Eight microphones for an optimal experience; SmartSound technology for automatic profile switching; Standard USB-C port for charging; Rain resistant nano-coating; 36 hour rated battery life; $50 less than similar competitors

Bit heavier than competitors

Active noise-cancelling (ANC) headphones are popular for commuters, office workers, travelers, and those who want to shut out the world for a focused audio experience. In the past, Bose set the bar for ANC-enabled cans with Sony, and others, challenging Bose for market share.

Soft comfortable ear cups; Eight microphones for an optimal experience; SmartSound technology for automatic profile switching; Standard USB-C port for charging; Rain resistant nano-coating; 36 hour rated battery life; $50 less than similar competitors

Bit heavier than competitors