Switch Lite with Skullcandy earbuds
Elizabeth Henges / How-To Geek
Update, 04/17/2023: We’ve reviewed our recommendations and have updated our best under $50 and best over-ear headphones picks.

The Nintendo Switch Headphone Features That Matter

Bluetooth headphones introduce a lot of variables to consider compared to wired headphones. As soon as you go wireless, you need to contend with weight, comfort, battery life, sound quality, Bluetooth connection quality, and noise cancellation. As such, it’s hard to recommend Bluetooth headphones that do a bad job with any of these features.

All of the picks in this guide offer strong audio quality with careful attention to an even sound signature for gaming on a Nintendo Switch. If the headphones veer too far into niche territory for audiophile listeners, it’s difficult to recommend them for gaming.

Most people need headphones that can handle a variety of games and media with a range of audio effects, which is why we chose products that can do it all, as opposed to products that cater to only certain types of soundscapes.

Of course, these headphones also need enough battery life to last you through long gaming sessions. The Switch can last up to a solid day of gaming; your headphones should too. Nobody wants to be in the middle of a game and have to find the charger or stop playing altogether.

Adding to that, ANC, or active noise cancellation, has to be on point. ANC blocks out noises like plane engines and crowd commotion. This is done by counteracting the sound from outside sources.

There’s more nuance to it, but know that active noise cancellation is essentially a special computer chip in your headphones that is beneficial to your listening experience. A lot of people take their Switch out in public or play it during a commute. ANC technology has to be good enough to keep that experience distraction-free without affecting headphone battery life.

Bluetooth headphones also have to be comfortable and lightweight. There’s no reason to feel like your headphones are weighing you down or squeezing your head. For most people, all of the picks in our guide should feel sturdy and comfortable on your head.

It’s a lot to keep in mind, but don’t worry—our Switch Bluetooth headphone recommendations have you covered.

Best Nintendo Switch Bluetooth Headphones Overall: Logitech G735 Wireless Gaming Headset

People wearing Logitech G735
Logitech

Pros

  • Bluetooth or Lightspeed connectivity options
  • Lightsync RGB lets you have a custom look
  • Comfortable for all types of people
  • Lightspeed connectivity works perfectly on Switch

Cons

  • No IP rating
  • No advanced Bluetooth codecs

Bluetooth is great for headphones, but it isn’t always ideal for gaming. It’s fine for casual games, but if you’re looking for headphones that will give you an advantage in multiplayer games, other wireless connectivity options can be handy. That’s precisely where the Logitech G735 Wireless Gaming Headset excels.

The G735 supports Bluetooth, just like all the other headphones we’re looking at here. That said, the secret weapon is Logitech’s Lightspeed wireless. Similar to the Logitech G Fits Gaming Earbuds, the G735 includes a dongle that fits into the Switch’s USB-C port, giving you wireless audio with far lower latency than Bluetooth.

The G735 headset is built with long sessions in mind. Logitech’s website mentions that the G735 are built for all sorts of people, including those with smaller heads or who wear glasses. No matter what, they should be comfortable all day.

If you like a splash of color in your gaming headset, you’ll find plenty to like here. Logitech’s Lightsync RGB offers lighting across multiple zones on the headset, and there are preloaded Play Mood animations. In case you’d rather create your own custom looks, you can use Logitech’s G HUB software to do exactly that.

Communication is key for certain games, so it’s nice that Logitech has included a microphone and voice filters. That said, not everyone needs a microphone, so it’s nice that the microphone is removable for those who don’t want or need voice chat.

If you think the Logitech G735 is a good option for your Switch, but you’re not happy with the price, don’t worry. The Turtle Beach Stealth 700 Gen 2 gaming headset offers similar connectivity with Bluetooth and a USB dongle for nearly half the price. The only problem is that it’s a USB-A dongle, so you’ll need an adapter to use with your Switch.

Best Nintendo Switch Bluetooth Headphones Overall

Logitech G735 Wireless Gaming Headset

The Logitech G735 Wireless Gaming Headset supports Bluetooth for easy connectivity, but it's the included Lightspeed dongle that makes this the perfect headphones to use with your Nintendo Switch. The RGB lighting is just icing on the cake.

Best Budget Nintendo Switch Bluetooth Headphones: Anker Soundcore Life Q30 Wireless

Anker Soundlife Q30s on table
Anker

Pros

  • Comfortable fit
  • 44-hour battery life
  • Good noise cancellation
  • Companion EQ app

Cons

  • Lacks breathable design
  • Audio leakage can happen
  • Bulky

The Anker Soundcore Life Q30 Wireless is a mouthful of a name, but you’ll want to remember it when you see how much these headphones do for such a competitive price.

Anker’s headphones have incredible noise isolation performance and options for tuning out outside noise like plane engines and bus noises. That’s an essential feature if you’re someone that commutes or travels with your Switch and don’t want to miss things in your game due to surrounding noise. The Soundcores also have EQ settings available in a companion app on Android and iPhone.

With 44 hours of battery life, the Soundcore Life Q30s ease the stress of having to charge your batteries constantly. This is a huge plus because the Nintendo Switch already needs frequent charging depending on your gaming habits, so having to fuss with yet another thing to charge can be a deal-breaker.

The Soundcore Life Q30 also has superb audio quality that brings in a punchy bass. The bass might not be for everyone, but if you’re someone that wants cinematic-feeling audio, they’ll sound great. They have a sound signature that, for many, will be easier to listen to for extended lengths of time too.

For their price, they’re also comfortable, albeit a bit bulky in design. Audio leaking out from the headphones can also be an issue. If you’re looking for a pair of Bluetooth headphones that are surprisingly neck-and-neck with higher-priced competitors, these are the ones to go with.

Best Budget Nintendo Switch Bluetooth Headphones

Anker Soundcore Life Q30 Wireless

The Anker Soundcore Life Q30 Wireless are a comfortable set of headphones with noise cancellation and long battery life at a great price.

Best Nintendo Switch Bluetooth Headphones Under $50: Skullcandy Sesh Evo

Skullcandy Sesh Evo
Elizabeth Henges / How-To Geek

Pros

  • Bass-heavy sound signature lends weight to games
  • Easy to find a comfortable fit
  • IP55 water resistance
  • Solid Bluetooth connection

Cons

  • Earbud battery life could be better
  • Charging case is bulky

You’ve always been able to buy decent headphones for less than $50, but that money gets you much more these days. Case in point: the Skullcandy Sesh Evo, a set of true wireless earbuds with a surprising feature set.

One of the trade-offs you’ll often find in budget earbuds, especially true wireless models, is the battery life. That isn’t the case here, as the earbuds hold five hours on a single charge, with 19 more hours in the charging case.

While you probably won’t be using your Switch in the rain, it’s not likely that you’ll only use your headphones with your handheld anyway. If you’re caught in the rain, it’s nice to know that the Sesh Evo earbuds feature IP55 water resistance, protecting them from splashes.

Skullcandy headphones have always had a unique sonic identity, focusing heavily on lower frequencies in many of their products. In the Sesh earbuds, this makes them especially bombastic-sounding for movies, which is also great for more cinematic games.

The Skullcandy Sesh Evo features Bluetooth 5.0 and low latency, making them great for gaming. The earbuds are available in True Black, Chill Grey, Pure Mint, and Bleached Blue.

Best Under $50

Skullcandy Sesh Evo

The Skullcandy Sesh Evo are affordable true wireless earbuds that still offer enough bass to make sure games don't sound tinny, plus they make finding a comfortable fit easy and they can handle being caught out in the rain.

Best Over-Ear Nintendo Switch Bluetooth Headphones: 1MORE SonoFlow

1more sonoflow with app
Kris Wouk / How-To Geek

Pros

  • Up to 70 hour battery life
  • 5 minutes charging gets up to 5 hours playtime
  • Wired mode for battery-free listening
  • Comfortable for hours

Cons

  • Noise cancellation isn't as good as more expensive headphones

The 1MORE SonoFlow might be the company’s first shot at wireless, noise canceling headphones, they’re impressive, especially for the price. They’re also a perfect companion for your Switch.

The biggest reason they’re such a great Switch sidekick is the battery life. You’ll get up to 50 hours of playtime with noise canceling enabled, and up to 70 hours if you turn noise cancellation off. Even if you start to run out, a five-minute charge gets you up to five hours of listening.

What if the battery does happen to run out? As long as you’ve got the included 3.5mm cable with you, just plug it in and keep playing. The headphones work in wired mode without any battery at all.

If you’re only using the SonoFlow with your Switch, you may appreciate the various EQ modes the headphones support. Assuming you also use them to listen to music, they support higher quality codecs like LDAC for even better sound.

The 1MORE SonoFlow feel light, but not flimsy. This, combined with the soft leather earcups, keeps them comfortable for ours at the time. See our review of the 1MORE SonoFlow for more information.

Best Over-Ear Headphones

1MORE SonoFlow Active Noise Cancelling Headphones

Read How-To Geek's Full Review

The 1MORE SonoFlow offer great wireless performance, active noise cancellation, and up to 70 hours of battery life in a lightweight, comfortable package. Your Switch will run out of battery before these do.

Best Noise-Cancelling Nintendo Switch Bluetooth Headphones: Sony WH-1000XM5

Sony WH-1000XM5 headphone handing in a tree
Kris Wouk / How-To Geek

Pros

  • Some of the best noise cancellation you'll find
  • Fantastic audio quality for music and gaming
  • LDAC support for high-quality Bluetooth audio
  • Comfortable for long sessions

Cons

  • No IP rating
  • Can heat up during long sessions

If you’re looking to shut out the world around you while you spend some time with your favorite games, you’re going to need headphones with noise cancellation. The good news is that not only are the Sony WH-1000XM5 some of the best noise-cancelling headphones you can find for the switch, but they’re one of the best, period.

Because active noise cancellation (ANC) is the key aspect of this category, we’ll look at that first. The XM5s feature eight mics for noise cancellation, and as we pointed out in our review, the noise cancellation here is better than it was in previous models, and those already offered fantastic ANC. They’re especially great at blocking wind noise, which is useful during calls.

Of course, the sound quality is important too. If you’re going to spend money on headphones like these, you’re likely using them for more than gaming. Positional audio in games is handled well, but the XM5s also handles music very well. In addition to standard Bluetooth codecs, these headphones support Sony’s LDAC codec, which makes for higher-quality Bluetooth audio.

Battery life is another key factor for gaming, and you can be certain that the headphones’ battery will last significantly longer than your Switch’s battery. Sony claims up to 30 hours of playback time, and this can extend up to 40 hours if you turn off noise cancellation.

On the rare occasion you want to plug the headphones into your Switch, the XM5s won’t use any battery. Of course, you won’t have noise cancellation in this mode, but it’s nice to know that if you’re on a long trip, the headphones don’t become useless when the battery runs out.

The Sony WH-1000XM5 headphones are available in black and silver color varieties.

Best Noise-Cancelling Nintendo Switch Bluetooth Headphones

Sony WH-1000XM5

Read How-To Geek's Full Review

The Sony WH-1000XM5 offer a combination of fantastic sound quality with some of the best active noise cancellation in headphones, period. They're some of the best Bluetooth headphones you'll find, and they're a perfect pairing with the Switch.

Best Nintendo Switch Bluetooth Headphones for Kids: Puro JuniorJams

Child playing games with Puro JuniorJams on
Puro

Pros

  • Great sound quality
  • 22-hour battery life
  • 85dB audio limiter

Cons

  • Pricey

Headphones for kids are tricky. They have to be durable, and as easy to use as possible. As such, there’s only one answer when you’re looking for Switch headphones—the Puro JuniorJams. Puro is already well-known for quality kids’ headphones, and the JuniorJams are some of the best Bluetooth options they have to offer.

The JuniorJams are lightweight and have a long 22-hour battery life. This is achieved with an audio limiter that doesn’t go above 85db, which means they can maintain consistent battery life. That limiter is also vital for protecting children’s ears from loud sounds. Other headphones don’t include this, and it’s a big reason why they made our list, even if it’s a bit on the expensive side.

The JuniorJams have great audio quality as well, maintaining crisp highs and solid bass. Your children might not fully appreciate the audio quality, but it’s nice to know that you’re not paying for subpar headphones in that respect. Strong audio quality means nothing will sound off, muted, or tinny.

Best Nintendo Switch Bluetooth Headphones for Kids

Puro JuniorJams

The Puro JuniorJams are perfect for kids with their durable build quality, excellent sound quality, and battery life.

Frequently Asked Questions

Nintendo enabled Bluetooth connectivity with an update to the operating system. As long as your Switch is up to date, you don't need a dongle to connect Bluetooth headphones. That said, some headphones offer a USB-C dongle that makes for lower-latency audio.

From the Switch Home menu, open System Settings. Scroll down to Bluetooth audio and select Pair. Now power on your Bluetooth headphones and enter pairing mode following the manufacturer's instructions. Select your headphones on the Switch to pair.

Many Bluetooth devices these days can automatically pair and switch between multiple devices. If your headphones aren't capable of this, you'll need to open the System Settings on your Switch, scroll down to Bluetooth Audio, then select Disconnect Device next to your headphones. Now you can connect them to another device.

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Profile Photo for Tyler Colp Tyler Colp
Tyler Colp is a freelance writer for How-To Geek. He has over a decade of experience covering gaming and technology across the internet. His work has been published on Wired, Windows Central, Polygon, and more.
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Profile Photo for Kris Wouk Kris Wouk
Kris Wouk is a freelance tech writer and musician with over 10 years of experience as a writer and a lifetime of experience as a gadget fan. He has also written for Digital Trends, MakeUseOf, Android Authority, and Sound Guys. At MakeUseOf, he was Section Editor in charge of the site's Mac coverage.
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