We’ve all been there. At the end of a long day, you climb into your transportation mode of choice, ready to be done with the world and everyone in it until you have to wake up and face the daily grind all over again the next day. The time you spend going to and from work can be just as stressful as being at work itself, which is why it can be so important to have reliable methods of escaping the commotion around you. Choosing the right set of headphones can make all of the difference between a blissful ride back and a ride that leaves you wanting to tear your hair out.

Noise Cancellation

This is important for both you and all of the other commuters that you might be sharing a ride with. You want to block out the stressful sounds of a subway, bus or train during rush hour. No one around you wants to listen in on your latest jams while they’re trying to relax or block out the commute themselves. Looking at it this way, it’s important to have headphones with good noise cancellation capabilities because it benefits everyone involved. Even sites like Forbes offer insight into whether or not these headphones are worth your money and what sort of noises they work best to cancel out. Naturally, not all noise canceling headphones are made equally, and some will suit your needs better than others. Carefully monitor the noise pollution during your commute to determine what will suit you best.

Comfort

If you’re going to be wearing your headphones for a long time, you’re obviously going to want something comfortable. If you have to struggle to keep your headphones on or find that they pinch your ears, sit uncomfortably or dig into your head, you could end up with a headache at the end of your ride. Not really relaxing, right? It’s a little easier to find regular headphones that are comfortable, considering they sit outside of your ear and are generally covered in a generous amount of padding. You might find it trickier to find earbuds that are comfortable due to their shape, the lack of padding and how your ear is formed. Some people have more trouble with the fit of earbuds than others. It all boils down to how dedicated you are to trying out many different brands until you find the ones that work best with your ears.

Portability

Riding on a cramped subway or bus isn’t really going to leave you with the spare room to fuss around with a bulky headphone set with lots of easily tangled wires. Not only will this slow you down if you need to exit quickly (like if you accidentally miss your stop), but it can also inconvenience the people around you. Imagine taking up an extra seat during rush hour traffic because you need to finagle your headphones out of your bag. Not a pretty sight. Fortunately, there are plenty of headphones out there that can fold up for quick storage and easy removal from any bag. The Savvy Backpacker includes packability on its list of key traits to look for when shopping for headphones that are easy to travel with. While this is primarily intended for vacations, it can still apply to long commutes.

Wireless Bluetooth Capabilities

This falls along the same lines as foldability; it can make your headphones more portable and thus much easier to manage. While wireless headphones don’t always pack the same audio punch as wired headphones, they’re definitely way easier to tote around. Commuting without having to worry about untangling a big ball of wire will shave worry out of your travel, and knowing more about top headphones with Bluetooth capabilities can open up an entirely new set of audio options for you.

Make the most of your commute whenever you can. By blocking out the sounds around you, cutting out the time you spend on organizing your messy headphones, and selecting something that will fit your ears comfortably, you can improve the quality of your ride home. You may just find that doing so also improves the quality of the rest of your night, allowing you to get home in a good mood instead of a sour one.