We compare products from their published specs and features; the verdicts below are our independent editorial opinions.
Updated: 2026-09-24 · 7 min read · Independent comparison
If you want a simple, wired pair of earbuds you can plug straight into a seat-back jack and forget about, choose Avantree E171; if you need to turn that same airplane jack into a wireless signal so you and a travel partner can each wear your own Bluetooth headphones, choose Nulaxy Airplane.
• Avantree E171 — biggest strength: A true plug-and-play 3.5mm wired earbud with an ear-hook design, three sizes of silicone tips, an in-line mic and volume control. Nothing to charge, nothing to pair.
• Avantree E171 — biggest trade-off: It is still a wired earbud, so it only works with devices that have a 3.5mm jack and it will not fit Lightning or USB-C phones without an adapter. Its sound is tuned balanced rather than bass-heavy.
• Nulaxy Airplane — biggest strength: It converts a wired 3.5mm audio source into Bluetooth in TX mode, pairs two headsets at once, and shows battery and connected devices on a built-in screen. Up to 20 hours in RX mode, 15 hours in TX mode.
• Nulaxy Airplane — biggest trade-off: It is an adapter first, not a headphone. The built-in mic only works in RX mode, and call and track controls are invalid in TX mode — which is exactly the mode you'd use on a plane.
• Who each pick is for: Avantree E171 for the traveler who wants zero setup and a secure in-ear fit; Nulaxy Airplane for the traveler who already owns good Bluetooth headphones and wants to use them on the plane.
The Avantree E171 is the low-friction option. It's a wired 3.5mm earbud with a dynamic driver, a 20 Hz–20 kHz frequency range and 32 ohm impedance, which is the kind of spec that plays nicely with the modest headphone outputs you find on seat-back entertainment systems, older phones, laptops and tablets. You pull it out of the bag, plug it in, and you're listening. No pairing screen, no charging window, no "which mode am I in" moment at 30,000 feet.
The design is the other half of the story. These are in-ear buds with an ear-hook shape and silicone tips in three sizes, so you can size them to your ears instead of hoping one generic tip works. That hook is what keeps them planted — useful if you're the type who stands up mid-flight, or if you use earbuds for running, jogging and gym sessions at home. The in-line control handles play/pause, volume, track skipping, answer/reject calls, voice assistant and last-number redial. Avantree notes some quirks worth knowing: the built-in volume control doesn't work on PCs, laptops or iOS MP3 players, and the volume-up button doesn't work on the Pixel 3A or the Galaxy A9, S10 and Note 9. Cover comes in the form of a 24-month warranty with registration covering the first 12 months of return shipping, plus chat, email, phone, video tutorials and FAQ support.
Buy it if you want cheap-to-own simplicity, a secure ear-hook fit, and you're plugging into a standard 3.5mm jack. Skip it if your phone only has USB-C or Lightning, or if you already love a pair of Bluetooth headphones and just want them to work on the plane — this won't help you there. Also skip it if you want thumping bass; Avantree itself steers bass chasers toward larger headphones, since these are tuned for balanced sound with an emphasis on mids and highs.
The Nulaxy Airplane is a different category of product entirely, and that's the point. It's a Bluetooth transmitter/receiver built around a Qualcomm chipset, with a 3.5mm AUX connection, a 220mAh battery, a screen that shows battery level and connected devices, and dual Bluetooth pairing in both TX and RX modes. In TX mode it takes a wired audio source — airplane seat-back jack, TV, laptop — and broadcasts it to your Bluetooth headphones. In RX mode it goes the other direction, taking a Bluetooth signal and feeding it into a car stereo, wired speakers or similar.
For air travel specifically, the killer feature is pairing two headsets at once. Two people, one seat-back jack, two sets of AirPods or headphones, both listening to the same movie. The screen takes the guesswork out of it: you can see what's connected instead of blindly trusting a blinking LED. Battery life is stated at 20 hours in RX mode and 15 hours in TX mode, with a full charge in about 80 minutes, and it can run while charging from a 5V Type-C supply — handy on a long-haul flight with a seat power outlet.
The trade-offs are real and worth stating plainly. This is not a headphone, so if you don't already own a Bluetooth headset, it solves nothing for you. The built-in mic only works in RX mode, and call and track controls are invalid in TX mode — so on a plane, you're listening, not answering calls through it. If pairing fails or you get no sound, Nulaxy's fix is to hold the Reset button for three seconds to restore factory settings, then reinsert the audio cable, clear old Bluetooth records and re-pair. It carries a 1-year manufacturer warranty.
Buy it if you already own Bluetooth headphones or earbuds you like, you travel with a companion, and you want both of you untethered from the seat. Skip it if you don't own Bluetooth headphones, or if you want the simplest possible thing — an adapter adds a pairing step that wired earbuds never have.
• Best for zero setup → Avantree E171. Plug into the 3.5mm jack and listen. No charging, no pairing, no mode switching.
• Best for using your own Bluetooth headphones on a plane → Nulaxy Airplane. TX mode turns a seat-back jack into a Bluetooth stream.
• Best for two people sharing one screen → Nulaxy Airplane. It pairs two headsets simultaneously and displays what's connected.
• Best for battery life → Nulaxy Airplane. Up to 20 hours in RX mode and 15 hours in TX mode, with about an 80-minute charge time.
• Best for secure fit during movement → Avantree E171. The ear-hook shape plus three silicone tip sizes is built to stay put for running and gym use.
• Best for calls → Avantree E171. Its in-line mic handles phone and VOIP calls directly; Nulaxy's mic only works in RX mode.
• Best for bass lovers → neither, honestly. Avantree tunes for balanced mids and highs and points bass seekers at larger headphones; Nulaxy isn't a headphone at all.
• Best for mixed use beyond flying → Nulaxy Airplane. RX mode covers car stereos and wired speakers, TX mode covers TV and laptop audio too.
In my opinion, most people asking this question should buy the Nulaxy Airplane. If you already carry a Bluetooth headset you actually like, the adapter is the smarter purchase: it makes the gear you own work on the plane, pairs a second person in, and shows you its own battery and connections instead of making you guess. I'd only steer you to the Avantree E171 if you want the absolute simplest wired solution, you need a mic for calls, or you want a snug ear-hook fit for workouts as well as travel. Check the current price on Amazon before deciding, since the value math between a $30-ish accessory and a pair of earbuds depends entirely on what you already own.
what headphones for airplane
It comes down to whether you want wired or wireless. A wired 3.5mm earbud like the Avantree E171 plugs directly into the seat-back jack with no setup. If you'd rather use your own Bluetooth headphones, the Nulaxy Airplane adapter in TX mode converts that same jack into a Bluetooth signal.
what is the best headphones for airplanes
There's no single answer, because the two products here solve different problems. In my opinion, the best setup for a frequent flyer who already owns Bluetooth headphones is the Nulaxy Airplane, since it pairs two headsets and shows battery and connected devices on screen. For someone who wants zero fuss, wired earbuds like the Avantree E171 are simpler.
what earphones for airplane
Look for a standard 3.5mm connection, since that's what airplane seat-back jacks use. The Avantree E171 fits that directly, with an ear-hook design and three silicone tip sizes for a stable in-ear fit. If your earphones are Bluetooth-only, you'll need an adapter like the Nulaxy Airplane to bridge the gap.
what kind of headphones for airplane
Wired headphones with a 3.5mm plug are the most universally compatible with airplane entertainment systems. Bluetooth headphones work too, but only through a transmitter like the Nulaxy Airplane, which supports dual connections in TX mode. Note that Nulaxy's mic and track controls only function in RX mode, not while transmitting.
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See also: Avantree C171 vs WOSHIFUPO Trucker: Headphones with Mic, EARLA TEC Replacement Audio Cable vs Avantree E171, Xmenha Cat Ear Headphones vs Asobilor Airplane Headphone Adapter