If you want over-ear comfort and up to 92 hours of listening for cycling breaks or travel, choose Edifier ES850NB; if you need compact in-ear earbuds with adaptive noise cancelling and a charging case, choose Anker Soundcore P31i. For cycling, my pick depends on whether you prioritize an over-ear design or a small, portable set of earbuds.
Edifier ES850NB vs Anker Soundcore P31i at a Glance
• Edifier ES850NB: Over-ear design, active noise cancellation, and up to 92 hours of battery life; trade-offs include a larger headphone form and no stated water-resistance rating.
• Anker Soundcore P31i: In-ear earbuds with adaptive ANC, up to 50 hours with the case, and an IP55 rating; trade-offs include shorter total battery life and no headphone jack.
• Choose Edifier if you want long listening sessions and the option of wired USB-C or 3.5 mm connectivity.
• Choose Anker if you want earbuds with a compact charging case, multiple ear-tip sizes, and stated dust and water resistance.
• For cycling, the key choice is not simply which one cancels more noise. An over-ear fit and an in-ear fit feel different, and either product’s ANC could make surrounding sounds less noticeable. If your route involves traffic, consider whether you need to hear what is happening around you.
The Edifier ES850NB is an over-ear wireless headphone with active noise cancellation, Bluetooth 5.4, and touch controls. Its standout spec is the stated battery life: up to 92 hours. That makes it the stronger option here for long stretches between charges, whether you are listening at home, working, or packing headphones for a trip. It also supports wired listening through USB-C or a 3.5 mm jack.
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We compare products from their published specs and features; the verdicts below are our independent editorial opinions.
Updated: 2026-10-22 · 6 min read · Independent comparison
For cycling, the trade-off is the over-ear form. Someone who wants that style for stationary riding or breaks may find it appealing, but it is not the compact earbud option. The data does not list an IP rating, so I would not assume it has a stated level of dust or water protection. Skip it if you specifically want earbuds, a charging case, or a documented IP rating.
The Anker Soundcore P31i is an in-ear Bluetooth model with adaptive active noise cancellation, touch controls, and a charging case. It offers up to 10 hours of playtime on a charge, or up to 50 hours with the case; with ANC enabled, the stated figures are up to 8 hours per charge and 40 hours total. A ten-minute charge is listed as providing up to 3.5 hours of listening.
Its practical strengths are portability and outdoor-oriented details. The set includes XS, S, M, and L ear tips, and it carries an IP55 rating. Anker also lists six microphones for calls, with AI noise reduction and wind-noise reduction. The product includes adaptive ANC and supports LDAC; the stated audio frequency range is 20 Hz to 40 kHz. These are useful features to compare, though specifications alone cannot promise a particular fit or sound preference.
For cycling, this is the more compact choice, but its ANC is still a reason to think about where and how you ride. If you want the best comfortable clip on earbuds for cycling, neither product matches that description: the P31i is an in-ear model, not a clip-on design. Skip it if you want a wired listening option or the longer stated total battery life of the Edifier.
Side-by-Side: Which Should You Choose?
• Best for maximum stated battery life → Edifier ES850NB. It lists up to 92 hours, compared with up to 50 hours for the P31i with its case.
• Best for smaller, in-ear listening → Anker Soundcore P31i. It comes with a case and four listed ear-tip sizes.
• Best for a stated dust and water-resistance rating → Anker Soundcore P31i. It is rated IP55; no comparable rating is listed for the Edifier.
• Best for adaptive ANC → Anker Soundcore P31i. Its noise cancellation is described as adaptive, adjusting to surroundings.
• Best for an over-ear fit → Edifier ES850NB. The P31i is explicitly an in-ear design.
• Best for quick charging, based on the listed figures → Anker Soundcore P31i. A ten-minute charge is stated to provide up to 3.5 hours; Edifier lists a 15-minute charge time but does not specify how much listening that provides.
• Best multipoint wireless headset for cycling → neither is confirmed by the supplied specifications. The Edifier description mentions multipoint connection, but the details provided do not explain its operation; no multipoint feature is listed for the P31i.
The phrase “best noise cancelling head phones for cycling” needs a safety caveat. Both models have ANC, but stronger noise reduction is not automatically an advantage on a ride where hearing nearby traffic or other people matters. For indoor cycling or listening before and after a ride, the fit and battery differences are easier to weigh without that same concern.
In my opinion, I’d choose the Edifier ES850NB if I wanted one pair mainly for long listening sessions, especially because its listed 92-hour battery life and wired options give it flexibility.
For cycling, I would not treat either ANC model as a safety-specific choice; the P31i is more portable, but its noise cancellation also deserves caution outdoors.
If compactness, IP55, and adaptive ANC matter more to you than battery longevity, I’d choose the Anker Soundcore P31i instead.
FAQ
The Edifier lists up to 92 hours. The P31i lists up to 50 hours with its case, or up to 40 hours total with ANC enabled.
The P31i’s specifications list six microphones, AI noise reduction, and wind-noise reduction. The Edifier is described as supporting clear calls, but the provided details do not give a microphone count or comparable wind-noise feature.
The Edifier lists USB-C and a 3.5 mm jack for wired connectivity. The P31i has no headphone jack and is listed as wireless.
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