If you want water-resistant earbuds with a secure in-ear fit for airplane travel, choose Skullcandy Push True; if you need longer battery life and an open-ear design, choose Sony. The important difference is that neither is a conventional noise-cancelling over-ear headphone: these are two very different true wireless earbuds, with different ways of handling a noisy trip.
For a flight, I’d lean toward Skullcandy if keeping the earbuds seated and isolating some outside sound matters most. Sony makes more sense if you want to stay more aware of your surroundings and value its longer stated battery life.
• Skullcandy Push True: Bluetooth earbuds with a secure FitFin-style ear fit, water resistance, and 12 hours of total battery life. Trade-off: sound isolation is listed, not active noise cancellation.
• Sony LinkBuds Open: Open-ear earbuds with up to 22 hours of battery life, quick charging, and an 11 mm ring-shaped driver. Trade-off: the open design keeps you connected to your surroundings rather than sealing your ears.
• Choose Skullcandy if you want an in-ear fit with ear gels that are intended to stay secure and controls for calls, tracks, volume, and an assistant.
• Choose Sony if you prefer an open fit, longer stated battery life, and the option to recharge briefly for additional playback.
• For airplane use, Skullcandy’s in-ear design is the more natural match for sound isolation; Sony’s open-ear layout is better suited to listening while remaining aware of nearby sounds.
Skullcandy Push True is the more conventional in-ear option here. Its FitFin ear gels are designed to help the buds stay secure, which may appeal if you’re moving through an airport, settling into a seat, or shifting around during a flight. The listed sound control is sound isolation. That is different from active noise cancellation: the data describes an in-ear design, not an ANC system.
The earbuds connect over Bluetooth and offer 12 hours of total battery life. Touch controls cover calls, tracks, volume, and activating a voice assistant, so the listed functions are not limited to starting and stopping audio. Water resistance is another practical feature for everyday use, though the data doesn’t specify a rating or claim protection against every kind of water exposure. A charging case is included.
How We Research
We compare products from their published specs and features; the verdicts below are our independent editorial opinions.
Updated: 2026-10-20 · 7 min read · Independent comparison
For a traveler comparing noise cancelling on ear headphones for airplane use, it’s important to set expectations: Push True is an in-ear earbud, not an on-ear headphone, and the stated noise control is isolation rather than active cancellation. Still, its sealed-in-ear approach is the closer fit of these two for someone who wants some separation from ambient sound. Bluetooth 5.2 is specified, with a listed wireless range of 10 meters.
Who should skip it: Skip Skullcandy if you specifically need active noise cancellation or prefer an open-ear design that leaves your surroundings easier to hear.
Battery life is Sony’s clearest specification advantage: up to 22 hours, with quick charging that provides up to 60 minutes of playback from a three-minute charge. That can be convenient when you have a short window to top up before heading out. The battery figure is a stated maximum, not a promise that every listening session will reach it. Sony also identifies an Integrated Processor V2 and its ring-shaped driver as part of the audio system, with clear mid-to-high ranges emphasized in the product information.
Sony is not the obvious choice if your priority is blocking a plane’s background noise. Although the control information lists active noise cancellation, the product’s defining design is open-ear, and its description emphasizes remaining connected to your surroundings. It is not a pair of over-ear headphones, either. The package is identified as renewed, and the supplied information specifies a 90-day limited hardware warranty. That warranty detail is worth weighing if you want to understand the stated coverage.
Who should skip it: Skip Sony if you want an enclosed fit to help isolate cabin sound or if you’re shopping specifically for over-ear headphones.
• For an in-ear fit that aims to stay secure → Skullcandy Push True. Its FitFin ear gels are the clearest fit feature in this comparison.
• For a design that keeps your surroundings audible → Sony LinkBuds Open. Its open-ear ring-driver layout is built around listening without fully closing off the ear.
• For longer stated battery life → Sony. It lists up to 22 hours, compared with 12 hours of total battery life for Skullcandy.
• For a short charging opportunity → Sony. Its specified quick-charge feature gives up to 60 minutes of playback from a three-minute charge.
• For water resistance → Skullcandy. Its data sheet lists water resistance; Sony’s does not specify that feature.
• For call, track, volume, and assistant controls → Skullcandy. Those functions are specifically listed for its touch controls.
• For an airplane listener prioritizing in-ear sound isolation → Skullcandy. It is the more suitable of these two designs for that goal, though it is not described as having ANC.
• For an open-ear alternative to conventional earbuds → Sony. Choose it if awareness of nearby sounds matters more than sealing out cabin noise.
Buying Considerations
Think first about how you want your ears to feel during a long trip. Skullcandy sits inside the ear and uses FitFin ear gels for a secure fit. Sony is open-ear and includes Air Fitting Supporters designed for comfort. These are fundamentally different wearing experiences; the better choice depends on whether you prefer a more enclosed fit or want to keep hearing the environment around you.
Battery needs may point the other way. Sony lists up to 22 hours and a quick-charge option, while Skullcandy lists 12 hours of total battery life. The figures aren’t presented in exactly the same wording, so they should be treated as product specifications rather than a direct guarantee of identical listening conditions. For a trip where a brief charge is useful, Sony has the more specific charging detail. For a routine where water resistance and a secure fit matter more, Skullcandy’s stated features may be more relevant.
Finally, don’t confuse Sony’s shape with the headband style in searches for rotatable ear cups headband headphones for airplane. Neither pick has a headband or rotatable ear cups. If those features are essential, these earbuds are the wrong form factor to compare. And because the Sony listing is identified as renewed and states a 90-day limited hardware warranty, consider that detail alongside the design and battery differences.
I’d choose Skullcandy Push True for an airplane if I had to pick between these two. Its in-ear fit, FitFin ear gels, sound isolation, and water resistance make it the more convincing travel option for someone seeking a secure earbud and some separation from ambient sound. It does not offer a stated ANC feature, so I wouldn’t mistake it for a dedicated noise-cancelling headset. I’d choose Sony instead if open-ear listening and its longer stated battery life mattered more to me.
FAQ
For an in-ear fit and listed sound isolation, Skullcandy is the closer match. Sony’s open-ear design is intended to keep you aware of your surroundings, which may be preferable for some settings but is not the same approach to cabin sound.
They do not specify active noise cancellation, so don’t treat it as an ANC model.
Sony lists up to 22 hours and says a three-minute charge can provide up to 60 minutes of playback. Skullcandy lists 12 hours of total battery life. Actual use may vary, and those figures should be read as the products’ stated specifications.
No. Both are true wireless earbuds. Skullcandy is in-ear, while Sony is open-ear; neither has a headband or rotatable ear cups.
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