Style

The Anker Soundcore Life Q35 look almost identical to the Anker Soundcore Life Q30 Wireless. They have a simple design with a dark blue satin finish. Unlike the previous generation, their brand markings on the ear cups are now blue too, which doesn't stand out as much. They come in two color variants: 'Blue' and 'Pink'.

Comfort

The Anker Q35 are comfortable headphones. They clamp a little more than the Anker Soundcore Life Q30 Wireless, but they shouldn't fit too tightly. They also feel light on the head. However, the headband's padding seems thin, and it may become uncomfortable if you're wearing them for long periods.

Controls

The Anker Soundcore Q35 have a good control scheme. There's a touch-sensitive surface on only the right ear cup, but most of the controls are physical buttons found on the underside of both cups. You can play or pause audio, adjust volume, and cycle through different ANC settings: 'ANC', 'Transparency', which allows you to hear what's going on around you without turning off your audio, and 'Normal', which is the off mode. You can also switch between 'Normal' and 'Transparency' mode by touching and holding the right cup for two seconds. You can hold the volume up or down for one second to skip the track forward or backward, respectively, or activate voice assistant by holding down the play button for two seconds. The buttons are clicky and are easy to use. There are voice prompts when changing ANC settings, but there aren't beeps for the other commands.

Breathability

These headphones have mediocre breathability. They cover your entire ear and can trap in heat, which can make your ears feel warm. While you shouldn't sweat more if you're wearing them at your desk, they could become more uncomfortable during physical exercise.

Portability

The Anker Life Q35 are passably portable. They're a bit bulky, and while the ear cups can swivel to lay flat, they can still be hard to take with you. Luckily, they come with a hard case to help protect them, but it still takes up some room in your bag or backpack.

Case

The Anker Soundcore Life Q35 come with a good case. It's more rounded than that of the Anker Soundcore Life Q30 Wireless, but it otherwise hasn't changed too much. It has a zipper that fully closes and it has a small pouch inside to store the cables and airplane adapter. It should protect your headphones from minor water exposure and accidental drops.

Build Quality

The Anker Life Q35 have a good build quality. They're made of dense plastic and a silicone-like material with a metal plate in the headband, making them feel sturdy overall. They have faux leather padding on the headband and ear cups. They feel like they should survive a few accidental drops or falls without taking too much damage. However, the headband padding can become thin with time. They also lack an IP rating for water resistance, although we don't currently test for this.

Stability

The Anker Q35 are fairly stable headphones. They should stay in place while working at your desk, but they can fall off with more intense head movements. Luckily, their wireless design eliminates the risk of an audio cable snagging on something and pulling them off your head. For a more stable pair of wireless headphones, check out the JBL Tune 760NC Wireless.

Battery

The battery performance of the Anker Soundcore Life Q35 is very good. They're advertised to last 40 hours with their ANC on, but we measured over 44. However, battery performance can vary depending on usage, so your results may vary. Luckily, if you run out of battery life, you can also use these headphones passively with their included TRS to TRRS cable.

App Support

The Anker Soundcore app is great. It has a graphic EQ and presets so that you can tweak its sound to your liking. You can also adjust their ANC between three different levels: 'Transport' mode, 'Outdoor' mode, and 'Indoor' mode. Just like the Anker Soundcore Life Q30 Wireless, there are also sleep-related features available, like a timer or calming ambient sounds.

Bluetooth

The Anker Soundcore Life Q35 have outstanding Bluetooth connectivity. You can pair them with up to two devices at a time, and they support NFC pairing. While their latency is a bit high on PC, it's lower on iOS and Android, which is nice if you like to stream videos. That said, some apps and devices compensate for latency differently, so your mileage may vary with real-life usage. These headphones also support AAC and LDAC codec, which allow you to stream high-quality audio. We don't currently test their performance in this regard, though.

Wired

The Anker Life Q35 come with a 1/8" TRS to 1/8" TRRS cable that you can use to passively listen to audio. It also has a built-in microphone so that you can take calls or chat with others. They also come with a USB-C to USB-A cable to charge the headphones and an airplane adapter.