Why pro traveler Rick Steves always makes space for bulky Bose headphones, even when flying with just a carry-on

When you buy through our links, Insider may earn an affiliate commission. Learn more. Antonio Villas-Boas/Insider and Rick Steves’ Europe Rick Steves, host of the show “Rick Steves’ Europe,” shared his must-have travel items with Insider.

Even when traveling for months, he never checks a bag, yet he always packs bulky Bose headphones. Steves said he loves the Bose headphones because they give him privacy on planes and trains. Professional traveler and television personality Rick Steves spends 4 months yearly in Europe.

Here’s Rick Steves, host of “Rick Steves’ Europe” hiking in Italy’s Cinque Terre. Rick Steves’ EuropeDespite all that time abroad, Steves recently told Insider he never checks a bag. Here’s a photoshopped picture of Rick Steves laying in his carry-on bag, which he posted on his Facebook page.

Rick Steves/FacebookInstead, Steves leaves home with just 20 pounds of gear and is really picky about what he includes. This is basically his luggage setup for four months of travel: one carry-on bag and a smaller personal item. Rick Steves/FacebookSurprisingly, he always dedicates space to his Bose headphones, despite their bulky size.

With the included case, Bose headphones take up quite a bit of space in a crowded carry-on bag. Antonio Villas-Boas/Insider”I just love my Bose noise reduction headphones, the big kind that goes around your ear,” said Steves. “That’s a major investment of packing space for me to take something that a lot of people would think is not essential.

“”They give me beautiful music or beautiful silence,” Steves told Insider. The cushiony ear covers are comfortable to wear on long flights and provide excellent noise blocking. Antonio Villas-Boas/Insider”The noise reduction headphones give me privacy on the airplane and privacy on train rides,” Steves said.

“When I’m wearing them, nobody will talk to me. “Our senior tech reporter Antonio Villas-Boas has tested 50 headphones and recommends the Bose 700. Here they are pictured in the white color.

Antonio Villas-Boas/InsiderRead our full review of the Bose 700 Noise Canceling Headphones. We love how the Bose 700 headphones fit comfortably, are easy to set up, and have solid audio performance. Large letters inside each ear cover make it easy to figure out what way to put the headphones on.

Antonio Villas-Boas/InsiderAnother great feature is the unrivaled noise cancellation, especially during phone calls, which makes them great for traveling. Our reporter snapped this photo of the crowd in the Miami airport while he was wearing his Bose headphones. Despite being in a busy airport, our reporter heard none of the surrounding noise.

Antonio Villas-Boas/InsiderVillas-Boas recommends the Bose QualityComfort 45 headphones as a more affordable and compact alternative since they fold up. However, “the sound quality and noise canceling are excellent, but not quite on par with the 700. “Another of our reporters wearing the Bose QualityComfort 45 headphones, which fold up a bit more compactly.

Kirsten Acuna/InsiderRead the original article on Insider.