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

Professional traveler and television personality Rick Steves spends 4 months yearly in Europe.

Despite all that time abroad, Steves recently told Insider he never checks a bag.

Instead, Steves leaves home with just 20 pounds of gear and is really picky about what he includes.

Surprisingly, he always dedicates space to his Bose headphones, despite their bulky size.

"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 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.

Read 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.

Another great feature is the unrivaled noise cancellation, especially during phone calls, which makes them great for traveling.

Villas-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."