If you’re shopping for a new pair of headphones, Bose is one of the top brands to consider. The company is well known for its industry-leading active-noise-canceling (ANC) technology, which is available in several over-ear and earbud models. To help you decide which pair is right for you, I tested all of the brand’s current offerings to choose the best Bose headphones for different kinds of users.
For people who want the best balance between price and performance, I recommend the over-ear Bose QuietComfort Headphones. This model delivers good sound quality and great ANC for the money. However, buyers who want the absolute best noise-canceling performance should splurge for the more expensive over-ear QuietComfort Ultra. These headphones are a bit better at handling more volatile environments with extreme frequencies. Earbud editions of both models are also available for people who favor the portability of in-ear headphones.
To evaluate the best Bose headphones, I tested each model over an extended period of time, examining and comparing their audio performance, noise canceling, comfort, and general usability. I’ve used my findings to break down each model’s key differences and explain why you might want to go with one over the other.
Our top picks for the best Bose headphones
Best overall: Bose QuietComfort Headphones – See at Amazon
Best noise-canceling: Bose QuietComfort Ultra Headphones – See at Amazon
Best high-end earbuds: Bose QuietComfort Ultra Earbuds (2nd Gen) – See at Amazon
Best midrange buds: Bose QuietComfort Earbuds – See at Amazon
Best overall
Bose QuietComfort Headphones
These headphones are an excellent fit for all-around use, with great noise cancellation, plush comfort, all-day battery life, and more. However, Bose’s step-up QC Ultra model does offer even better noise-canceling performance.
The Bose QuietComfort Headphones aren’t the brand’s most advanced offering, but they deliver excellent value for the money. These over-ear headphones launched in 2023 and retain the company’s familiar design while adding new features not found on older QuietComfort models. The most obvious addition is a USB-C charging port that makes it compatible with most laptop and phone charging cables.
The headphones sound lively with good bass. Music is vibrant, while movies come through with plenty of impact. In general, they hold their own against other headphones in this price range.
They also deliver good noise-canceling performance for typical use cases during commutes, trips, and around an office. However, their ANC isn’t quite as powerful as that of Bose’s step-up QuietComfort Ultra model. Most notably, the Ultra headphones have an edge in environments prone to unpredictable changes in noise and extreme frequency ranges.
It’s also important to mention that this model lacks the Ultras’ CustomTune feature, which automatically calibrates the headphones every time you put them on to optimize sound output and isolation. Bose’s Immersive Audio feature is also missing, which processes music to sound more three-dimensional and tracks your head movements to reposition effects and instruments. These features can provide benefits, but I don’t consider them to be must-haves for most people.
Though Bose’s pricier QC Ultra headphones have perks that enthusiasts should consider paying extra for, the standard QuietComfort headphones get close to their quality while costing less. In that context, this model offers the brand’s best balance between cost and performance.
Best noise-canceling
They’re not cheap, but Bose’s QuietComfort Ultra are the brand’s most impressive noise-canceling headphones to date. In fact, they’re the best noise-cancelling headphones from any brand. This model’s large, padded earcups do an excellent job of creating a seal over your ear. But it’s the QC Ultras’ ANC processing that really takes these cans to another level.
With ANC activated, the QC Ultra headphones do a remarkable job of suppressing ambient distractions. The complete disappearance of plane noise and crowds is outstanding and even a little unbelievable. Most noise-canceling headphones can do a solid job of minimizing low-frequency sounds, but the QC Ultra are also good at reducing higher-frequency noises like voices and typing. Compared to the standard QuietComfort headphones, this model is better at handling unpredictable environments, where background sounds change frequently.
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The QC Ultra also have a couple of extra features not found on Bose’s step-down headphones. CustomeTune is the most handy, and it’s one of the tricks that enhances the Ultras’ ANC performance. Each time you put the headphones on, CustomTune plays a tone that measures your ears acoustically. This helps ensure that sound blockage and tuning are optimized for the most personal listening experience possible.
The headphones also support Bose’s Immersive Audio feature. This function creates a 3D audio effect with head tracking that repositions sounds as you turn your neck. It’s an interesting mode to experiment with, but standard stereo playback sounds better for most content. The Ultra headphones deliver a deep low-end and detailed clarity, though some listeners may want to dial the bass down a bit in the Bose app to get a more balanced sound.
The QuietComfort Ultras’ lightweight and squishy ear cups make them comfortable and easy to wear for long stretches. I’ve been using them since their release in 2023 and haven’t seen any noticeable wear. I’ve even traveled with them in a backpack without their carrying case. They’ve resisted scratches and cracks.
When it comes to drawbacks, I do have a small gripe with the touch-sensitive volume control because it’s often hard to feel for without hitting it unintentionally. I prefer having tactile physical buttons to control these functions. The QuietComfort Ultra are also more expensive than a lot of direct competitors, like Sony’s flagship WH-1000XM5. But for buyers willing to pay extra to get the most powerful ANC on the market, these remain the headphones to beat.
Check out our guides to all of the best headphones and best over-ear headphones.
Best high-end earbuds
Bose QuietComfort Ultra Earbuds (2nd Gen)
The second-generation Bose QuietComfort Ultra Earbuds deliver the best ANC performance we’ve encountered in a pair of in-ear headphones. But while they offer a few welcome tweaks over the previous-generation model, overall performance is very similar.
The QuietComfort Ultra Earbuds (2nd Gen) are the best Bose headphones for listeners who want high-end noise-canceling in a compact form factor. These new earbuds officially launch on September 10, and though their performance is very similar to the first-gen earbuds they replace, they carry the same suggested retail price while offering a few upgraded features.
Most notably, this second-generation model has better call quality with AI-enhanced background noise suppression, smoother ActiveSense performance (which prevents sudden spikes in loud noises), refined audio tuning, and the addition of wireless charging to the included case. That latter feature is a very welcome one since it was one of the first-gen model’s biggest omissions.
Tyler Hayes/Business Insider
Though improvements in noise-canceling performance are subtle compared to the older model, the ANC on offer here still beats every other pair of earbuds I’ve tested, including the AirPods Pro 2 and Sony’s high-end WF-1000M5. They also have a natural-sounding transparency mode, which comes in handy in situations where you need to hear your surroundings.
Beyond their ability to block out nearly all unwanted noise, the Ultra Earbuds 2nd Gen deliver excellent sound quality, especially if you favor deep bass out of the box. Their sound signature is energetic and incredibly full, making them excellent options for listening to all styles of music, as well as movies and TV shows.
Like Bose’s over-ear Ultra headphones, the QC Ultra Earbuds also have CustomTune, which plays a tone to map your ears to enable the best noise cancellation and audio performance for each individual. They also support Immersive Audio for more dimensional sound if you like simulated surround sound effects.
Since the earbuds take up a fraction of space compared to their over-ear counterparts, this model is even easier to use while traveling. In a pinch, I’ve also found these earbuds to work well enough for running and working out.
Read our full Bose QuietComfort Ultra Earbuds (2nd Gen) review.
Check out our guide to all of the best wireless earbuds.
Best midrange buds
Bose QuietComfort Earbuds (2024)
The QuietComfort Earbuds are Bose’s midrange in-ear headphones. They deliver excellent noise cancellation for the money, but performance is a slight step down compared to the brand’s pricier QuietComfort Ultra Earbuds.
The QuietComfort earbuds are Bose’s mid-tier in-ear headphones. They serve as a step-down version of the company’s pricier Ultra earbuds and retain many of that model’s benefits while coming in at a cheaper price. They can’t quite match the Ultra earbuds’ noise-canceling power, but they get close considering their lower cost.
I reviewed the QuietComfort earbuds’ ANC performance on an airplane, and they still block plenty of noise. They couldn’t completely mute the plane’s engines, but they did dial them down a good amount. Based on my testing, I’d say they offer about 75% of the noise-canceling power of the Ultra earbuds. In less demanding environments like libraries or cafés, they’ll keep you focused, but the Ultra earbuds are better at handling more extreme ambient noises.
Tyler Hayes/Business Insider
The QuietComfort Earbuds are thoroughly impressive when it comes to providing big, booming bass. Movies and music are thunderous while still offering good vocal clarity. In general, they do a good job of matching the quality of other in-ear headphones in this price range. However, good sound on earbuds is dependent on a good seal, and these run on the large side for some ear shapes. For instance, my wife had trouble getting them to sit flush, even when using the smallest-size ear tips.
In exchange for their lower price, the standard QC earbuds are also missing a couple of features found on the pricier Ultra earbuds. They don’t support Bose’s Immersive Audio feature or CustomTune calibration. Again, these aren’t must-have features, but they offer benefits for those willing to pay more. Most notably, the CustomTune function helps the Ultra earbuds better optimize their sound and noise-canceling performance.
Ultimately, the QuietComfort earbuds are the best Bose earbuds for more casual listeners who want a taste of Bose’s trademark noise-canceling performance without the heftier price tag of the brand’s Ultra model.
Read our full Bose QuietComfort Earbuds review.
What else we considered
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My picks for the best Bose headphones focus on the brand’s top offerings for most use cases. However, the company also sells a couple of additional models for more specific needs.
Most notably, there’s the brand’s Ultra Open earbuds. These unique earbuds use an open-ear fit that clips on. Rather than create a seal, the Ultra Open earbuds rest outside your ear canal. This type of design enables you to naturally hear your surroundings, which is ideal for active use outside, like during runs. They can also be paired with compatible Bose soundbars to serve as rear surround speakers when watching movies and TV shows. However, there are cheaper open-ear headphones that work just as well, and Bose’s other earbuds offer more versatile performance for the money. Check out our guide to the best running headphones for more open-ear recommendations.
Bose also used to sell earbuds specifically geared toward sports and sleep, but those models are discontinued. Some stores still sell some of the brand’s older over-ear headphones, like the Bose 700 and Bose QuietComfort 45, but I recommend buying the newest QuietComfort or Quiet Comfort Ultra models to get the latest features and improved performance.
How we test Bose headphones
Tyler Hayes/Business Insider
To test the best Bose headphones, I used each model for several months at home, while commuting and working, and while flying. These varied environments allowed me to assess noise-canceling performance across many common scenarios. I also listened to lots of music across all genres, as well as spoken-word podcasts and audiobooks, to evaluate the headphones’ general audio quality.
I used the headphones and earbuds while connected to my computer, iPhone, and iPad to get a sense of how they worked with different devices, including in a Multipoint situation where I switched back and forth between sources.
For this guide, I focused on evaluating the performance differences between the best Bose headphones to help categorize which kind of buyer each is right for. However, I’ve also tested dozens of competing headphones and earbuds from other brands over the last 12 months, and used that experience to further contextualize how each Bose model fits into the market as a whole. Generally speaking, all of the best Bose headphones deliver competitive sound and ANC performance compared to the other premium choices from competitors.
Bose headphones FAQs
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Do Bose headphones have the best noise cancellation technology?
Many brands sell headphones with active noise-canceling tech, but not all are created equal. From our experience testing numerous ANC devices, Bose remains the best at blocking noisy environments and keeping distractions away. Other brands, like Sony and Apple, get close, but the best Bose headphones still have an edge in overall ANC performance.
Are Bose headphones good for taking phone calls?
The best Bose headphones and earbuds have microphones that allow you to use them for phone calls and video chats. They also have features that isolate your voice from background noise, making it easier for others to hear you during calls, even in public settings.
Are Bose headphones good for gaming?
Bose headphones are fine for basic, casual gaming, but they’re not designed for gaming enthusiasts or competitive gamers. This is because they use a wireless Bluetooth connection rather than a 2.4GHz connection. Bluetooth can introduce more lag than 2.4GHz, which can negatively impact your gaming experience.
Do Bose headphones support spatial audio?
Bose’s QuietComfort Ultra over-ear headphones and earbuds both support the brand’s Immersive Audio feature. This function creates a spatial audio effect with head tracking, which can give music a more three-dimensional quality with sounds that reposition as you move your head. However, this effect can introduce an unnatural echo in some content.
What other audio products does Bose sell?
In addition to headphones, Bose makes some of the best soundbars and best Bluetooth speakers on the market.
For more recommendations, check out our guide to the best Bose soundbars.
