Bose headphones and earbuds are known for their comfort, sound quality and excellent noise canceling, which is arguably the best out there, although Sony has been a close competitor in recent years as it vies to become the noise-canceling king. Among thebest wireless headphonesandbest wireless earbudson the market, Bose models tend to be fairly pricey but regularly go on sale.
The flagshipQuietComfort Ultra Headphonesare Bose's best full-size headphones. However, if you want something smaller, theQuietComfort Ultra Earbudsare the ones to get and feature the best noise canceling on the market for earbuds. That said, you can't plug them into an inflight entertainment system on a plane because they're strictly wireless.
I've tested all the Bose models on this list and I'll update it with new Bose headphones and earbuds as they hit the market. Bose's newest headphone product is itsQuietComfort Earbuds (2024), which are its mid-range noise-canceling earbuds that I was generally impressed despite some small shortcomings. The company'sUltra Open Earbudsare the only model on this list that doesn't have noise canceling. They feature an innovative clip-on design (a big improvement over the design of cheaperclip-on earbudsthat were previously on the market) and best-in-class sound foropen earbuds.
Read more:Best Wireless Earbuds for 2025
We updated info on all the Bose headphones on this list, including the addition of multipoint Bluetooth to certain models. We also added more photos.
Bose's flagship QuietComfort Ultra Headphones feature a more premium design than their predecessor, along with Bose's Immersive Audio feature, which delivers some sound-quality enhancements. Along with excellent sound and great noise canceling, the QC Ultra Headphones are also superb for making calls, with top-notch background noise reduction. Released in late 2023, I called these "a worthy adversary to Sony's highly rated WH-1000XM5 and Apple's AirPods Max headphones." Sony's new WH-1000XM6 headphones have edged slightly ahead of the QC Ultras, but they remain one of the top pairs of noise-canceling headphones on the market.Read my Bose QuietComfort Ultra Headphones review.
They're a good choice for frequent travelers, commuters and professionals who want comfortable, well-designed headphones with impressive overall performance, including excellent noise muffling capabilities.
Those who are on a tighter budget should obviously look toward more midrange and budget headphones options. Also, Sony's new WH-1000XM6 headphones are arguably slightly better for about the same price. That said, because the QuietComfort Ultra Headphones came out in late 2023, they do end up going on sale fairly regularly.
The QC Ultra Earbuds feature a new metallic treatment that differentiates them from the QC Earbuds 2.
While Bose's QuietComfort Ultra Earbuds are a little bigger than many true-wireless earbuds, they've always fit my ears comfortably and securely thanks to their "interlocking fit" system with Fit Kit eartips and stabilizers (the Ultras feature a new notch to keep the stabilizers in place). Not only do the Ultras feature very good sound, but they deliver exceptional noise canceling — possibly the best available — and a pretty natural transparency mode. I also liked Bose's new Immersive Audio spatial audio technology with head-tracking, which helps open up the soundstage and improves the sound a bit (it does use extra battery life). These buds also have good voice-calling performance, although it's not quite as good as what you get with the AirPods Pro 2. Multipoint Bluetooth pairing was added in July 2024.Read my QuietComfort Ultra Earbuds review.
If you're looking for earbuds with best-in-class noise canceling and very good sound quality, the QC Ultra Earbuds fit the bill. They should also fit most ears well, and Bose tends to have good customer support should you have any issues. Just look for them at a discount because they've been on the market since September 2023.
These buds are pretty pricey and there are other premium buds to consider in this price range (or cost less if you're on a tighter budget). Also the QC Ultra earbuds are bulkier than options like AirPods Pro 2, which may be an issue for those who prefer a more compact earbud design.
When Bose released its new flagship QuietComfort Ultra Headphones in late 2023, it also replaced the QuietComfort 45s with a new, slightly updated model simply called the QuietComfort Headphones. Like the QC 45s, this model carries on the very comfortable, tried-and-true, legacy QuietComfort design that's been around for a few generations that many people still love. The QC Ultra Headphones add Bose's new Immersive Audio feature and have a more refined design with some metal parts; they also have Bluetooth 5.3 instead of Bluetooth 5.1. But the QuietComfort Headphones still feature very good sound — the Ultras offer a small step up in sound quality — excellent noise canceling and strong voice-calling performance.
As for differences between these and the QC45s, Bose says it adjusted some of the electronics to improve battery life (now 24 hours up from 22) and adjusted the logos to make the products "visually distinguishable and more in line with its latest design language." It also added an inline microphone to the auxiliary cable to "help with some users who may prefer a plug-and-play solution rather than Bluetooth pairing." There's also a Wind Block feature and some additional small performance improvements due to software upgrades. Finally, the headphones come in several new color options, including pink. Some colors may only be available at bose.com.
If you're a fan of Bose's earlier "iconic" headphone design, starting with the QC35 (or maybe even the QC25), these are the Bose headphones for you. Cheaper than the QuietComfort Ultra Headphones, they also regularly go on sale for $250 or less, making them a more attractive value.
The QuietComfort Ultra Headphones are better headphones overall, with improved all-around performance and a more premium design.
The Bose Ultra Open earbuds have a unique clip-on design.
They weren't the firstclip-on earbuds, but Bose's Ultra Open Earbuds really kickstarted this sub-genre of true-wireless earbuds. They literally clip onto the side of your ears, kind of like earrings, and their open design has micro speakers that fire sound into your ears while still being able to hear what's happening around you. They're somewhat overpriced, but otherwise, there's a lot to like about them, including a surprisingly comfortable, secure fit and very good sound quality for open buds.Read my Bose Ultra Open Earbuds review.
If you're looking for open earbuds that allow you to hear the outside world, Bose's Ultra Earbuds are among the best out there. They feature a very comfortable, secure fit with strong sound quality for open earbuds in a premium design.
They're a little overpriced. I'd like to see these closer to $200 — they do often go on sale for $250.
In recent years, when it came to its new earbuds, Bose has focused on premium noise-canceling buds with premium price tags. But now it's released more affordable QuietComfort Earbuds ($179) for folks priced out of its $299 flagshipQuietComfort Ultra Earbuds. The new QC Earbuds, as Bose calls them, don't perform quite as well as the QC Ultra Earbuds, but they offer a very secure, comfortable fit, strong sound and noice-canceling performance while adding a few new features, including built-in voice controls, not found in the Ultras.Read my Bose QuietComfort Earbuds (2024) review.
I came away impressed with the QC Earbuds, despite a couple of small shortcomings. Overall, they're very good buds and certainly worth considering, especially when they're discounted to $150 or less, which they frequently are.
I do think the buds and case are a little big compared to what you get with other buds. And while the voice-calling performance had its plusses (good background noise reduction), callers said my voice sounded a little muffled and sometimes warbled in noisy environments.
Before anything else, you'll want to figure out how much you're willing to spend on new Bose headphones. The quality of value-priced Bose headphones continues to improve, so you can find good affordable headphones for less than $100. But the premium models, which offer better build quality and performance, tend to cost $200 or more — sometimes much more.
It's key that the headphones you buy fit your head well. They should offer a comfortable fit that's snug yet not too snug. Ideally, you want headphones you can wear over the course of a day with minimal breaks.
You want headphones that hold up well over time, so look for models that we note have sturdy build quality.
You want the best-sounding headphones with the best noise-canceling, call quality and features for whatever you're able to spend.
It's critical to buy your headphones at a retailer that has a good return policy, in case you have buyer's remorse. Some people who are having trouble deciding between two models sometimes buy both, try them out for a few days, and then return one.
We test Bose earbuds and headphones based on five key criteria, comparing similarly styled and priced models. These criteria aredesign,sound quality,features,voice-calling performanceandvalue.
Bose Quiet Comfort 35 II: The QuietComfort 35 II were released in September 2017, and it remains one of our top picks for wireless noise-canceling headphones. While theSony WH-1000XM2arguably sounds a tad better and is more feature-rich, theBose QuietComfort 35 IIis lighter and more comfortable to wear.
Bose Quiet Comfort 45: With its pedigree in active noise-canceling headphones, it's not surprising thatBose's QuietComfort 45s($330, £320, AU$500) are excellent. But for a lot of people, the question is just how good are they compared to Bose's slightly more expensiveNoise Canceling Headphones 700or Sony's excellentWH-1000XM4.
Bose Noise Cancelling Headphones 700: The long-awaited successor to itsQuietComfort 35 IImodels have a lot to live up to. The QuietComfort series isalmost 20 years oldand is essentially the gold standard for active noise-canceling headphones, beloved by airline travelers and open-office residents the world over for their ability to block out a good chunk of external distractions. If you're looking to see how they stack up, check out ourfull review of the Bose Noise Cancelling Headphones 700.
Both companies make very good headphones, which offer excellent active noise canceling. Some people may argue that Sony has a very slight lead right now, but others may slightly prefer Bose. TheSony WH-1000XM5is one of our top-rated pairs of headphones, butBose's QuietComfort Earbuds 2arguably have the best noise canceling at the moment.
The short answer: TheQuietComfort Ultra Headphonesare clearly Bose's top headphones. But if you're not a fan of full-sized over-ear headphones, theQuietComfort Earbuds 2arguably have the best noise canceling at the moment and are a smaller option. If you're the active type, the open-styleUltra Open Earbudsmight suit your workout needs. Ultimately, your "best" Bose headphones will come down to personal preference.
In February 2024, Bose released the Ultra Open Earbuds, which we called "daringly different." The novel headphones clip onto the side of your ears and feature an open design with micro speakers that fire sound into your ears while still being able to hear what's happening around you.
More recently, Bose released the QuietComfort Earbuds, a more affordable option for folks priced out of its $299 flagshipQuietComfort Ultra Earbuds. The new QC Earbuds, as Bose calls them, don't perform quite as well as the QC Ultra Earbuds, but they do offer strong sound and noise-canceling performance while adding a few features not found in the Ultras.
Many of the Bose options for headphones are equipped with noise-canceling technology. The feature has become pretty common. While the best noise-canceling headphones (by that I mean the headphones that offer the best noise canceling) tend to be fairly expensive, like theQuietComfort Earbuds 2, you can certainly find cheaper models that offer decent noise cancellation. I do think that if noise canceling is important to you, it's better to spend more money on the best pair of noise-canceling headphones you can afford. And it's worth noting that many of the premium models get discounted sporadically during the year, so you can often save $50 or more on many top headphones if you time your purchase right.
The QuietComfort Ultra Headphones serve as Bose's flagship model, offering advanced technology that makes a compelling alternative to both the Sony WH-1000XM5 and Apple AirPods Max. If you're not sure where to start with Bose, the QC Ultra Headphones are a safe bet.
