- Table of Contents
- Intro
- Review Updates
- Comparison
- Best Headphones
- Page Updates
- Conclusion
- Discussions
We have currently tested 19 pairs of Bose headphones. They're a brand well-known known for their industry-leading active noise cancelling (ANC) features and comfortable designs.
Updates
- 12/20/2021 Bose QuietComfort Earbuds Truly Wireless updated
- 11/11/2021 Bose QuietComfort 45/QC45 Wireless reviewed
- 10/29/2021 Bose 700 Headphones Wireless updated
- 08/25/2021 Bose Sport Earbuds Truly Wireless updated
- 03/11/2021 Bose Sport Open Earbuds Truly Wireless reviewed
Best Bose Headphones
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Best Bose Headphones
Neutral Sound7.6Commute/Travel8.1Sports/Fitness7.5Office7.9Wireless Gaming6.2Wired Gaming7.9Phone Calls7.5Type Over-earEnclosure Closed-BackWireless YesNoise Cancelling YesMic YesTransducer DynamicThe Bose QuietComfort 45/QC45 Wireless are the best Bose headphones we've tested. These are the next generation of the discontinued Bose QuietComfort 35 II/QC35 II Wireless 2018, and even though they don't offer a ton of improvements over the 35, they're a great pair of over-ear headphones. They're very well-built, lightweight, and amazingly comfortable. While they don't have features like an EQ to customize their sound, they have a very well-balanced sound profile suitable for most genres. There's some overemphasis in the bass range that adds extra thump, punch, and warmth to your audio, and their very accurate mid-range response ensures vocals and lead instruments sound clear and detailed.
They have an ANC feature that you can set to different levels in the app, depending on how much ambient noise you want to block out. When it's set to the maximum level, it does an excellent job of isolating you from bass-range noise like rumbling engines. It's not quite as effective as the QC35's ANC when it comes to office-type noise like voices or the hum of an A/C unit but still does a very good job. They also support multi-device pairing and have a continuous battery life of more than 20 hours.
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Best Bose Headphones For Office Work
Neutral Sound7.5Commute/Travel7.9Sports/Fitness7.1Office7.9Wireless Gaming6.0Wired Gaming7.7Phone Calls7.9Type Over-earEnclosure Closed-BackWireless YesNoise Cancelling YesMic YesTransducer DynamicThe Bose 700 Headphones are the best Bose headphones for office work that we've tested. They offer a much better microphone performance than our top pick, so they're a better choice if you need headphones to make calls during your workday. Their integrated mic has a good recording quality and does a great job separating your voice from ambient sound, so it should be easy to understand you even if you're calling from a busy office. They also have an ANC feature that does a fantastic job of isolating you from ambient noise, meaning you can hear your call. Their comfortable, well-padded design means you can wear them for long hours without much fatigue.
Their sound profile is well-balanced, with a very neutral mid-range response, so voices are reproduced clearly and accurately. They also work with an app that has a 3-band graphic EQ that you can use to customize it. They also support multi-device pairing, which is nice if you use your phone and computer for calls. However, the touch-sensitive surfaces on the ear cups are tricky to use compared to the physical buttons found on some Βose headphones, like Bose QuietComfort 45/QC45 Wireless.
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Best Bose Earbuds For Office Work
Neutral Sound7.6Commute/Travel8.1Sports/Fitness8.3Office7.3Wireless Gaming5.8Wired Gaming5.7Phone Calls6.2Type EarbudsEnclosure Closed-BackWireless Truly WirelessNoise Cancelling YesMic YesTransducer DynamicThe best headphones for office work from Bose that we've tested are the Bose QuietComfort Earbuds Truly Wireless. These Βluetooth earbuds feel very well-built. They have an ANC feature that does a great job isolating you from ambient sound, including noises like traffic outside your window and ambient chatter at the office. They don't leak very much sound, so your music is unlikely to bother nearby co-workers. They're also decently comfortable for long days at work. They don't have a deep in-ear fit that creates a plunger-like feeling, but they are somewhat bulky and protrude a little.
Their very neutral sound profile is well-suited for content like podcasts and audiobooks, and the slightly overemphasized bass response lends some extra thump and rumble to mixes. You can customize it with a graphic EQ and presets in the companion app. They have a continuous battery life of about 7.3 hours and come with a case that holds about two additional charges, so you can always top up the battery if you run out of power during your workday.
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Best Bose Headphones For Sports
Neutral Sound7.3Commute/Travel6.7Sports/Fitness8.5Office6.3Wireless Gaming5.6Wired Gaming5.6Phone Calls5.4Type EarbudsEnclosure Closed-BackWireless Truly WirelessNoise Cancelling NoMic YesTransducer DynamicThe Bose Sport Earbuds are the best Bose earbuds for sports and fitness we've tested. If you like to run or work out while listening to music, these buds have a comfortable fit and are stable enough to stay in place during intense workouts, thanks to their stability fins. They have a great build quality to stand up to accidental drops and bumps and are certified IPX4 for resistance to minor water exposure like splashes or very light rain. Their warm, smooth sound profile lacks a little low-bass, which may be disappointing if you work out to genres like EDM, but it's well-suited for content like podcasts or audiobooks.
While they don't block out much ambient sound, you might not mind this since it allows you to monitor your surroundings if you're exercising outdoors. If you want headphones that don't block out ambient sound, the Bose Sport Open Earbuds Truly Wireless are designed for that purpose. They're also a great option for workouts and have an ear hook design that sits outside your ear. This design also makes them less stable and comfortable, though.
Compared to other brands
- Comfortable design. Comfort is one of Bose's strong suits. Not only are their over and on-ear models exquisitely well-padded without feeling too tight on the head, but their earbud headphones are also quite comfortable. You can usually wear their headphones for hours without discomfort.
- Well-balanced sound. Bose prides itself on making headphones that don't require an equalizer to sound good, and they've been living up to the expectation. The majority of their headphones we've tested have a very well-balanced sound profile that's versatile for a wide range of genres without needing much tweaking.
- Good noise cancelling. Bose has been known as one of the best brands when it comes to noise cancelling. Although the QC35 II's ANC performance was affected by a firmware update, the brand still delivers consistently good noise isolation overall.
- Expensive, yet plasticky designs. Bose's headphones are lightweight and comfortable but don't feel as premium as their price would suggest. They're still well-built but feel plasticky compared to similarly-priced models from other brands.
- Lackluster customization options. While most Bose headphones are compatible with a mobile companion app, it doesn't usually offer as many customization options as other brands' apps. Bose's apps often don't provide any sound customization options like an EQ, which is disappointing if you like to tweak the sound from time to time.
- Leaky over-ear models. Although Bose in-ears and earbuds don't have this issue (most likely due to their smaller size), many of their over-ear models do leak quite a bit of sound at higher volumes, which could bother those around you.
Overall, Bose makes well-rounded headphones that provide an unparalleled level of comfort. Many of their headphones also have very good noise cancelling and sound well-balanced. However, Bose tends to make comparatively expensive headphones that feel a little plasticky compared to other headphones in the same price range. Their over-ear lineup also tends to leak at higher volumes, which might not be ideal for all environments.
Recent Updates
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Jun 17, 2022: Replaced the Bose QuietComfort 35 II/QC35 II Wireless 2018 with the Bose QuietComfort 45/QC45 Wireless because the 35 have been discontinued by the manufacturer.
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Mar 18, 2022: Checked our picks for accuracy and product availability. However, there hasn't been a change in our recommendations.
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Dec 16, 2021: Checked that picks represent the best recommendations and that the products are in stock. There were no changes to picks.
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Oct 28, 2021: Verified that picks represent the best recommendations and that the products are in stock.
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Aug 02, 2021: Checked picks to ensure that they represent the best recommendations and that the products are available.
Conclusion
Bose is a well-known brand, popular for its excellent noise cancelling and incredibly comfortable designs. They produce well-rounded and versatile headphones that also deliver in the sound department. However, their models tend to be comparatively more expensive and not as well-built as other headphones in the same price range.