We tested the best Bose headphones of 2024

Read our full review of the Bose QuietComfort Ultra headphones here.

Who it's for:

If you wear headphones all day while commuting and working, the Bose QuietComfort Ultra headphones are a match made. They're truly comfortable, as the circumaural design fully covers your ear without pinching or adding undue pressure. Plus, the 24-hour battery life will keep them running just as long.

If you're willing to spend a little extra, the QuietComfort Ultras are worth it. At $429, they're more expensive than similar quality headphones from Sony, but these will be a worthy upgrade thanks to the spatial audio and all-day comfort.

Why we like it:

The Bose QuietComfort Ultra headphones are an excellent pair of headphones. They absolutely live up to their comfort name. While testing them, I wore the Bose QuietComfort Ultras for a full eight hours with glasses and earrings and experienced zero discomfort.

The headphones deliver gorgeous, rich audio no matter what you listen to. I enjoyed the peppy beats of Sabrina Carpenter's Espresso in equal measure to the lush strings of Vivaldi. Active noise cancellation blocked out the world while I was listening; however, it's weak on high-pitched noise compared to other headphones I've used.

It offers three different listening modes: aware, transparent, and immersive. All of them allow for a more customizable audio experience, best for the pickiest listeners. These headphones are expensive, but they are the best Bose has to offer.

Read our full review of the Bose QuietComfort Ultra earbuds.

Who it's for:

I didn't know I could feel passionate about earbuds until I tried the Bose QuietComfort Ultra earbuds, a Mashable Choice product. Truthfully, I can't imagine a person that wouldn't appreciate these buds. The noise cancellation is the best I've ever experienced, and the music feels like it surrounds you thanks to spatial audio. Plus, the fit is like no other.

If you've ever struggled with ear fatigue or getting earbuds to fit comfortably, these earbuds work for multiple sizes of ears, providing a secure yet comfortable fit for hours. You might be put off by the $299 price tag, but they're worth every penny.

Why we like it:

Having tested the Bose QuietComfort Ultra headphones and read Mashable editor Timothy Beck Werth's review of these earbuds, I expected them to be good, but I didn't expect to be so blown away by them. I've struggled with earbuds in the past, never finding ones that offer the perfect fit, but the Bose QuietComfort Ultra earbuds sat comfortably in my ears with a secure fit. Whenever I wear earbuds on a walk, I constantly push them in, but I swear I didn't have to adjust these once on my entire 3-mile loop.

If you're after noise cancellation, you really can't beat these. When I first put the earbuds in, I was in a room with a loud fan, and when the earbud's ANC kicked in, it completely blocked out the fan in a way that felt like magic. Even though I didn't have music playing, there was no buzzing, just perfect quiet.

Plus, the audio quality was superb. Bose offers immersive audio mode on these wireless earbuds, but it felt like the music was all around me even when I wasn't using it. They helped me get in the zone, thumping the beats of Nelly Furtado's "Man Eater" as I stomped the pavement. I heard every note of the delicate instrumentals of the Final Fantasy VII soundtrack, even while walking alongside a busy road. Plus, I felt like I was in the room listening to a live recording of Daft Punk's "One More Time."

In Werth's standalone review of the earbuds, he said that they're wasted on podcasts. While he's right, they do shine when playing music, and they do make podcasts sound better. When I was listening to episodes with lower-quality tracks, they made even the worst audio sound crisp and distinct without

Check out our full review of the Bose Ultra Open earbuds.

Who it's for:

If you're working out in the evening or biking in busy areas, safety is a big concern. While you want to be able to listen to your music, it's essential to hear the world around you, too. The Bose Ultra Open offer an ingenious design. These earbuds clip onto your ear like a cuff and don't block your ear canal. They provide the right balance of high-quality audio while keeping you connected to the world around you.

Even if you're less concerned about noise transparency, these headphones are just flat-out comfortable. If you don't love the feeling of having earbuds in your ears, these are great in between.

Why we like it:

The Bose Ultra Open earbuds easily have the most unique design of all the headphones on this list. While I was hesitant about how well the clip-on style would work, I was quickly on board. They wrap around your ear, providing surprisingly good audio quality despite no noise cancellation benefits. Plus, they're super comfortable even for long periods of time, and they're ideal if you hate the clogged-up feeling of traditional earbuds. And while they seem like they might be less secure than regular earbuds, I found that they stayed in place even through frequent movements.

When working out, especially in busy areas, I'm often concerned about safety, and these buds ensured I could hear cars or bikes coming my way. That's why I loved the Bose Ultra Open; I had the best of both worlds — I could tune into my podcast and still hear the world around me.