Bose is one of the world's leading audio brands, offering everything from headphones and portable speakers to soundbars, amplifiers and more.
I recently tried out the Bose QuietComfort Ultra headphones and the Bose QuietComfort Ultra earbuds, and they are two of the best pairs of noise-cancelling headphones I've ever used.
The Ultra earbuds have since become my go-to pair of earphones for long journeys, blocking out the sound of the train, plane and the people around me while delivering crystal-clear audio and hours of comfortable listening.
Not everyone will be willing to pay upwards of £200 for their next pair of headphones though, and that's where the Bose QuietComfort Earbuds come in.
They pack Bose's audio expertise into a slightly more affordable pair of earbuds, which at the time of writing will cost you £180, although we expect the price to drop significantly during sales like Amazon Prime Day and Black Friday.
Pros
- Long battery life
- Extra features like multipoint
- Bright, energetic sound
Cons
- Bulky case and earbuds
- Other Bose earbuds have better ANC
Bose QuietComfort Earbuds key specs
| Weight | 8.49g per earbud |
|---|---|
| Battery life | 8.5 hours (31 hours with the case) |
| Wireless charging | Yes |
| Noise cancellation | Yes |
| Water resistance | IPX4 |
| Colours | Lilac, black, white |
Bose QuietComfort Earbuds (2024): Design and fit
The majority of earbuds mimic Apple's AirPods with a dangling stem design, but the Bose QuietComfort Earbuds do things a little differently, opting for a rounded shape that you twist into place.
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The inside of the earbud looks a lot like its Ultra sibling, with silicone ear tips and stability bands around the edge making them super secure. But from the outside, they look very different. Whether you prefer this style or not will depend on your taste. I tested out the lilac colourway, but you can also buy them in a more classic black or white.
To help you find the right fit, they come with three sizes of ear tips and three sizes of stability bands for each earbud. Weightier than the usual stem-style earphones, the Bose QuietComfort Earbuds are 8.49g each. That made them feel secure in the ear, and you'd know if one fell out – but it also meant I couldn't wear them for hours and hours on end because they became quite uncomfortable.
I wore these out and about a lot, including during runs, and they never fell out or even felt like they could fall out. Made from plastic, they feel sturdy and they're IPX4 rated which meant I could wear them out on a drizzly day without worrying about water damage.
The Bose QuietComfort Earbuds (2024) come housed in a plastic charging case. It's a lot bigger than I'm used to, and it wouldn't easily slip into my jeans pocket when I left the house, so I had to keep it in my bag. The case will certainly protect the earbuds from damage, but the lid feels a little flimsier than you might find elsewhere.
The default touch controls on the outside of each earbud allow you to pause or play the music with a single tap, skip to the next song with a double tap, skip backwards with a triple tap and switch between noise-cancelling modes by long pressing the earbud. You can change what each gesture does through the Bose QC smartphone app with the option to add volume controls, call your voice assistant and even snap a remote selfie.
You can control the earbuds by voice too, using the wake words "Hey headphones" followed by a command like "play", "pause" or "volume up". You have to say the wake words quite clearly, but it works well for the most part.
Bose QuietComfort Earbuds (2024): Performance and features
Bright and energetic are the two words I'd use to describe the Bose QuietComfort Earbuds' sound quality. Just as you'd expect from Bose, they're a fun and dynamic listen with plenty of bass, a crisp midrange and a detailed treble.
The sound may be a little too forceful for some – but for most people, and most types of music, they deliver your tracks in a lively and full-bodied way. Unlike other Bose headphones, there's no immersive audio, which is a shame because that would have taken the experience of these up a notch.
The Bose QuietComfort Earbuds have their own app, Bose QCE. You can't use the same app as Bose's other Bluetooth devices. Through the QCE app, you can see each earbud's battery level, get a prediction of how long they will last, turn on the low latency mode for gaming, switch between ANC modes, adjust the touch controls and more.
If you prefer to have plenty of control over the sound, the app includes a manual five-band equaliser as well as a selection of preset sound modes including flat, bass boost, bass reducer, treble boost and treble reducer.
Bose is known for having some of the best noise-cancelling technology in the world, and while these earbuds don't quite match up with pricier siblings, they are some of the top-performing earbuds for ANC at this price point.
They will dull down surrounding noise such as the sound of traffic, keyboard taps or office chatter better than the likes of AirPods 4 with ANC, which are roughly the same price.
Multipoint connectivity means you can be hooked up to two devices at once, and easily switch between them as and when you need to. That means you can stream music on your smartphone and switch over to your laptop when you get a video call. It's very useful, especially for those who work on a computer during the day.
One more unique feature is the ability to shoot selfies by tapping on the earbud. You'll need to change the default gesture settings to allow for it. Once you do, you can remotely take photos on your phone camera by tapping on the earbud – gone are the days of setting a timer and running back into place.
Bose QuietComfort Earbuds (2024): Battery life
Each earbud will last over eight hours of music at a time, and with the charging case, you'll get over 31 hours of total battery life before you need to plug it into power which is more than enough for most.
When you do eventually run out of juice, you'll need to set aside two hours for a full charge, or a quick 20 minutes hooked up to power will give you three hours of playback. The case also has wireless charging for a convenient way to refuel the earbuds.
Bose QuietComfort Earbuds (2024): Verdict
If you like the idea of buying Bose wireless earbuds but you're not so keen on splashing out £200 or more on the QuietComfort Ultras, the 2024 QuietComfort Earbuds are a slightly more affordable option.
Granted, the noise-cancelling and sound aren't quite as good, but they are still top performers in both areas at this price point, and they offer longer battery life than their costlier siblings.
Whether you intend to use these for your commute or your workouts, they will perform well and stay firmly in place. A lot of useful extra features, like remote selfie-snapping and multipoint connectivity, are also included.
Bose QuietComfort Earbuds (2024): Also consider
If you like the twist-in style of earbuds, you should consider the Google Pixel Buds Pro 2. They are a little pricier than these, but they're a lot smaller and more discreet. They offer equally good sound quality and solid noise cancellation to help you immerse yourself in your music.
Another similarly priced pair of earbuds worth looking at is the Sony WF-1000XM5. They're a super popular pair of ANC buds with people-pleasing sound, spatial audio and handy features like speak-to-chat which pauses the music when you start a conversation.
At launch, they were more expensive than the Bose QC but they're now regularly discounted to less than £200.
