Best Bose headphones
For better or for worse, there are a few audio companies that rise out from audio forums and become a part of our culture. Obviously, a company like Beats that took over the mainstream culture comes to mind, but they have their issues. For a long time when you thought of active noise cancellation, Bose headphones are what you were talking about. To the vast majority of people, it probably still does. Even without the title of king of active noise cancelling—which was awarded to the Sony WH-1000XM3—Bose has a healthy product line-up of headphones. In this article, we’re going to focus on a few of the best Bose headphones around. Starting with their newest model, the Bose Noise Cancelling Headphones 700.
Editor’s note: this post was updated on March 24th, 2020, to reflect changes in pricing.
Most people should just go with the Noise Cancelling Headphones 700
If you or someone you know wants “those noise cancelling Bose headphones”, then these are the ones you should go with. The Noise Cancelling Headphones 700s have a slick new design that’s been upgraded in almost every way from the QC35s before them. Gone is the plastic build in favor of a metal headband that seems way less likely to snap. Unfortunately, these no longer fold but you can still rotate the earcups 90 degrees so you can wear them around your neck comfortably when you’re not using them. The playback controls have also been updated and are now found in a touch-sensitive gesture pad on the right earcup.
The more blue/green that you see, the more noise that was cancelled. The Bose 700 headphones do a good job with low end ambient sound, but still aren’t the best we’ve seen.
The noise cancelling is still top-notch, which is exactly what you’d expect from the company. Of course, they didn’t knock the Sony WH-1000XM3 out of their top spot on our noise cancelling list, but that doesn’t make them bad. These are easily one of the best pair of active noise cancelling headphones around and you can even choose between ten different levels of ANC depending on your situation. They’ll give you around 20 hours of constant playback and now charge via USB-C too which is good news for anyone that wants these to last a while since USB-C is slowly taking over. Just like the previous QC35s, these are also compatible with the Google Assistant, Alexa, and even Siri if you’re connected to an iOS device.
Related: Bose QuietComfort 35 II vs. Sony WH-1000XM3
What about the older QC35 II?
Bose QuietComfort 35 II are still a great option.
While the Bose Noise Cancelling Headphones 700 is better in almost every way compared to the QC35 IIs, there are two reasons why you might still want to go with the older model instead. The first is obvious, and that’s the price. Now that there is a newer version out, you might be able to find the QC35 II for quite a bit cheaper, so if you’re hoping to save some cash these are the way to go. The second reason you might want these is that they’re more comfortable thanks to the soft padding on the headband and the plush earcups. Not to mention that these fold as well, so if you value portability over all else then these won’t let you down.
Want something even more portable? Check out the SoundLink On-Ear Wireless
If you don’t see yourself taking too many flights and want something smaller and easier to carry then the SoundLink on-ear wireless headphones are for you. They fold down nicely to a compact size thanks to the plush padding are also comfortable whether you’re spending hours at your desk or just commuting to work. If you’re tired of the low quality ‘buds that came with your phone and are ready to take your headphones to the next level, these are a worthy upgrade. You can also just pick up another pair of inexpensive earbuds to that are actually good, but that’s up to you.
You’ll get roughly 15 hours of constant playback with these Bose headphones, which could easily last you a week or two of commutes (depending on your commute). Additionally, you get handy playback controls on the right ear cup let you switch between tracks and adjust volume without ever needing to unlock your phone. The bass is definitely lacking here so if that’s what you’re after you might have to get a pair of Beats, but the heavy emphasis on mids means that vocals sound great.
If you’re heading for a run, grab the Bose SoundSport Wireless
The SoundSportWireless has become a fairly popular option for casual use, but don’t let that fool you; these were made for the gym. The first impression taking these out of the box isn’t great with large earbuds that seem all too likely to fall out of your ears, but in practice, they’re one of the better fitting wireless earbuds available thanks to the StayHear+ ear tips. Whether you’re going to be lifting in the gym or going for a run, you shouldn’t have any issues with these falling out of your ears. Of course, they’re not as stylish or sleek as something like the Jaybird X4 or Tarah earbuds, but the more subtle design still gets the job done.
The Bose SoundSport Wireless comes with a battery that will last you roughly six hours of constant playback, which isn’t great but should be more than enough for the average gym session. The control module that’s on the cable connecting the two earbuds lets you control music playback and answer/end phone calls if you can’t get to your phone. On top of that pairing to them is easy if you have an Android phone thanks to NFC compatibility, but if you’re on iOS you’ll still have to go through the usual setup in settings. Unfortunately, these don’t come with an IPX certification, but Bose still claims that they’re sweat and water-resistant thanks to a hydrophobic cloth that keeps moisture out of the internal compartments.
See: Why is true wireless connectivity so bad?
Want a better version of the AirPods? Check out the Bose SoundSport Free
These are the updated version of the previous SoundSport Wireless, but in this case, Bose really ditched all wires. The Bose SoundSport Free earbuds are true wireless just like the AirPods but come with plenty of useful features that are missing with Apple’s AirPods. For one, a better fit. Though they’re not as… unique-looking as the AirPods are, the Bose SoundSport Free use an ear tip/wingtip combination to stay in your ears during movement. Buttons along the size also let you skip between tracks and control volume without needing to access any sub-par voice assistants (Siri shade).
Like the SoundSport Wireless earlier on the list we’d be lying if we said these are gorgeous, but again, they get the job done. You’ll get an IPX4 build that protects against sweat and water along with a solid battery of about 4.5 hours of constant playback. They also come with a small but sturdy charging case that will give you an extra 10 hours.
Looking for an alternative? Check out the Optoma NuForce Be Sport4
If you don’t want to spend what it takes to get Bose headphones but want something to bring with you to the gym, then allow us to put the Optoma NuForce Be Sport4 earbuds on your radar. The name is a mouthful, but these ‘buds offer a lot of what you’ll get with the SoundSportWireless, minus the price tag. You’ll get an IPX5 water-resistant build with plenty of ear tip options to choose from so they stay in your ears during your workout. On top of that, they have AAC support so if you’re using an iPhone you can listen to your music at higher quality.
They also two handy features that the SoundSport Wireless are missing, one of which is magnetic earbud housings. It might not seem like a big deal, but when you’re not listening to music and just want to let them hang around your neck this ensures that they won’t fall off accidentally. These headphones will also last you about 10 hours, which is significantly more than the SoundSport wireless have to offer. Plus, they have a quick-charging feature that will give you two hours of playback time for only 15 minutes on the charger. Not bad for around $80.
What you should know about Bose headphones
Bose headphones are like any others in the sense that they use a set of drivers and fit on, around, or in the ear. But there are a few features that Bose headphones offer that makes certain information more pertinent than with other brand lines. For one, Bose headphones are one of few lines that offer Google Assistant integration.
What is active noise cancelling and how does it work?
For commuting to school or elsewhere, noise canceling headphones are a great choice for young people’s auditory health.
For commuting to school or elsewhere, noise canceling headphones are a great choice for young people’s auditory health. Bose headphones use active noise cancelling which uses basic physics (if there’s such a thing) to get rid of unwanted noise. We have a full explainer of the details here, but the gist of it is due to something called destructive interference.
Why is isolation so important?
This is your cochlea, responsible for determining what sounds you hear and what gets filtered out.
If you’re not listening to your music in a car, you’re probably listening in crowded buses, gyms, loud city streets, or rumbling trains with your Bose headphones on. In these less than ideal situations you’re surrounded by loud sounds. And when there are two sounds of a similar frequency, your brain will ignore the lower one and just focus on the one that’s louder. This is called auditory masking and while it sucks for music listeners today, it was great for our ancestors that had to survive in the wild and listen for predators.
Is Bluetooth really so bad?
You may have heard that Bluetooth sucks, and you should totally never buy wireless headphones. But is Bluetooth really that bad? Well, kind of. While Bluetooth quality and codec technology have improved greatly over the last few years, you still won’t get the same level of quality that’s attainable with wired headphones.
It may be high-frequency sound, but these drop-outs will be audible to younger ears.
We tested a few of the major Bluetooth codecs (the technology responsible for transferring higher amounts of data between your headphones and source device, thus resulting in higher quality) and found that they don’t all live up to their claims. In our testing, even AAC isn’t all it’s cracked up to be unless you use only iOS devices. Luckily (or not so luckily), your old ears most likely won’t even be able to hear the frequencies that are lost during the transfer. So while it’s technically true that wired headphones sound better, you’ll need to be a very keen listener to pick up the differences in most cases.
Related: Is Bluetooth Dangerous? No. No it isn’t.
Do I need to burn-in my headphones?
Underneath everything else, the headphones are still pretty standard plastic cans.
If you hang around audiophiles enough or find yourself down a rabbit hole of audio forums on the internet, one phrase you’ll hear tossed around is “burn-in”. This is the belief that your brand new headphones need to be used for a certain amount of time before they can reach their peak performance state. I’ll save you the hassle of trying this for yourself and just tell you that it’s not true. If you want to dig even deeper into this topic you can read our full explainer.
Why you should trust us
We test drive as many headphones as possible by putting them through a battery of objective tests and wearing them out in the real world.
Besides doing nothing but reading and writing about audio between the hours of 9 a.m.-5 p.m. Monday through Friday, we’re lucky enough to use plenty of audio products, including Bose headphones. And by a lot, I mean a lot. Adam has been doing this for almost five years, while Chris has double that experience working with companies like USA Today and Reviewed.com. Lily also has plenty of audio experience thanks to her working around audio equipment in radio stations. Between the three of us and the occasional help of our technical colleagues over at Android Authority, we think we know a thing or two about audio.
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