The best Bose headphones manage to stand out among even the most high-quality audio wearables, so if you want your next pair to come with a serious pedigree, you arguably don’t need to look much further.
Bose has had numerous high ranking models in our buying guides over the years, generally taking a slow and steady approach that means new products don’t come thick and fast — but are usually worth your attention when they arrive. But what are the best Bose headphones that you can buy right now? Scroll down to find out.
The quick list
Best Bose headphones overall
The company's flagship headphones are an all-new lightweight design with best-ever ANC, Immersive Audio and improved battery life. This comes with a price hike, though, and are Bose's most expensive headphones ever.
Best value
As the more affordable Bose noise-canceling option, the QuietComfort Headphones replace the popular QC45. They look similar and boasts many of the same hallmarks including companion app support with personalization, excellent active noise cancellation, and great comfort.
Best Bose wireless earbuds
As the successor to the still available QC Earbuds II, Bose gave a boost to the ANC performance in the newer QC Ultra Earbuds and introduced Immersive Audio. They sacrifice some nice-to-have features found on rival wireless earbuds, though.
Check out our Bose coupon codes for the latest discounts and offers from Bose.
About the author
Hi, I'm Lee and I cover all things audio for Tom's Guide, and maintain all of our audio category buying guides including the best headphones, wireless earbuds, soundbars, and computer speakers. I am passionate about sound quality and getting the best sound for all kinds of setups. I've been testing and writing about audio for more years than I care to remember, and I love providing sound advice to help shoppers make informed buying decisions to achieve great sound.
The best Bose headphones you can buy right now
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Best Bose headphones overall
The Bose QuietComfort Ultra Headphones are the best ANC headphones overall. As the replacement for the Bose 700, the company has raised the bar yet again for active noise-canceling headphones, effectively silencing outside world around you. The new model throws in Immersive Audio tech and plenty of extras including Bluetooth 5.3 with multipoint connectivity, aptX Adaptive support, and touch volume control. This all comes in an all-new modern and lightweight design that's comfortable enough to be worn for hours.
There are multiple levels of noise cancelation to balance the level of quiet with Aware mode (transparency) to suit your surroundings. Battery life has been extended to give up to 24 hours, while changes made to the controls and design make usability more practical and seamless. While the Bose 700 headphones are a great alternative option to consider (and can regularly be found discounted in early best headphone deals), the QC Ultra raise the game and are as close to perfect as you’re going to get in the noise-canceling headphones category.
- Read our full Bose QuietComfort Ultra Headphones review
Best value Bose headphones
As the more affordable Bose noise-canceling option, the QuietComfort Headphones were quietly ushered in to replace the QC45 in October 2023. The new version looks similar and boasts many of the same hallmarks including companion app support with personalization, excellent active noise cancellation, and great comfort.
While we loved the strong always-on noise-canceling performance of the QC45 which was highly effective at blocking out close to 90% of unwanted sounds, QC Headphones wearers get the same effective level of noise cancelation but can now customize ANC performance by creating multiple modes with set noise control levels. You can also enable the Wind Block feature to increase wind resistance when ANC is on. Along with an uptick in sound quality, battery life has also been given a boost. A full charge generates 24 hours of ANC playtime, which is only 2 hours more than the QC45, but greatly appreciated.
- Read our full Bose QuietComfort Headphones review.
Best Bose wireless earbuds
The Bose QuietComfort Ultra Earbuds replace the still available Bose QuietComfort Earbuds 2 that launched in September 2022, and perform even better. These are a remarkable follow-up that brings the same top-tier noise-canceling performance while introducing immersive audio. With better stabilizing fin alignment, they deliver improved fit and stability and the Bose QuietComfort Ultra Earbuds could be ones you wear all day long.
In comparison to near rivals though, our review found that the QC Ultra Earbuds were missing some nice-to-have features. I'm disappointed that there's still no wireless charging or multipoint connectivity on the Bose flagship earbuds at the price.
I can't argue with the strength of the noise-canceling, though. Where many approach ANC as a mode that's either on or off, I love that the Bose earbuds allow you customize sound profiles with 10 different degrees of isolation as presets that balance ANC and awareness depending on your activity. The Ultra's Aware transparency passthrough mode sounds highly natural, while ActiveSense automatically lowers ambient sounds when loud noise is detected.
- Read our full Bose QuietComfort Ultra Earbuds review
Best Bose headphones for calls
The Bose 700 headphones launched in June 2019 and maintained their position at the top of the best noise-cancelling headphones buying guide until the Bose QC Ultra Headphones arrived in October 2023. As the older model there's limited availability, but some stock remains at some online retailers and they can often be found at discounted prices.
The Bose 700 offer adjustable ANC that is equally effective whether you're listening to music or making or receiving phone calls. They even play nice with your digital assistants. Plus, you get a stylish new design and balanced, precise audio performance.
- Read our full Bose 700 review
Best value Bose always-on headphones
The QuietComfort 45 are a no-brainer for Bose fans who want to swap out their older QC headphones for something more modern, or shoppers who want first-class Bose noise cancellation for a cheaper price than the 700 (above).
ANC is top of the line, eliminating close to 90 percent of ambient noises. These cans also have a remarkable transparency mode that increases awareness without compromising sound. Speaking of which, audio is given a nice boost in frequency range to complement most music genres. An extra 4 hours of ANC playtime is appreciated, granted there’s no way to turn off the feature. Design and comfort are also kept intact, with minor tweaks that make for a slightly fresher appearance.
- Read our full Bose QuietComfort 45 review
Best Bose wireless earbuds for calls
The QuietComfort Earbuds 2 are a remarkable follow-up that delivers better sound, great call quality, and unrivaled ANC. Proprietary technologies like ActiveSense and CustomTune balance sound and noise neutralization extremely well. Bose’s redesign also makes these buds less of an eyesore compared to the original.
Not every performance factor hits its mark. The touch controls are less reliable this time around and app connectivity is very buggy. In addition, these buds lack popular features like aptX, spatial audio, and wireless charging that are becoming increasingly standard and readily available by ANC rivals across all kinds of price points.
I have faith Bose will fix their app experience and touch accuracy, because they’ve done it before on the previous version via firmware update. If you’re fine without having certain features, then the QuietComfort Earbuds 2 will keep the tunes playing and put the rest of the world on mute.
- Read the full Bose QuietComfort Earbuds 2 review
Also tested
How to choose the best Bose headphones for you
Battery life: Noise-cancelling headphones have a reputation for sucking up lots of power, so you’ll want a pair that holds a charge long enough to get you through a long business flight or weekly commutes. Thanks to the arrival of Sennheiser's Momentum 4 over-ear headphones battery life standards have increased up to 60 hours, although more typical figures are anywhere between 15 to 30 hours. Noise-cancelling wireless earbuds are usually rated for 4.5 to 8 hours.
Sound quality: ANC technology can compress sound and reduce dynamics, which may affect audio performance when turned on. In some cases, you’ll notice a background hiss when listening to music. However, there are noise-cancelling headphones out there that limit these disruptions to deliver full, crisp sound.
Design: The look, build and feel of a pair of headphones is massively important when selecting the best noise-cancelling headphones, so consider how it looks and feels and whether the style is right for you. The type of headphone is also important when it comes to the most effective noise cancelling models. Over-ear headphones tend to give the best noise cancellation, though some of the more recent wireless on-ear and in-ear models are proving to be just as effective.
Pricing considerations: Obviously, price is a big consideration when looking for the best noise-cancelling headphones. Although there are always exceptions, big-name brands will typically command a bit extra, but generally speaking, the less you spend on a pair of headphones the greater the chance that sound and features will be compromised. Going for a budget option isn't always the best choice, as any money you save on your purchase won't do you much good if you're constantly needing to recharge your audio gear, or the sound quality is poor.
As the saying goes: timing is everything; and right now there are plenty of discounts on several Bose models at online retailers. Bookmark our best headphone deals pages to bag a bargain.
How we test noise-cancelling headphones
Noise-cancelling headphones are judged on several factors: audio performance, battery life, Bluetooth range, call quality, comfort and fit, and the effectiveness of the noise cancellation. We also weigh special features, such as included apps, and how easy they are to use.
During the testing phase, our reviewers wear each pair of headphones for 2 hours at a time throughout the course of a week, to test comfort over time.
ANC, meanwhile, is tested in both indoor and outdoor environments where ambient sounds are produced at high levels. This includes airplanes, city parks, convenience shops, offices, and public transportation. ANC headphones programmed with transparency modes are also tested thoroughly to determine how well the listener can hear their surroundings.
For sound quality, we listen to many different sample tracks and span as many music genres as possible, including hip-hop, rock, jazz, classical and R&B, while evaluating volume, clarity and fullness. Find out what we listen for during our testing process and how to get the best headphone sound for you.
And now that more streaming music services are offering high-resolution audio, be sure to read our audio codec FAQ for all you need to know about FLAC files, MP3s and everything in between.
Once we complete our testing, we rate headphones based on our five-point system (1 = worst, 5 = best). If a product hits nearly every mark, it’s awarded an Editor's Choice badge.
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