Bose Ultra Open Earbuds review: open relationship

I'll preface this Bose Ultra Open Earbuds review by saying that I'm a longtime Bose fan: I've been using the audio company's Bose Noise Cancelling Headphones 700 for over six years, recently replaced by the even better Bose QuietComfort Ultra Headphones – for that simple fact that, for me, these are the best headphones that money can buy.

What you'll notice is completely absent from that opening sentence, however, is any mention of Bose's in-ear headphones. That's because, despite the brand launching the Bose QuietComfort Ultra Earbuds just months ago – which I'm told by reputable colleagues are a hands-down 5-star product, as per T3's review – I personally don't like in-ear headphones. Not one bit, in fact. I just can't stand the pressure and the intrusive feel. Instead I'm all about over-ears for the comfort, the isolation, and the active noise-cancelling (ANC). 

Which brings me to the Bose Ultra Open Earbuds on review here: these are earbuds that don't actually go into one's ears at all; they're also earbuds that don't isolate – quite the opposite, in fact, as surrounding environmental sound is purposefully allowed to pass through at all times. In a way the Ultra Open represent the perfect 'antithesis of ANC', if you will – but are they the best all-time earbuds for those of a niche audio persuasion? 

Bose Ultra Open Earbuds: Price & Availability

Bose has been busy beavering away on many headphones launches in recent months and I've never been shocked by the premium asking prices the brand demands for its audio kit. Prices have certainly been ascending at quite a rapid pace, however, and many prospective purchasers may find that prohibitive.

The Bose Open Ultra Earbuds come with a £299 asking price in the UK. That's instead $299 in the USA, €349 in Europe, and AU$449.95 in Australia. No insignificant request for earbuds that don't offer high-brow features such as ANC. But if you're after a passthrough audio experience then, while there are cheaper offerings such as the Sony LinkBuds, nothing is as comfortable as what Bose has designed here.

Bose Ultra Open Earbuds review: Design & Comfort

As I've alluded to in the price section above, the Bose Ultra Open Earbuds aren't exactly awash with features that you'll often find in pricey competitor headphones. But that's because many features, such as ANC, would simply unravel the whole point of a product such as this. 

In the majority of T3's best earbuds reviews we include a 'What's New?' section to highlight any standout differences between previous iterations in a product line. Well, I can't do that with the Ultra Open Earbuds because there's no such predecessor – this is an 'all-new' product line and so I've skipped forward a step to tell you all about how they're designed and feel to wear. 

For me it's the Ultra Open Earbuds' design that truly sells them. As someone who dislikes earbuds probing my ear canals, the way Bose has designed these 'buds is a true accomplishment: there's no aggressive hook or clip to concern yourself with here, as the earbuds simply wrap around the outer edge of your ears using this flexible section between the earbud itself and the little battery 'barrel' at the other end.

And I have to say that the comfort factor is off the charts. You'd think that something clasping around your ear might be a constant niggle, but I've genuinely forgotten at times I'm wearing this Bose product – especially if I've paused my podcast or playlist! – as the mere 6.35g per earbud mass is more-or-less unnoticeable. Wear from morning to mid-afternoon or from noon to night with no bother: that's the Bose's upper hand compared to far less comfy rivals like the Huawei Freeclip.

I'm also a glasses-wearer (as the picture above proves), which is typically a no-no when you're wearing, say, sports headphones with a hook/clip attachment mechanism. It'll make your lenses sit loose and I've found that to be a problem during exercise in particular. No such issue with the Bose Ultra Open Earbuds, though, as I've been able to walk about, even jog about, and they stay firmly in place, no glasses-wearing compromise at all.

You might not want to have too many earrings or other ear-jewellery, though, as I could see that being a bit of a clash. And I'm not sure if I regret picking the Black finish instead of the White Smoke option, as I've sometimes wondered if people think I've had a bit of a mid-life and got two flesh tunnels in my lobes given how the dark finish sits against my fair (well, rosy) skin. That said, I picked Black to pair neatly with my other Bose headphones, and I'm also not a big fan of the reflective silvered part that only features on the White Smoke version.

Bose Ultra Open Earbuds review: Performance & Battery

To get the most out of the Ultra Open Earbuds you'll want to download the Bose Music app for Android/iOS first. It's a doddle to setup thereafter: simply turn on your output device's Bluetooth (or Google Fast Pair is part and parcel for Android users, so is automated and speedy) ensure the earbuds are sat in their included charging case, hit the physical button on the rear of that, then watch as they handshake and confirm on-screen. That's it – job done! 

The Bose Music app even shows you how to wear the earbuds at first fitting as, frankly, I could see how easy it'd be to make a dog's dinner out of that the first couple of times (I suspect many would-be wearers might be inadvertently tempted to jam the battery barrel in their ears otherwise). A couple of tries popping them on and off and it's easy as pie though.

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The Bose Music app is also the place where you get to tweak other settings. Adjust the equalisation (EQ), which I've found handy to get the sound to give that little extra, and toggle between usual stereo and static/motion Immersive Audio. As I said in my Bose QuietComfort Ultra Headphones review last year, this spatial audio 'soundstage' adds a real widening of the audio – although it's less impactful in these passthrough earbuds compared to full-on ANC over-ears in my opinion. 

Which brings me to the sound. Generally speaking the audio from the Ultra Open Earbuds is solid, but as the earbuds don't fit in your ear, but rather hover nearby, you're not going to get the very biggest audio profile that you've ever heard. I've listened to some bone conduction earbuds before now – and the Bose are absolutely not that, each earbud uses a Bose's OpenAudio Acoustic di-pole proprietary technology to funnel the audio into your ears whilst assisting with blotting out excessive sound leak to the outside world – and find the Ultra Open Earbuds deliver a chunkier sound delivery overall.

There is still some sound leak, though, which I think is unavoidable when the volume is raised. And when that volume is turned up it can be tricky to hear some surrounding sounds as clearly as you may wish – I spent a full day in the office wearing the earbuds as a test scenario, to see how the experience would be, and I couldn't always hear my colleagues when I needed to. It is easy to pause audio, though, thanks to buttons above each battery barrel on both left and right sides, the function of which can also be set within the Bose Music app. 

On the flip side of that, certain surrounding sounds are far too overwhelming to leave the Ultra Open Earbuds with much chance: getting on the London Underground was a write-off for hearing what was supposed to be reaching my ears; and when in a communal work area (full disclosure: someone had opened some celebratory beers, so inevitably the noise flowed as a result) various loud voices drowned out the virtual Google Meets session I was in – to the point I had to push the Open Earbuds foremost into my ears to get that bit extra from them. 

All that said, I think this is all on par with my expectation – and arguably anyone's expectation who is in the market for earbuds that are wide open to the outside world at all times. For listening to a bit of chilled music in the office but always being able to hear your colleagues, for example, they're most capable. Just set your expectation limits accordingly for other scenarios.

Battery life is also a little questionable in my opinion. Bose claims longevity per charge up to 7.5 hours, which is certainly ample for earbuds that are ultimately designed to be worn nonstop all day long. But if you leave Immersive Audio active that's cut right down to 4.5 hours – as I found out when a voice alert in the right ear told me the battery was low (I'd once again forgotten I was wearing the earbuds and it made me jump a little bit). I've also found the battery drain between left and right earbuds to not be equal, which is hopefully just a teething issue that can be rectified with a software update.

Bose Ultra Open Earbuds review: Verdict

And so to address the slightly provocative title of this review: I really love the Bose Ultra Open Earbuds for their comfort factor and in delivering a best-in-class solution in this expanding yet niche audio category. That said, despite having worn the earbuds all day long, in certain scenarios they just can't deliver everything I might want – isolation from excess environmental noise, say, or sufficient volume/engagement to hear a phone call – and that's when I'm pining for established relationships with other headphones instead. 

The Bose Ultra Open Earbuds are fantastic at what they do – and for someone like me who dislikes in-ear headphones they are in some ways an ideal solution – but it's in their very absence of features and therefore versatility that I've been sometimes left wanting more. Not from the earbuds themselves, mind, as in context you're not going to find a better or more comfortable competitor right now. Just be sure your use-case for such earbuds will perfectly suit you and then, no doubt, you'll fall in love with these niche yet nifty earbuds.

Also consider

The Bose are clearly the most expensive in this product category, but by far the most comfortable too. A step down the price ladder takes you to the Huawei Freeclip, which may appeal. Of if you're okay with earbuds that do sit in your ears, then Sony's even cheaper LinkBuds (WF-L900) are a sensible consideration too.