1. The list in brief
2. Best earbuds overall
3. Best headphones overall
4. Best budget earbuds
5. Best headphones for ANC
6. Best budget headphones
7. How to choose
8. How we test
9. Latest updates
The best Bose headphones deliver both style and truly excellent sound quality. It's easy to see why Bose is one of the best audio brands in the world and why Bose headphones always feature in our best headphones guide and our best earbuds list.
The best Bose headphones for you will depend on your budget and preferences. The Bose range includes lightweight, noise-cancelling headphones that rank highly in our best over-ear headphones guide and are comfortable enough for commuting and long haul flights.
But Bose also makes a number of the best true wireless earbuds for versatile listening and workouts. The newest addition to the Bose line-up, the QuietComfort Ultra range, is also on the way – watch out for our reviews landing soon. Whatever you’re looking for, Bose has a pair of headphones to suit you.
We’ve reviewed many of the best headphones over the years and we've put every pair of the best Bose headphones below through the same rigorous testing. The result is a list of the best Bose headphones you can buy today. Once you've decided, take a look at our Bose promo codes guide to find the best value deal.
The quick list
Looking for a simple way to find the best Bose headphones with the key features and design that's right for you? Use our quick list below and click to see a longer write-up of each product for more in-depth information.
Best earbuds overall
One of the best pairs of noise-cancelling true wireless earbuds you can buy from any brand, not just Bose. They're also small and comfortable with a sleek design.
Best headphones overall
If you're looking for the best noise-cancelling over-ears, these are hard to beat. They also deliver truly excellent sound and have a stunning, minimal design.
Best budget earbuds
Older Bose buds that still bring you great ANC and a rich, clear sound. Because they've been out a few years you might find them discounted, making them excellent value.
Best over-ears for ANC
A rock solid pair of over-ears that are easy-to-use, comfortable and continue to perform amazingly well in the ANC department even though they're older.
Best budget headphones
These over-ears boast great ANC and balanced sound, despite the fact they came out in 2021. Others on the list are better, but these are often discounted.
Best Bose headphones of 2024
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The best Bose earbuds overall
The Bose QuietComfort Earbuds 2 are a big upgrade of the original Bose QuietComfort buds, which have now been bumped further down in our list.
This redesign has improved the noise cancellation considerably, which is really saying something considering the originals were our top pick for some time. Now the Bose QuietComfort Earbuds 2 are our number one pick here and in our best noise cancelling earbuds guide.
But ANC improvements aren't at the expense of sound quality. In our review, we wrote: "We can’t stress this enough – the sound is very well balanced, with a heck of a lot of details and textures coming through. And if you still find you need to tweak it, you can via the EQ in the app."
These new buds are expensive – although they're the same price as their rivals, the latest Sony WF-1000XM5 buds – and battery life is only fine at 6 hours from the buds and a further 3 from the case. But, if you can afford to splurge, these are arguably the best noise-cancelling true wireless earbuds you can buy and the best Bose earbuds around today.
Read our full Bose QuietComfort Earbuds 2 review
The best Bose headphones overall
If you're looking for a new pair of noise-cancelling headphones, we'd definitely recommend the Bose Noise Cancelling Headphones 700; they may not quite beat the Sony WH-1000XM4 headphones in terms of battery life and price, but they're still a brilliant pair of over-ear cans.
Traditionally, noise-cancelling headphones have been designed to block out the environmental sounds around you, so that you can hear your music more clearly (or catch some shut-eye on a busy train) – and with the right headphones, it's really effective.
If you’re making a phone call, however, the person you’re speaking to can still hear everything that’s happening around you, degrading the sound quality of your calls.
The Bose Noise Cancelling Headphones 700 seek to remedy this, by applying noise-cancellation to phone calls as well as music, which is fantastic feature that few other brands have mastered.
So how do they sound? The audio quality is undeniably good, with a vibrant, lively character and well-balanced soundstage – overall, the Bose Noise Cancelling Headphones 700 sound great, look stunning, and the noise-cancellation is out of this world, making them the best Bose headphones you can buy.
Read our full Bose Noise Cancelling Headphones 700 review
The best Bose earbuds for value
When these Bose QuietComfort Earbuds first came out in 2020, they were Bose's second attempt at a set of true wireless earbuds but now we recommend the newer Bose QuietComfort Earbuds II at the top of our list. They sound better and have improved ANC as well as a smaller, lighter design.
However, because the Bose QuietComfort Earbuds are now considered older models you might find them with decent price reductions. Sure they won't beat the newest Bose buds, but there's still a lot to love about them.
For starters, they're a vast improvement over Bose's older SoundSport Free. Not only is the design a lot better, but the noise cancellation is excellent. Sound quality is also good – albeit a touch less bassy compared to the Sony WF-1000XM4 – with superb clarity. They’re also incredibly comfortable and well balanced too, despite their bulky form factor.
Unfortunately, the battery life of the Bose QuietComfort Earbuds isn't as impressive as their other features. You get a respectable six hours of playback from the buds themselves, but only two further charges from the charging case for an 18-hour total battery life.
Read our full Bose QuietComfort Earbuds review
The best over-ear Bose headphones
The Bose QuietComfort 45 are a rock-solid pair of noise-cancelling headphones. They’re easy-to-use and feel incredibly comfortable to wear for long periods of time. Those are traits that Bose has always been known for and they continue to live on here.
Of course, the QC45 aren’t without a few new tricks. Among them are an Ambient Aware mode that allows you to hear sounds around you at the press of a button as well as upgraded noise cancellation tech that’s more responsive than before.
On top of that you’ve got a good-but-not-great battery life of 25 hours and a beam-forming microphone array that is, well, not quite as good as we had hoped. Neither of these are deal-breakers, but they do make the Bose QuietComfort 45 slightly less appealing than some of its competitors.
In fact, the Bose QuietComfort 45’s biggest issues aren’t anything that they do – there are minor issues, but nothing absolutely awful – and instead they have everything to do with two other amazing headphones out there: the Sony WH-1000XM4 and Bose Noise Cancelling Headphones 700 higher in this list. Both offer more customization options, better sound, and present a better value for just a little bit more cash.
Read our full Bose QuietComfort 45 review
The best Bose headphones for value
When the Bose QuietComfort 35 II first came out in 2021, they looked nearly identical to the already-excellent Bose QuietComfort 35. But when we tested them, we rated them for their great noise cancellation and balanced sound.
Fast-forward a few years and there's now more choice from Bose that'll give you a much better audio experience, like the Bose Noise Cancelling Headphones 700 and Bose QuietComfort 45 higher in this list. However, they're both pricey options, so if you can find discounted Bose QuietComfort 35 II cans, it's a good way to get your hands on Bose tech for less.
The Bose QuietComfort 35 II are still a solid pair of headphones, especially for travelers and commuters, with a good balance of features that will satisfy most mainstream listeners.
Read our full Bose QuietComfort 35 II review
How to choose the best Bose headphones
Does Bose make the best ANC headphones?
Bose makes great-sounding and incredibly stylish headphones. But it’s the high-end tech that the company packs into its earbuds that makes them stand apart from the rest, especially noise-cancellation.
Bose offers the best-in-class ANC that we've ever tested. It's no surprise you'll find Bose headphones in our best noise-cancelling earbuds and best noise cancelling headphones guides.
Which Bose headphones have the best sound quality?
For us, it has to be the over-ear Bose Noise Cancelling Headphones 700. There are also the new Bose QuietComfort 45 headphones, too. On one hand, these are definitely not the bassiest or detail-rich pair of over-ear headphones we’ve ever heard. On the other hand, though, they are one of the most listenable pairs of headphones among the ones we’ve tested thanks to Bose’s smart design choices.
Is Bose better than Sony?
It depends how you're judging them. The Sony WH-1000XM4 are one of our favorite pair of over-ear headphones. They feature highly in our best over-ear headphones list and are our top pick if you want a good all-rounder pair of headphones.
But the Bose Noise Cancelling Headphones 700 aren't far behind. They may not beat the Sony WH-1000XM4's battery life and price, but they are a fantastic pair of headphones and do noise-cancelling exceptionally well.
When it comes to buds, the Sony WF-1000XM4 buds are at the top of our best earbuds list but may soon be replaced by the newer Sony WF-1000XM5 buds we've just had chance to review – an excellent pair of all-rounder earbuds.
And again, the Bose earbud offering might not tick all the boxes like the Sony buds, but the Bose QuietComfort Earbuds 2 are the cream of the crop for in-ear ANC.
How we test the best Bose headphones
In the guide above, you'll find our pick of the best Bose headphones. Unlike other best headphones guides, we're only looking at devices by Bose here, but that doesn't mean we're included every single Bose pair.
What we're looking for is the best Bose headphones for a range of preferences, whether you need a pair of the best noise-cancelling true wireless earbuds, or an over-ear pair. That's what enables us to suggest which are the best when it comes to value, comfort or ANC.
With that in mind, we also wanted to test for all-important audio quality – although that's rarely an issue with Bose's high-end products – as well as comfort and value for money. Bose products are never budget, but we compare like for like, so you know you're getting the best headphones that perform admirably for the price.
We have tested all of the headphones in this guide for days and sometimes weeks at a time, analyzing the sound, fit, design, specs, and value for money so that you'll be able to choose the best Bose headphones for you.
Latest updates best Bose headphones
December 13, 2023
Updated the format of this guide to include a new quick menu and lead image. Rankings have been left unchanged until QuietComfort Ultra range reviews are in.
