Bose Bose Ultra Open True Wireless Earbuds (Black) Review

The Bose Ultra Open Earbuds are a niche product with a premium price. They excel at letting you hear your environment, but their sound quality is just okay. With a Best For score of just 21.4/100, they're not worth it unless situational awareness is your absolute top priority.

The Bose Ultra Open Earbuds are a weird, expensive, and surprisingly specific pair of earbuds. They don't go in your ears at all. Instead, they clip onto the outside of your ear canal, letting you hear your music and the world around you at the same time.

They're designed for one thing: being aware of your surroundings while listening to something. Bose calls it an 'open-ear design,' and it's perfect for a walk, working in an office, or commuting where you need to hear announcements. Just don't expect them to sound like a traditional pair of in-ears, because they absolutely don't.

Let's be clear: the sound quality is fine, not amazing. In our database, it lands in the 40th percentile for sound. The bass is predictably light because there's no seal, but the OpenAudio tech does a decent job of keeping your music private to you. The spatial audio feature is a nice party trick. The battery life is okay at 27 hours with the case (61st percentile), and the call mic is just average (36th percentile). They're comfortable for long periods because they're not in your ears, but the grip can feel a bit fiddly to get right.

At $299, these are a tough sell. You're paying a premium for a very niche design and the Bose brand. The tech is cool, but the actual performance—sound, mic, connectivity—ranks in the bottom half of our charts for premium earbuds. You're not buying these for benchmark-topping audio. You're buying them for the unique open-ear experience, and that comes with a hefty 'convenience tax.'

Stacked up, the choice is stark. If you want the best sound and ANC, the Sony WF-1000XM5 or Google Pixel Buds Pro run circles around these for similar money. The Nothing Ear (a) offers a more balanced, traditional experience for far less cash. The Technics EAH-AZ100 is for true audio purists. The Bose Ultra Open only wins if your top priority is environmental awareness above all else. In that very specific race, it has no direct competitor.

If you want to get lost in your music, block out the world, or just get the best audio quality possible, skip these. Their sound score is in the 40th percentile, and the ANC is basically non-existent. Look at the Sony XM5 or Sennheiser Momentum True Wireless 4 instead. Also, avoid these if you need reliable connectivity for critical calls, as that's a weak spot.

Buy these only if your #1 need is to hear your surroundings at all times. They're perfect for runners who need traffic awareness, office workers who want to hear colleagues, or commuters who don't want to miss station announcements. For literally any other use case—immersive music, blocking out noise, gaming, or just getting the best sound for your dollar—there are dramatically better options out there.