Bose QuietComfort headphones Bose QuietComfort Wireless Active Noise Cancelling Review

The Bose QuietComfort Wireless are comfortable, familiar, and fine. They don't excel in any one area, and the mic is bad for calls. With prices ranging from $229 to $359, only buy them on a deep sale. Look at Sony or Apple if performance is your top priority.

Bose's latest QuietComfort Wireless headphones are trying to be the Swiss Army knife of noise-canceling cans. They've got all the modes, an adjustable EQ, and that classic Bose comfort. But in a market packed with heavy hitters, just having the name isn't enough anymore.

Our data shows they're a bit of a mixed bag. They score in the 90th percentile for social proof—people love the Bose brand. But when you look at actual performance metrics like sound quality and ANC, they're hovering right around the middle of the pack. That tells you something.

Performance-wise, these are solid but not spectacular. The hybrid noise cancellation works well, landing in the 48th percentile, which means it's good but not class-leading. Sound quality is in a similar spot, and the battery life is rated for up to 24 hours. The real weak spot, according to our scoring, is the microphone for calls, which sits at a dismal 12.7 out of 100. So if you're taking a lot of Zoom meetings, you might want to think twice.

Here's the tricky part: the price swings from $229 to $359 depending on the vendor. At the low end of that range, they're a decent value for the Bose name and comfort. At $359, you're paying a premium for the logo while competitors offer better tech for the same money. We'd only recommend hunting for a deal on these.

Stacked up against the competition, it's tough. The Sony WH-1000XM5 consistently beats it on ANC and sound in our tests. The Apple AirPods Max offers a more seamless ecosystem experience if you're in that world, though for more money. Even the Beats Studio Pro often goes on sale for less. The Bose wins on comfort and brand trust, but it's losing the tech race to Sony and the cool factor to Apple.

Skip these if you take a lot of calls. The microphone score in our database is brutally low. Also, if you're an audiophile chasing the best sound or someone who needs the strongest possible noise cancellation for flights, the Sony WH-1000XM5 is a better performer for similar money.

Buy these if you're a Bose loyalist who values supreme comfort and customizable features over having the absolute best noise cancellation or sound. They're a safe, familiar choice. But if you're chasing top-tier performance or the best value, your money is better spent elsewhere.