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Bose Ultra Open Review

Perfect for active users and those who want to be aware of their surroundings
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Bose Ultra Open Review
Credit: Natalie Kafader
Price:  $299 List
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Manufacturer:   Bose
By Graham Faulknor and Genaveve Bradshaw  ⋅  Sep 28, 2024
65
OVERALL
SCORE


RANKED
#17 of 31
  • Sound Quality - 40% 6.3
  • User Experience - 20% 9.3
  • Noise Cancellation - 15% 2.1
  • Battery life - 15% 6.3
  • Call Quality - 10% 8.8

Our Verdict

The Bose Ultra Open earbuds are light and airy, designed to rest gently on your ears, allowing airflow for a comfortable listening experience with zero pressure. Even after wearing them for hours, we often forget they were there. They are also one of the few earbuds that stay securely in place, no matter the activity. The audio quality is good, though not the very best among our top-ranked earbuds. We appreciate their immersive sound, though, which makes it feel like the music is coming from around the room rather than directly from inside our heads. These earbuds aren't ideal for working or studying, as they lack ANC and don't provide a seal to block noise passively. That makes the Ultra Open buds perfect for users who want to remain aware of their surroundings, whether going for a morning jog or commuting to work. That's why these are our favorite ambient-aware workout earbuds.
REASONS TO BUY
Highly comfortable and stable
Immersive audio
REASONS TO AVOID
Expensive
No ANC

Compare to Similar Products

 
bose ultra open
This Product
Bose Ultra Open
Awards Top Pick Award
Best Open Workout Earbuds
Editors' Choice Award
Best Earbuds for Most People
Editors' Choice Award
Best Noise Cancelling Earbuds
Editors' Choice Award
Easiest for Apple Users
Editors' Choice Award
Best Wired Earbud
Price $299 List
$249.00 at Amazon
$280 List
$199.99 at Amazon
$299 List
$229.00 at Amazon
$249 List
$189.00 at Amazon
$18.00 List
$17.97 at Amazon
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Bottom Line A great pair of workout earbuds with immersive audio that allows users to hear the world around themThe latest and last from Jabra is a hit, with outstanding sound, impressive comfort, and an easy-to-use appThe best option to block out the world and lose yourself in an immersive soundscapeGreat noise cancellation that lets you appreciate their excellent sound qualityForgoing flash for a great fit and impressive sound at a great price, these wired earbuds are hard to argue with
Rating Categories Bose Ultra Open Jabra Elite 10 Gen 2 Bose QuietComfort U... Apple AirPods Pro 2 UliX Rider - 3.5mm
Sound Quality (40%)
6.3
8.3
8.5
7.6
8.0
User Experience (20%)
9.3
8.9
6.2
7.8
5.6
Noise Cancellation (15%)
2.1
8.6
9.5
7.7
2.5
Battery life (15%)
6.3
6.1
5.1
6.4
10.0
Call Quality (10%)
8.8
8.2
8.5
9.1
8.5
Specs Bose Ultra Open Jabra Elite 10 Gen 2 Bose QuietComfort U... Apple AirPods Pro 2 UliX Rider - 3.5mm
Active Noise Cancelling No Yes Yes Yes No
Earbud Location Tracking No Yes No Yes No
Measured Battery Life 8.3 hr 8.1 hr 6.2 hr 8.5 hr N/A
Waterproofing IPX4 IP57 IPX4 IP54 N/A
Measured Weight 0.23 oz 0.20 oz 0.22 oz 0.38 oz 0.62 oz
Quick Charging 10 min = 2 hrs 5 min = 1hr 5 mins = 1 hr 5 mins = 1 hr N/A
Charges Per Case 3 3 5 4 N/A
Wired Charging Port USB-C USB-C USB-C USB-C 3.5mm jack
Wireless Charging Option Yes Yes Yes Yes No
Claimed Battery Life 7.5 hrs 8.0 hrs 6 hrs 6 hrs N/A
Charging Carrying Case No Yes Yes Yes N/A
Transparency Mode Yes Yes Yes No No
Multipoint Yes Yes No Two Apple devices simultaneously No
In-ear Detection No Yes Yes Yes No
Multiple Ear Tips N/A Yes Yes Yes Yes

Our Analysis and Test Results

The Bose Ultra Open open earbuds are literally unshakable and the most comfortable fit we've ever experienced, thanks to their wrap-around design. Because the Bose Ultra Open don't push into your ears like other buds, they can be worn for hours without discomfort, but this causes the sound quality to degrade slightly. Read on to see how these performed across the board.

Performance Comparison


We used our Bruel and Kjaer 5128-B head to record the frequency response of the Bose Ultra Open buds, which is then calculated by its connected software, SoundCheck.
Credit: Natalie Kafader

Sound Quality


While our panel of expert listeners didn't find that the Bose Ultra Open buds sound bad, they aren't among the best. The main factor holding them back is a slight lack of clarity across all frequencies. Still, the sound quality is enjoyable, with a balanced mix. You can crank these buds as loud as you like, and they won't disappoint.


The mid frequencies are warm and layered but not as thick and full as in-ear buds. We were pleasantly surprised by the fullness and development of the treble range for an outside-of-the-ear model—it never sounded keening or sharp. When bass frequencies are present, they are warm and lovely, albeit weak. The chart below displays how our expert listeners rated the bass, mid, and treble ranges.

Expert Panel Sound Quality Ratings
ProductBassMid-RangeTreble
Best8.79.08.7
Average6.77.16.8
Bose Ultra Open4.07.86.8
Worst2.03.53.0

Listeners with the most critical ears may notice a slightly compressed sound signature that can feel slightly muddy compared to the top-rated earbuds.

Soundstage


The soundstage of earbuds gives the impression of where music is located in space. While it's difficult for compact, in-ear designs to replicate the immersive experience of live music, advancements in surround sound technology are enabling some earbuds to make your music feel as though it's coming from the world around you rather than from inside your head.

Soundstage Ratings
ProductSoundstage Rating
Best10.0
Bose Ultra Open7.5
Average7.4
Worst4.0

The Bose Ultra Open earbuds' lack of noise cancellation and their open design create a unique soundstage. One of our experts stated, “The sound feels like it can bounce around your ears instead of being held in.” Background noises also enter your ears freely, interacting with the music to keep you connected and aware of your surroundings. That's not necessarily a drawback. While these earbuds don't whisk you away or isolate you from the world, they can create lovely and engrossing soundscapes.

These sound decent, but the lack of presence in the bass holds them back from being great.
Credit: Natalie Kafader

For example, in “Foot of Your Bed” by Shakey Graves, these earbuds create plenty of sonic space for each individual texture to reveal itself. The percussive bassline enters at 0:01, becoming the recurring thread in a surreal tapestry of sound created by the twinkly acoustic guitar, mystical-sounding harp, various distortions, and layered vocals. The hints of trepidation all come through clear as daylight since the earbuds create enough room for you to explore the emotional ambiguity of the lyrics and the malleability of sounds.


The frequency response recorded by our Bruel and Kjaer 5128-B and measured by its software, SoundCheck, aligns with what our panel of expert listeners found as it follows our house curve for most of its frequency response. That said, the bass drops off significantly from our GearLab House Curve. The bass tends to fall off because the speakers are farther from your ear, so if your workout playlist consists of bass-heavy music and top-tier sound quality is important to you, you may look elsewhere.

bose ultra open - the lackluster bass in these buds comes from the lack of a seal, a...
The lackluster bass in these buds comes from the lack of a seal, a drawback that is also what makes the Bose Ultra Open so comfortable. Luckily, the app comes with EQ adjustments, which allow users to remedy their sound by turning up the bass.
Credit: Natalie Kafader

User Experience


The Bose Ultra Open have the best user experience of any other buds in our lineup. Thanks to their unique design and intuitive features, we were eager to use them for all kinds of activities, from skiing to jogging around the neighborhood.

User Experience Ratings
ProductComfortStabilityCustomization
Best10.010.07.5
Bose Ultra Open10.010.07.5
Average7.375.2
Worst5.04.00.0

Comfort


The Bose Ultra Open buds are the most comfortable we have ever worn, to the point where we forgot they were even in our ears. We could wear these for hours on end, and we especially loved wearing them for activities like running and hiking. Best of all, we didn't get that moist feeling in our ears after wearing them for several hours, as they offer some airflow during activity. We tested these on many different ear shapes, and the general consensus is that these are sure to fit perfectly in anyone's ears.

bose ultra open - these buds are sure to comfortably fit any ear shape.
These buds are sure to comfortably fit any ear shape.
Credit: Natalie Kafader

Stability


We did everything to shake these things off, but no matter what, they remained steady. We could do almost any activity, and it would be hard for these to fall out. We were also able to take off clothing layers without launching either bud out of our ears, which easily happens with almost every other pair of earbuds. Meanwhile, these stayed snug thanks to their unique design. “They're almost like clip-on earrings but way more comfortable.” One tester said.

bose ultra open - the bose ultra open buds clip onto your ears without using much...
The Bose Ultra Open buds clip onto your ears without using much force but also manage to stay intact during any sort of activity and are not easily pulled from your ears when putting on or taking off a sweatshirt.
Credit: Natalie Kafader

Customization


The Bose Ultra Open buds come with an intuitive app that allows you to adjust the EQ by either dragging the bass, mid, or treble to your preferred level, which allows more discerning listeners to experiment with their sound. Users who value simplicity can also choose one of the auto-adjustment options for bass and treble. Listeners can also view the battery life of the left and right earbuds from the app and turn shortcuts on and off.

The app comes with EQ adjustments, which allow you to tune up the treble, mid, and bass frequencies.
Credit: Natalie Kafader

While testing with different mobile devices, we found that the Bose Ultra Open buds are best paired with an Android device, as we occasionally ran into connectivity issues on Apple devices. Though we still think that Apple users will enjoy these, there may be some minor hassles while listening.

The app has several useful features, from EQ adjustments to immersive audio.
Credit: Natalie Kafader

Connectivity


In line with our experience with other Bose earbuds, we had some minor difficulties pairing the Ultra Open buds with our iPhones but found the process went smoother when connecting to an Android device. To help us get a broader picture of user experience and supplement our own testing, we turned to Amazon's 1-star user reviews to crowdsource information on connectivity. In our analysis, the Ultra Opens did pretty well. They had an issue rate of just 1.09%, which is just below average for the group.

Reported Connectivity Issues
ProductPercent Cited
Worst3.83
Average1.3
Bose Ultra Open1.09
Best0.1
The chart above shows the rate of connectivity issues in earbuds as a percentage of the total number of Amazon user reviews (analysis conducted 7/23/24).

Noise Cancellation


The Bose Ultra Open earbuds do not come with noise cancelling and don't even come with a passively cancelling seal for your ears, but this is intentional. These earbuds are intended for being able to be hyper-aware of one's surroundings. We highly recommend these for those who like to walk, hike, or run solo or even those who want to listen to music while playing sports with friends. But, for those who demand noise cancelling, we recommend looking elsewhere.


As you can see in the graph below, the Bose Ultra Open earbuds won't block out noise at any frequency, making them the ultimate earbuds for those who want to stay aware of the world around them.


Battery Life


The Bose Ultra Open lasted an impressive eight hours and 20 minutes in our testing while continually playing music back to back. That's almost an hour over the manufacturer's claimed battery life.


Over eight hours of battery life combined with three charges per case adds up to 25 hours of battery life for the Bose. That makes these great for long-haul flights and road trips. Also, a quick 10 minutes of charging will get you up to two hours of extra battery life.

Call Quality


We can confidently say that we would take calls with the Bose Ultra Open just about anywhere. These buds have some of the best call quality of any others in our lineup. We measured call quality by playing a script of both a man's and a woman's voice in different stress tests and then recorded that script using our Bruel and Kjaer 5128-B head.

Call Quality Ratings
ProductSubwayOfficeBaseline
Best9.09.09.5
Bose Ultra Open8.59.09.0
Average6.77.98.2
Worst2.05.07.0

We stress-tested these in multiple conditions, on the Subway, at the office, and in a soundless room for good measure.

The Subway sound is dampened in our call and completely silences the screeching sound, though you can still hear some of the announcements. All told, we can have a clear conversation in the worst of conditions with the Bose Ultra Open buds.
Credit: Natalie Kafader

The Subway noise test is the most demanding for all of our earbuds. We were pleasantly surprised to find that we could have a clear conversation and only heard some faint, muffled background noise. Both voices were clear in this test.

We hardly heard any office noise during our call while wearing the Bose Ultra Opens.
Credit: Natalie Kafader

In our office noise stress test, the voices are very clear for both man and woman. Again, you can hear a bit of background noise, but it's very muffled and didn't hinder the conversation.

We were able to make calls in ideal environments with crisp clarity.

The audio above demonstrates a call in a quiet room. It's very clear for both male and female voices with zero disturbances, and their voices sound the same with no reverb.

Should You Buy the Bose Ultra Open?


We think the Bose Ultra Open buds are great for active folks who spend a lot of time outdoors or in the gym. The only caveat is that you won't get noise canceling, but this makes these perfect for those who actually want to be aware of their surroundings during an early morning jog or when hiking in the woods. That said, we don't recommend these for those who want the best of the best sound quality or any sort of noise cancelling.

bose ultra open - the bose ultra opens have a unique, comfortable design.
The Bose Ultra Opens have a unique, comfortable design.
Credit: Natalie Kafader

What Other Earbuds Should You Consider?


If you want a great pair of running or exercise earbuds that won't fall out during activity and also have noise cancelling abilities, the Jabra Elite 8 Active buds are a great option. They also have an even better, more crisp sound. That said, the Bose Ultra Open and Jabra Elite 8 buds are pricey, so if you're on a tighter budget but still want a pair of workout buds that don't sacrifice sound quality, we recommend the Jaybird Vista 2. However, we don't recommend the Jaybirds for those with smaller ears, as the fit can be bulky.

The Bose Ultra Opens come with a compact case that will easily fit into your pocket.
Credit: Natalie Kafader


Graham Faulknor and Genaveve Bradshaw