Bose Ultra Open Earbuds review

Bose is one of the biggest players in the headphone market and is known for its very impressive noise cancelling cans. However, the brand is going for something a little different with its latest launch, the Ulta Open earbuds.  

The Bose Ultra Open earbuds are designed to leave your ear canal free so you can be aware of your surroundings without compromising on the audio. However, they don’t use bone conduction or a hooked build as we’ve seen on previous devices of this nature like the H2O Audio Tri Pro Multi-Sport. They’re classy yet unique, and the audio is vastly more impressive than I anticipated – but they’re certainly not flawless.  

Disclaimer: During testing I encountered some software bugs with app connection and audio popping, which I’ve reported to Bose. As these factors affect the overall score, we’ve made the decision to not score the Bose Ultra Open Earbuds until this issue is fixed.

Design & Build  

• Innovative cuffed shape
• Comfortable for all-day wear
• Two colours available

The Bose Ultra Open has what the company dubs a ‘cuff-design’, but you might call them ‘clip-on’. The battery barrel sits behind your ear, with the front speaker catching on your lower lobe. That sounds more complicated than it is – I had no issues putting on the buds, even on the first try. 

Bose promises all-day comfort with the buds, and I have to agree with that sentiment. While they act like a pair of clip-on earrings in practice, there’s no pinching or discomfort, even after wearing them for several hours.

The surprising 10g weight of each bud certainly helps with this, too.  

They’re the most comfortable pair of open-ear buds I’ve used, and don’t give me that sore feeling in my cheeks that I get with headphones that use bone conduction technology. I wore them with glasses and with a hood up and encountered no interference whatsoever.

They’re also sturdy and secure. I tested them during a pilates HIIT workout where I did rotating side planks, mountain climbers and jumping jacks, and they stayed on my ears with no problems. The IPX4 rating means that they’re protected against sweat and splashes of water.  

During my briefing, a Bose said that someone in the team accidentally wore them in the shower with no issues, though I’m not brave enough to test this out. They held up just fine during a rainy walk.  

The Bose Ultra Open Earbuds come in either Black or White Smoke. I tested the latter which is more of a creamy neutral as opposed to bright white. The arm is made with soft silicone, with brushed metallic silver finishes on the buttons and arms. 

There’s also a special edition version made in collaboration with fashion and lifestyle brand Kith, which feature the black colour finish and Kith lettering in classic style of Bose’s logo.

The accompanying plastic case is small enough to fit into a jean pocket and includes USB-C charging on the rear, along with a button for pairing, – though there’s no waterproofing on the case. Neither this nor the buds easily pick up fingerprints or other marks.  

Dominik Tomaszewski / Foundry

Smart Features  

• Button controls 
• Bose Music app 
• 30ft Bluetooth range

Pairing the Bose Ultra Open with my smartphone was initially straightforward. All I had to do was press the button on the back of the case, open Bluetooth on my phone and then the buds showed up. The Bose Ultra Open Earbuds also support Google Fast Pair. 

After this, I had multiple occasions where the buds had trouble connecting in the app, even when they were playing music from my phone. I’m hoping that’s due to them being an early production unit, but Wired reported a similar issue.

For full configuration over the Bose Ultra Open, you’ll want the Bose Music app, which is available on iOS and Android. The homepage includes the battery life of each bud in 10% increments and has sections for audio adjustments, tutorials and connections.  

Hannah Cowton / Foundry

The bud buttons are located on the bottom of each battery barrel – there are no touch-sensitive controls as there are on many rivals. They can be used to adjust playback, volume, answer calls and switch between audio modes, with the exact configurations all changeable within the app. Clicks are responsive and don’t feel too firm on the underside of the ear. 

There are four preset EQ modes in the app: Bass Booster, Treble Booster, Bass Reducer and Treble Reducer.

Alternatively, you can tweak the sliders to suit your preferences. Some rivals offer dedicated modes for certain audio, such as music, cinema or sports, but Bose has opted to let the user choose their own preferences for content.  

Like Shokz, Bose has a clean and simple layout for the app, with plenty of guides for controlling the buds. You can change between the various Immersive Audio modes here, and toggle on auto volume.  

You can switch between devices in the app, but there’s no multipoint connectivity at the time of writing. Bose has said that a software update will rectify this later in the year.

With a 30ft Bluetooth range, these buds are usable in a different storey of your house to your phone without a hitch.

Dominik Tomaszewski / Foundry

Sound Quality  

• aptX Adaptive support
• Four preset EQ modes
• Bose Immersion audio available

The Bose Ultra Open buds offer surprisingly impressive audio for a fully open-ear device. They have 12mm drivers, with support for Qualcomm’s aptX Adaptive codec, but not LDAC.

Galvanize by The Chemical Brothers has an even balance of lows, strings and vocals. Bass is clear, but not quite the thumping that you’ll get with sealed earphones or over ear headphones. 

Slower tracks such as Mercy by Rachel Platten are colourful, with the piano, organ, drums and vocals all balanced satisfyingly. Heavier tracks such as ONLAP’s Rock Ain’t Dead sound powerful, with detailed guitar solos. Again, you will lose some of that thrum if you go into noisy environments  

Dominik Tomaszewski / Foundry

The earbuds are impressive enough that podcasts are still relatively clear over the roar of the underground. Some buds with proper noise isolating tips don’t even pass this test, so that’s a huge win for Bose. There’s minimal leakage, so you needn’t worry about using the Ultra Open Earbuds in a busy environment, such as an office. 

With the volume on low, I could easily talk to a barista in a coffee shop and hear them clearly. Sure, it feels a bit rude doing it but it’s possible. The better use case is being aware of your surroundings, such as if you’re running (couldn’t be me) or if you’re crossing a road and want to hear traffic.  

Immersive Audio is Bose’s dedicated spatial mode, and offers two options: Still and Motion. One is designed for when you’re sitting and listening to the buds, such as working at your desk, or relaxing on the sofa. The other is for when you’re bustling about, such as on your commute.  

I’d recommend using it on live music performances, and when listening to high-action movies. For standard audio, it’s hit and miss – sometimes it adds extra depth to a track, while other times it can sound a bit echoey and muddle some instruments, like synths, into the background. If you’re an audio purist, I’d avoid this feature altogether.  

There’s an auto volume feature, which dials the sound up or down depending on your ambient surroundings. I found this to be smooth when exiting my flat onto a busy road, with my podcast dialing up to an acceptable amount. That said, later in my walk (when switching to music), a gust of wind sent the track belting up, which was an unpleasant experience. 

Dominik Tomaszewski / Foundry

I’d advise just sticking to the volume you prefer, as this can come down to taste and the type of content you’re listening to anyway.  

Sadly, my review unit had some popping on Spotify and Amazon Music, particularly when either Immersive Audio or auto volume was on. I’ve reached out to Bose for comment on this and will update my review when I know more. I didn’t notice it on my iMac, so it could be a compatibility issue with my phone. 

There are dual microphones on each bud, and according to friends and family calls sound clear on the buds when in quiet environments, though louder ones such as streets seem to pick up ambient noise as there’s no wind reduction technology available. I was able to hear the callees just fine.  

If the design of the buds doesn’t make this obvious, there are no ANC or talkthrough options available.

Battery Life & Charging  

Bose claims that the Ultra Open can last for 7.5 hours when immersion mode is turned off, and that seems in line with my testing.

Half that time dropped the charge by roughly 50%. The immersion modes only provide 4.5 hours of listening time on a single charge, which is unimpressive compared to rivals.

Dominik Tomaszewski / Foundry

The case provides up to an additional 19.5 hours of listening time on stereo mode, and 12 hours on the immersion modes. I was able to use these for commuting and working on and off for a few days without worrying about charging, which is a relief.  

There’s a USB-C cable included in the box, and a ten-minute charge will get you up to one hour of listening time. However, no wireless charging is included which is a shame.  

Price & Availability  

The Bose Ultra Open Earbuds cost £299/$299.

You can buy them from Bose, Amazon and Best Buy in the US, and Bose, Amazon and John Lewis in the UK. That’s by no means cheap, so you might want to weigh up your alternatives.  

If awareness of your surroundings is important to you, then the Jabra Elite 10 offer a semi-open design with the option of ANC and head tracking. For more fitness fanatics the Shokz OpenFit offer a fully open design, but the audio isn’t the best due to the limited frequency range.  

Both competitors are cheaper than the Bose Ultra Open, which is definitely on the premium end of the spectrum. You can see how they compare to others in our chart of the best earbuds chart.  

The limited edition Kith model is sold out at the time of writing, but you can sign up for notifications on the Bose and Kith websites. They are slightly more, £305/$300, for the privilege.

Dominik Tomaszewski / Foundry

Should you buy the Bose Ultra Open Earbuds?

The Bose Ultra Open Earbuds offer the best open-ear design I’ve seen. They’re comfortable and secure, and at first glance look like a unique fashion accessory rather than a piece of tech. The audio is also a treat for most things, though bass fans won’t get the same experience as they would on closed earbuds or full headphones.  

Of course, there are catches. They cost a pretty penny, and whilst the battery life is enough for a day’s listening in stereo, the Immersive mode durability isn’t that impressive at all. I also hope that the software issues I encountered are not more widespread.

All in all, if you want the best audio you can find on a pair of open-ear earbuds and money is no object, then it’s still worth considering the Bose Ultra Open. Otherwise, there are other options available.

Specs

• Cuff design
• 12mm drivers
• Bluetooth 5.3
• AAC, aptX Adaptive, and SBC
• Button controls
• Four microphones
• Supports Bose Immersive Audio
• Battery life: Up to 7.5 hours playback on 1 charge (4.5hr with Immersion modes), 31hr playback with charging case
• USB-C
• Dimensions: 18.5 x 17 x 27.2 mm (per earbud)
• Dimensions: 41.9 x 65 x 26.4mm (charging case)
• Weight: About 10g (per earbud), About 40g (charging case)
• IPX4
• Black, White Smoke