Are the Bose Ultra Open Earbuds Worth It? Honest Pros & Cons
My one year old does not wear these (or any, ha!) headphones often. But the fact that they fit him just fine and don’t fall out of or off of his ear is a GOLDMINE when it comes to earbuds.
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After a year of thinking about it, in February I finally caved and bought the Bose Ultra open‑ear headphones. Here’s a full breakdown on why I wanted them, what I love about them and what I don’t, and why I’m calling them my best purchase of 2025.
Why I finally decided to try them
I’d been using airpods for about a year previously and while I loved the seamless connectibility and sound quality, I was done with earbuds constantly feeling like tiny earplugs. After hours of podcasts/audiobooks my ear would start to ache, I would constantly take them out when my kids would talk to me and set them down meaning then I’d have no clue where I put them and I’d have to use my phone to track them 10 times a day. I wanted something I could wear all day that didn’t block out surrounding sound so I could hear if the kids needed something. A really good sale and a handful of recommendations pushed me to finally purchase. (Because let’s be real, $300 is a lot for earbuds.)
I hate to say it. It was love at first wear. And now 10 months later, I’m afraid to say that I love them now just as much as I did the first time I wore them back in February. They’ve basically become part of my personality at this point…
What I love
Comfort: They sit on the ear cartilage instead of jammed in the canal. I can truly say I forget I’m wearing them most of the time. NO EAR PAIN! Even wearing them basically all day.
Stay-put fit: I’ve jump-roped, jogged, and done quick workouts all while wearing these headphones and they don’t budge.
Great battery life: I typically wear one at a time and switch to charge the other one as needed. Battery life has been solid for my podcast/audiobook use (like 6-8 hours a day no problem).
They don’t feel like an ear plug: I can hear what’s going on around me even while I have them in. I don’t have to take them off when my kids need something!! I can carry on a conversation like normal even while wearing them which means…
I DON’T LOSE THEM: I haven’t lost them ONCE in almost ten months. For me (someone who loses her car keys 3 times a day) this is HUGE.
The sound is surprisingly discrete: When I’m listening to spoken-word content (books/podcasts as opposed to music), people don’t notice what I’m playing unless the room is quiet and the volume is up full blast.
Things that bug me
No tracking like AirPods: I used to rely on Find My. These don’t have that, and that made me nervous at first. So far I haven’t lost them, but it does seem pretty crazy they don’t have that feature when they’re at the pricepoint they are.
Price: They’re not cheap. I caught them on sale, which helped me justify it. They do sales fairly regularly so definitely keep an eye out. I always try to share about sales on instagram to let people know!
Not as seemless with Apple products: They don’t switch between my iPhone and Mac as seamlessly as AirPods. Sometimes I have to manually connect or disconnect with the touch of a button or two. This doesn’t bother me a lot, but according to the reviews (and one personal friend who decided to return them) it apparently bothers a lot of people 😅
Not for super loud environments: I tried to listen to an audiobook on a plane once and I will admit it was a bit hard to hear. I don’t travel super often so for me that wasn’t a deal breaker, but it’s definitely something to keep in mind. (They don’t block noise like ANC in-ears. If you want deep bass or full noise canceling, these aren’t the pick.)
The Mic SUCKS: this is my biggest hang up. Trying to do voice to text is awful. It’s super annoying, I won’t lie.
All that being said - I’M OBSESSED WITH THESE AND THEY HAVE LITERALLY CHANGED MY LIFE. I wish there was a way to look at the “history” of how many hours I’ve spent listening with these headphones. Hundreds of podcasts. Dozens of audio books. An embarrassing amount of tiktok and youtube. I’m not kidding when I say these headphones have basically become part of my personality at this point. (Maybe that’s not something to be proud of but it’s true 😅)
*this post is not sponsored, but I do earn a small commission if you purchase through my link, which is greatly appreciated!
XOXO, HAN