There's no shortage of reviews for various headphone brands, but, many of them lack the specific detail needed for athletes who plan to use earbuds for sports, specifically, like cycling or running. Recently I've been testing out the Bose QuietComfort Earbuds, which compete with others like the Apple AirPods or Beats Studio models.
So how do the Bose QuietComfort Earbuds stack up for using while cycling or running? Here are my thoughts and pros/cons:
Battery life
By far, the best feature of the Bose QuietComfort Earbuds is the stellar battery life. Like other competitors, the earbuds come with a charging case. You store the earbuds in the case when not in use, which tops them off, and when the case itself runs low, you plug it into the wall via USB to charge it back up, or the case can also be charged wirelessly using the various compatible wireless charging pads on the market.
Claimed battery life is 8.5 hours, more than enough to handle massive length workouts with battery to spare or a full day of conference calls and Zoom meetings. This is like double the battery life of a set of AirPods Pro - I've got a set that are a few years old, and often get the "low battery" warning on long rides - even when I start with a full charge!
As a result, the Bose QuietComfort Earbuds are a great choice for long workouts, backpacking, bikepacking, and other applications where you'll be away from wall power for an extended period of time. These are earbuds you can comfortably take with you for business travel and not worry about bringing a charger along at all, a major plus.
Sound quality
Generally, I'm pleased with the sound quality of the Bose QuietComfort Earbuds for listening to music and podcasts. At $149, these are a mid-market Bluetooth earbud option, not a premium option, and I find the sound quality to be just fine for the price.
The earbuds are more than loud enough as well.
Noise cancelling modes
When I first tried the original Apple AirPods Pro for cycling, I couldn't believe how well the noise cancelling worked, even almost completely elliminating the crunch of my tires on gravel roads. Music was great and even spoken word audio like podcasts were clear. Sadly, it didn't last. Whether it's from contamination with sweat, dirt, or sunscreen, or the various well-documented hardware and software problems, the great noise cancellation on my old AirPods Pro was replaced by buzzing, screeching, howling and other unwanted noise over time.
So I had high hopes for the Bose QuietComfort Earbuds noise cancellation, especially, since I've had good experiences with some of their other products. The earbuds have 3 modes - active noise cancellation, (which Bose calls "quiet"), "aware", which promises to let important noise through, and "off". "Off" would presumably offer the longest battery life.
Sadly, I don't think the Bose QuietComfort Earbuds noise cancellation is good for outdoor sports. Surprisingly, the best mode for cycling and running seems to be "off", with the active noise cancellation disabled entirely. It seems to me like the active noise cancellation, when enabled, doesn't handle wind noise very well, and almost amplifies it. It's unpleasant even on slow runs, let alone the higher speeds and greater wind noise of bicycle rides. As a result, when riding or running I've simply turned the noise cancellation off, which works well enough.
In an office environment, in contrast, the active noise cancellation is excellent, drowning out background conversation, printers, and other noises, allowing the wearer to clearly hear music, podcasts, Zoom meetings, and more. Similarly, you can expect excellent noise cancelling at the gym too - it's just the wind noise where the Bose QuietComfort Earbuds struggle.
Companion App
The Bose QuietComfort Earbuds include a companion mobile app that runs on your phone. Using the app, you can customize the single, double, and triple click actions for each earbud to your preferences for controlling music and handling phone calls.
Also in the companion app, you can configure voice controls for raising and lowering volume, starting and stopping music, and other functions using only your voice. This is convenient for changing settings while jogging, for example. You can also configure the earbuds to invoke the assistant built into your phone, i.e. Siri.
There are a few options for customizing the amount of bass as well (although not a full equalizer as is found on some higher-end Bose products.)
Water and sweat resistance
The Bose QuietComfort Earbuds carry an IP4X rating, so there is protection against splashes, but not submerging, so no swimming for these. That's the same rating as the current generation of Apple's "plain" AirPods, but lower than the AirPods Pro 2. In comparison, the AirPods Pro 2 carry a better IP54 rating against dirt and water ingress. Is this meaningful over the long term? Only time will tell.
Compatibility with Apple "Find My"
Sadly, the Bose QuietComfort Earbuds don't offer any sort of location feature, such as the "Find My" functionality included with Apple's AirPods and AirTags product lines. This is unfortunate, because Find My is really useful for locating lost earbuds. 3rd-party brands other than Apple have begun to include Find My in their products, such as the Orbit x Velo, which is designed to help locate stolen or missing bikes, but Bose does not appear to be among them.
Value
For the current street price of $149 (MSRP is $179) I find the Bose QuietComfort Earbuds to be a good value, on-par with competing models from Apple, Beats, and Jabra.
About Safety
When riding a bicycle or running, you need awareness of what's happening around you. For that reason, I recommend that you only use earbuds in appropriate environments - indoor cycling at the gym, dirt roads, and so on. Never use headphones in traffic or anywhere their use could reduce safety for yourself or others.
Conclusion
The Bose QuietComfort Earbuds offer a good value and excellent noise cancellation for office environments, but may not be the best choice for active outdoor activities if active noise cancellation is desired. If you can do without noise cancellation during your workout, these are an otherwise fine choice and I'd buy them again.