Class-leading noise-cancelling headphones and simple, sturdy speakers, sold with a fair 30-day return policy but only a one-year US warranty and weak after-sales reviews.
By Brand Verdicts research deskLast updated October 2026Audio & gadgets
C+
6.9/10
Quality8.4
Value6.6
Service5.2
Policies7.3
Transparency6.9
CONSIDER
Score sheet
Why C+: The QuietComfort Ultra line still sets the noise-cancelling benchmark, but full-price list tags, a one-year warranty, and very poor Trustpilot service reviews keep Bose out of the B range.
Criterion
Score /10
Weight
Product quality
8.4
30%
Value
6.6
25%
Customer service
5.2
15%
Returns & policies
7.3
15%
Transparency
6.9
15%
Overall
6.9
derived
Overall is the weighted mean of the five rows, adjusted by a small slug-seeded offset so that brands never line up in a false staircase, and capped at 9.8. Full working on the Methodology page (v2.1).
Main findings
The QuietComfort Ultra Headphones (2nd Gen) list at $449 and are rated for up to 30 hours, or 23 with Immersive Audio switched on.
Bose.com returns run 30 days from receipt with Bose paying return shipping, but Bose reserves the right to refuse returns for excessive return activity.
The US limited warranty is one year for headphones, earbuds and powered speakers; shipping costs for warranty service may be charged to you.
Bose sells a two-year BoseCare extension that starts after the one-year warranty, offered at checkout on almost every product page.
Trustpilot rates bose.com “Bad” at 1.3 on an unclaimed profile; complaints centre on repairs, refused warranty claims and older SoundTouch speakers losing streaming services.
Range overview
Bose is a privately held audio company based in Framingham, Massachusetts. Its direct store sells noise-cancelling headphones (QuietComfort and QuietComfort Ultra), earbuds including open-ear designs, SoundLink portable Bluetooth speakers, soundbars and the new Lifestyle Ultra home cinema collection, portable PA systems and aviation headsets. Products are configured through the Bose app. The brand’s reputation rests on active noise cancellation and comfort, which keeps it a default choice for frequent flyers and commuters. Bose.com also runs a certified refurbished store, a trade-in programme worth up to $300 toward new products, a price-match promise, and free shipping and returns on in-stock orders of $49 or more.
The products, scored
5 items. Each chip is a per-product call and can differ from the brand verdict.
QuietComfort Ultra Headphones (2nd Gen) BUY
Bose’s flagship over-ear headphones, listed at $449. The product page claims its best noise cancelling, CustomTune calibration, Bose Immersive Audio with a new Cinema Mode, and lossless audio over USB-C. Rated battery is up to 30 hours, falling to 23 with Immersive Audio on. On bose.com it holds a 4.5 average from several hundred buyer reviews. For long flights and open offices this remains the headphone to beat on noise cancellation and comfort. The catch is price and protection: $449 buys one year of warranty, and Bose offers to sell you two more years for $99.95.
StrengthNoise cancellation and comfort that still lead the category
WeaknessOne-year warranty at $449; Immersive Audio cuts battery noticeably
The mid-range over-ear model at $359, with adaptive noise cancellation, TrueSpatial immersive sound, multipoint Bluetooth, lossless audio over USB-C up to 24-bit/48 kHz, and up to 24 hours of battery. It is the sensible choice for most people who want Bose noise cancelling without paying Ultra prices. One detail to check: when the desk read the headphones category page, the original QuietComfort Headphones were listed at the same $359 as this 2nd Gen model. If both appear, buy the 2nd Gen. The rated battery is six hours shorter than the Ultra’s.
StrengthMost of the Ultra experience for $90 less
WeaknessCategory page showed the older model at the same price
Bose’s top noise-cancelling earbuds at $299, with CustomTune, Immersive Audio, SpeechClarity call processing and a wireless charging case. Rated battery is up to six hours per charge, which is short for the price. The bose.com rating was 3.6 out of 5 when read, noticeably below the headphones. The noise cancelling is the reason to buy. If battery life and value matter more, the older QuietComfort Earbuds at $179 are rated for up to 8.5 hours and score higher with buyers, and earbuds generally age out faster than headphones on a one-year warranty.
StrengthBest in-ear noise cancelling in Bose’s range
WeaknessSix-hour rated battery and middling buyer ratings at $299
A small outdoor speaker at $159, rated IP67 for water and dust, with PositionIQ to adjust sound to how it is placed, up to 12 hours of battery and the option to pair two in stereo. It is a well-judged product: tough, simple and priced in line with rivals rather than above them. The weak spot is charging: Bose quotes four hours to refill a 12-hour battery. The SoundLink Micro (2nd Gen) at $129 suits a bag; the Flex is the one for a garden or a beach.
StrengthRugged IP67 build at a competitive price
WeaknessFour-hour rated charge time for a 12-hour battery
The new top home cinema soundbar at $1,099, part of the Lifestyle Ultra collection with a $899 subwoofer and $379 surround speakers. Bose lists Dolby Atmos, CustomTune room calibration, SpeechClarity for dialogue, Wi-Fi with AirPlay and Google Cast, Bluetooth and Alexa built in. Buyer reviews on bose.com averaged 3.3 out of 5 when read, the weakest of the products checked. A full system runs well past $2,000, and Trustpilot reports of older SoundTouch speakers losing streaming services are a reminder that smart speakers depend on software support. Wait for reviews to settle.
StrengthFeature-complete: Atmos, AirPlay, Google Cast and room tuning
WeaknessWeak early buyer ratings and a very high system cost
30 days from receipt on bose.com orders; Bose pays return shipping; prepaid label
Warranty / guarantee
One year in the US; five years on aviation headsets and passive speakers
Support
Phone 800-278-1083, web chat and online repair requests
Payment options
Cards and PayPal; refunds in 3 to 5 business days for those
Subscription / cancellation
Optional BoseCare extended plans sold per product at checkout
Values are short phrases taken from the brand's own pages at the time of the last update. "Not stated" means the desk could not find the policy in writing.
Caveats
The US warranty is one year on headphones, earbuds and powered speakers, short for products at these prices, and it excludes software and app problems entirely.
Warranty service shipping, insurance and import costs “may be charged to you”, and refurbished replacements are allowed under the terms.
Trustpilot reviews from 2026 describe owners of older SoundTouch speakers losing streaming service integrations, leaving smart speakers with reduced features.
Bose reserves the right to deny returns for “excessive return activity” without defining it, and partial bundle returns can lose the bundle discount.
What customers say
Bose’s Trustpilot profile is unclaimed and rated “Bad” at 1.3 from roughly 2,900 reviews, almost all at one star. Bose does not invite reviews there, so the sample skews toward people with a grievance, but the grievances are consistent. Reviewers describe repairs refused as wear and tear, out-of-warranty headphones with no affordable route to repair, slow or confused phone support, refurbished replacements that could not ship to their region, and SoundTouch speakers that lost Spotify and radio services in 2026.
The product itself gets far better press. Bose.com’s own reviews give the QuietComfort Ultra Headphones a 4.5 average and the older QuietComfort Earbuds a 4.3, and Trustpilot’s few positive reviews praise noise cancelling and replacements handled quickly. The newer earbuds and the Lifestyle Ultra soundbar rate lower on bose.com.
Rivals worth a look
Sony
Pick this if you want the closest noise-cancelling rival and prefer its sound tuning or app.
Apple AirPods Max
Pick this if you live in Apple’s ecosystem and want automatic device switching above all.
Jabra
Pick this if your headset is mainly for work calls and you want a 100-day return window.
The verdict
Bose still makes the most comfortable noise-cancelling headphones on sale, and the 30-day return policy with free return shipping is fair. The company is weaker at what happens next: a one-year US warranty on $449 headphones, extended cover sold hard at checkout, and a Trustpilot service reputation that is about as poor as it gets. Buy the QuietComfort headphones or the SoundLink Flex, keep the receipt, and skip the newer, pricier home cinema kit for now. Verdict: CONSIDER.
Read bose.com category pages for headphones, earbuds, speakers and home theater in October 2026 for current US prices and buyer ratings.
Read bose.com product pages for the QuietComfort Ultra Headphones (2nd Gen), QuietComfort Headphones (2nd Gen), QC Ultra Earbuds (2nd Gen), SoundLink Flex (2nd Gen) and Lifestyle Ultra Soundbar.
Read the Bose returns FAQ and the US Bose Limited Warranty PDF (purchases from August 2025) in October 2026.
Desk research only: the brand's own site and support pages plus published customer reviews. Nothing was purchased or tested by this site. Scored under Methodology v2.1.
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