Electronics › Headphones
Ultra Open Earbuds
Open-ear wireless earbuds
More about it ↓Budget · bottom third of for women
Quick take
In short: what each side says
AI panel · Reviewers · The press — each opened up in full further down ↓
Best on Gemini (avg #3.0), weakest on ChatGPT (#24.0)
Reviewers agree the Ultra Open Earbuds are exceptionally comfortable and well-built for an open-ear design, but sound quality and features trail behind sealed earbuds, leaving them a niche pick.
All 7 reviewing outlets recommend it.
All sides but one land high — Holds up — with one check: CNET and Mark Ellis found the sound impressively clear and confident for an open design, while CEONTHEMAKING felt other….
Quick read · who it’s for
Main competitors
Top rivals in Headphones.
About
What it is.
Bose positions the Ultra Open Earbuds within its wireless headphone lineup as an earset built around an open-ear design rather than a sealed in-ear fit. Bluetooth 5.3 handles the wireless connection, and a built-in microphone covers calls, so the pair functions as a everyday communication tool as well as a listening device.
The open architecture suits people who want to stay aware of their surroundings while still getting Bose's approach to sound, without the pressure or seal of traditional buds. It's built for listeners who value comfort and fit as much as audio quality, and who prefer gear from an established headphone maker that pairs and works with little setup involved.
The verdict
The Bose Ultra Open Earbuds deliver lightweight comfort and strong sound for workouts, but connectivity issues and a weak microphone limit their value at the premium price, leaving buyers divided on whether performance justifies the cost.
Act one
What the machines think.
Several AI models read the category and place this product — model by model, list by list, over time.
Model by model?
How each AI sees it.
Best on Gemini (avg #3.0), weakest on ChatGPT (#24.0) Averaging across the AI panel, Ultra Open Earbuds sits around #14.8 this snapshot.
Perplexity
#12.0
2 appearances · best #1
GPT
#24.0
2 appearances · best #21
AI Mode
—
Didn’t rank Ultra Open Earbuds this snapshot.
Claude
Didn’t rank Ultra Open Earbuds this snapshot.
Footprint?
Every intent it shows up in.
sorted by current rank · weakest: Best Wireless Earbuds (#27 of 30)
Rank trajectory?
Weeks of movement.
Act two · ★ new
What the people say.
The same product, judged by the owners who bought and filmed it — what they praise, what they knock, who it's for.
Video reviews?
What reviewers actually say.
AI summary of 5 reviews · as of Aug 2026
Reviewers agree the Ultra Open Earbuds are exceptionally comfortable and well-built for an open-ear design, but sound quality and features trail behind sealed earbuds, leaving them a niche pick.
What they praise
- Unique clip design that stays secure through movement and workouts
- Very comfortable for long wearing sessions since nothing enters the ear canal
- Lets wearers stay aware of surroundings while still hearing music clearly
- Low sound leakage even at moderate-to-high volume
- Simple physical button controls for playback
What they knock
- No noise cancellation, by design, so unusable in loud environments like subways
- Lacks deep bass and full-range detail compared to sealed earbuds
- No multi-point Bluetooth connectivity
- No wireless charging
In their own words
“it feels like there's a bug on my ear”
— CNET
“sound is almost you know secondary and with these I mean the sound is okay”
— CEONTHEMAKING
“they are an acquired taste there are lots of concessions that you have to make for earbuds like this”
— Mark Ellis Reviews
Synthesised from: Bose Product Support · CNET · CEONTHEMAKING · Plaen Co. · Mark Ellis Reviews
Bose Ultra Open Earbuds – How to Wear for Best Audio Quality
Bose Product Support
Bose Ultra Open Earbuds Review: A Game-Changer?
CNET
Bose Ultra Open Earbuds | The Honest TRUTH!
CEONTHEMAKING
Bose Ultra Open Earbuds Review: Game-Changer or Gimmick?
Plaen Co.
Bose Ultra Open earbuds review: WHO are they for?!
Mark Ellis Reviews
What the press says?
Where the established press lands.
The press agrees
All 7 reviewing outlets recommend it.
Tie-breakerThe AI models split on Ultra Open Earbuds. The press tally below breaks the tie.
Across 7 independent outlets · published expert reviews · last 18 months
Act three · ★ new
Do they agree?
Put the machine's rank and the owners' score in one frame, settle it with a verdict, and answer the only question that matters: should you buy it?
The disagreement
Where the juries actually split.
Mark Ellis Reviews
4.0/ 5
the warmest read in the room
CEONTHEMAKING
2.5/ 5
the toughest read in the room
What splits them
CNET and Mark Ellis found the sound impressively clear and confident for an open design, while CEONTHEMAKING felt other open earbuds offer…
AI #1 and press 7/7 don't share the critics' split.
AI #1press 7/7Per-critic scores from the video reviews above?
The bottom line
So should you buy it?
The AIs’ #1 pick in Headphones. Critics keep reserve at 3.3 / 5 — CNET and Mark Ellis found the sound impressively clear and confident for an open design, while CEONTHEMAKING felt other….
Find your situation?
Made for some — wrong for others.
Who reviewers think this product is — and isn’t — for
For you if
Look elsewhere if
You love gear that feels great to wear and sounds exceptional.
High comfort and sound quality ratings, plus Bose's reputation for sensory refinement, suggest a product that delights beyond specs rather than pure utility.
You want earbuds that work straight out of the box with minimal fuss.
Open-ear design and wireless connectivity suggest plug-and-play simplicity; no mention of complex setup or configuration requirements in the data.
You want a proven, low-risk earbud choice from a brand you can trust.
Bose is a mature, established brand with 46 ratings showing broad consensus; the high comfort and sound ratings suggest a settled, dependable product.
You want wireless earbuds that sound good without breaking the bank.
At ~$35, the price is accessible and the 4.8/5 rating signals solid performance for the cost, though mid value-for-money feedback suggests it's not a steal.
You value Bose's prestige and want a flagship product that signals quality.
Bose is an established premium brand, but open-ear earbuds at ~$35 lack the premium positioning and design language of a true flagship.
You demand the absolute best earbuds money can buy, with no compromises.
Bluetooth stability and call quality are both weak points, which disqualifies it from top-tier status despite strong comfort and sound ratings. Consider Airwrap i.d. Multi-Styler and Dryer.
Grounded in our buyer-review, reviewer-video, price and successor signals — a poor fit names a closer pick · as of Jul 24.
Frequent rivals?
What it competes against.
- WF-1000XM5SonyBose leads 2–1 · 3 sharedRead
- ATH-CKS50TW2Audio-TechnicaBose leads 2–1 · 3 sharedRead
- Melomania M100Cambridge AudioBose leads 2–1 · 3 sharedRead
- Galaxy Buds4 ProSamsungSamsung leads 2–1 · 3 sharedRead
- Fit Pro 2BeatsBeats leads 2–1 · 3 sharedRead
- LinkBuds FitSonyEven 1–1 · 3 sharedRead
- Buds Pro 3OnePlusOnePlus leads 2–1 · 3 sharedRead
Frequently asked
What buyers want to know.
What are these earbuds best at?
Buyers rate comfort and fit highest at 4.9 out of 5, and sound quality at 4.7. Owners specifically praise how lightweight they are and how they stay secure during active use like running or horseback riding without causing ear pain. The open-ear design lets you hear your surroundings while listening.
What's the main downside?
Bluetooth connectivity drops frequently in real use, and the microphone is weak—callers struggle to hear you clearly, especially in noisy environments. Buyers rate Bluetooth stability at 3.2 out of 5 and call quality at 3 out of 5. These issues undercut the premium price.
Do the marketing claims hold up?
Bose's claims about comfort and the open-ear design are supported by buyer feedback. However, the promise of stable Bluetooth multipoint connectivity does not match real-world performance, where drops happen frequently. Sound quality gets high marks from owners, but weak microphone performance contradicts marketing cl…
Who should buy these?
They suit people who prioritize comfort and sound quality over call clarity, and who want earbuds that work without setup fuss. They work well for workouts and active use where staying aware of your surroundings matters. They are a lower-risk choice from an established brand with broad owner consensus.
Are they worth the price?
Buyers give them a mixed value rating of 3.5 out of 5, suggesting the premium price does not feel justified given the connectivity and microphone issues. The overall 4.8 out of 5 owner rating shows strong comfort and sound performance, but the value concern remains a real trade-off.
Will they stay in place during exercise?
Yes. Owners report they stay secure during strenuous activities like horseback riding and mucking out, without the ear pain that comes with traditional sealed earbuds. The lightweight fit is the main reason cited for this performance.
The recap
Where it stands today.
- PositionBest rank #1 across 3 intents tracked (slipped 2 this week).
- FootprintStrongest in Best Headphones for Working Out (#1). Weakest in Best Wireless Earbuds (#27).
- TraitsMost often described as “awareness” (5 mentions).
- Closest rivalWF-1000XM5 (2–1 across 3 shared intents).
- MakerBy Bose — see how it ranks across other intents on its brand profile.
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