Electronics › Headphones
Ultra Open Earbuds
Open-ear wireless earbuds
More about it ↓Quick take
In short: what each side says
AI panel · Buyers · The press — each opened up in full further down ↓
Best on Gemini (avg #3.5), weakest on Grok (#15.0)
Owners love the lightweight, secure fit and excellent sound quality, but connectivity drops and weak microphone performance undermine the premium price point.
All 7 reviewing outlets recommend it.
Every side lands high — Holds up.
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 #3.5), weakest on Grok (#15.0) Averaging across the AI panel, Ultra Open Earbuds sits around #8.9 this snapshot.
Gemini
#3.5
2 appearances · best #3
GPT
#6.5
2 appearances · best #2
Perplexity
#13.5
2 appearances · best #6
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 (#15 of 30)
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.
What buyers say?
What Google knows about it.
Beyond the video critics, Google pools 46 buyer ratings of the Ultra Open Earbuds from across retailers — a far wider, if blunter, jury. Here’s the shape of that opinion.
46 ratings · 2 written
across 2 retailers
What owners single out
In their words
“Love how light they. I am very active with horses and the open buds stay in while riding, mucking out and other strenuous tasks. Unlike when I wore the more traditional earbuds, I do not experience earpain/ache. The Bose sound is as good as ever!”
Johanna · verified purchase · qantas.com
“1. Bluetooth connection is not very stable, drops off every now and then2. Speaker sensitivity is weak. In an environment with noises during a call, the listener on the other end will not be able to hear very clearly. The voice of the speaker becomes extremely soft. Voices messages sent through these ear buds are soft and hollow. 3.”
verified purchase · lazada.sg
as of July 20 · 46 buyer ratings?
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.
Gemini
#4avg rank
ranks it highest of the panel
Grok
#15avg rank
the most sceptical model
owners 4.8★ and press 7/7 sit outside the models' split.
owners 4.8★press 7/7Per-model average ranks from this week's panel?
Find your situation?
Made for some — wrong for others.
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.
- AirPods 4 with Active Noise CancellationAppleBose leads 2–1 · 3 sharedRead
- Galaxy Buds3 ProSamsungBose leads 2–1 · 4 sharedRead
- AirPods Pro (2nd Generation)AppleApple leads 4–0 · 4 sharedRead
- WF-1000XM6SonySony leads 4–0 · 4 sharedRead
- Soundcore Liberty 5AnkerBose leads 3–0 · 3 sharedRead
- Ear (a)NothingBose leads 3–0 · 3 sharedRead
- OpenFit 2ShokzBose leads 3–0 · 3 sharedRead
The recap
Where it stands today.
- PositionBest rank #2 across 4 intents tracked (no change vs last snapshot).
- FootprintStrongest in Best Headphones for Working Out (#2). Weakest in Best Wireless Earbuds (#15).
- TraitsMost often described as “situational awareness” (3 mentions).
- Closest rivalAirPods 4 with Active Noise Cancellation (2–1 across 3 shared intents).
- MakerBy Bose — see how it ranks across other intents on its brand profile.
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