As an urban dweller in the PNW who cycles, long walks, and loves to listen to music - I was delighted to use these open earbuds through a typical day of remote work and outdoor adventure. (Toggling through different devices and sound settings is customizable using the app.) However, right after receiving my buds, I ended up flying to San Francisco for a client meetup. I generally prefer using my Bose QuietComfort Headphones in noisy environments (particularly on an airplane), but opted instead to try out my new listening device - which fit lightly in my coat pocket, and could be easily used for more than one function on my trip. Initial Impressions: First things first, I’m impressed by the small eco-friendly packaging and ease of information found during unboxing. There is a QR code on the left tab which directs you to a setup guide. The right tab has shorthand instructions easy to grasp. Getting started was straightforward and took maybe 1-2 minutes? If you use the setup guide, you’ll see there are some fit instructions, which were helpful for me since I had never used an open earbud like this one. My initial assessment of the fit was that it felt unusual, but after having them on for a few minutes I quickly forgot about them. The wrap around nature makes them feel secure without any pinching sensation. While I could at first feel a small amount of the product near my ear canal, I would say it was no more present than using a standard earbud. I found the introduction to the different audio settings in the setup guide on the app to be quite informative and was eased into the customization options which are well worth your time. The preprogrammed user settings were frankly very intuitive, as was the general use of these earbuds. Personally, I only added a couple of button prompts to keep things simple, while leaving the other preprogrammed ones as they were on arrival. The case is a nice size and weight with the magnetic pull inside being comfortably strong, allowing the earbuds to saddle instantly, making charging a breeze. Performance: The sound quality is completely as expected from a Bose product. The ‘Immersion’ setting was absolutely my favorite. It’s like “stereo” but better; living up to its name, if you close your eyes you can practically feel the artist’s sweat during a long rift. I found if I turned the sound up to max volume, I could still hear things happening around me but not very well. By nature, these are not intended to block surrounding noise. Listening at a normal volume, I could easily hear gate instructions at the airport and any announcements while on the plane. (A double-edged sword. Why do we have to sit through long advertisements by flight attendants for credit cards now?) In the future I will likely stick to the Quiet Comfort for the plane ride, but will keep these in my pocket for the rest of my journey. The ‘Immersion’ setting has an interesting feature - when you move your head, the music stays front facing but then moves to the direction of your head if you keep it faced that same way for a few seconds. This added to the feeling that I was at a concert, which was kinda fun. Critical Considerations: Removing one or both earbuds does not stop the audio. I’m not sure I care about this exactly, but it is worth a mention. Unlike Apple earbuds, moving from one device to another is not seamless. (Though you can toggle with an earbud button which makes this pretty effortless.) I found the ‘Stereo’ mode allowed for the music to be played with a louder sound quality than when in ‘Immersion’ mode. The ‘Bass Boost’ was noticeably better in ‘Stereo’ mode verses ‘Immersion’ mode as well. Lastly, there's an amazing lot of features in the Bose Music app. I would love for Bose to add a Widget so I can add it to my shortcut menu on my iPhone to get me to the app and its features more quickly. Final Thoughts: These are an amazing product, especially for people who due to safety concerns need to hear more of what is happening around them. You do not lose any sound quality or depth of experience during regular activity while gaining peace of mind. Additionally, I feel the fit quality will meet the needs of a wide range of ear shapes and sizes. I heartily recommend these earbuds!

[This review was collected as part of a promotion.] I bought these a few weeks ago to replace my beats in ear buds. So far they have been great. Takes a little bit to get used to and find the best fit to hear the volume when on the phone or playing music. Once you get that figured out they are absolutely amazing earbuds.

I love the Open Ear Buds! The only issue I have is that needs to be considered is, everyone ear is not the same. I think they Buds needs to feel a little tighter to get perfect sound. Sometimes it hard for people to hear you, because the Buds aren’t press on the bone or whatever that transfer the sound. A little tighter fit will solve that small issue. Other than that, I love it. Now if you do change something base on this, remember me. Thanks

Immediately I noticed this is the design I was needing to work with the shape of my ears. I’ve been through at least 5 different ear buds of various brands and none of them would fit securely or comfortably. These do both very well! So light I hardly notice them, and I don’t have to worry about them dropping out of my ears. Well done Bose! I do miss the depth of sound I have with my QC ultras but that’s to be expected with the open design. The sound quality is what you would expect from Bose, clear highs, strong lows. Additionally, the same tuning and customization as the QC Ultras is available on these, except for the noise canceling. The two immersion modes offer variety in your listening experience. This feature really opens up the sound and allows you to feel a part of the music, especially if you’re trying to focus on the details. Lastly, I appreciate the compact size of the charging case. It seems most earbud cases are getting larger nowadays, but not these. The case fits comfortably in my front hip pocket and will even fit in the coin pocket of some of my jeans.

[This review was collected as part of a promotion.] I got these a few weeks ago! I do love the sound and how perfect they fit in my ears!!!! I have tried everything from amazon no name brands to jbl and these are mu Winner!!! They don’t hurt my ears!!!!!! I am so in-love with these Bose Ultra Open Earbuds!!!!! My only problem that I have had twice is people not hearing that good. It’s only happened twice but still love them!!! Thanks Bose for making these!!!!!!!!🥰😘

I bought my earbuds a little over a month ago and I haven’t opened the box yet. I guess I’m a little afraid of them. I know one thing I bought them one day in a day or two later you drop the price by 20 bucks. I have bought a ton of stuff from Bose And always paid top dollar. You don’t need to give me a heads up next time because I’m probably not going to buy anything Bose soon. I’ve already got everything.

The top two best features of this product are the sound (amazing and unmatched with the immersive audio) and the comfort of the innovative open ear style. I've been using earbuds for years but have also tried bone-conducting, headset style, over the top of the ear style and regular full noise canceling earmuff styles. Earbuds are the most convenient for me, but they would tire out my ears after even 2 hours. For these open ear Bose buds, there are a few things that could be improved, especially based on the high price of these. 1) Wireless charging (I'd expect wireless charging on the case at this price point) 2) Volume (most of the time I have to be at full volume to hear, especially in a crowded or noisy location) 3) Multi-connectivity (it connects to multiple devices, but not at the same time) 4) No Mute button 5) No Alexa/Siri built in The battery life is terrific. I'll still keep these, because the open ear is so comfortable for many hours (5+) of wear. And they're stylish. For the pricepoint I would look for ALL of the items on my list, especially the wireless charging which is so weird that it isn't included. And why not include a clip or something so i don't constantly misplace the case! The multi point is important to me too when I'm switching back and forth on my computer to phone. In any case, this is my first Bose purchase, 4/5 stars. I'm happy to be a tester for any other future product!

[This review was collected as part of a promotion.] I’ve been searching for running headphones for so long. I was truly between this and the Powerbeats 2. I bought these first as it was risk free, when I tell you I fell in love with them immediately, I did. There’s so many colors to choose from, and the sound is excellent. The best part is that they STAY on my ear and they’re comfortable! I’m a runner so this is really important for me. I never realized how much I had to push my AirPods in until I got those Bose headphones and never had to worry about it again. I’d buy these over and over!

[This review was collected as part of a promotion.] I really love these earbuds when I’m walking and when I’m at work. It allows me to not feel so unplugged from what’s happening around me and I don’t have to take them out of my ears to hear when someone is talking to me. I use them regularly! For reference I have the quiet comfort buds and the quiet comfort headphones. It just depends on what I’m doing as to which I will use. They are all great

[This review was collected as part of a promotion.] I bought these a month ago and they are by far the best sounding headphones I have ever owned. They are comfortable and don’t hurt my ears since they don’t go inside the ear canal. Would recommend to anyone!