Bose QuietComfort Headphones Review: comfy travel workhorse with strong ANC, but not cheap

I’ve been using these Bose QuietComfort Headphones in Twilight Blue for a couple of weeks now, mainly for working at home, commuting, and a couple of flights. I bought them because I wanted something comfortable with good noise cancelling that can switch easily between my laptop and phone. I already own in-ears and a cheaper pair of over-ears, so I wasn’t exactly headphone-less before this.

The short version: they do what they say. The noise cancelling is strong, the comfort is genuinely good even over a full workday, and the Bluetooth multipoint is actually reliable, which is rare enough to mention. The sound is clearly tuned for casual listening, not studio work, but that’s what I wanted anyway. Out of the box, the bass is a bit boosted, mids are clear enough, and you can tweak it in the app.

They’re not perfect though. At full price, I think they’re on the expensive side for what they offer, especially when you look at Sony or even some newer cheaper brands. Volume could be higher for some tracks, and they’re not water resistant at all, so I’m careful with them at the gym or outside in bad weather. Also, sound does leak a bit at high volume, so they’re not ideal if you blast music in a quiet office.

But overall, after using them daily, I find myself grabbing these more than my other headphones simply because they’re comfortable, connect without drama, and the noise cancelling lets me actually focus. So for my use (desk work, travel, music, calls), they’re pretty solid, as long as you either catch them on sale or you’re okay paying a premium for comfort and ANC.

This is where it gets a bit more nuanced. At full retail price, these Bose QuietComfort sit in the same bracket as other big names like Sony and Apple. For that money, you’re paying for strong ANC, high comfort, and the Bose brand. In pure sound quality, there are cheaper headphones that can get close, but they usually lose on comfort, noise cancelling, or connectivity. So you’re basically paying for a well-balanced package rather than the absolute best spec in one area.

From what I’ve seen and from other reviews, these often go on sale with big discounts, and that’s when they start to feel like genuinely good value. At a reduced price, they’re much easier to recommend, especially if you travel a lot or work in noisy environments. One Amazon reviewer said clearly that they’re great on sale but a bit hard to justify at full price, and I agree with that. If you can wait for Prime Day, Black Friday, or some promo, do it.

Compared to competitors: Sony’s top models often have more features and slightly better sound customization, but they’re heavier and sometimes more finicky with multipoint Bluetooth. Apple’s over-ears are heavier and more expensive, but integrate better in the Apple ecosystem. For me, the Bose hit a nice balance: easy to use, very comfortable, and good enough sound. If your priority is pure sound for the lowest price possible, you can find better deals. If you want a hassle-free, comfy travel and work headphone, paying a bit extra here makes sense.

So in terms of value, I’d say: full price = good but not amazing deal, on sale = solid value. If you’re on a tight budget, there are decent cheaper ANC options. If you have the money and care a lot about comfort and ANC, these are a sensible buy, especially when discounted.

Design-wise, these are pretty classic Bose. If you’ve seen previous QuietComfort models, you’ll recognize the rounded earcups and simple headband. Nothing flashy, no metal arms on display, no big RGB nonsense. The Twilight Blue color is actually nicer in person than in the photos online, but it’s also a bit lighter than I expected. It’s more of a soft blue than a dark navy. If you’re used to only black or silver headphones, this is a nice change without screaming “look at me”.

The overall build is mostly plastic, with some metal reinforcement in the headband. In hand, they don’t feel cheap, but they also don’t feel super premium like heavy metal builds. Personally, I prefer this because the low weight helps a lot with comfort. The adjustment sliders move smoothly and stay in place. The earcups swivel and fold flat, which is practical for the case and also for wearing them around your neck without them digging into your jaw.

Buttons are placed logically. On the right earcup, you get the power/Bluetooth button and the main multifunction button, plus the touch strip. On the left, you’ve got the ANC/Aware/custom modes button and the 2.5 mm jack for the audio cable (with a 2.5 to 3.5 mm cable included). USB‑C port is on the right. I can find all the buttons by feel after a couple of days, which is important when you’re walking or on a plane and don’t want to pull out your phone just to pause.

One small detail: the plastic finish on the headband and earcups does pick up fingerprints and a bit of skin oil, but since it’s blue instead of glossy black, it doesn’t look too bad. If you care about them looking clean, a quick wipe with a microfiber cloth now and then is enough. Overall, the design is pretty low-key, practical, and focused on comfort rather than looking like a fashion accessory. That suits me fine. If you’re looking for something that makes a big style statement, these are more on the discreet side.

Bose advertises up to 24 hours of battery on a full charge, and in my use that’s pretty close, depending on volume and ANC. With noise cancelling on all the time and volume around 60–70%, I got roughly 20–22 hours before needing to plug them in. That’s spread over several days of work sessions and a couple of commutes. For me, that’s basically charging once a week, which is perfectly fine.

Charging is via USB‑C, which is standard now and convenient. From empty to full takes around 2.5 hours, which matches the spec. There’s also a quick charge: 15 minutes on the charger gives you about 2–2.5 hours of playback. I tested this before a train ride when they were nearly dead, and after 15–20 minutes on a USB‑C charger, I had enough juice for the whole trip with ANC on. So if you forget to charge, you’re not totally screwed.

The app shows the battery percentage, and the headphones also announce the battery level in a voice prompt when you turn them on. It’s not super precise, but it gives you an idea (like "battery 60%" etc.). I never had them die unexpectedly; you can see it coming. Also nice: if the battery is totally dead, you can still use them wired with the included audio cable. You lose ANC and Bluetooth, but at least they still work as regular wired headphones, which is good for long flights or if you forget the charger.

In practice, battery life is one of those things that you stop thinking about once it’s “good enough”, and these are in that zone. They’re not the longest-lasting on the market, but they’re clearly in the upper range. Unless you listen 8–10 hours a day every single day, you’ll probably only charge them every few days, and the quick charge covers emergencies. So on the battery side, no real complaints.

Comfort is honestly the main reason I’d recommend these. I can wear them for 3–4 hours straight while working without needing a break, which is not the case with every over-ear I’ve tried. The ear pads are very soft and have that “memory foam pillow” feel. They sit around the ear, not on it, and the clamping force is moderate: enough to stay in place when I move my head, but not so tight that my jaw or temples start to ache.

I also have a small head, and a lot of headphones either feel too big or slide down over time. These adjust small enough and stay in position. On the flip side, I had a friend with a larger head try them, and he said they were fine but just on the edge of being a bit snug. So if you have a really large head, you might want to try them first if possible. I also wear glasses, and I was worried about the arms pressing into the side of my head. With these pads, I still feel the glasses a bit after long sessions, but much less than with stiffer, cheaper headphones.

On flights, they’re good too. I used them on a 5-hour flight and could lean my head against the window without the headband digging into my skull. The padding on the headband is decent, and because they’re light, there’s less pressure. Heat-wise, like all over-ears, your ears will get a bit warm after a while, but it’s manageable. They don’t feel like a sauna, even in a warmer room. If you’re very heat-sensitive, you’ll still notice it, but compared to other ANC headphones I’ve tried, these are on the better side.

One more thing: for people with piercings, especially helix or cartilage ones, I asked a friend who has them, and she could wear these for a couple of hours without pain, which is not always the case with tighter headphones. So overall, in terms of comfort, I’d say this is one of the strongest points of this model. Not perfect for everyone, but very good for long listening sessions, working from home, or long travel days.

On the durability side, they feel solid but not tank-like. The plastics don’t creak much when you twist the headband, and the hinges for folding and rotating the earcups feel reasonably firm. I’ve been tossing them in the included case into my backpack almost every day, and so far there are no scratches or weird noises. The case definitely helps here; I wouldn’t throw them loose into a bag, because the plastic would scratch over time.

The headband padding and ear pads feel soft and comfortable, but like most synthetic leather, I expect they’ll show wear after a year or two of heavy use, especially if you sweat a lot. That’s just how this material behaves. The good thing is that Bose usually sells replacement ear pads, so you’re not stuck buying a whole new headphone when the pads start to peel. I haven’t had them long enough to see cracking yet, but based on similar Bose models, that’s something to plan for down the line.

One thing to note: they are not water resistant at all. No IP rating, nothing. So I’m careful not to wear them in heavy rain or during very sweaty workouts. A light walk outside is probably fine, but I wouldn’t risk using them in the rain without a hood. If you need something for the gym that can handle sweat and drops, these are not the safest choice. I do some light work at the gym with them, but I avoid intense cardio with heavy sweating.

The folding mechanism feels okay, but like any moving parts, it’s something that could break if you’re rough or sit on them by mistake. So if you’re the kind of person who throws gear around, you might want to be a bit more careful. For normal use, with the case and not abusing them, I think they’ll hold up fine for a few years. They feel like a well-built but lightweight product, not indestructible, but not flimsy either.

Sound-wise, these are tuned for casual listening. Out of the box, you get punchy bass, clear enough vocals, and slightly relaxed treble. It’s not a flat studio sound, and if you’re a hardcore audiophile, you’ll probably say it’s a bit too "consumer". For normal use (Spotify, YouTube, Netflix, calls), I liked it. The Bose app lets you tweak bass, mids, and treble with a simple EQ, and that actually makes a noticeable difference. I bumped the treble a bit and slightly reduced the bass, and that gave me a more balanced sound that works better for rock and podcasts.

The noise cancelling is strong. It kills constant noises very well: air conditioning, fan noise, plane engine hum, office background murmur. On a plane, I could listen at about 50–60% volume and not hear much of the engine. For voices, like someone talking next to you, it reduces them but doesn’t make them disappear, which is pretty normal. Compared to Sony’s high-end ANC, I’d say Bose is still slightly better at the low droning noises, which is exactly what I care about for travel and working in noisy coffee shops.

The "Aware" mode (transparency) is decent. It lets outside sounds in so you can hear traffic or someone talking to you. It still sounds a bit processed, not 100% natural, but it’s good enough to walk outside without feeling totally isolated. One Amazon reviewer mentioned that Quiet and Aware felt pretty similar when the volume is high, and I’d agree: if you blast your music, you won’t hear much of the outside world either way. Where Aware mode is really useful is when you have music low or paused but still want to hear what’s going on around you.

One downside: maximum volume could be higher. For most songs and podcasts, it’s fine, but there are some quieter tracks where I found myself at 100% and still wanting a bit more. If you like to absolutely blast your music, this may bother you. Also, there is some sound leakage at high volume; if you’re sitting right next to someone in a quiet room, they’ll hear a bit of what you’re listening to. For me, not a dealbreaker, but something to know if you work in a very quiet office or library.

In the box, it’s pretty straightforward: the headphones, a semi-rigid carrying case, a short USB‑C to USB‑A charging cable, a 3.5 mm audio cable with inline mic, and the usual papers. Nothing fancy, but everything you need is there. The case is not huge, but it’s thick enough that I don’t worry about tossing it in a backpack. The outside is a synthetic material that feels decent and wipes clean easily. Inside, there’s a little pocket for the cables, which is handy so they don’t rattle around.

The headphones themselves feel lighter than they look on photos. On the scale they’re around 240 g, and compared to something like AirPods Max or some older Sony models, you feel the difference on the head. The controls are a mix of physical buttons and touch. There’s a button for power/Bluetooth, a button for switching ANC modes (Quiet, Aware, or custom), and then a touch strip on the right earcup for volume and playback. I was a bit skeptical about touch controls, but here they’re simple enough: swipe up/down for volume, double tap for play/pause, that kind of thing.

Setup was easy. I installed the Bose app, turned them on, and they were recognized straight away by my phone. Pairing a second device (my laptop) was also painless, and after that, the multipoint just works most of the time. I can be listening to music on my laptop and get a call on my phone, and it switches over in a couple of seconds without me digging into Bluetooth settings. That’s one of the real-life benefits that doesn’t sound sexy on paper but matters a lot when you actually use them every day.

Overall, the first impression is: this is a consumer product clearly made for people who want things to just work, not a “tweak everything” audiophile toy. The app is simple, gives you battery level, ANC modes, EQ, and that’s about it. For me, that’s enough. If you like tons of weird features and advanced DSP tweaks, you might find it a bit basic, but for regular use, it gets the job done without being annoying.