Bose QuietComfort Headphones (2nd Gen) Review: super comfy ANC cans that focus on peace and simplicity

I’ve been using the Bose QuietComfort Headphones (2nd Gen) in Dewdrop Mint as my main pair for work, commute, and a couple of flights. I usually bounce between Sony XM-series and AirPods, so I’m not loyal to any brand. I just want something that kills background noise, feels good after a few hours, and doesn’t make me fiddle with settings all day. These slot pretty neatly into that “put them on and forget them” category.

Out of the box, they feel like classic Bose: light, very soft pads, and a case that actually looks like it will survive being thrown into a backpack. Setup with the Bose app took a few minutes, nothing painful. I got a firmware update right away, then jumped into the EQ and noise cancelling modes. So yes, you kind of need the app at least once if you want to get the most out of them.

I’ve used them in a few different situations: open-plan office, busy train, short-haul flight, and at home with a TV and a noisy washing machine. I also took a few calls outside near traffic to see if the mics are actually decent or just marketing talk. Over a couple of weeks, I charged them only a handful of times, so battery clearly isn’t a weak point.

Overall, they feel like headphones made for people who care more about comfort and noise cancelling than having the most detailed or punchy sound on the planet. They’re not perfect, and for the price I do think there are some trade-offs, especially in build feel and features compared to some rivals. But if your main goal is to make the world quieter and wear something all day without ear pain, they do that very well.

The price is the tricky part. Around £300 puts these directly up against other big names like Sony’s XM-series and even Bose’s own higher-end models. For that kind of money, you expect strong ANC, good sound, solid comfort, and at least a reasonably premium feel. What you actually get here is: top-tier comfort, very good ANC, good but not mind-blowing sound, simple controls, and a build that feels more practical than premium.

If you already own the 1st gen QuietComfort from Bose, I agree with the Amazon reviewer: this is not a huge leap. The improvements are there – better controls, more modes, some spatial features, a bit of tuning – but it’s not a big enough jump to justify a full-price upgrade unless your old pair is dying or you really want the new features. For first-time buyers though, especially if you value comfort and quiet above all, they make more sense.

Compared to something like Sony XM5/XM4, here’s how I see it: Bose wins on comfort and simplicity, Sony usually wins on fancy features and slightly more versatile sound out of the box. Build quality is a toss-up depending on what you prefer. If you’re the type who tweaks EQ once and then never touches it again, and you just want them to be comfortable on your head all day, the Bose are a good fit. If you want tons of features, customisation, and maybe a bit more detail in the sound, you might get better value elsewhere.

So, are they worth it? If you travel a lot, work in noisy places, or wear headphones for many hours every day, yes, the price is easier to swallow because the comfort and ANC genuinely improve your day. If you’re a casual user who listens an hour here and there at home, I’d say they’re overkill and you can save money with mid-range ANC headphones that will feel “good enough”. You’re paying here mainly for comfort, noise cancelling, and the Bose ecosystem – not for flashy design or audiophile-level sound.

Design-wise, these are very much “modern Bose”. The earcups are pill-shaped, the lines are smooth, and there’s no flashy chrome or weird textures. The Dewdrop Mint colour is quite soft in real life – more like a pastel green than a loud neon. It’s a bit different from the usual black/grey, but still low-key enough that you won’t feel silly wearing them in an office or on a plane. Inside the ear cushions there’s a bluish tone some people dislike; you don’t see it while wearing them, but it’s there.

The plastic used on the cups and yokes feels okay but not premium for the price. Compared to some older Bose models or some metal-heavy competitors, this one feels a bit more plasticky in the hand. On the flip side, that’s probably why they’re so light. The headband has more padding than previous gens and the hinge movement is smooth, no creaks on my unit so far. The overall impression is “light and practical” rather than “luxury object”.

Controls are all physical, which I personally liked. You get proper buttons for power/Bluetooth, playback, and mode switching, plus a volume rocker. No finicky touch gestures, no swiping. Once you memorise where each button sits on the right cup, you can control everything by feel: play/pause, volume up/down, skip, ANC mode switch, and taking calls. The layout is more intuitive than some older models; I didn’t have to keep thinking about where to press after the first day.

One design detail I appreciated: the case interior is shaped in a way that “forces” you to fold the headphones the correct way, so they sit flat and don’t stress the hinges. It sounds minor, but for travel it keeps things simple. On the downside, there’s no official water resistance rating at all, so these are not the pair I’d grab for heavy workouts or rain. For office and travel, the design works; for sports or rough use, I’d look elsewhere.

Bose claims up to 24 hours with full ANC and up to 18 hours with the spatial Immersive Audio stuff turned on. In real use, with ANC on all the time and Immersive off most of the day, I was getting roughly 3–4 workdays (a few hours each day) plus some evening use before needing a charge. On one heavy day – about 8–9 hours of mixed calls and music – I still had enough battery left for the next morning. So the 24-hour claim doesn’t feel unrealistic.

Charging is via USB‑C, which is what you’d expect now. From low battery to full took about 3 hours, matching the spec. The 15-minute quick charge for around 2.5 hours of playback also seems roughly accurate. I plugged them in while making lunch, and they had plenty of juice for an afternoon of work calls. You can also use them while charging via USB‑C, which is nice if you’re at a desk and forgot to charge overnight.

Battery management is pretty sensible. There’s an auto-off timer you can tweak in the app so they don’t stay on forever if you forget to turn them off. The voice prompts for battery level are clear enough, and you can see the exact percentage in the app. I never had a moment where they died unexpectedly; there’s enough warning that you can plug them in before they hit zero.

For travel, the combo of long battery life plus quick top-ups is handy. I’d be comfortable doing a long-haul flight plus airport time on a full charge without stressing about it. They’re not class-leading monsters like some crazy 40+ hour headphones, but 24 hours with strong ANC is more than enough for most people. No real complaints here – the battery situation is just solid and predictable.

This is the strongest point for me: these are genuinely easy to wear for long stretches. The clamping force is on the lighter side, and the ear pads are very soft with that typical Bose “pillow” feel. After a couple of hours at the desk, I didn’t get that sore jaw or hot ear feeling I sometimes get with tighter Sony or cheaper ANC headphones. They also sit pretty securely – I wouldn’t run with them, but walking, commuting, and light movement are fine.

The headband has a wider, better padded design compared to older models. On the top of the head, pressure is spread out rather than focused on one spot. I’ve done multiple 3–4 hour sessions (work calls, music, then a bit of gaming) and only after that did I feel like taking them off for a break. If you wear glasses, clamp is gentle enough that it doesn’t mash the frames into your skull too much. It’s still over-ear, so you’ll always feel something, but it’s relatively mild.

Weight-wise, they’re around 238 g, which is light for over-ear ANC headphones. You really feel that compared to heavier models. On flights or long train rides, that matters a lot. I’ve used heavier cans that sounded a bit better but became annoying after 2 hours; these are the opposite: maybe not the most detailed sound, but you forget they’re there. Also, the ear cups have a decent depth, so my ears didn’t rub against the drivers, which is a common annoyance for me.

The only comfort downside is heat buildup if you wear them for very long sessions in a warm room. The pads are leatherette, so your ears do get a bit warm after a while. It’s not worse than other ANC headphones, just something to be aware of. Overall, if comfort is top priority – especially for flights, open-plan offices, or studying – these are one of the better options I’ve worn in this price range.

These feel light and comfortable, but that also means they don’t feel super tank-like. Most of the structure is plastic, with some metal reinforcement where it matters. The hinges fold smoothly and don’t creak on my unit, and after a couple of weeks of daily use (on and off the head, in and out of the case, thrown in a backpack), nothing feels loose or rattly. So while the first impression is a bit plasticky, in practice they’ve held up fine so far.

The headband padding and ear pads feel soft and well finished. They haven’t shown any wear yet, but like any leatherette, they’ll probably be the first thing to age if you use them heavily, especially in hot weather. That’s standard for this kind of headphone. There’s no official water resistance, so I’ve treated them like indoor/travel gear: I wouldn’t wear them in the rain or for sweaty workouts. A splash probably won’t kill them, but they’re clearly not designed for that.

The carry case helps a lot with durability. It’s a hard shell style with a decent zipper, and it protects the headphones well from being crushed in a bag. Inside, the layout keeps the cups from twisting in weird ways. If you actually use the case when travelling, I don’t see these breaking easily under normal use. Abuse them or toss them around without the case, and the lightweight build will obviously be more vulnerable.

Bose gives a 2-year manufacturer warranty, which is decent and gives a bit of peace of mind considering the price. I wouldn’t describe them as fragile, but they’re not indestructible either. For home, office, and travel with the case, they feel durable enough. If you want something you can really throw around or use in rough conditions, I’d pick a more rugged pair or something with water resistance and chunkier materials.

On sound, these lean towards what I’d call the typical Bose profile: slightly warm, with a bit of extra low-end and smooth highs. Out of the box, they’re tuned in a way that works well for electronic, pop, and general streaming content. Bass is present but not insane, mids are clear enough for podcasts and vocals, and the treble doesn’t pierce your ears. If you want more bite or more bass, the app EQ does a decent job – I pushed the bass a bit down and the treble slightly up for rock and metal, and it held together fine.

The new TrueSpatial Immersive Audio is… interesting. With head tracking and Immersion mode on, you get a bit more sense of space, like the sound is in front of you instead of stuck in your head. For movies and some games it’s nice, but I wouldn’t buy the headphones just for that. It’s a nice-to-have, not a killer feature. Cinema Mode does help with movies and series, making dialogue easier to pick out and effects a bit more layered.

Noise cancelling is where they really shine. Constant low-frequency noise (plane engines, train rumble, aircon, fan noise) gets cut down a lot. Voices are reduced but not completely gone, which is normal. In the office and on a train, I could listen at lower volume and still block out most of the environment. Aware Mode lets in outside sound and feels fairly natural, and the updated ActiveSense tech smooths out sudden spikes a bit. It’s not magic, but it makes transparency mode more usable if you’re walking around or waiting for announcements.

Call quality is pretty solid. Outside with traffic, the person on the other end heard me clearly, and background noise was reduced enough that they didn’t complain. Indoors, calls are clean and stable. There’s still a bit of that compressed Bluetooth call sound, but it’s absolutely fine for work calls and chats. Overall, the performance balance is: very good ANC, good enough sound for most people, decent spatial gimmicks, and reliable calls. If you’re an audiophile chasing every detail, these might feel a bit soft; if you’re a normal person who just wants nice sound and quiet, they get the job done well.

In the box, it’s pretty straightforward: the headphones, a hard carry case, a USB‑C to USB‑C charging cable, and a USB‑C to 3.5 mm audio cable. No random extras, no wall charger. The case is semi-rigid and holds the headphones plus cables in a tidy compartment. It’s not tiny, but it fits fine in a backpack or cabin luggage pocket. For travel, it’s practical and doesn’t feel cheap.

These are clearly meant for everyday use: commuting, office, travel, and general entertainment. Bose pushes the app pretty hard, and in practice you do want it. Through the app you get firmware updates, EQ, ANC modes (Quiet, Aware, Immersion, Cinema, and ANR off), and things like Bluetooth connections management. Without the app, they still work fine, but you lose a lot of the customisation that actually makes them nicer to live with.

They support Bluetooth 5.4 and can connect to the usual phones, tablets, laptops, plus wired use via the 3.5 mm or USB‑C for lossless audio. I tested them mostly with Bluetooth from an iPhone and a Windows laptop, plus a bit of USB‑C audio from a PC. Pairing was painless: you turn them on, you get a pop-up on your phone, done. Switching between two devices is OK, not perfect, but it didn’t drive me mad like some older Bluetooth gear.

Use cases where they shine the most: long work sessions, flights, and any situation with constant background noise like air conditioning, train rumble, or office chatter. If you’re a gamer who needs ultra-low latency or someone who wants super detailed studio-style sound, there are better options. But if you just want to kill noise and listen in comfort for hours at a time, they fit that role well. The price is on the high side though, so they make more sense if you’ll actually use them daily and not just once a week.