Bose Ultra Open Earbuds
Are the Ultra Open Earbuds right for you?
The Ultra Open Earbuds are Bose's open-ear Bluetooth earbuds: each one is cuff-shaped and doesn't cover your ear.
Best for
- Staying aware of your surroundings. Bose says the cuff-like fit leaves your ears open to hear the world around you.
- Switching between a phone and a laptop. Bose says they connect to two devices simultaneously via Bluetooth.
Skip if
- You want noise cancelling. Bose's product page answers no to it.
- You want deep bass. Two reviews faulted the bass, and one put that down to the open fit.
Want to see them next to a keyboard and a mouse? Try them on the QuickDesker board and build a whole desk setup around them.
What do they cost, and what should you check first?
- Seen at Best Buy for $199.00 (Black) on 10 Oct 2026
- Seen at Bose.com for $199.00 (Desert Gold) on 10 Oct 2026
- Seen at Walmart for $299.00 (Desert Gold) on 10 Oct 2026
Prices change; check the one for the colour you want. In the box are the two earbuds, a charging case, a 12" USB-C (A to C) cable and a safety sheet. The A end is a USB-A plug, which won't fit a laptop with only USB-C ports without an adapter.
They connect over Bluetooth, and Bose's product page lists the AAC and SBC codecs. A codec is how audio is compressed for the wireless link, and iPhones use AAC. Bose's launch announcement says they're Bluetooth 5.3 compatible, and it names Qualcomm's aptX Adaptive codec as part of the Snapdragon Sound Technology Suite.
Bose says its products come with a 1-year warranty from the date of purchase.
How do the Ultra Open Earbuds fit, and how much water can they take?
Bose's product page lists the fit as Open Ear. One review found the bass poor and blamed the open fit; another found it weak.
Bose's product page lists IPX4 water resistance, and its owner's guide rates the charging case lower, at IPX1. In an IP rating the last digit is for water: 1 covers dripping water, and 4 covers splashing from any direction. So the case wants more care around water.
Bose's figure for a single bud is 0.014 lb. How an open-ear design compares with the other headphone shapes is covered in our guide Over-ear, on-ear or in-ear: which headphone shape should you actually get?
How long does the battery last on the Ultra Open Earbuds?
Bose's product page lists the battery life as 7 hours. Its owner's guide says up to 7.5 hours, or up to 4.5 with either Immersive Audio or Auto Volume on and up to 3.5 with both. Immersive Audio is Bose's spatial audio, which processes sound so it seems to come from around you.
Bose says a quick 10-minute charge in the case adds up to 2 hours of play time. Its owner's guide gives up to 3 hours to charge the case.
Full specifications
| How it is worn | cuff-shaped earbud that doesn't cover your ear |
|---|---|
| Connections | A2DP Bluetooth Audio Streaming, Bluetooth, Bluetooth Low Energy, HFP Bluetooth |
| Active noise cancelling | No |
| Codecs | AAC Bluetooth, SBC Bluetooth |
| Battery life | 7 hours (product page) · up to 7.5 hours (up to 4.5 hours with either Immersive Audio or Auto Volume set to On or up to 3.5 hours with both set to On) (owner's guide) |
| Weight | 0.014 lb (Bud Single) |
| Bluetooth version | Bluetooth® 5.3 compatible |
| Two devices at once (multipoint) | connect to two devices simultaneously via Bluetooth |
| Microphone | Built-in Microphone |
| Water resistance | IPX4 |
| Companion app | Bose App |
| Spatial audio | Spatialized sound (Immersive Audio) |
| Charging port | USB C PORT |
| Quick charge, as quoted | a quick 10-minute charge in the case will add up to 2 hours of play time |
| Dimensions | 0.73" H x 0.67" W x 1.07" D (Bud Single) |
| Warranty | 1-year warranty from the date of purchase |
| In the box | 2 Bose Ultra Open Earbuds; Charging case; USB-C® (A to C) cable (12"); Safety sheet |
Specifications from Bose's Ultra Open Earbuds product page, owner's guide and pressroom launch announcement, read 17 Sep 2026.