Bose QuietComfort Ultra vs Bose QuietComfort headphones

There’s a good reason you see so many Bose over-ear headphones whenever you’re commuting or taking a flight.

The company has a well-earned reputation for making some of the best audio products on the market, prioritising comfort and convenience.

After the invention of noise-cancelling headphones in the 1960s, Bose became a major player in active noise control designs to protect pilots’ hearing during flights.

Consumer-focused active noise-cancelling (ANC) models started to become more widely available from the ‘80s onwards.

In 2024, Bose makes several of the top noise-cancelling designs, and its two most popular over-ear headphones are the Bose QuietComfort Headphones for £349 and the Bose QuietComfort Ultra Headphones for £449.

Neither of them are budget headphones and I’m here to put them head-to-head, explain the differences and see whether the extra £100 price difference gets you a huge leap in sound quality, comfort and noise-cancellation.

If you’re here for the quick verdict, though, I can confirm that both pairs are terrific options and either one is worth your investment if you want top noise-limiting headphones for your next trip. The QuietComfort headphones are enough for most people, while the upgraded Ultra pair sounds better, cancels more noise and is slightly more comfortable. Here are the specifications and pros and cons for each pair.

Bose QuietComfort Headphones

Cons

• Still quite expensive compared to rivals
• You can’t turn off noise-cancelling
• Slightly dated design

Key specifications

Battery life	Up to 24 hours
Charging	USB-C
Weight	240g
Water resistance	No

The design of the QuietComfort headphones is quite reminiscent of older Bose designs, having an almost identical look to the QuietComfort 45, SE and 35.

You switch them on with a toggle on the right ear cup, and they have reliable buttons for playback, ANC and volume control. They come in more colours than the Ultra and are offered in black, green, blue and white (the colour of our pair shown here).

Meanwhile, the Ultra cans have a revamped design with more premium materials and construction. There’s still a lot of lightweight plastic, but these have metal arms and yokes, and simple controls via two buttons on the right ear cup.

One button is for playback and ANC control and the other deals with power and pairing. A smart touch surface changes volume by swiping up and down. Hold this capacitive strip and you get a customisable shortcut – I set mine to jump straight back to Spotify. The Ultra model comes in either grey, white or black (pictured here).

Both headphones fold to a compact size and have slim and portable travel cases, so you can keep the headphones protected and store the charging and audio cables (both come with USB-A to USB-C charging and 3.5mm audio cables).

A QuietComfort SC model comes in a soft case – they are otherwise the same but sometimes discounted.

The difference here isn’t as great as you might expect, especially given the price difference. But the key takeaway that I have after extensively testing both pairs of headphones is that the Ultra headphones offer better noise-cancellation than the default model.

Both pairs are ahead of most of the competition in this department, making them both excellent choices. In a direct head-to-head, though, the extra noise-cancelling microphones on the Ultra have an impact – they’re more capable of reacting to changes in noise levels and cancel ever so slightly more noise in more situations.

However, both models give you the Quiet and Aware modes, with customisations available within the app, including the Wind Block feature.

The most noticeable difference is that the Ultra has “ActiveSense” in Aware mode. This automatically turns on noise-cancelling in response to sudden loud noises. Once the noise stops, it switches off again automatically. It’s handy if you need to be aware while out, but are walking past something loud like a construction site.

It’s in the name: both pairs of headphones are comfortable.

I’ve already gone through the main design differences, but it’s also worth looking closely at the padding and how that contributes to the overall comfort.

Both pairs are well-cushioned, but when I put them side-to-side I can see that the sturdy headband on the Ultra headphones also means there’s space for a deeper padding. This extra headband padding helps distribute the weight more evenly – although it’s worth noting these are both light – 253g for the Ultra and 249g for the standard pair.

The ear pads are similar. I had no issues with comfort on either pair during testing, but I would say the Ultra is marginally better for this.

Both models offer a 24-hour battery life in normal use, so you shouldn’t expect to experience a big difference here.

Bose only states the battery life with either the Quiet or Aware modes on, because there isn’t a way to fully disengage these modes on either model. Other models deliver even more battery life, like how the Sennheiser Momentum 4 gives you up to 60 hours, for example.

It is worth knowing that engaging the “Immersion” mode on the Ultra has a significant effect on the battery life. If you were to use them a lot in this mode, you’d find that the overall battery life is reduced to 18 hours on a single charge.

There are also some small differences in recharge times. Bose says the standard model will recharge in two-and-a-half hours, compared to the Ultra taking up to three hours. They both have quick charge features: a 15-minute charge will give you two hours of playback on the Ultra, but a longer four hours on the QuietComfort pair.

The differences in sound quality are ones that I’d characterise as minor, but the Ultra is the champion again in this area. That’s because it has better support for high-resolution streaming from Android smartphones (which won’t matter to iPhone users), and it supports an “Immersive” audio mode to make the sound feel like it’s all around you.

The two pairs have different drivers within the ear cups – 35mm drivers on the QuietComfort and 40mm drivers on the QuietComfort Ultra. In general, the audio signature is similar and they’re both good for punchy bass and high-end clarity – they work well across all genres and spoken-word content like podcasts and audiobooks.

On test, though, I can hear that the Ultra offers a slightly more engaging sound with a little more detail and richness. And, if you want the advanced immersive experience, you have to go for the Ultra because it’s not available in the other pair.

Yes, the overall winner is the more expensive pair of Bose QuietComfort Ultra headphones because they have slightly better comfort, better noise-cancelling, sound quality and a more modern design.

However, the standard QuietComfort comes surprisingly close to the upgraded model. They’ve got just as much battery life (including a faster recharge time and better quick charge), similar ANC performance, great comfort and a great folding design and case for portability.

Whichever one you pick, I don’t think you’d be able to go wrong with either pair of headphones for a top experience for your commute or next flight. They’re both some of the best on the market right now. The same is true of the far more compact Bose QuietComfort Ultra earbuds, too.

The high price of the Ultra can feel hard to justify, so it’s great to know that there’s a more affordable option, and it’s worth keeping an eye on sales like Amazon Prime Day and Black Friday, as I’ve noticed Bose headphones and portable speakers often go on offer during these events.

Simon Cocks is Hearst UK’s Technology Ecommerce Editor, overseeing tech shopping content and strategy across a range of titles including Good Housekeeping UK, Esquire UK, Digital Spy, Men’s Health UK and Women’s Health UK.   

Simon specialises in testing the latest smart gadgets, home entertainment gear, headphones, speakers, portable chargers, radios, ebook readers and smartphones. He’s reviewed top tech products from brands including Google, Apple, Amazon, JBL and Bose.  

A magazine journalism graduate from Kingston University in 2014, Simon also worked on the Discovery and Silkroad inflight magazines. He then gained experience writing about entertainment at SFX and Total Film. He also contributed reviews and interviews to TwitchFilm (later ScreenAnarchy), CultBox and Frame Rated.  

He joined Good Housekeeping UK as the Editorial Assistant for Special Projects and was part of Good Housekeeping’s Consumer Affairs Team between 2014 and 2019. In this role, he conducted price comparison research, wrote detailed household and money-saving advice guides and edited thousands of in-depth reviews for the Good Housekeeping Institute.  

He has focused on technology and gadgets since 2020, where he started by testing out power banks and instant cameras. He writes reviews, roundups, news articles and deals updates, and also covers top tech deals during sales like Amazon Prime Day, Black Friday and Cyber Monday.  

When not testing out the latest gizmos, you’ll find Simon either catching up with the newest releases at his local cinema or out shooting with his beloved compact camera.  

You can follow Simon on Instagram at @simonrcocks, on Threads at @simonrcocks, and on Twitter/X at @simoncocks.