We’re fully spoiled for choice when it comes to good earbuds. I’ve got a handful of pairs in rotation lately: the Sony WF-1000XM5, whose killer ANC and battery life is ideal for travel; the Pixel Buds Pro 2, which are the most convenient buds to use with Google’s other hardware; and the Bose Ultra Open Earbuds. Those last buds, like the name says, are open — they don’t block out the outside world, which makes for an extremely comfortable fit and lets you hear your surroundings fully.
Because of the way they work, the Bose Ultra Open Earbuds are niche — they don’t offer any kind of sound isolation or noise canceling, so they’re not suitable for listening in noisy environments when you’re trying to focus. But if you specifically want a pair of earbuds that do let in sound around you, Bose’s are a fantastic pick. They’re typically too expensive to recommend to most people, and honestly, they still are during Black Friday. Still, at $230, they’re at their lowest price yet. They’re still definitely a luxury, but there’s never been a better time to grab a pair.
Bose Ultra Open Earbuds
$229 $299 Save $70
The Bose Ultra Open Earbuds don’t plug your ears, so they won’t dampen environmental sound at all. That makes them great for activities where you need to stay aware of your surroundings, but also want to throw on some music or a podcast — like a speaker only you can hear. At $229, they’re $70 off for Black Friday.
The Bose Ultra Open Earbuds, like any open earbuds, are tough to recommend as anyone’s only or even primary buds. But if you’re in a position where you already have a decent pair of earbuds you can wear in noisy places and you can afford a second pair, the Bose Ultra Open Earbuds get pretty compelling. I find myself wearing the Ultra Open Earbuds through entire workdays, alternating between music, meetings, and silence. Because of the buds’ comfortable open fit, when nothing’s playing, it’s easy to forget I’m wearing them at all. They’re also great for running outdoors, where being able to hear what’s going on around me is critical for safety.
Sound quality is surprisingly strong, too. The Open Earbuds don’t sound quite as good as Bose’s more conventional earbuds, but considering they sit fully outside your ears, they get surprisingly close. Bass does fall off a little at higher volumes, but most of the time, you might not notice they’re not regular earbuds at all — until something makes noise near you and it comes through in full volume.
The Bose Ultra Open Earbuds still aren’t cheap, but they’re more affordable than ever
I don’t want to make it seem like the Bose Ultra Open Earbuds at $229 are a no-brainer in the way the Anker 733 power bank I wrote about earlier this week is at $59. There are a lot of good earbuds around this price point, and most of them come with both an ANC and a transparency mode — the latter of which is going to be a passable substitute for an open form factor for most users. If you’re looking for a new pair of true wireless buds to be your only earbuds, the Ultra Open Earbuds probably won’t be for you.
But if you’ve already got a good pair of ANC earbuds or headphones on hand and you’re looking for a second pair to wear in situations where you need to be able to hear what’s going on around you, the Bose Ultra Open Earbuds are a top-shelf option. And at $70 off, they’ve never been more affordable.
Bose Ultra Open Earbuds
$229 $299 Save $70
The Bose Ultra Open Earbuds don’t plug your ears, so they won’t dampen environmental sound at all. That makes them great for activities where you need to stay aware of your surroundings, but also want to throw on some music or a podcast — like a speaker only you can hear. At $229, they’re $70 off for Black Friday.
