How good is the Bose QuietComfort Ultra Earbuds (2nd Gen)'s battery life?

So you’ve decided to buy the Bose QuietComfort Ultra Earbuds (2nd Gen.), but you’re wondering just what the heck a tested battery life of 5 hours and 34 minutes even translates to. Though it seems like simple math at first blush, lives are messy and don’t always fit into neat little boxes. Thankfully, we can give you a rough ballpark based on the time it takes to complete common tasks.

Bose QuietComfort Ultra Earbuds (2nd Gen.) battery life tested

When we test battery life, we do it in a lab under very narrow conditions. We’re trying to compare like-for-like figures for every set of headphones, earphones, and other products out there, so there’s a lot that has to be lined up first. Since we can’t just blindly accept the figures listed by manufacturers, we need to test to make sure we know how long each product actually lasts in the real world.

1. After charging the products to full, we fit them into a test fixture.
2. We then play test samples to level-match each product to the same output.
3. After enabling ANC (if available), we run a sample track with real music peaking at 75dB on repeat until the battery dies.
4. We note the time it takes for the sample track to stop being recorded on the computer, and then convert the figures into total minutes runtime.

It may seem basic, but it’s a good way to get a performance floor of whatever product we come across. Knowing a reasonable estimate of battery life can help with extending the life of your products, maintaining your earbuds, avoiding products that’ll end up in a landfill quickly, and so on.

Today, we’re also going to look at the following competitors to the Bose QuietComfort Ultra Earbuds (2nd Gen.), as these will be the closest alternatives recommended here on SoundGuys and around the web. They are:

1. Apple AirPods Pro 2: 343 minutes.
2. Samsung Galaxy Buds3 Pro:  271 minutes.
3. Sony WF-1000XM5: 572 minutes.
4. JBL Tour Pro 3: 497 minutes.
5. Sennheiser MOMENTUM True Wireless 4: 465 minutes.

Every one of these models save for the Samsung Galaxy Buds3 Pro has better battery life than the Bose QuietComfort Ultra Earbuds (2nd Gen.), but some more than others. For example, the Apple AirPods Pro 2 only made it a few minutes longer than the Bose QuietComfort Ultra Earbuds (2nd Gen.), so it’s entirely possible that each product has functionally identical battery life. However, the JBL Tour Pro 3, Sony WF-1000XM5, and Sennheiser MOMENTUM True Wireless 4 all have significantly longer battery life under like conditions.

How long do the Bose QuietComfort Ultra Earbuds (2nd Gen.)’s batteries last in the real world?

Of course, your experiences will differ from ours a bit, given the fact that battery life is one of those things that varies quite a lot depending on which features you’re using. Bluetooth version, codec, and other settings can impact battery life, as well as which features you use. Additionally, if you listen louder than we test at, you can expect slightly worse battery life. Our figures aren’t an exact guarantee, but a reasonable ballpark.

Let’s start with our gross figure of 5 hours and 34 minutes. This translates to 334 minutes of total playback for us to play with.

Bose QuietComfort Ultra Earbuds (2nd Gen.) performance in commutes

If you’re hoping to use the Bose QuietComfort Ultra Earbuds (2nd Gen.) on your commutes, they should be able to handle the following without a recharge. Assuming your charging case is completely exhausted, and that you also return home at the end of the day, the Bose QuietComfort Ultra Earbuds (2nd Gen.) can tally:

• 15 minute commute: 11 days of commutes.
• 30 minute commute: 5.5 days of commutes.
• 1 hour commute: 2.7 days of commutes.

Obviously, nobody’s going to be running around not putting their earbuds in a charging case after they’re done using them. Still, it’s worth knowing how long you can go without a recharge during the workweek. But it’s worth pointing out that the longer your commute is, the less likely any earbuds but the Sony, JBL, and Sennheiser options will be able to last for several trips without a recharge.

Bose QuietComfort Ultra Earbuds (2nd Gen.) performance in a work week

Okay, that’s well and good. But what if you’re hoping to use the Bose QuietComfort Ultra Earbuds (2nd Gen.) for a typical workweek? Depending on your shift length, you could be pleased or put out.

• 4 hour shift: 1.4 shifts.
• 8 hour shift: 0.7 shifts.
• 12-hour shift: 0.45 shifts.

Of course, not many people will be using their Bose QuietComfort Ultra Earbuds (2nd Gen.) without a charging case, but remember that it can only charge to full three times on a complete charge. If you do use these for a full work day, you’d better locate a means of getting power to your earbuds. No true wireless earbuds are truly impressive when it comes to battery life, but only the Sony and JBL earphones can last a whole 8-hour shift without a recharge. The Bose QuietComfort Ultra Earbuds (2nd Gen.), AirPods Pro 2, and Buds3 Pro are all short of the mark.

Bose QuietComfort Ultra Earbuds (2nd Gen.) performance on an airplane

Ballparking flights is a bit riskier because there’s often around 2 hours of preparation for longer trips. Because of that, you can’t just look at the length of a flight and assume that just because a battery is rated for X amount of hours that you won’t have to recharge at some point. With that buffer in mind, here’s how long you can expect the Bose QuietComfort Ultra Earbuds (2nd Gen.) to last.

• 6 hour flight: 0.9 flights.
• 12 hour flight: 0.46 flights.
• 24 hour flight: 0.23 flights.

If you’re not doing a long flight, the Bose QuietComfort Ultra Earbuds (2nd Gen.) should be okay, but definitely make sure you’ve got your charging case topped up and ready to rock before you travel. You’re gonna need it. If you’re a frequent traveler, you’re going to want something with more battery life, like the Sony WF-1000XM5 or JBL Tour Pro 3.

What do you think?

It can be tempting to simply get the best of a category and call it a day, but with earbuds: you need to pick and choose what’s important to you because the performance is all over the place. But are the Bose QuietComfort Ultra Earbuds (2nd Gen.) for you? Can they handle your needs? Let us know.