Bose 897806-0030

The Bose Ultra Open Earbuds deliver 9 hours of battery, wireless charging, and Bluetooth 5.4 multipoint in a premium clip-on design. They're best for fitness at 75.9 out of 100, with strong build and connectivity scores, but commute performance lags at 61.7. The $299 USD price is premium, and sound quality is solid but not class-leading. Buy these if open-ear awareness is non-negotiable and battery life matters more than raw audio performance.

Battery life is where these really earn their keep. Bose claims 9 hours in the buds and 28 total with the case, which lands them in the 80th percentile of our database. That's well above average for open-ear buds, and the quick charge is genuinely handy. Ten minutes in the case gets you 2 hours of listening, and the case supports Qi wireless charging. For context, that's the kind of convenience you usually see in premium in-ear buds, not clip-ons.

Sound quality sits at the 72nd percentile, which translates to solid but not class-leading. The updated dynamic drivers are tuned for deeper bass, which is the traditional weak point of open-ear designs since there's no seal to trap low frequencies. Bose's TrueSpatial tech adds head-tracked spatial audio, and Cinema Mode is aimed at making Netflix in bed feel more theatrical. But here's the trade-off. Turn on Immersive Audio and battery drops from 9 hours to 5. That's a meaningful hit for a feature that's still a taste thing for most people. The IPX4 rating means sweat and light rain are fine, but don't drop these in the pool.

Stacked against the competition, the Ultra Open Earbuds hold their own in a few key areas. Connectivity sits at the 90th percentile, which is ahead of what most open-ear rivals offer. The Bluetooth 5.4 and multipoint support put it on par with flagship in-ear buds like the Sony WF-1000XM6. The battery is also stronger than typical open-ear competitors, with 9 hours beating many clip-on designs that stall out around 6 or 7. The Technics EAH-AZ100 and Apple AirPods Pro 3rd Generation both deliver better sound quality and ANC, but they're in-ear buds with a completely different value proposition.

The real competition within the open-ear space comes from cheaper clip-on options from brands like Soundcore and EarFun. The Soundcore P31i and EarFun Air Pro Air Pro 4+ are price-friendly alternatives that won't match Bose on battery, build, or connectivity, but cost significantly less. If awareness during exercise is your main priority and you don't need the premium materials or wireless charging, those budget picks get you 80 percent of the experience for a fraction of the price. Bose is betting that the last 20 percent, the fit, the finish, the battery, the wireless charging, is worth the premium.

At $299 USD, the Ultra Open Earbuds are priced like a flagship product, and Bose clearly thinks the open-ear form factor deserves that tier. You're getting 28 total hours of battery, wireless charging, and a polished design. The CAD 379 and MXN 11,010 listings show this is a global premium play, not a budget experiment. For fitness-focused buyers scoring 75.9, the price may feel justified if you value the combination of stability, awareness, and battery life.

But there's a real question about whether $299 makes sense when the sound quality is only at the 72nd percentile. For that money, you could get genuinely top-tier audio from competing in-ear buds, though you'd lose the open-ear awareness. It's a niche premium. If you're all-in on the open-ear lifestyle and want the best version of it, this is arguably it. If you just want the best sounding buds for the money, keep looking.

The Bose Ultra Open Earbuds 897806-0030 are Bose's second swing at the clip-on open-ear form factor, and on paper they fix a lot of what held the first gen back. You get Bluetooth 5.4, multipoint, wireless charging, and a claimed 9 hours of battery in the buds themselves. That's a serious spec sheet for a category that usually trades away features in the name of staying out of your ear canal. Bose is positioning these as the premium option for people who want spatial audio and strong call quality without sealing themselves off from the world.

Who's this for? Runners, cyclists, commuters who need to hear traffic, office workers who still want to catch a coworker saying their name, and anyone whose ears get sore after an hour of in-ear buds. The open-ear design means zero pressure in the canal, and the clip-on form factor keeps them stable without a neckband or wraparound headband. Bose leans hard into the 'fashion meets function' angle too, with a metallic finish and a case that actually looks like it belongs in a pocket next to a nice watch.

Scoring lands at 73.2 out of 100 overall, which puts it solidly in the middle of this product type. Fitness is where it shines at 75.9, and budget buyers get a 73.3. The weakest area is commute at 61.7, which makes sense when you think about what open-ear buds do in loud environments. There's no active noise cancellation here, only transparency by design. That's not a flaw exactly, just a trade-off you need to be OK with before spending this kind of money.

Skip these if your primary listening happens in loud environments. The open-ear design means no passive isolation and no ANC, so a busy commute or flight will drown out your music. The commute score of 61.7 reflects this reality. Look at the Sony WF-1000XM6 or Apple AirPods Pro 3rd Generation if you need real noise cancellation.

Also skip these if you're chasing the best possible audio quality for the money. At $299 USD, the sound is solid but not exceptional, sitting at the 72nd percentile. In-ear buds from Technics or Sony at a similar price will deliver noticeably richer, more detailed sound. These are for people who prioritize awareness and battery life over sonic performance.

For runners and cyclists who want premium build quality and all-day battery in an open-ear design, the Bose Ultra Open Earbuds are the best option in the category right now. The 9-hour battery and 28-hour case total are standout numbers, and the 90th percentile connectivity means fewer dropouts on the move. The fit is comfortable and secure, and the IPX4 rating means sweat won't kill them. If open-ear awareness is non-negotiable and you've got the budget, these are the ones to get.

For everyone else, the math is harder. If you mostly listen in quiet spaces and care about audio quality above all, a good pair of in-ear buds with ANC from Sony, Apple, or Technics will sound noticeably better for the same money. And if you're budget-conscious, the cheaper clip-ons from Soundcore and EarFun cover the basics. The Ultra Open Earbuds are a specialist purchase, not a general-purpose recommendation.