The advantages of Bose Ultra Open Earbuds

Man wearing Bose Ultra Open Earbuds while running

How do you stay connected to the world and enjoy music simultaneously? Open earbuds are the solution for tasks requiring situational awareness, working from home or in the office, running errands, doing homework, exercising, and even parenting. Life is so much better when you have music at your fingertips, especially when you can experience heightened sound uninterrupted. With the right pair of earbuds, open-ear audio can deliver an astonishing audio experience while leaving your ears open to the world around you.

What is open-ear audio?

Open-ear devices are the perfect solution for those who want the best of both worlds. This style of audio device is exactly as described. Instead of the padded cups covering the entire ear of traditional headphones, or inserted buds that seal off your ear, open earbuds leave the ear canal unobstructed. This allows you to engross yourself in your favourite true crime podcast while remaining alert to the surrounding world.


Bose Ultra Open Earbuds will wow you and make you wonder how you ever went without them. These earbuds shine with Bose’s proprietary OpenAudio technology and a dynamic listening experience. Their natural awareness capabilities far exceed Aware Mode features on active noise cancelling (ANC) headphones. Plus, they’re available in two stylish colours: Black or White Smoke, both with metallic finish accents. The Bose Ultra Open Earbuds also boast state-of-the-art head-tracking spatial audio for a fully immersive listening experience.


These earbuds are so comfortable that you’ll never want to take them off. Their flex band technology creates stability and unprecedented comfort, so the earbuds feel like a part of you. They’re barely even earbuds, clipping so gently to your ear that they’re hardly noticeable. You’ll forget they’re on as you experience crystal-clear audio with minimal audio leakage. Your friends, family, and coworkers will barely notice you enjoying your favourite tunes -- with these open earbuds you’re still a part of your world, so they’re the ideal all-day audio companion.

Man holding the Bose Ultra Open Earbuds case with the buds inside

How do open-ear headphones work?

The Bose Ultra Open Earbuds use OpenAudio. That’s proprietary Bose technology that allows audio played a short distance from your ear canal to be rich, deep, and private — without sealing your ear. Each earbud uses a tiny dipole transducer system engineered for loud-and-clear personal audio that stays at the ear — instead of going everywhere else.

These work differently from similarly designed bone conduction headphones, which deliver music via a tight fit on the head and send vibrations to your inner ear instead of through the eardrum — which can be uncomfortable and deliver subpar sound.

The best open-ear audio features

Now that you have a better understanding of what OpenAudio is, read on to learn more about why and how it can help you out.

Woman wearing Bose Ultra Open Earbuds

1. Pause for nothing

The days of fumbling around with your earbuds when you run into a friend are over. Bose Ultra Open Earbuds keep you completely open to the world. That way you don’t need to choose between enjoying your music and staying connected and open to your surroundings.

2. Better audio all day long

Many people do not like the feeling of lodging something into their ear canal, especially for long periods of time, and headphones with cushioned earcups can get sweaty or tight on your head. Bose Ultra Open Earbuds are so comfortable you’ll forget you’re even wearing them.

Woman wearing Bose Ultra Open Earbuds

3. They’re great for multitasking

Open-ear headphones are great for multitasking, because you can listen to your music while still being able to respond to friends or coworkers speaking to you. Try them next time you’re playing tennis with friends or working on a collaborative project with a classmate.

4. They stay clean

Open-ear earbuds sit entirely outside of the ear, so earwax isn’t a concern if you want to lend your earbuds to a friend to share your new favourite song with them.

5. They provide excellent sound

The Bose Ultra Open Earbuds don’t compromise on sound. Since the open-ear technology transmits audio directly into the ear, you get rich bass and a beautiful brightness — you won’t get that with bone conduction.

Woman wearing Bose Ultra Open Earbuds

Best places to use open-ear audio

Many best-use-case scenarios allow open-ear audio technology to really show off. Here are some of the best situations to use this style of headphones.

1. Doing chores

When multitasking around the house during a hectic day, you may need to remain alert to a baby crying, an important delivery, or the meows of a hungry cat. Open-ear headphones allow you to stay plugged in to the real world while enjoying stellar sound from your favourite tunes or podcasts, without disturbing your sleeping baby.

2. Exercising

Bose Ultra Open Earbuds are secure on your head by wrapping around your ear, fabulous for running, jumping, or bouncing around. Also, when exercising outside, open-ear headphones keep your ears open to oncoming traffic, voices, pedestrians, and other essential noises. This way, you won’t have to worry about getting dangerously lost in your music while out in the world.

Man wearing Bose Ultra Open Earbuds while exercising

3. Scrolling your social feed

We’ve all been there, you’re scrolling through Instagram or TikTok and all of a sudden a loud video starts playing, disturbing everyone you’re with. With Bose Ultra Open Earbuds in place, you can enjoy the sound from your social media feed without bothering your family members or isolating yourself.

4. Get in the zone, comfortably.

Bose Ultra Open Earbuds are designed for comfortable all-day wear so you can press play on your favourite focus playlist for those marathon study sessions and get to work comfortably. As an added benefit, say goodbye to being startled when someone taps you on the shoulder to get your attention. With open audio, you’ll be able to get locked in and focus, but without the limiting of awareness that some noise cancellation can bring.

5. Bye bye boredom

Dodge boredom during the in-between moments of life, when you want entertainment but need to stay available — like waiting in line, going for a walk with a stroller, or waiting for your name to be called at the coffee shop.

6. Instant, natural phone calls.

Take calls hands-free without fumbling to find and insert earbuds before the call goes to voicemail — you’re already wearing your Open Earbuds. And with your ears open, your own voice will sound completely natural to you.

The future is open ear

You may never have tried or even heard of open-ear audio technology or headphones, but there are many scenarios in which they’re preferred over the other styles. Some of their greatest benefits include safety, comfort, situational awareness, cleanliness, and astonishing sound, and they are great for use while doing chores, parenting, exercising, and working.

Featured in this story

Colour:  White Smoke