Noise-cancelling headphones · Ranked #17 of 23 · Best for comfort and noise cancelling

Bose QuietComfort Headphones (2nd Gen)

79
Mixed
Average of 4 professional reviews
3 of 4 recommend it · broad agreement
Where the 4 reviews landedRange 70–84

Exact average 78.5 · all scores printed by the outlets

Bose QuietComfort Headphones (2nd Gen)Image: Bose

4 professional reviewers tested the Bose QuietComfort Headphones (2nd Gen), and 3 recommend it. Most praised: noise cancelling and comfort. Most common complaint: price.

Reviewed by Engadget, Trusted Reviews, Expert Reviews and 1 more

The catch: Battery life is average, and the price sits close to the Ultra model.

Early score: only 4 professional reviews so far. Expect it to move as more reviews come in.

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What 4 critics said

Highest score first · all converted to 0–100
  1. 84
    EngadgetHands-on review · 2026

    An all-round upgrade with better sound and noise cancelling, very light and comfortable, at an unchanged price.

    Read Engadget review
  2. 80
    Trusted ReviewsHands-on review · 2026

    Clearly better than the first generation with stronger ANC, comfy design and useful immersive modes, but pricing is tricky as the Ultra model costs little more.

    Read Trusted Reviews review
  3. 80
    Expert ReviewsHands-on review · 2026

    Very comfortable travel headphones with class-leading noise cancellation and good sound.

    Read Expert Reviews review
  4. 70
    Tom's GuideHands-on review · 2026

    Superb comfort, physical controls and world-class noise cancelling, but the lack of wear detection, average battery and no IP rating dent them for the price.

    Read Tom's Guide review

"Est." means the outlet printed no score, so we estimated one from its verdict and checked our estimates against ratings outlets print. How we check estimates

What critics praise most

Noise cancelling4 of 4
Comfort4 of 4

What critics dislike most

Price2 of 4

Other noise-cancelling headphones critics rate highly

Dali IO-8Image: Dali
Top pick, narrowlyDali IO-84 reviews · critics agree93
Bowers & Wilkins Px8 S2Image: Bowers
Best for luxury sound qualityBowers & Wilkins Px8 S25 reviews · critics agree91
Sony WH-1000XM5Image: Sony
Most reviewed pickSony WH-1000XM517 reviews · broad agreement89
Technics EAH-A1000Image: Technics
Best for sound and comfortTechnics EAH-A10005 reviews · broad agreement89

Compare the Bose QuietComfort Headphones (2nd Gen) with another product →

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Common questions

Is the Bose QuietComfort Headphones (2nd Gen) worth it?

Most critics think so: 3 of 4 recommend it. Battery life is average, and the price sits close to the Ultra model.

Do critics agree about the Bose QuietComfort Headphones (2nd Gen)?

Broad agreement: scores range from 70 (Tom's Guide) to 84 (Engadget), a spread of 14 points across 4 reviews. Most reviewers land fairly close together.

What do critics dislike about the Bose QuietComfort Headphones (2nd Gen)?

Price (2 of 4 reviews).

What is the best alternative to the Bose QuietComfort Headphones (2nd Gen)?

The Dali IO-8 (critic score 93), top pick, narrowly.