Earbuds · Model guide · Maker specs
Bose Ultra Open Earbuds (2nd Gen)
Get Bose Ultra Open Earbuds (2nd Gen) to keep hearing the world while you listen: the cuff clips outside your ear and there's no noise cancelling.
Product images
Bose Ultra Open Earbuds (2nd Gen), from its Amazon listing.
Credit: Amazon.com (Associates Program). Amazon listing
Product image from the Amazon listing.
In short
Get Bose Ultra Open Earbuds (2nd Gen) to keep hearing the world while you listen: the cuff clips outside your ear and there's no noise cancelling. Bose rates them for 9 hours, up from 7 on the first pair, plus 19.5 more from a case that now charges wirelessly. Immersive Audio or Auto Volume cuts that to 5. For planes and trains, the sealed QuietComfort Ultra Earbuds (2nd Gen) block noise instead.
Who it is for
- People who want to stay aware of their surroundings while they listen. The cuff doesn't cover or seal the ear, and Bose designed it to keep you hearing what's around you.
- Owners of the first Ultra Open Earbuds who want more battery and wireless charging: 9 hours per charge against 7, and a case that now charges on a pad as well as over USB-C.
- Callers on the move. Two microphones with Bose's SpeechClarity voice isolation pick up your voice, and a button on each bud answers or declines a call.
- Anyone who likes one ear free: Bose supports using a single bud on its own.
Who should skip it
- Commuters and flyers who want quiet. There's no noise cancelling and the open fit lets outside sound in; the sealed QuietComfort Ultra Earbuds (2nd Gen) have CustomTune noise cancelling.
- Anyone who juggles a phone and a computer. Bose describes pairing one Bluetooth device at a time and lists no multipoint.
- Listeners who care about codecs. Bose gives no codec list for this pair, while the sealed QuietComfort Ultra Earbuds (2nd Gen) list aptX Adaptive.
What sets it apart
- An open-ear cuff with no eartips: it clips onto the outside of the ear without covering or sealing it.
- Up to 9 hours per charge and up to 19.5 more from the case, against 7 hours on the first Ultra Open.
- Wireless charging and USB-C on the same case, plus Bluetooth 5.4 with a 30-foot range.
- A newly engineered driver that Bose says plays louder, with deeper bass, than the first Ultra Open.
- A physical button on top of each bud for play, skip, volume, calls and a shortcut you set in the Bose app.
Caveats
- The extras cost battery: 5 hours with Immersive Audio or Auto Volume on, 4 with both, and the case adds 11 hours in those modes.
- Sound can leak from an open design. Bose says OpenAudio aims the sound into your ear to keep leakage down, but gives no figure.
- IPX4 buds handle sweat and splashes, not a swim; Bose gives the case no rating.
Key specs
In the same order on every earbuds page, so you can compare pairs.
| Spec | Value | Source and notes |
|---|---|---|
| Form factor | Open-ear cuff; doesn't cover or seal the ear | Bose.com spec table and FAQ |
| Fit / tips / wings | Clips onto the outer ear; no eartips; polycarbonate and silicone | Bose.com spec table |
| Driver / acoustic architecture | Newly engineered driver; Bose says it plays louder, with deeper bass, than the first Ultra Open (size not given) | Bose.com FAQ |
| Active noise cancellation | No; the open design doesn't block outside sound | Bose.com spec table and FAQ |
| Transparency / ambient | Not needed: the open fit keeps you aware of your surroundings (no separate Aware Mode) | Bose.com FAQ |
| Spatial / 360 audio | Immersive Audio with TrueSpatial | Bose.com product page and FAQ |
| Battery — buds | Up to 9 hours; 5 with Immersive Audio or Auto Volume on; 4 with both | Bose.com spec table and FAQ |
| Battery — with case | A full case adds up to 19.5 hours (11 with Immersive Audio or Auto Volume) to the buds' 9 | Bose.com FAQ |
| Charging | USB-C or wireless; a full charge takes 1 hour; charging accessory included; Bose names a quick charge but gives no figure | Bose.com spec table and FAQ |
| Wireless charging | Yes; center the lower half of the case's back on the charger | Bose.com FAQ |
| Water / dust — buds | IPX4 | Bose.com spec tableHandles sweat and splashes; don't swim in them. |
| Bluetooth | Bluetooth 5.4; range 30 feet | Bose.com spec table |
| Codecs | None listed (the sealed QC Ultra Earbuds 2nd Gen list SBC, AAC and aptX Adaptive) | Bose.com spec table |
| Microphones / calls | 2 microphones; SpeechClarity voice isolation for calls | Bose.com spec table and FAQ |
| On-bud controls | A button on top of each bud: play, pause, skip, volume, a shortcut, and answer or decline calls; the shortcut can open your phone's voice assistant (set in the Bose app) | Bose.com FAQ |
| Multipoint / device switching | Not listed; Bose's pairing help covers one device at a time (the sealed QC Ultra Earbuds 2nd Gen have multipoint) | Bose.com spec table and FAQ |
| Sensors | No sensor list; Bose names an Auto Volume feature | Bose.com FAQ |
| Weight — one bud | 0.013 lb (about 5.9 g, our conversion) | Bose.com spec table |
| Weight — case | 0.110 lb (about 49.9 g, our conversion) | Bose.com spec table |
| Dimensions — one bud | 0.746 × 0.697 × 1.091 in (height × width × depth) | Bose.com spec table |
| Dimensions — case | 1.870 × 1.056 × 2.598 in (height × width × depth) | Bose.com spec table |
| Finishes | Black, White, Olive Green | Bose.com product pageLimited-edition colors may come and go. |
| Phone / OS compatibility | Any Bluetooth phone, tablet or computer; Bose app for settings | Bose.com FAQ and spec table |
| Find / Fast Pair / UWB | No Fast Pair, Find My or ultra-wideband listed | Bose.com spec table |
| Companion app / firmware | Bose app: shortcuts, voice assistant access, Immersive Audio, Auto Volume | Bose.com spec table and FAQ |
| US price | $299 at Bose.com (19 September 2026) | Bose.com product page |
| Price band | Flagship ($200–$300) | Based on Bose.com's $299 |
| Announced | 17 September 2026 | Bose press room |
| Availability | On sale from 1 October 2026, per Bose; $299 at Bose.com on 19 September 2026 | Bose press room; Bose.com product page |
Bose Ultra Open Earbuds (2nd Gen) extras
Specs only this model has.
| Spec | Value | Source and notes |
|---|---|---|
| Immersive Audio / TrueSpatial | Bose's spatial audio with TrueSpatial; battery drops to 5 hours with it on, or 4 with Auto Volume as well | Bose.com FAQ |
| SpeechClarity | Voice isolation for calls | Bose.com FAQ |
| OpenAudio | Aims sound toward your ear to minimize leakage, Bose says | Bose.com FAQ |
| Changes from the first Ultra Open | Newly engineered driver; up to 9 hours (up from 7); wireless charging added | Bose.com FAQ |
| Against QC Ultra Earbuds (2nd Gen) | Open, no ANC, Bluetooth 5.4, up to 9 hours; the sealed QC Ultra Earbuds (2nd Gen) have CustomTune ANC, Bluetooth 5.3, 6- and 4-hour battery ratings and aptX Adaptive | Bose.com pages for both models |
Open ears, no noise cancelling
The Ultra Open Earbuds don’t go in your ear canal. Each bud is a cuff that clips onto the outer ear with nothing sealing or covering it, so you keep hearing traffic, colleagues and announcements while you listen. That’s the point of the design, and it’s why there’s no noise cancelling and no Aware Mode: the world is never shut out in the first place.
Bose’s OpenAudio aims the sound toward your ear to keep leakage down, and Immersive Audio with TrueSpatial adds spatial sound. In a loud street you’ll be turning the volume up rather than shutting noise out; Bose’s Auto Volume feature is there for that, and like Immersive Audio it shortens the battery.
What changed from the first Ultra Open
Bose names three changes: a newly engineered driver that it says plays louder with deeper bass, up to 9 hours per charge instead of 7, and wireless charging for the case. Bose Ultra Open Earbuds covers the first pair.
Battery and charging
| Mode | Ultra Open Earbuds (2nd Gen) |
|---|---|
| Standard | Up to 9 hours |
| Immersive Audio or Auto Volume | Up to 5 hours |
| Both on | Up to 4 hours |
| Fully charged case | Up to 19.5 more hours (11 with Immersive Audio or Auto Volume) |
| Full recharge | 1 hour |
Nine hours covers a full workday of listening with the extras off. The case refills from a USB-C cable or a wireless pad; on a pad, center the lower half of its back on the charger. Bose mentions a quick-charge feature too, without saying how much a short top-up buys.
Calls, buttons and connections
Two microphones with Bose’s SpeechClarity voice isolation handle calls. Instead of touch panels, each bud has a button on top of its barrel for play and pause, skipping, volume, a shortcut, and answering or declining calls. The shortcut can summon your phone’s voice assistant; you set it in the Bose app, which also holds Immersive Audio and Auto Volume. You can wear one bud on its own.
The buds connect over Bluetooth 5.4 with a 30-foot range and work with any Bluetooth phone, tablet or computer.
Ultra Open or QuietComfort Ultra (2nd Gen)?
| Spec | Ultra Open Earbuds (2nd Gen) | QuietComfort Ultra Earbuds (2nd Gen) |
|---|---|---|
| Fit | Open-ear cuff | Sealed in-ear |
| Noise cancelling | No | Yes, with CustomTune |
| Battery per charge | Up to 9 hours | 6 or 4 hours, by mode |
| Bluetooth | 5.4 | 5.3 |
| Codecs listed | None | Includes aptX Adaptive |
| Multipoint | Not listed | Yes |
The open pair wins on battery and on hearing your surroundings; the sealed pair wins on quiet, codecs and juggling two devices. Bose QuietComfort Ultra Earbuds (2nd Gen) has the details.
Colors, price and buying the right one
Bose makes the 2nd Gen in Black, White and Olive Green and listed it at $299 on Bose.com. It announced the pair on 17 September 2026 and said sales would start on 1 October 2026. Check which generation you’re buying: on Bose.com the 2nd Gen is product ULT2-HEADPHONEOPN, and on Amazon its listing is B0HF8PYLWS, while B0CPFVB5VN is the first-generation pair.
Sources
- Amazon product listing — Bose Ultra Open Earbuds (2nd Gen) — accessed 2026-09-22
- Bose press room — Sport Open Earbuds and Ultra Open Earbuds (2nd Gen) — accessed 2026-09-22
- Bose.com — Ultra Open Earbuds (2nd Gen) — accessed 2026-09-19
Frequently asked questions
Do they block outside noise?
No. There's no noise cancelling, and the open cuff doesn't seal your ear, so traffic, voices and announcements still come through. Bose designed them to keep you aware of your surroundings.
What's new compared with the first Ultra Open Earbuds?
A newly engineered driver that Bose says goes louder with deeper bass, up to 9 hours per charge instead of 7, and wireless charging for the case.
Can I use just one earbud?
Yes. Bose supports single-bud use, so you can leave one ear completely free.
Can they connect to two devices at once?
Not that Bose mentions. Its pairing instructions cover one Bluetooth device at a time, and multipoint appears nowhere in its specs. The sealed QuietComfort Ultra Earbuds (2nd Gen) have multipoint.
Which codecs do they support?
None are listed. Bose gives Bluetooth 5.4 and a 30-foot range but no codecs; if aptX Adaptive matters to you, the sealed QuietComfort Ultra Earbuds (2nd Gen) list it.
Are they water resistant?
Yes, up to a point: the buds are rated IPX4 for sweat and splashes. Don't swim with them, and keep the unrated case dry.
When are they available?
From 1 October 2026, Bose said when it announced them on 17 September 2026. A US Amazon listing was already live on 22 September 2026.
Official product page: Bose Ultra Open Earbuds (2nd Gen). Tech specs: Bose Ultra Open Earbuds (2nd Gen) specs.