Bose Quiet Comfort 45 review: as travel returns, you’re going to need these headphones

Just how well do Bose’s new noise-cancelling headphones block out distractions? We put them to the test.

Once upon a time, before the pandemic, you could not walk down a plane aisle without seeing a pair of Bose headphones.

The brand led all others in active noise-cancellation; turning down the volume of giant turbines to a low hum.

Their use might have changed (think noisy co-workers and renovation-happy neighbours) but with its new Quiet Comfort 45 headset, Bose proves it has not lost its edge.

These $500 headphones dial up the noise cancellation and dial down outside noise even more than in past models, taking back the lead from rivals such as Sony.

These cans improve by using six microphones (a step up from four) to identify and counteract sonic distractions, and they also isolate more noise.

Despite this isolation, the headphones are comfortable to wear, fitting over the top of your ears but not clamping your head.

Their form, made from metal and leather, weighs 240g but somehow feels light due to expert distribution.

And despite our times, the QC45 headphones are built for travel, using double hinges to fold up into a small case, and offering more than 24 hours of noise-cancellation and playback from a single charge.

The Bose QuietComfort 45 headphones feature controls for music playback on their body.

Notably, these headphones can also be recharged with a modern USB-C cord, ditching older cords.

The new Bose music-makers do have a couple of drawbacks — there’s no way to customise their noise-cancellation or finetune equaliser settings, and they don’t offer touch controls — but anyone with a big commute, noisy office, travel ahead or trouble focusing should appreciate their market-leading skills.

Originally published as Bose Quiet Comfort 45 review: as travel returns, you’re going to need these headphones