The most comfortable headphones: How Bose, Sennheiser, Beats, more compare

Headphones are nearly indispensable these days, and comfort matters as much as sound. After a year of testing dozens of models across price points and use cases — from noise-cancelling options for travel to budget-friendly pairs — six stood out for wearability, performance, and practical features.

Our top pick is the Bose QuietComfort Ultra (Gen 2). They live up to the QuietComfort name: plush cushions, an adjustable headband, and ANC that excels at keeping distractions out. Battery life reaches about 30 hours, and multipoint pairing and a foldable design make them easy to use on the go.

Bose offers four listening modes — Quiet, Immersion, Aware, and Cinema — with Immersion sounding slightly fuller and Cinema proving underwhelming. The headphones deliver strong, well-balanced sound, though they aren’t the absolute most dynamic option, and they retail for $449.

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