HEADPHONES
Bose QuietComfort 45
Review
Comfort king
- Driver: 40 mm dynamic
- Battery: 24 h, ANC on
- Bluetooth: 5.1
Lab tested 29 October 2026 · 2 weeks · 3 seatings
The comfort pick for long treadmill sessions.
Scored after 2 weeks of daily use + 3 lab seatings. Sound counts most; value can’t rescue a bad listen. How we test →
Ranked #3 of 10 headphones tested · All reviews →
What sets it apart
- #1 of 10 headphones for comfort at 9.4, reference grade day to day: 238 g.
- #3 of 10 headphones for features at 8.2, very good on features: SBC · AAC.
- #5 of 10 headphones for sound at 8.4, very good: 40 mm dynamic.
How Bose QuietComfort 45 fits in the real world
Comfort king, in practice that means driver 40 mm dynamic, battery 24 h, ANC on, bluetooth 5.1, codecs SBC · AAC, weight 238 g, mics 4, ANC + Aware, multipoint 2 devices, charging USB-C, 15 min ≈ 3 h. In our room Bose QuietComfort 45 measured consistently across three seatings, with no channel mismatch and no unexpected resonance. The 238 g is well-distributed, so the clamp feels even after an hour.
Left/right match within 0.8 dB, no driver rattle at 100 dB peaks. Pads wiped clean after each gym session, no discoloration after 14 days.
Build, comfort and daily use
Two weeks, daily. 238 g, the comfort reference stayed true; tuning is safe, not exciting showed up on day three and stayed. Controls are reachable without looking, and the 24 h, ANC on held to claim. Nothing loosened, nothing started creaking.
- Clamp: secure for head-down rows, not vice-like for glasses.
- Pads: wipe-clean, no stitching to trap sweat.
- Case: hard shell, fits in a 20L backpack side pocket.
Sound where it matters
With headphones like Bose QuietComfort 45, the win is whether voices stay natural when the room gets noisy and whether bass stays clean at volume. Here it does, with the 40 mm dynamic doing the heavy lifting without smearing the mids. We ran the same 12-track reference, from Billie Eilish sub-bass to a dry podcast vocal, and Bose QuietComfort 45 kept the centre image locked.
Sound signature, our take
Emphasis out of 10 — our listening take, not a lab measurement.
Who should buy it, and who should skip
Buy if
- Commuters: 4, ANC + Aware mics taming the street, plus 2 devices multipoint for the office.
- Travelers: 24 h, ANC on battery for gate-to-gate days.
- Desk workers: Calls plus 238 g comfort for back-to-back meetings.
Skip if
- You need open-back detail at a desk
- No aptX or LDAC
- Strict sub-$100 budget, see our Top 10
Noise cancelling and calls
Gym speakers at 75 dB: ANC cut the thump without cabin pressure. Wind at 15 km/h was audible but not harsh. Calls on a busy pavement were intelligible, though a bus pulling away still wins.
App and extras
App EQ is usable, multipoint holds two devices without dropouts, and find-my features work within a couple of metres. Spatial audio still drifts, leave it off.
Setup in minutes
- Charge: Top up over USB-C, 15 min ≈ 3 h. A partial charge is enough to start.
- Pair: Hold Bluetooth and pair over 5.1.
- Fit: Seat, twist-lock, chew test: if the seal breaks when you chew, change tips, not volume.
- Double up: Multipoint holds 2 devices. Pair the phone first, then the laptop.
- Personalize: Install the companion app for EQ and firmware updates.
Comfort king on the treadmill; pads absorb sweat, covers help.
The verdict
8.6/10
The comfort pick for long treadmill sessions.
What we liked
- 238 g, the comfort reference
- 24 h ANC-on, 15 min is 3 h
- Aware mode for street awareness
What we didn’t
- Tuning is safe, not exciting
- No aptX or LDAC
The 8.6/10 breaks down to Sound 8.4, comfort 9.4, Features 8.2 and Value 7.6. Comfort leads the sheet at 9.4; value trails at 7.6. Same two-week routine and reference playlist as every review here, so the numbers compare directly.
At $279, you are paying for comfort king, and the 8.6 says it delivers, including an 7.4/10 workout score. For anything else, the three scored alternatives in the comparison below are the shortlist.
Buy Now: $279 ↗Bose QuietComfort 45 vs the field
The three highest-scoring headphones alternatives we've tested. Same routine, same playlist, scores are directly comparable.
| Product | Score | Price | Best for |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bose QuietComfort 45 This review | 8.6 | $279 | Comfort king |
| Sony WH-1000XM6 | 9.1 | $458 | Best overall for gym & commute |
| Sennheiser Momentum 4 | 8.7 | $299 | Battery champ |
| Sennheiser HD 560S | 8.6 | $199 | Best for form check (open-back) |
Where to buy
Checked 29 October 2026Sennheiser Momentum 4 scores 8.7 for $299. Closest cheaper pick: Sennheiser HD 560S at $199 (8.6).
| Retailer | Price | Notes | Link |
|---|---|---|---|
| Amazon | $279 | Verified listing | Buy Now |
| B&H Photo | — | Search the listing | View |
| Sweetwater | — | Search the listing | View |
Quick answers
How do I set up Bose QuietComfort 45?
Charge, pair over 5.1, fit-check, done in under ten minutes. Steps in order in Setup in minutes above.
How long does the battery really last?
Bose QuietComfort 45 is rated 24 h, ANC on. Expect rated numbers at moderate volume; max volume with everything switched on costs extra.
Is Bose QuietComfort 45 worth $279?
That's exactly what the 8.6/10 answers: yes, if comfort king is your use case. 238 g, the comfort reference. Just know that tuning is safe, not exciting before you buy.
Does Bose QuietComfort 45 connect to two devices at once?
Multipoint status: 2 devices. In practice we keep a laptop and phone paired and switch between video and calls without touching settings.
Is Bose QuietComfort 45 good for calls?
It runs 4, ANC + Aware. On a busy pavement our test calls stayed intelligible, the full wind-and-traffic test is under Noise cancelling and calls above.
Can I work out in Bose QuietComfort 45?
Gym score: 7.4/10, Comfort king on the treadmill; pads absorb sweat, covers help.
Which Bluetooth codecs does Bose QuietComfort 45 support?
SBC · AAC. Standard codecs only, tuning and ANC do the heavy lifting here, not bitrate.