Head to head
Bose QuietComfort Headphones vs AirPods 4 with Active Noise Cancellation
Bose QuietComfort Headphones leads 2 to 1 on the 3 rankable specs, but AirPods 4 with Active Noise Cancellation costs $170 less. Most of the 14 attributes tracked here are descriptive rather than numeric.
Catalog as of September 1, 2026
Why, in numbers
Swap
Compare a different headphone
Anker Soundcore Space One Pro$199AirPods Pro 2 (USB-C)$249Bose QuietComfort Ultra Earbuds$299Sony WF-1000XM5 Earbuds$299Sony WH-1000XM4$348Beats Studio Pro$349Sennheiser Momentum 4 Wireless$379Sony WH-1000XM5$399Bowers & Wilkins Px7 S2e$399Bose QuietComfort Ultra Headphones$429Sonos Ace$449Apple AirPods Max (USB-C)$549Focal Bathys Hi-Fi Wireless$699Swap
Compare a different headphone
Anker Soundcore Space One Pro$199AirPods Pro 2 (USB-C)$249Bose QuietComfort Ultra Earbuds$299Sony WF-1000XM5 Earbuds$299Sony WH-1000XM4$348Beats Studio Pro$349Sennheiser Momentum 4 Wireless$379Sony WH-1000XM5$399Bowers & Wilkins Px7 S2e$399Bose QuietComfort Ultra Headphones$429Sonos Ace$449Apple AirPods Max (USB-C)$549Focal Bathys Hi-Fi Wireless$699Buying for
Your devices
Straight answer
Overall: 2 to 1
Buy the Bose QuietComfort Headphones.
- Leads 2 of 3 rankable overall specs; AirPods 4 with Active Noise Cancellation takes 1.
- Battery life: 24 hours on a single charge vs 4 hours listening time on single charge with…
- Foldable: Yes vs No
- AirPods 4 with Active Noise Cancellation is $170 cheaper. Pay the difference only if battery life matters to you.
Deal-breakers
tick what would make you walk away
- Clear:Bose QuietComfort Headphones · Yes (collapses and folds inward into co…Trips:AirPods 4 with Active Noise Cancellation · No (pocket-sized charging case)
- Trips:Bose QuietComfort Headphones · AAC, SBCTrips:AirPods 4 with Active Noise Cancellation · AAC, SBC
- Clear:Bose QuietComfort Headphones · 24 hours on a single chargeTrips:AirPods 4 with Active Noise Cancellation · 4 hours listening time on single charge…
- Trips:Bose QuietComfort Headphones · No official IP ratingClear:AirPods 4 with Active Noise Cancellation · IP54 dust, sweat, and water resistant
At a glance
The handful of numbers that decide most purchases in this category.
Weight
Bose
240 g (8.5 oz)
Apple
8.6 g (0.30 oz) earbuds total (4.3 g each) / 34.7 g charging case
Active Noise Cancelling≠
Bose
Yes (Quiet Mode with adjustable noise cancellation levels)
Apple
Yes (Active Noise Cancellation with Adaptive Audio and Transparency Mode)
Battery life
Bose
24 hours on a single charge
Apple
4 hours listening time on single charge with ANC on (5 hours ANC off) / up to 20 hours with charging case (ANC on)
Comfort, Clamp & Travel Fit Check
Ergonomic factors that affect daily comfort, glasses wearers, and luggage space.
Folding & Travel Packability
Folds flat & inward into small zippered case
Standard folding earcups
Clamp Force & Glasses Comfort
Signature light clamp (~3.9 N, zero crown pressure)
Standard headphone clamp
Weight & Crown Pressure
240g (lightest in premium ANC class)
Standard headphone weight
The 90-Day Owner Regret Check
Documented ergonomic quirks, hardware annoyances, and maintenance realities reported by real owners.
Bose: What to watch for
- Maintenance
Requires ongoing care to maintain peak out-of-box performance.
Apple: What to watch for
- Maintenance
Requires ongoing care to maintain peak out-of-box performance.
Design
5 differences| Type | Over-ear, closed-back | Open-ear true wireless earbuds |
|---|---|---|
| Weight | 240 g (8.5 oz) | 8.6 g (0.30 oz) earbuds total (4.3 g each) / 34.7 g charging case (wins this row: lower) |
| Foldable | Yes (collapses and folds inward into compact case) (wins this row: has it) | No (pocket-sized charging case) |
| Carrying case | Hardshell zip travel case included | Wireless charging case with built-in Find My speaker and USB-C port |
| IP rating | No official IP rating | IP54 dust, sweat, and water resistant (earbuds and case) |
Audio
4 differences| Driver | Custom 40 mm dynamic transducers | Custom high-excursion Apple driver with custom high dynamic range amplifier |
|---|---|---|
| Active Noise Cancelling | Yes (Quiet Mode with adjustable noise cancellation levels) | Yes (Active Noise Cancellation with Adaptive Audio and Transparency Mode) |
| Transparency mode | Yes (Aware Mode with adjustable environment blend) | Yes (Transparency Mode & Conversation Awareness) |
| Supported codecs | AAC, SBC | AAC, SBC |
| Microphones | 4-mic beamforming voice pickup array | Dual beamforming microphones + inward-facing microphone with Voice Isolation |
Connectivity & Battery
leads 1-0| Multipoint Bluetooth | Yes (Bluetooth 5.1 multipoint pairing) | Yes (automatic seamless device switching across Apple devices) |
|---|---|---|
| Battery life | 24 hours on a single charge (wins this row: higher) | 4 hours listening time on single charge with ANC on (5 hours ANC off) / up to 20 hours with charging case (ANC on) |
| Charging time | 2.5 hours full charge (15 min quick charge gives 2.5 hours) | 5 minutes in the case provides around 1 hour of listening time; USB-C, Apple Watch charger, or Qi wireless charging |
Ownership
1 differences| Warranty | 1 year | 1 year manufacturer warranty |
|---|
Which one should you buy
Pick this one if
Bose QuietComfort Headphones
Ultra-comfortable folding ANC headphones with classic Bose noise cancellation and 24-hour battery life.
- Foldable design collapses neatly into an ultra-compact travel case
- Legendary lightweight 240g comfort ideal for long flights
- Tactile physical buttons and reliable multi-point Bluetooth switching
What you give up
- Lacks spatial audio head tracking found on QC Ultra
- No high-resolution LDAC or aptX codec support
Pick this one if
AirPods 4 with Active Noise Cancellation
Open-ear wireless earbuds with H2 headphone chip, Active Noise Cancellation, Adaptive Audio, and wireless charging case with speaker.
- Active Noise Cancellation and Adaptive Audio in an open-ear, tip-less fit
- Apple H2 chip with Personalized Spatial Audio and head tracking
- Smallest wireless charging case with built-in Find My speaker and USB-C
What you give up
- Open-ear ANC is naturally less isolating than in-ear silicone tip earbuds like AirPods Pro
- Battery life drops to 4 hours per charge with ANC enabled (20 hours total with case)
Best for each use
Flights & commutes
For flights & commutes, buy the Bose QuietComfort Headphones.
Calls & work
Too close to call on calls & work from the spec sheets. Only battery life is rankable here.
Sound quality
Too close to call on sound quality from the spec sheets. Only weight is rankable here.
Done deciding?
Open the full standalone spec sheet for either device.
Manufacturer pages: Bose QuietComfort Headphones ↗ · AirPods 4 with Active Noise Cancellation ↗
Common questions
Which is cheaper, the Bose QuietComfort Headphones or the AirPods 4 with Active Noise Cancellation?
AirPods 4 with Active Noise Cancellation costs $170 less at list price.
What is the biggest catch with the Bose QuietComfort Headphones or AirPods 4 with Active Noise Cancellation?
AirPods 4 with Active Noise Cancellation has this deal-breaker: does not fold. Takes a bigger slot in a carry-on.
Which is better for flights & commutes, the Bose QuietComfort Headphones or the AirPods 4 with Active Noise Cancellation?
For flights & commutes, buy the Bose QuietComfort Headphones. Leads 2 of 3 rankable flights & commutes specs; AirPods 4 with Active Noise Cancellation takes 1. Battery life: 24 hours on a single charge vs 4 hours listening time on single charge with…
What cannot be compared from spec sheets?
Of the 14 specs tracked here, 11 are descriptive and cannot be ranked on numbers alone. Spec sheets also cannot measure subjective factors like build quality, real-world performance, or comfort.