Bose Sport Open Earbuds review.

Why a $289 sport earbud is getting a lukewarm welcome

Bose launched the Sport Open Earbuds on October 1, 2026 at US$199. On bose.ca the same page shows $289.00 for the Black, White Smoke and Eucalyptus Green colours. The page doesn't label the currency, but it's the Canadian store. Best Buy Canada and Amazon.ca couldn't be checked, so that's the only Canadian figure here.

That price is the story. SoundGuys scored them 6.2 and titled its review around the idea that the appeal is real but $199 isn't. Gizmodo gave them 3.5 and says they're good, not great. Neither reviewer thinks the earbuds are broken. They think you're paying Bose money for average sound.

The question this review answers is simple. Are these the open-ear earbuds to buy for workouts and walks? On the evidence, only if the fit is what you're after and you can catch a discount.

Here's a quick way to think about money. A pair that costs $289 should sound at least as good as the $79 clip-style pairs SoundGuys lists, and the reviewers don't clearly say it does. What you're paying for is Bose's fit work, the IP54 rating and the wireless case. Whether that's worth a big premium over a budget clip depends on how hard you train and how often you'd otherwise lose a cheap pair.

This isn't the 2021 Bose Sport Open, and mixing them up will cost you

Search for the name and you'll land on reviews of the original pair from 2021. That one hung off the ear on a stiff hook frame and cost US$199.95. Reviewed's 2021 review says it weighed 14 grams per side and had no charging case. The 2026 model shares only the name.

The new pair uses a flexible silicone cuff around the outside of the ear, has a wireless-charging case, and weighs 5.9 grams per earbud according to SoundGuys. The old page on bose.ca still lists the earlier model at $249 with an IPX4 rating, so check that you're looking at the right product code before you buy.

If you owned the 2021 pair, the upgrade is mostly physical. Both models leave the ear canal open and neither has noise cancelling. Whoever skipped the first pair because of the bulky frame now has a reason to look again.

What you give up to save $100 compared with the Ultra Open

Bose launched the Sport next to the Ultra Open Earbuds 2nd Gen, which is US$299. Gizmodo's pitch is that the extra $100 buys better sound, longer battery and Immersive Audio. Bose's own table says the Ultra runs up to 9 hours against the Sport's 7, and adds aptX Adaptive for compatible Android phones, a newly engineered driver with deeper bass and a Cinema Mode.

Gizmodo describes the Ultra as more nuanced, with a slightly wider soundstage, and says the Sport doesn't reach the same highs. The Sport does win on durability. It's IP54 while Gizmodo lists the Ultra at IPX4, and Gizmodo calls the Sport's clip snugger. Gizmodo also says the Sport feels lighter and less noticeable.

So the choice is clear. If you run or lift and sweat a lot, the Sport's dust and sweat rating and grippier fit matter. If you mostly walk, work at a desk or listen to music and podcasts, the Ultra is the better listen. Anyone who doesn't need a sport fit should skip this pair.

Why the sound scores so low, and where it surprises

SoundGuys is the harshest on sound. Its audio-quality score came out at 2.1 out of 5, which it says beats only 3% of wireless earbuds, with timbre at 3.0, distortion at 1.6 and immersiveness at 1.8. It describes bass strength as very low against its preference curve and calls the limited bass by design.

Gizmodo heard the same thing. It describes vocals as clear with decent stereo separation but light bass, and it calls bass-heavy tracks muddy and over-processed, citing Daft Punk's Da Funk. Boosting mids and a bit of treble in the Bose app helped the reviewer.

EFTM is the outlier. It says the Sport sounds clearly better than the Shokz OpenDots 2 across the range, with precise mids and a bright, crisp top end. It still says the bass is weak and that Sennheiser's open-ear pair has much better bass. The takeaway: expect clear voices and weak low end.

Does the cuff really stay put, or just look like it will?

Fit is where the Sport gets its best notes. Gizmodo says the snug C-shaped cuff stayed in place for jogging, sit-ups and pull-ups, and that the reviewer could wear it for hours without pinching or ear fatigue. EFTM calls it comfortable and easy to forget about, though it also says it isn't the most comfortable option it has tried and thinks Shokz's slightly larger rear section helps audio.

There are complaints. Gizmodo says the sound ball sometimes sits askew and needs adjusting to get the right volume. SoundGuys says the cuff feels noticeable and the left earbud moves more than the right. It also reports brief stereo-to-near-mono dropouts while walking downtown, which fits a pair sitting slightly off the ear.

Gizmodo points out that the Shokz OpenRun uses a strap behind the head and suggests that suits serious runners better than any clip. If you sprint, race or run in rough weather, that's worth thinking about before spending Bose money.

The battery beat Bose's claim, but the volume might not beat your commute

Bose claims up to 7 hours per charge and 22 more from the case. SoundGuys measured 8 hours 5 minutes, just over an hour better than the claim, and says 10 minutes of charging gives up to 1.8 hours. Gizmodo saw the app drop from 100% to 90% after an hour at 50% volume, but notes the app only reports in 10% steps, so that's a rough guide, and calls the battery just okay.

Turn Auto Volume on and the numbers change. Bose.ca lists 3.9 hours with it enabled, and the 5K Runner's early write-up put it at about four. Auto Volume raises the level as the world gets louder, which is useful outdoors, so budget for around four hours if you plan to use it on a busy route.

The bigger real-life limit is volume, not run time. Gizmodo says the earbuds struggle in loud places like New York sidewalks and subways, and SoundGuys says outside noise competes with the music by design. Open-ear pairs all have this problem, but it's worse when the sound is already modest.

Calls, EQ and the things Bose left off

Calls are a pleasant surprise. Gizmodo's caller rated the call quality 7 out of 10 and said the reviewer wasn't drowned out in a noisy office, though the reviewer's own voice didn't sound great to the caller. SoundGuys' mic poll was small, 7 votes, with 57% calling it okay and 29% good, and it says wind noise makes speech hard to hear.

The Bose app gives you a three-band EQ, Bass Boost, Bass Reducer, Treble Boost and Treble Reducer presets, and a customizable shortcut on the left earbud for the voice assistant or Spotify. EFTM calls the app basic and says most touch controls are fixed. SoundGuys finds the tap-and-hold volume control hard to fine-tune.

What's missing is the list reviewers keep repeating. There's no Immersive Audio, no Cinema Mode, and no codec beyond SBC and AAC. No heart-rate sensing is listed anywhere. SoundGuys scored features at 5.0 out of 10 and value at the same.

How it compares with the open-ear field

Against the Ultra Open 2nd Gen, the Sport trades sound and battery for a better rating and a snugger fit. Against Shokz, Gizmodo calls the OpenDots 2 roughly on par for sound while EFTM puts the Bose ahead but less comfortable. Gizmodo says the OpenRun's neckband suits serious runners more.

Price is where Bose gets squeezed. SoundGuys lists the CMF Clip Pro at $79 and the EarFun Clip 2 at $79.99, both clip-style open pairs, and wonders why anyone would pay $199 here. Those are US prices from its comparison table, and Canadian prices for them and for Shokz couldn't be verified.

From Bose's own range, the closed-ear route is the Bose QuietComfort Ultra Earbuds, which seal and cancel noise. If you want an open pair mainly for safety outdoors, that's a different product. If you want to hear nothing but your music, don't buy open earbuds at all.

Costs, support and what could go wrong after you buy

There are no running costs beyond charging, and silicone cuffs have no ear tips to replace. Bose.ca says products bought direct can be returned within 30 days, with free return shipping if you call Bose, and sells an optional BoseCare Protection Plan. It doesn't state the standard warranty length on the page checked, and the warranty page wouldn't load, so that couldn't be confirmed.

Bose says a firmware update after October 1 will add Google Find Hub, Alexa+ and Apple Music shortcuts. That's a promise, not a feature to buy on. Check the app for it when you get them.

The practical risk is the fit. The cuff won't suit every ear, and a pair that sits askew changes the volume and bass. Buy from somewhere with an easy return so you can test it on a real run before the window closes.

Who should buy, who should skip, and what to buy instead

Buy them if you run, lift or ride outdoors, hate in-ear tips, and want IP54 dust and sweat protection with a fit that Gizmodo says stayed put. Wait for a sale first. SoundGuys' reader poll was split 48% to 52% on buying them, which tells you how divided people are at full price.

Skip them if you care about bass, listen in loud places, or want music for the couch. In that case the Ultra Open 2nd Gen is the better Bose, and a closed pair like the Bose QuietComfort Ultra Earbuds will block noise rather than let it in. Runners who want maximum stability should look at Shokz's neckband OpenRun, as Gizmodo suggests.

If you want cheap open-ear for walks, the $79 clip pairs from CMF and EarFun, per SoundGuys, make the Bose price very hard to defend.