True wireless earbuds are a must-have for music lovers. They’re practical, transportable, and come in a case that charges them when you’re not using them. You can listen to music while running or stay occupied on a long journey. They let you take your phone calls hands-free, and their noise-canceling (ANC) capabilities help you focus on what you’re doing.
When shopping for wireless earbuds, you’ll find hundreds of options from several manufacturers, all with slightly different designs, audio performance, and features. In my search for the right pair, I narrowed my choices to the Google Pixel Buds Pro 2 and the Bose QuietComfort Ultra Earbuds. I tested both before deciding. I chose Google’s flagship earphones over Bose’s for several reasons.
The Google Pixel Buds Pro 2 are a bright spot in a dull market
A perfect fit with a little extra flair
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Google’s flagship earbuds work seamlessly with my Pixel phone
The whole ecosystem is a pleasure to use
To connect to a Google Pixel phone, open the Google Pixel Bud Pro 2 case nearby. To connect the Bose QuietComfort Ultra Earbuds, take them out of the case, and Google Fast pair does the rest. Unlike the Bose QuietComfort Ultra Earbuds, you don’t need a separate app installed on your Pixel smartphone to manage the device. All the controls you need are located within the Bluetooth settings. You can switch between noise-canceling modes, adjust the equalizer settings, turn on features like Conversation Detection (it pauses the music when you start talking), and so on.
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The battery lasts longer
You can listen to more music at a time
The Google Pixel Buds Pro 2 battery provides eight hours of music at a time with the ANC switched on or 12 hours with it turned off. The charging case provides up to 30 hours of music with ANC or 48 hours without it.
For comparison, the Bose QuietComfort Ultra Earbuds last up to six hours of music with noise-canceling at a time, which is still plenty. However, you get up to 24 hours of music with the charging case, so you must plug it in for a charge more regularly.
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Google’s earbuds are tiny and more comfortable
They have a twist-to-adjust stabilizer
While the Bose QuietComfort Ultra Earbuds look sleek and feel comfortable, I prefer the Google Pixel Buds Pro 2’s design. At 4.7g each, you can barely feel the tiny earbuds in your ear, and I could wear them longer. Bose’s earbuds weigh 6.24g, which isn’t a massive amount more, but it’s enough to make a difference.
I also like that you can twist Google’s earphones into place. The tiny winged stabilizers on each one feel more secure than Bose’s dangling stem design. I found Google’s earbuds better suited to high-intensity workouts.
2
The charging case is smaller and feels sturdier
Google’s case is better
I love the design of the Pixel Buds Pro 2 charging case. It’s smaller than the size of my palm and shaped like a pebble. The plastic is super smooth and feels well-made. The case is small, so I can keep it in my pocket without adding bulk to my pants.
The Bose QuietComfort Ultra Earbuds have a big case. It’s not comfortable to keep in a tight jeans pocket all day. The lid also feels flimsy, and while I’ve not heard of it breaking, it feels like it could.
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Hands-free Gemini Live
You don’t need to press the touch controls
Both sets of earbuds allow you to call the voice assistant built into your phone with a shortcut on the touch controls. The Google Pixel Buds Pro 2 takes that further, giving you access to Gemini Live completely hands-free. All you do is say, “Hey Google, let’s talk Live.” Using the Bose earbuds, you’ll use the touch controls to ask a question, and you must activate the Live feature through the app on your phone. After saying the voice command on the Pixel Buds, you can have a natural two-way conversation with Gemini without touching anything. Get directions, brainstorm ideas, check your emails, and find out more about a topic.
Google Pixel Buds Pro 2 vs. Bose QuietComfort Ultra Earbuds: Which should you buy?
The Google Pixel Buds Pro 2 and the Bose QuietComfort Ultra Earbuds are among the best-performing wireless earbuds in 2025. They offer great sound quality, a stylish and water-resistant design, and useful extra features like spatial audio and multipoint connectivity.
The Bose QuietComfort Ultra Earbuds beat the Pixel Buds Pro 2 in noise-canceling, as they block out a little more of the outside world. However, that’s not to say the Google Pixel Buds Pro 2 doesn’t perform well in this area. They still do a good job of keeping your focus on the music.
The price tag will likely be a deciding factor for most people. The Bose QuietComfort Ultra Earbuds cost $299, whereas the Google Pixel Buds Pro 2 are slightly more affordable at $230. It’s not a huge gap, but it’s enough to make a difference.
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Google Pixel Buds Pro 2
It’s the latest wireless earbuds from Google, featuring an enhanced design, new audio drivers, and new AI features.
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Bose QuietComfort Ultra Earbuds
The Bose QuietComfort Ultra Earbuds deliver excellent active noise cancellation and support Bose’s Immersive Audio feature.
