I spent thirty years in live sound, which means I spent thirty years around loud things. These days, when I fly from San Luis Obispo to see family on Oahu, I want quiet more than I want anything else. The Bose QuietComfort headphones have become the single piece of gear I refuse to leave out of my carry-on backpack, and after a few round trips I have a list of reasons why.
The headphones I pack for every flight
Bose QuietComfort headphones cut the cabin roar, fit in a carry-on, and last through a long-haul day. They are the pair I reach for every time I head to the airport.
Amazon Check Today's Price on Amazon →The cabin noise disappears, not just fades
The first time I put these on during takeoff, the engine roar dropped to something I could ignore. It is not silence, exactly. It is the difference between sitting next to a loud conversation and sitting far enough away that you only catch the shape of it. For a guy who spent decades protecting his ears on stage, that matters. On a recent red-eye out of LAX, I put them on before the wheels left the runway and did not take them off until we were on the ground in Honolulu. The flight attendant had to tap my shoulder to ask if I wanted a drink, because I could not hear her over the cabin noise, or rather, I could not hear her because the cabin noise was gone. That is the moment I knew the Bose pair was doing something my old earbuds never could.
You can actually hear movies and music at a sane volume
Without noise cancelling, I used to crank the volume to beat the engine. With the Bose pair, I keep the volume low and still catch every word of a movie. My ears thank me on the other end of a five hour flight. I tested this on a flight to Oahu with a movie I had seen before, just to see if I could follow the dialogue without subtitles. I could. The volume was low enough that the person next to me could not hear it, and I did not feel that familiar fatigue in my ears after landing. For someone who has spent a career around loud monitors, that is the kind of detail I notice.
They turn a crying baby into a background detail
I am not going to claim they erase a crying baby. They turn it into something you can choose to tune out, which is the next best thing. On a full flight from the mainland to Honolulu, that made a real difference. There was a little one two rows ahead who was not having a good time, and the parents were doing their best. With the Bose pair on, the sound became a distant shape rather than a sharp edge. I could still tell something was happening, but it did not pull my attention. I have sat on enough flights without noise cancelling to know how much of my energy that used to take.
The battery outlasts the flight, and then some
Bose rates these for about 24 hours of wireless listening with noise cancelling on. I have flown to Oahu, spent the day, and flown back without charging. I still have not seen the battery hit empty. On one trip, I left the house with a full charge, flew from San Luis Obispo to Honolulu, spent the afternoon at Lani's family's place, and flew back the next morning. I did not pack the charging cable, which was a small gamble, and I did not need it. The battery meter on my phone showed the headphones still had plenty left when I got home. That kind of margin is what I want when I am traveling with one carry-on backpack and no room for extra cables.
They fold flat into a carry-on backpack
I pack everything for a trip into one carry-on backpack. These headphones fold flat and slide into the top pocket without a fight. That alone puts them ahead of every bulky pair I have owned. The case is about the size of a paperback book when the headphones are folded, and it fits in the same pocket as my charging brick and a paperback. I have taken them on a weekend trip to the Bay Area and a longer trip to Oahu, and I have never had to rearrange my bag to make them fit. For someone who packs light, that is the difference between bringing the headphones and leaving them home.
The ear cushions stay comfortable for hours
I have worn these through a full flight plus a layover without the usual sore ears. The cushions are soft and the clamping pressure is gentle. For someone who wears headphones for work and for pleasure, that is a big deal. I wore them for a six hour stretch on a flight to Honolulu, then kept them on through a two hour layover in the terminal, and my ears only started to complain when I finally took them off. The weight is balanced, so I do not feel them pulling on my head. I have owned pairs that felt fine for an hour and punishing by hour three. These are the first ones that disappear on my head.
The sound is honest, not hyped
I mixed live sound for a long time, so I notice when headphones color the music. The Bose pair sounds natural. Acoustic guitar and ukulele come through clean, which is what I listen to most. No fake bass, no harsh treble. I have a playlist of old Hawaiian slack key guitar that I know note for note, and through these headphones the strings sound like they are in the room. The midrange is clear without being shouty, and the highs are smooth. I do not reach for an equalizer, which is the highest compliment I can give any piece of audio gear.
The controls are simple enough to use blind
The buttons are on the right earcup and they are easy to find without looking. I can pause, skip, and adjust volume while my eyes stay on the window. That sounds small until you are half asleep at 35,000 feet. On a recent flight, I had a window seat and did not want to wake the person next to me. I reached up, found the button by feel, and skipped a track without ever opening my eyes. The volume rocker has a clear click, so I know exactly how many steps I am taking. It is the kind of design that feels obvious once you use it, and that is the best thing I can say about it.
They double as ear protection on the ground
I use them in the airport too, during boarding and while waiting at the gate. They cut the terminal noise the same way they cut the cabin noise. For someone who values his hearing, that is a bonus I did not expect. I have worn them through the security line at SFO and while waiting for a delayed flight at LAX, and the difference is noticeable. The announcements become a low murmur, the clatter of carts fades, and I can read a book without re-reading the same sentence. I have even worn them on the tarmac walk at smaller airports, where the plane noise is the loudest part of the trip.
They make the whole trip feel less exhausting
A flight with constant noise wears you down. A flight with the noise turned down leaves you with more energy at the other end. I land in Honolulu feeling like I actually traveled, not like I was dragged through a machine. On my last trip, I landed, picked up my rental car, and drove straight to Lani's family's place for dinner without needing a nap first. That never happened before I started flying with noise cancelling. The quiet does not just make the flight more pleasant. It gives me back the first few hours of the trip, and for someone who travels a few times a year, that adds up.
What I'd Skip
If you only fly once a year and you are happy with earbuds, you do not need these. They are an investment, and they only earn their keep if you actually use them. Also, if you want the absolute last word in noise cancelling, the Sony WH-1000XM5 is worth a look. I have compared the two, and the Bose pair wins for me because of the fit and the battery life. But the Sony is a strong alternative, and you should not buy either without thinking about how you travel.
I land in Honolulu feeling like I actually traveled, not like I was dragged through a machine.
Pack a quieter flight next time
The Bose QuietComfort headphones are the pair I trust for every trip. If you fly with any regularity, they will change how you feel when you land.
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