Bose QuietComfort Headphones Black Friday 2026: Ultra or Standard?

For Black Friday 2026, the choice in Bose QuietComfort headphones comes down to two current lines, each in a 2nd Gen version. The QuietComfort Ultra Headphones (2nd Gen) list up to 30 hours of battery. The standard QuietComfort Headphones (2nd Gen) list up to 24 hours and now share the Ultra’s Immersive Audio. Older QC45 and first-generation pairs also circulate.

Ultra or standard: what separates them

The QuietComfort Ultra Headphones (2nd Gen) launched in September 2025. Bose rates them at up to 30 hours of battery, 23 hours with Immersive Audio on and up to 45 hours with noise cancelling turned off. They offer lossless audio over USB-C, a Cinema mode, on-head detection that drops into a low-power standby, and charging while in use. Bluetooth 5.4 with multipoint lets them hold two devices at once. Polished metal yokes set them apart from the standard model.

The QuietComfort Headphones (2nd Gen) followed on August 6, 2026. They gained Immersive Audio through TrueSpatial, with Still, Motion and Cinema modes, which Bose had previously kept for Ultra models. They use six microphones for noise cancelling, lossless USB-C audio up to 24-bit/48 kHz, Bluetooth 5.4 with multipoint, physical buttons and oval earcups. Battery is rated at up to 24 hours, or 18 with Immersive Audio, and a 15-minute charge gives up to 2.5 hours. Google Fast Pair is supported for quicker setup with Android phones.

Bose QuietComfort headphones to compare

QuietComfort is the Bose line of noise-cancelling headphones, with the Ultra at the top. Check the model name and color in the listing and that it is new and sealed.

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• QC Ultra HeadphonesBrowse →
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• QuietComfort 45Browse →
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• White SmokeBrowse →

The older models you will still see

Several earlier QuietComfort headphones stay in circulation as new old stock, open box or refurbished units:

The first QuietComfort Headphones from 2023 carry no number in the name, which makes them easy to confuse with the 2026 2nd Gen. A listing should state the generation outright.

Colors and what comes in the box

Both 2nd Gen models come in Black and White Smoke. Bose also named limited colors at launch: Driftwood Sand and Midnight Violet for the QC Ultra Headphones (2nd Gen), and Eucalyptus Green, Dewdrop Mint and Rosewood Mauve for the QuietComfort Headphones (2nd Gen). A limited color helps confirm the generation, since each one belongs to a single model.

The QuietComfort Headphones (2nd Gen) ship with a USB-C to 3.5 mm cable for wired listening. For the rest of the range, the box contents are worth reading line by line on the listing.

For the other Bose families, see the Bose Black Friday guide, or compare in-ear models on the QuietComfort earbuds page.

Quick listing check

1. Does the title say Ultra or standard, and which generation?
2. Is the color one Bose sold for that generation?
3. Is it new, open box or refurbished, and who covers the warranty?
4. Are the case and cables included, with the 3.5 mm cable if you listen wired on a plane?
5. On a used QC45, is the battery health described? The battery cannot be swapped.