So the Bose QuietComfort 35 II’s have been my favorite headphones for the past 2 years, primarily for it’s incredibly advanced noise cancelling. And depending on who you ask, people either REALLY love noise cancelling or REALLY hate it. From what I understand, noise cancelling can make certain folks feel anxious or claustrophobic. Personally, it’s my favorite way to become completely immersed in sound and to block out all the noise and distractions while travelling.

The Bose QuietComfort 35 II’s were the reigning champ of noise cancelling headphones until Apple dropped the AirPods Pro into the noise shaming arena.

When the original Apple Airpods were first introduced, I wasn’t really interested in wireless earbuds. Previous Bluetooth earbuds I tried were either really uncomfortable for extended use or were tethered together with a wire. But when the Airpods Pro were announced with active noise cancelling I became very interested. So I started to list the things I needed for daily use headphones. First, they would need high quality noise cancelling. Second, it would have to stand up to daily wear and tear from commuting and travelling. And third, they would need to be portable and easy to use.

These aren’t your Dad’s silicone tips. The Apple Airpods Pro tips are actually comfortable.

So I’m happy to report that the Apple Airpods Pro meets all those needs and in some ways, exceeds them. But let’s compare and contrast with the Bose QuietComfort 35’s. For noise cancelling, the Airpods are on par with the QuietComforts simply because they sound more natural. I’m assuming this is because the silicone tips of the Airpods create a tighter seal within the ear as well as the amount of noise cancelling that has to be performed relative to the size. For example, the QuietComforts have to cover your entire ear to be effective which causes that claustrophobic feeling that some of my friends have described. With the Airpods sealing only your ear canal, that feeling of having your ear trapped in an airtight vacuum isn’t there. Additionally, it has transparency mode which uses the same mics that are performing the active noise cancelling to bring in sound from the outside world.

Do yourself a favor, never workout while wearing Bose QuietComfort II’s. I had to change the cups because they became bacteria traps.

As far as wear and tear goes, my Bose QuietComforts have performed well in a lot of pretty harsh conditions and it shows cosmetically. Although they do come with a hard case, I typically find myself wearing them around my neck or tossing them into a backpack. I traveled with them overseas in the Philippines and they performed admirably. However I did try to work out with them once which really wasn’t a good idea (bacteria traps). Although I’ve only had the Airpods for about a week, caring for them is a lot easier because the exterior is only plastic and silicone. I don’t have to worry about foam tearing off or absorbing sweat like the QuietComforts. Additionally the Airpods are rated IPX4 for water and sweat resistance which gives me the confidence to use them at the gym.

Apple Airpods Pro Transparency Mode aka the Social and Anti-Social switch.

My Bose QuietComforts fold down flat for portability but they still require space for travelling. I like to travel as light as possible with only two carry on bags which is why I’ll have to resort to wearing them around my neck or stuffing them in my camera backpack. With the AirPods Pro it’s very obvious that will never be an issue. In terms of ease of use, the AirPods Pro are incredibly fast with device connection. With the QuietComforts, you have to flip a switch, put the headphones on and wait for the connected to device audio to alert. With the Airpods, you simply put them in your ear, they turn on and it emits a brief sound to let you know you’re connected. This is only a few seconds faster than the QuietComforts but it really does add up and it just feels seamless and integrated so you can jump right into listening to your favorite music or podcast.

So overall, I'm really happy with the Apple Airpods Pro and don’t really see myself using the Bose QuietComfort 35’s as much. I love the size, the sound quality, the noise cancelling and most of all, the ease of use. It simply blends in with day to day routines. I can listen to Spotify, use them for editing on my Macbook or take a phone call and it just works. With my Bose QuietComforts, I always feel that they are there. They don’t blend in with my day to day which is important because wireless headphones are the kind of tech that should naturally augment how we experience sound. And because music and sound are so tied into my creative process, I need less bulkiness and less distractions which is exactly why the Apple Airpods Pro are perfect for my lifestyle.

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