Bose QuietComfort 45 Review: Best ANC Headphones for Long Wear

The Bose QuietComfort 45 is the headphone I recommend most often for people who wear headphones all day. The ANC is not the most aggressive available in 2026, but the ear cushion comfort is in a category of its own — and comfort matters more than ANC depth when you are at hour 7 of a workday.

Comfort

Bose has refined the QC ear cushion design over two decades. The QC45 uses angled ear cups with soft synthetic leather over memory foam. The clamping force is light enough that you forget you are wearing them, but firm enough to maintain the acoustic seal required for ANC.

After 8 hours of continuous wear, the ear temperature increases noticeably (the synthetic leather traps more heat than fabric alternatives) but there is no pressure pain. Most competitors cause some degree of discomfort within 4 to 6 hours. The QC45 does not.

The headband padding is generous without being bulky. Weight is 238 grams, which is lighter than the Sony XM5 (250 grams) and significantly lighter than the AirPods Max (385 grams).

ANC Performance

The QC45 ANC is excellent. At aircraft cabin frequencies (100-300 Hz), it reduces perceived noise to near-silence with the right seal. HVAC noise in offices disappears. Road noise in cars drops to a low hum.

The XM5 performs slightly better in controlled testing at very low frequencies (below 100 Hz). In practical use on commercial aircraft, I cannot reliably identify which headphone has better ANC in a blind test. The difference exists but it is smaller than most comparisons suggest.

Where the QC45 genuinely trails the XM5: speech-frequency noise in moderately loud environments. Loud office conversations and restaurant noise cut through the QC45 ANC more than the XM5. For open office use with many colleagues, this is noticeable.

Awareness Mode

This is the QC45's second standout feature after comfort. The awareness mode is the most natural-sounding implementation I have tested — better than the Sony XM5 and close to AirPods Max, which holds the top position.

In awareness mode, voices from colleagues sound like they are genuinely in the room rather than coming through a speaker. The pitch and spatial positioning of sounds is preserved accurately. This makes the QC45 more practical in environments where you alternate between focused listening and desk-side conversations.

Call Quality

The QC45 microphone is adequate for video calls in quiet environments. In noisy environments — cafes, open offices — background noise bleeds through to call participants more than dedicated UC headsets. This is a consumer headphone limitation, not a QC45-specific failing.

For professionals who spend significant time on calls in noisy environments, a dedicated UC headset remains the better choice. For typical knowledge workers in moderate office noise, the QC45 is fine.

No Multipoint Bluetooth

The QC45's most significant everyday limitation: it connects to one device at a time. Switching from a laptop call to a phone call requires manually disconnecting from one device and connecting to another through the Bluetooth menu.

The Sony XM5 added multipoint Bluetooth for simultaneous connection to two devices. The QC45 does not have this. If you regularly switch between a laptop and phone, this friction accumulates into a genuine annoyance.

Sound Quality

The QC45 has a warm, slightly bass-forward tuning that works well for podcasts, voices, and casual music listening. It is not a neutral reference sound. People who listen to a lot of electronic music or hip hop will find the bass satisfying; people who prefer neutral or analytical sound will find the XM5 more accurate.

The sound quality is not the reason to buy the QC45 — the comfort and awareness mode are. The audio is good enough for all content types without being exceptional for any.

Verdict

The Bose QC45 is the right headphone if you wear headphones for extended periods — 6+ hours of daily use — and want to forget they are on your head. The ANC is excellent for the majority of noise environments. The awareness mode is better than any competitor except AirPods Max. The lack of multipoint Bluetooth is the only feature I genuinely miss versus the Sony XM5.

For pure noise cancellation performance, the Sony WH-1000XM5 is ahead. For comfort-first extended wear, the QC45 is the better choice.