Bose QuietComfort 15

Short-Term Use (8.00)

The Bose QuietComfort 15s are initially very comfortable. They have a ton of padding on the ear cups, fairly soft padding on the band, and don’t squeeze the head too badly. The one problem: the headphones’ heft, coupled with their relatively weak noggin grip, means they might slide around a bit when you move. We wouldn’t recommend these headphones for those who want a set of headphones for the gym.

The only other caveat we’d add to this is that, if you’re not used to active cancellation, the feature is going to cause you some initial discomfort. Active cancellation can be a bit disorienting at first—it feels like your head is underwater, or like you’ve suddenly lost a good chunk of your hearing—but that unpleasantness fades over time.

Extended Use (6.00)

Over six hours of constant wear, the forces of gravity took their terrible toll and the QC15s’ band padding wasn’t enough to maintain the blissful wear experience we’d had hours prior. They weren’t necessarily uncomfortable, but we were aware there were headphones sitting on our head.

Customizability (7.29)

There really isn’t a whole lot you can do for customizability. There are no faceplates or different padding options included. You can remove the cord if you’re just looking for cancellation, the band is extendable, and the ear cups can swivel and tilt. Typically full-size headphones don’t have nearly as many customization options as in-ears do, which come bundled with multiple sets of sleeves and (at times) in-line accessories.