I got to finally review and test my Bose Quite Comforts Noise Cancelling Headphones on an international flight. I’ve been able to wear them in and around the office as well as a home and a few domestic flights but what I really wanted to get a gauge on was how they held up on an international flight with over 8 hours of play time. I was always told that the background white noise of the plane could make you feel worn down and drained, but I found it strange that some white noise machines meant to calm had a setting for “airplane noise”. In a rough science experiment, I decided to keep the headphones on for most of the flight and see how I felt afterward.
Wearability
These are the softest over the earpieces I have ever used. Even after a few hours, and with glasses on, there was no pain anywhere which was shocking. Other headsets I had used in the past, even if they started off comfortable, overtime would cause some discomfort from the pressure against the head. Even with the extremely light pressure, the earpieces created a nice seal providing great quality sound. As in all over the top headphones, it was hard to rest on the side of your head due to the sides but unless you are using earbuds, all headphones will have this problem.
Sound
The sound as expected from Bose headphones was really clear. I cycled through some classical, hip hop, EDM, folk and basic easy listening and the sound quality was really good across all the genres and the sounds they produced.
Noise Cancelling
Incredible. I was seated right over the back of the wing on a four-engine, two story 747. The plane is insulated very well but even the best insulation is no match for a jet engine ten feet away from your head. As soon as I flipped the switch on my headset, it was as if the engines had shut off. I could hear a soft hum of passing air but it was as if the volume on a TV had gone from a 10 to a 1 in an instant. I instantly wanted to google how this technology worked, but we were already in airplane mode so I just had to assume it was good old fashion magic.
Battery Life
The final verdict is out but I went a full 8 hours on the first flight and then another 8 on the second leg and have not replaced the battery as of yet or been notified if the battery is low. At this point, the battery life is rated somewhere between really good to excellent.
Overall and Results
I was thoroughly impressed by the Bose Quiet Comfort Noise Cancelling Headphones. I had used the cabled version which provided some annoyances, so I imagine moving up to the Bluetooth version would be a nice upgrade. Overall when I landed, I do feel like I felt a lot better rested then I do when I normally fly internationally. Some of that could be a placebo effect of knowing I was experimenting with the headphones, but I did not feel as dazed and groggy as I do getting off my flight even with all the time zone hops. The noise canceling was worth it, as listening to music or movies without having the sound fight over the jet engine made everything sound a lot better. Overall, I don’t think I will fly long haul with noise canceling headphones again.