Bose just pulled the wraps off the Sport Open Earbuds, the newest name in its growing headphone catalog.
Built for running, workouts, and time spent outdoors, the question is how this compares to the original Sport Earbuds Bose released back in 2020. If you already own that older pair, does this new version actually justify an upgrade?
Before we publish our full Bose Sport Open Earbuds review, we lined up its specs against the Sport Earbuds and pulled out the changes that matter most.
Bose Sport Open Earbuds vs Sport Earbuds Price and Availability
The Bose Sport Open Earbuds hit shelves starting October 15, priced at $199 or £179.95. You’ll have a choice of Black, White Smoke, or a limited-edition Eucalyptus Green.
The original Bose Sport Earbuds, by comparison, aren’t easy to find for purchase anymore. When they were available, though, they carried the exact same £179.95 price tag as this new model.
Bose Sport Open Earbuds Design
The biggest shift here comes down to design. The original Sport Earbuds used tips that sit inside your ear canal. The Sport Open Earbuds ditch that entirely, using bone conduction and a C-arm cuff that wraps around your ear instead of going inside it.
You may also like: Bose Launches New Sport and Ultra Open Earbuds Lineup
If you’ve never tried open-ear buds, the idea might sound strange at first. And yes, by design, they skip active noise cancellation entirely. That’s not an oversight though, it’s the whole point. These buds let you stay aware of traffic, announcements, and people around you while still playing your music.
Bose also built in Auto Volume, which adjusts loudness automatically as the noise around you changes.
So how does sound quality hold up with an open design? Bose says the Sport Open runs on its OpenAudio technology, engineered to deliver what the company calls rich, personal sound despite the open fit. Bose’s SoundDesign processing adds balanced clarity and deeper bass on top of that.
Bose Sport Open Earbuds are rated IP54
Workout earbuds need to survive sweat, rain, and the occasional drop, so durability matters here. The original Sport Earbuds carried an IPX4 rating, meaning they handle water splashes fine but offer no real dust protection. The Sport Open Earbuds step that up to IP54, which covers both water splashes and dust resistance.
You’ll also find textured physical buttons on the buds, designed to work even when your fingers are sweaty mid-workout. Bose claims the cuff design keeps them locked in place through head shakes, and even, according to Bose, cartwheels.
You may also like: Best Bose Headphones and Earbuds to Buy in 2026
We can’t promise we’ll be testing that cartwheel claim specifically, but we’ll report back on how secure these buds actually feel once we’ve put them through a proper review.
Bose Sport Open Earbuds vs Sport Earbuds Battery Life
Bose claimed the Sport Earbuds would last up to five hours per earbud, with the case adding another 15 hours on top. Our own testing came in lower, closer to three or four hours per charge. That’s not a massive gap, but it does mean keeping your case topped up matters if you don’t want to get caught out.
On the case itself, the Sport Earbuds missed out on wireless charging entirely. Not a dealbreaker by any means, but a missed convenience nonetheless. The Sport Open Earbuds fix that with a wireless charging case, and it stores up to 22 hours of extra power.
You may also like: CMF Buds Neo Launch at $21, Cheaper Than Apple EarPods
Bose is also promising seven hours of battery life per earbud this time around. Given the older Sport Earbuds fell short of their own claims, we’ll need to actually test the Sport Open before confirming whether Bose gets closer to the mark this time.
Bose Sport Open Earbuds vs Sport Earbuds: Google Find Hub and Alexa+
Bose confirmed that a firmware update, arriving alongside the Ultra Open Earbuds (2nd Gen), will come with new features. That includes Google Find Hub for tracking down lost buds, plus built-in Alexa+ support for hands-free control. The original Sport Earbuds never had a built-in voice assistant of their own, though you could still access one through whatever phone or device you had paired.
Bose Sport Open Earbuds vs Sport Earbuds Early Verdict
We haven’t gotten our hands on the Bose Sport Open Earbuds yet, so a full verdict will have to wait for our proper review. That said, the signs point in a good direction.
An open-ear design that keeps you tuned into your surroundings without sacrificing sound quality, a longer battery life, and a tougher IP rating all suggest this could be a genuinely solid upgrade over the original Sport Earbuds.
