Appliances might be smarter than ever, but 2025 study data from J.D. Power suggests that they aren’t as reliable as they used to be. Senior managing director of retail practice at J.D. Power, Michael Taylor, explained that although “modern appliances are far more sophisticated and packed with more technologies than ever before,” the increased complexity of today’s appliances means that there are more systems to potentially go wrong. As a result, he said that reliability was now a “critical factor” in picking a new appliance.
According to the study, buyers looking for the most reliable French door refrigerator from a major refrigerator brand should look toward GE’s current lineup. The brand saw the lowest number of problems per 100 appliances (PP100), with owners reporting 65 PP100. GE’s score was slightly ahead of Whirlpool’s rival refrigerators, which saw 68 PP100 reported. The third most reliable brand in the segment was LG, with owners reporting 74 PP100.
French door refrigerators suffered from more problems on average than most other types of appliances. Across the category, owners reported 76 PP100 on average, while side-by-side refrigerators were subject to 68 PP100 on average. Two appliance categories shared top honors for being the most reliable on average: cooking appliances and clothes dryers. Both saw an average of 56 PP100 reported.
GE scored highly for reliability in other categories
Aaron of L.A. Photography/Shutterstock
Although it didn’t quite achieve a clean sweep, GE managed a first-place finish for reliability in almost all appliance categories in J.D. Power’s study. As well as being the most reliable French door refrigerator brand, GE also took top honors in the clothes dryer, front-load washer, and top-load washer categories, among others. However, not everyone agrees with J.D. Power’s verdict, with Consumer Reports crowning LG’s front-load washers the best on the market.
Even so, J.D. Power’s study unequivocally puts GE’s home appliance range at the top of the pile for reliability. As a bonus, when things do go wrong, the study claims that GE has the best service experience, too. The brand received 778 points for its appliance service out of a possible 1,000 points, while Samsung earned second place with a score of 768 points. Unfortunately, owners of Samsung appliances are more likely to end up testing out its appliance service than most, since the Korean brand’s appliances were subject to more problems than average in seven out of eight appliance categories.
An impressive take on wearable audio, the Bose Open Ultra Earbuds boast good sound, great comfort and a solid list of features.
Comfortable to wear
Clear, detailed sound
Solid battery life
Fashionable looks
Weak noise isolation
Indifferent call quality
Lacks bass
Expensive
Key Features
Immersive Audio
Turns stereo music into 3D audio
Bluetooth support
aptX Adaptive and Snapdragon Sound support
OpenAudio
Fires audio into the ear without leakage
Introduction
When Bose enters a market it tends to make (sound) waves. It was no different when it entered into the open-ear headphones space with the Ultra Open Earbuds.
When it first launched, it was a unique take on open-ear headphones; the like of which has been subsequently copied over and over. While Shokz is the leader in terms of sales with open-ear headphones, Bose showed that it be innovative and forward-looking.
Wearable audio has its compromises but they offer the freedom other types of headphones can’t achieve. They’re a tricky concept to pull off, but at the first time of asking, Bose executed it pretty well with the Ultra Open Earbuds.
Advertisement
Design
Cuff design
IPX4 rating
Physical controls
Bose’s approach to Ultra Open Earbuds’ aesthetics is more in line with fashion accessory than true wireless earbuds.
The brushed metallic finish is distinct, and more colours have launched since the original choice of black and white, with – take a deep breath – Colour Sunset Iridescent (the sample you see here): Violet, Plum, Gold, Lilac, Grey, Blue, Driftwood Sand, and Moonstone Blue.
Image Credit (Trusted Reviews)
I always moan about headphone brands never taking advantage of colours and bringing some personality to its headphones, but that’s not a complaint I can level at Bose here.
Advertisement
Comfort and a secure fit are the priorities, with the earphones fastening around the earlobe in a “cuff design”.
There are three parts: the driver section along with the battery barrel, which connect via a silicon coated flex arm. Unlike a traditional wireless earbud, these buds don’t block the ear canal but allow sounds to pass through.
Image Credit (Trusted Reviews)
On top of the battery barrel is a physical button which when it’s depressed emits a helpful click. I tend to hold the top and bottom in a pincer, that way the earbuds don’t move. You can control playback, volume, the Immersive Audio feature, as well as any shortcuts through the buttons on each earphone.
After a while it becomes incredibly easy to clip them on, even with my predominantly weaker hand. And once they’re attached they don’t pinch or cause irritation. They’re very comfortable to wear and after a few minutes I forget that they’re even there.
The weigh little, and you can shift them up and down your ear for the best comfort or position to play audio – it’s a rather clever design. Wearing the earbuds with music playing, there’s little audio leakage even at high volumes.
Advertisement
Image Credit (Trusted Reviews)
If you’re someone who dislikes the presence of true wireless earbuds, you’ll appreciate the lengths Bose has gone to here.
They’re rated IPX4 to guard against water and moisture. The charging case is compact, and the earbuds magnetically fasten. There’s a Bluetooth pairing button on the case with a USB-C port for charging on the underside.
Features
aptX Adaptive Bluetooth
Bose Immersive Audio
Bose app
Bluetooth support equals v5.3 with support for SBC, AAC, and aptX Adaptive (for Android devices). There’s also Snapdragon Sound support for those who want a higher quality sound and lower latency Bluetooth performance with compatible devices. That seems like overkill for a pair of headphones like these, but does help with maintaining a secure connection.
There’s Google Fast Pair for Android devices, while Bluetooth multipoint was added in an update back in 2024. Wireless connectivity has been solid – weak connections have been few and far between.
Advertisement
Image Credit (Trusted Reviews)
The Bose app is where you can monitor battery life, volume control, adjust EQ settings and switch modes – Stereo or Immersion. The app has a tendency to be flaky with connection issues or unresponsiveness par for the course. Sometimes I’ve had to restart my smartphone or put the earbuds in the case to get the app working again.
Immersive Audio turns stereo audio into 3D. It requires (a very brief) calibration to set up. If you find that Immersive Audio doesn’t sound right, it can always be re-calibrated.
There’s a choice of modes in Still and Motion. The former keeps 3D audio fixed, so if you move your head to the right, music doesn’t travel with you. With Motion, music travels as you move your head, keeping the listener in that immersive space as you walk about.
Image Credit (Trusted Reviews)
The buds have been updated with the Auto Volume feature that adapts the volume in accordance with how loud the environment is; while voice pickup has been tweaked though it doesn’t seem to have yielded a positive effect.
Advertisement
The call quality of these earphones is still rough. They have a trend of not picking up noise when I’m not speaking, but as soon as I open my mouth allowing a cascade of noise to flood in. While voice pickup seems reliable enough when it’s quiet, the person on the other end found it hard to hear what I was saying and divorce it from the loud environments or blustery conditions.
On my side I found it hard to hear what they were saying even with the volume turned up to the max. Any continuous loud sound (basically being outside) made it difficult to have a conversation. If you’re going to use these earphones for calls, make sure you’re in a very quiet place.
Battery Life
28 hours battery total
Optional wireless charging case
In general Bose expects 7.5 hours from the Ultra Open Earbuds, which is more than the Sony LinkBuds 5.5 hours but less than the Shokz OpenFit Pro’s 10. With Immersive Audio that figure drops to 4.5 hours.
Image Credit (Trusted Reviews)
There’s another 19.5 hours from the charging case (12 with Immersive Audio on), which makes for about 28 hours in total. In the battery drains I carried out, the Open Ultra lost 30% battery in two hours, which puts them around the 7+ hour mark, in line with Bose’s claims.
Advertisement
Fast charging is supported with two minutes providing two hours, and there is wireless charging support though it requires a slip-on accessory. For a £299 pair of headphones, it’s odd it’s not included as standard. Even £70 wireless earbuds are know to include the feature.
Sound Quality
Clear audio
Lacks bass extension
Wireless earphones such as these live or die on sound quality. There are obvious compromises due to the form factor, and as these headphones lack any form of noise reduction that Apple and Shokz pairs have included, I would not recommend them on public transport or anywhere else loud as you’ll struggle to hear anything.
But in the right environment, these are one of the better-sounding open earphones I’ve tested, even in 2026. They sound better than Sony’s original LinkBuds, and where they edge those earphones is in the clarity they afford mids and highs; and they’re better than the warm sound of the Shokz OpenFit Pro, though where the Bose are found wanting is in the bass department.
A listen to Esperanza Spalding’s I Know You Know sees the Bose offer a crisper, more defined midrange to the Sony’s smoother and warmer performance. The LinkBuds don’t carry as much detail, and sound softer as a result.
Image Credit (Trusted Reviews)
Advertisement
With Bill Evans’ All Of You, the Bose are clearer and brighter in describing the tinkling of the ivories. The Ultra Open Earbuds show a more capable and assured hand as far as reproducing high frequencies are concerned.
They’re also capable of going louder than the Sony, useful enough in loud environments but just better in terms of the default volume. Ultimately though, the louder they are, the thinner and more hollow they sound.
Where the Bose Ultra Open Earbuds most obviously falter is in the bass. While there’s some bass presence, there’s a flatness with tracks such as Katy B’s Katy on a Mission where the Shokz finds more warmth and presence with the lows. The Bose aren’t the most energetic sounding pair of open-ear headphones I’ve tested.
Image Credit (Trusted Reviews)
The soundstage is not the widest but the Immersive Audio works does open the sound up not just in front of you and to the sides as well. Having tested all the Bose headphones over the past four years, the Open Ultra Earbuds struggle to convey Immersive Audio at its best.
Turning on Immersive Audio on thins out music and makes it sound softer. Worse is the lack of noise isolation. When I used them on a train, they sounded so faint against the noise of the carriage that I wasn’t even sure I could hear anything. If there’s a second version on the way, they’d benefit from having some form of noise reduction, if the design allows for it.
Advertisement
Should you buy it?
Awareness of what’s around you
If you want awareness of what’s around you, the Bose hit the mark with good comfort levels too
The price makes you blink
These are the most expensive open earbuds I’ve tested, and even in 2026, they’re still among the most expensive pairs
Final Thoughts
The Bose Ultra Open Earbuds are one of the best examples of the open-headphone concept so far, even in 2026, two years after they launched.
They sound better than I expected though there’s still a struggle with external noises and reproducing bass. If you’re in a loud environment it’s hard to hear what’s playing without turning the volume up to full.
They’re very comfortable to wear and will satisfy those after a headphone that’s also a fashion item. The feature set is solid, although call quality isn’t great, especially in loud places.
They still command a premium price but you can find them discounted by up to £100 (which would suggest that s sequel is in the offing). In light of the limitations of open-ears provide, Bose’s first attempt is a very accomplished one.
How We Test
The Bose Open Ultra Earbuds were tested over the course of a month with real world testing.
Tested for a month
Tested with real world use
Battery drain carried out
FAQs
Do the Bose Ultra Open Earbuds support Bluetooth multipoint?
At launch they didn’t, but an update in July 2024 added the feature to the earphones.
To provide the best experiences, we use technologies like cookies to store and/or access device information. Consenting to these technologies will allow us to process data such as browsing behavior or unique IDs on this site. Not consenting or withdrawing consent, may adversely affect certain features and functions.
Functional
Always active
The technical storage or access is strictly necessary for the legitimate purpose of enabling the use of a specific service explicitly requested by the subscriber or user, or for the sole purpose of carrying out the transmission of a communication over an electronic communications network.
Preferences
The technical storage or access is necessary for the legitimate purpose of storing preferences that are not requested by the subscriber or user.
Statistics
The technical storage or access that is used exclusively for statistical purposes.The technical storage or access that is used exclusively for anonymous statistical purposes. Without a subpoena, voluntary compliance on the part of your Internet Service Provider, or additional records from a third party, information stored or retrieved for this purpose alone cannot usually be used to identify you.
Marketing
The technical storage or access is required to create user profiles to send advertising, or to track the user on a website or across several websites for similar marketing purposes.
