Beats buds vs Bose vs Apple earbuds: Battle of the Buds

Like cellphones, ear buds have become an essential part of our daily lives. They allow us to tune out the annoying background noise and listen to our favorite music anywhere, so it’s worth putting a little thought into picking the best pair. There are so many different styles and brands, how is one to choose? We’ve rounded up buds from three of the most popular brands—Beats, Bose, and Apple—and tested them to pick our favorite.

Bose Earbuds –★★★★

The amazingly comfortable, proprietary Bose StayHear ear tips flex to fit the shape of your ears. Very cool in-ear canal rubber earbuds sit on top of the canal of your ear and not inside it.
Great mids. Really clear vocals, snares, and most instruments.
OK bass. Bass on these is lacking for sure but still does the job.

We recommend Bose for moderate to heavy exercise, sports activities, and travel. They’ll stay in place no matter what. Bose also offers a noise cancelling set, but if that’s an important feature to you, be prepared to pay a hefty premium for it.

Beats Buds -   ★★★1/2

Earbuds are ok on the comfort. Luckily Beats offers three earbuds tip sizes which allows you to find the one that fits your ear best.
Good mids. Beats’ mids are nothing to rave about but they’re certainly good enough.
Amazing Bass. Makes you rethink life once you get the bass pumping.

We recommend Beats more for leisure, office work and light to moderate exercise. They’re solid performers all around, but once you hear the bass it’s hard to believe you’re just wearing earbuds and not a full sized pair of headphones.

Apple Buds - ★★★
Decent comfort in your ear. They feel cheap, but get the job done.
OK mids.
Acceptable bass. Overall sound quality is average. On that note, Apple buds are so common that they basically define what “average” means.

Apple buds are ideal if you want an inexpensive pair. These buds are a great fit for anyone’s ear, but they aren’t designed for sports, mainly light activity or everyday use. They will not hold well in your ear if you are very active. The mic on Apple does seem to be in the most practical location on the control talk button. You can wear these all day and they still don’t bother the ear. The downside is that the audio jack is very delicate, and like any white cable these buds get dirty fast.

To sum up our findings:

Bose buds star rating: 4/5 stars. Beats buds star rating: 3.5/5 stars. Apple earbuds star rating: 3/5 stars.

There we go. Simple enough right? If you want a pair of buds that will last you all day without falling out or making your ears sore, make sure to get a comfortable pair of Bose buds or ear hook design Beats. Most smaller Beats aren’t the best for super long use since they may irritate your ear canal if you don’t find the perfect tip size for yourself. If you want some heart crushing bass make sure you get the Beats buds. Control talk is located on the left side of your buds rather than on the right like an Apple earbuds, which will take some time to get used to if you’re switching brands. Apple buds are best if you’re the type of person who loses them often and don’t want to invest in a better pair. Whichever you choose, it’s time to stop taking earbuds for granted and consider which option offers the features that matter most.