Bose Soundsport Pulse Review: Workout-Ready Wireless Headphones

Last updated on 2022-09-19
By Yvonne

Bose Soundsport Pulse Review - Workout-Ready Wireless Headphones We reviewed the Bose Soundsport Pulse. This set of headphones can enhance your workouts by delivering top-notch sound quality and monitoring your heart rate.

Bose SoundSport Pulse

We like this

High quality sound
Fit for a snuggle
Monitoring heart rate
Water- and sweat-resistant
Included is a carrying case

The Things We Hate

Long periods of uncomfortability can make it unbearable
To navigate tracks, you will need to click an additional button

Bose Soundsport Pulse wireless headphones offer outstanding sound quality, comfort, and long-lasting durability.

This article explains

Design
Comfort
Sound Quality
Battery life
Software
The Key Features
Prices
Concurrence
Final Verdict
Specifications

The Bose Soundsport Pulse headphones were purchased by us to allow our expert reviewer to thoroughly evaluate and test them. Continue reading to see our complete product review.

You don't want excess wires or poor sound quality if you are serious about exercising while listening to music. Bose Soundsport Pulse wireless headphones were designed with you in mind. These headphones are durable and easy to keep in place. They also deliver the same sound quality as the Bose brand.

To test the Bose Soundsport Pulse's endurance for long wear, and to see how they perform during workouts, we spent one week working out and commuting together.

Design: Strong, compact, and sleek

Bose headphones combine form and function with a very stylish, durable packaging. They're very lightweight overall at only 0.81 ounces, but the buds themselves aren't exactly small—each measures 1.1 x 0.9 x 1.2 inches, which is definitely on the large side for an earbud. This means that they are very powerful in terms of sound quality.

You'll find your power button, battery indicator, and Bluetooth signal indicators on the right earbud. This is also the location of the micro-USB charging cable. It is easy to remove the port cover, which can be found in a well-placed location.

Attaching the buds to each other features a rectangle panel with buttons that control volume, call, pausing, music and moving back-and-forth on a playlist. Although the buttons work well and are easy to press, we found that they were a bit awkward for forward and backward movement. The volume buttons are intuitively located on the bottom and top of the panel. We repeatedly used them.

We had to take some time getting used to double tapping the button on either the right or left of the middle multifunction button. It is actually embedded on the panel. This prompt responds quickly and you can move forward or backward a track without any lag. It's an awkward way to learn.

You can also attach your headphones to your shirt with the included plastic clip.

These headphones are light enough to be carried in a bag or pocket, but Bose also provides a carabiner and a carrying case for easy storage and travel. The inside has a mesh panel, making it a convenient place for storing the other wings and ear tips that are included with the headphones.

Comfort: The is a little heavy but very comfortable

The Soundsport Pulse headphones look great, but they are very comfortable. The ear bud has a tip or wing to fit in your ear. It was easy to get a perfect fit. We didn't need to worry about finding the right size. There were small, medium and large options. We felt that the eartips were securely in place and didn't move or risk of falling out. This was a great feature, even when we did sweaty outdoor exercises.

These headphones were worn for approximately two hours during our tests. They were not uncomfortable to wear and we didn't want to take them off. While they were fine to listen to while driving or doing other normal activities, we found we prefer smaller earbuds for when we are not working out. Strangely enough, the bulk and weight of the earbuds was more obvious when they weren't being used for a workout.

The Soundsport Pulse headphones look great, but they are deceptively comfy.

The StayHear+Pulse Tips on the headphones are soft silicone and the reason for this comfortable fit. Bose claims they are different than other tips and that their form helps to create a better seal inside your ears for a snug fit. These headphones felt very secure and comfortable every time they were worn.

Bose stresses the Soundsport Pulse’s resistance to rain, sweat and water. We feel confident backing that up with our own testing. They are IPX4 water-resistance rated, meaning they will not be affected by water splashing. The sweat resistance was tested on several runs at 80 degrees and we didn't notice any slippage or compromised fit.

We also tested their sweat from long, strenuous exercises. To see if it could withstand splashing water we put water on them. They held up to the splashing. They lasted for hours without any sound or fit issues. These headphones will not withstand heavy rain or humidity.

Sound Quality : Rich, full-bodied, and fully immersive

The Soundsport Pulse's rich, warm and bassy sound quality is what we love about it. We were never disappointed with the quality of the sound regardless of the music genre we chose to listen to.

And while there's no active noise cancellation at work, we did find that wearing these headphones in noisy areas—and even in the midst of a fireworks display—definitely offered some effective passive noise cancellation. The headphones did not completely block out outside noises, which was important when we ran on busy streets. However, the background noise dampening made it a more enjoyable experience to listen to what was being played while running.

We were impressed by the quality of the sound regardless of the music genre we heard.

Battery life: Excellent but not exceptional

Bose claims that the headphones can last for five hours with a single charge. We found this to be true. Although charging them from zero took approximately two hours, it only took 15 minutes to get about one hour of play time.

Although five hours may seem like a lot, even the cheapest models can provide around eight hours. These headphones will last you for an hour to listen and then charge up over the course of the day. These headphones can be recharged every other day if they are being used for everyday commutes and exercise.

Software: At this stage is not very feature-rich.

There are a few options to pair your smartphone with the Soundsport Pulse. You can use the built-in NFC technology to connect that way or go mobile with an app.

It is easy and fast to download the Bose Connect App to pair your Soundsport Pulse with your smartphone. If you wish, they can be paired to another device. That's about it. The app can be used to monitor your heart rate and battery life, as well as play music from your Apple Music account, if one is available. You can use the Bose Connect App to switch between forward and backward in Spotify or another streaming app like Spotify. There aren't any additional wellness features or bonus benefits.

Features Key: Accurate Heart-rate Monitoring

The heart rate monitoring feature is one of the main reasons people want wireless headphones. This data is captured by the left earbud and can be seen in the Bose Connect companion app.

The headphones' heart rate measurements were compared to those from our Garmin watch, which has a built in heart rate monitor. We were amazed to see that Soundsport Pulse data was nearly identical to that of the Garmin. The heart rate monitor function was also a great feature for Strava workouts. These headphones can be used as the primary source of data for your workouts.

Endomondo, Runkeeper and Map My Run are some of the other supported apps. This integration could make it easier to use the headphones' heart rate monitoring capabilities. The Bose Connect can show this information, but that is all you have.

Prices: A bit steep

Bose Soundsport Pulse wireless headsets retail at $199.95. Usually, they sell for around $175 to $200. This price is quite high, particularly when you compare it to the other options.

Similar heart-rate-monitoring headphones like the LifeBEAM Vi Sense wireless headphones retail for a similar price, but they also come with some extra bells and whistles like fitness tracking and coaching features. Jabra Sport Pulse special edition has a $160 list price, but it also includes VO2 max metrics as well as a coaching app.

But if you aren't striving for big training goals, those extra bonuses may not make a difference—the durability and high-quality sound of the Soundsport Pulse may be all you need for regular gym sessions.

Competiton: App support and battery life

The similarities of similar headphones that have heart rate monitoring are not limited to this feature. This feature is enhanced by longer battery life, a variety of metrics and training tools.

Both are possible with the LifeBEAM Vi Sense wireless headphones. The headphones have a battery life of over 8 hours and an integrated trainer named Vi. The Vi Trainer app gives you the opportunity to become a personal trainer for your marathon training and motivation. This support is available for free for one year. However, Vi will charge $10 per month to keep you connected with Vi after the trial expires.

Jabra Sport Pulse special edition headphones have a similar battery life as the Soundsport Pulse. However, you will also be able to access the Jabra Sports app which can be used to track your activity and train you. The app allows you to view real-time data, such as your heart rate, pace and VO2 max. The Jabra app offers coaching feedback, just like Vi.

The Soundsport Pulse is a great companion to your running and routine exercises, even if you don't want to get into a coaching relationship.

These headphones can be stacked with other fitness headphone choices. Check out our list of top-rated waterproof Bluetooth headphones and the best exercise headphones.

Final Verdict

Great fit and sound.

Bose Soundsport Pulse wireless headsets are rugged and stylish. They deliver high-quality audio and an excellent fit. The accurate heart rate tracking is also a nice bonus, but the app lacks robust fitness insights—we'd recommend linking your data to another more full-featured fitness tracking app.