Like most human beings, I hate airports.
Most of all, I hate airports in the summer time.
Between hordes of airport-pub-fuelled lads on tour, endless hanging around in front of departures boards, the throat-constricting stench of duty-free perfume and my innate terror of taking to the air, I rarely manage to have anything short of a terrible time at the start of a holiday.
If I were a more stoic person, I might take this as par for the course: a small, endurable discomfort, for the privilege of international travel. Sometimes I can entertain this sentiment, if briefly.
On previous journeys – always with cheap headphones I picked up last minute after forgetting mine at home – I have tried to find serenity in calming piano playlists and ambient jazz mixes. But, whether due to a glitching Bluetooth connection or tinny, unpleasant sound, things have never quite gone to plan.
What I mean to say is that something has to change. Not the airports; I understand they are a necessary evil. But I’ve got to do something about my interactions with them.
That’s why, as Prime Day rolls around again, I’m hoping to upgrade and pick up a pair of Bose noise-cancelling wireless earbuds.
They are currently at their lowest recorded price of just £209.95 from Amazon, so could these highly recommended Bose QuietComfort Ultra Earbuds (2nd Gen) be the end to my travel-induced suffering?
When the What Hi-Fi? team tested these 2nd-generation Bose earbuds, we awarded them five stars for their “punchy, full bodied sound”, “excellent” noise cancelling and “secure and comfortable design”. A promising roster of qualities in the face of my aforementioned predicament.
Describing them as an “entertaining, eminently likeable pair of wireless earbuds”, we were pleased with their “admirable knack for organisation and control” – two of the things I crave the most in an airport setting.
But what I get particularly excited about is their noise cancellation. With two modes to select from: Quiet and Aware, I can choose just how much of the environment I want to drown out. Quiet is their most powerful ANC setting, so I have a feeling I’ll be retreating to my “eerily silent cocoon” that these Bose promise to envelop me in, and staying there, thank you very much.
What’s more, with six hours of battery life on a single charge, and three additional charges from the case providing a total battery life of 24 hours, I can go on ignoring the lads on tour, even if we happen to catch the same flight.
So, that’s them dealt with, and I suppose some calming music might quell the boredom/terror combination during the flight, too. Unfortunately, Bose hasn’t yet developed off-duty-perfume cancellation technology, but we can hardly blame it for that.
So, before I embark on my next holiday, I’m going to be sure to snap up these Bose earbuds at the great discounted price of £209.95 from Amazon, before the sale period ends.
MORE
Read our full Bose QuietComfort Ultra Earbuds (2nd Gen) review
Check out our best wireless earbuds 2026: seven sensational pairs reviewed and rated by our experts
Stay up to date with Prime Day 2026 LIVE: the best headphone, speaker and vinyl deals picked by our hi-fi experts
