Workout & Gym · Head to head
Powerbeats Pro 2 vs Bose Ultra Open Earbuds: sealed hook or open cuff, same IPX4
Two premium sport earbuds with the same splash rating and nothing else in common. One locks in and cancels the world; the other clips on and lets it in. Five factors, and sweat isn't the deciding one this time.
By Mike M.Updated Researched · every spec sourced
#adReader-supported: we may earn a commission if you buy through our links, at no extra cost to you. It never decides a ranking. How we rank · Disclosure
The contenders
Side by side
Buy for the gym
Beats Powerbeats Pro 2
In-ear + ear hook9.2 /10Nickel-titanium hooks, ANC, heart-rate sensors and 10 hours per charge (45 with the case) on Apple's H2 chip. IPX4, so it's a fit-and-features pick, not a sweat-rating pick.
$249.00Powerbeats Pro 2#ad · Price as of November 13, 2026 · Disclosure for the link to Beats Powerbeats Pro 2
Buy for the road and glasses
Bose Ultra Open Earbuds (2nd Gen)
Open-ear clip-on8.8 /10Same cuff, 9 hours instead of 7, Bluetooth 5.4, two mics with SpeechClarity and a wireless-charging case. Still IPX4, so the sweat story hasn't changed.
$299.00Ultra Open Earbuds (2nd Gen)#ad · Price as of November 13, 2026 · Disclosure for the link to Bose Ultra Open Earbuds (2nd Gen)
The verdict
| Evidence | Beats Powerbeats Pro 2 | Bose Ultra Open Earbuds (2nd Gen) |
|---|---|---|
| Fit system | In-ear + ear hook | Open-ear clip-on |
| Water & sweat rating | IPX4 | IPX4 |
| Weight | 8.7 g per earbud; case 69 g | 0.013 lb per earbud (about 5.9 g) |
| Battery | Up to 10 hours per bud; up to 45 hours with case | 9 hours; 5 hours with Immersive Audio or Auto Volume on; 4 with both; up to 19.5 more in the case |
| Quick charge | Fast Fuel: 5 min = up to 1.5 hours | 10 min = up to 2 hours |
| Noise control | Active Noise Canceling and Transparency mode | — |
| Microphones | — | 2 microphones with SpeechClarity |
| Controls | Multi-function button and volume rocker on each side | Button on each barrel |
| Charging | USB-C; Qi wireless charging | 1 hour; wireless charging case |
| Score | 9.2/10 | 8.8/10 |
1. Fit: hook-and-tip vs cuff
The Beats hooks over the ear with a nickel-titanium-reinforced hook and seals the canal with a tip: two retention systems. The Bose pinches the rim of the ear with a cuff and touches nothing else. On our rubric that's 10 versus 8 for fit security; the cuff can rotate on a hard landing, the Beats can't. The cuff wins everything the hook loses: glasses, hats, helmets, a sore top-of-ear, and weight (Bose lists 0.013 lb, about 5.9 g, against 8.7 g).
2. Sweat: a tie at IPX4
Both IPX4: splashing water, dust not rated. Beats says its Powerbeats Fit case is IPX4 too but doesn't rate the Pro 2 case; Bose doesn't rate its case. Both are rain-and-moderate-sweat pairs. If your earbuds die from sweat, this is the wrong comparison; both the Shokz OpenFit Pro (IP55) and the Shokz OpenDots 2 (IP57) are the rated alternatives to each.
3. Isolation vs awareness
The Beats seals and cancels (ANC and Transparency on Apple's H2). The Bose doesn't seal anything, so there's nothing to cancel and no need to: the room arrives at natural volume. For a class with a playlist, the Beats; for a bike lane, the Bose. The Bose adds Immersive Audio, a spatial mode that Bose says drops battery to 5 hours.
4. Battery and charging
Beats: up to 10 hours per bud, 45 with the case, Fast Fuel 5 minutes for 1.5 hours, USB-C and Qi. Bose 2nd Gen: 9 hours (5 with one spatial feature, 4 with both), up to 19.5 more in the case, 10 minutes for up to 2 hours, wireless charging. The Beats case is the bigger reserve; per charge they're within an hour.
5. Calls, controls, extras
Both use real buttons; the Beats adds a volume rocker. Bose lists two mics with SpeechClarity; Beats lists Voice Isolation. Neither publishes a wind rating. The Beats has heart-rate sensors; the Bose has Bluetooth 5.4 and multipoint, which Beats handles through Apple's ecosystem and its Android app. If you track workouts by heart rate, that's the Beats' unique row.
In detail
The contenders, in full
Buy for the gym
Beats Powerbeats Pro 2
Nickel-titanium hooks, ANC, heart-rate sensors and 10 hours per charge (45 with the case) on Apple's H2 chip. IPX4, so it's a fit-and-features pick, not a sweat-rating pick.
Spec sheetResearched · sources linked
| Fit system | In-ear + ear hook. Sealed ear canal: isolation, no awareness. |
|---|---|
| Water & sweat rating | IPX4 |
| Weight | 8.7 g per earbud; case 69 g |
| Battery | Up to 10 hours per bud; up to 45 hours with case |
| Quick charge | Fast Fuel: 5 min = up to 1.5 hours |
| Charging | USB-C; Qi wireless charging |
| Bluetooth | Class 1 Bluetooth |
| Controls | Multi-function button and volume rocker on each side |
| Noise control | Active Noise Canceling and Transparency mode |
| Extras | Heart-rate monitoring sensors; nickel-titanium alloy earhooks; Apple H2 chip; Voice Isolation for calls |
How the 9.2 score is built
- Fit security (25%)
- 10
- Sweat & water resistance (20%)
- 5
- Noise control & transparency (15%)
- 9
- Sound quality (15%)
- 9
- Calls & wind (10%)
- 8
- Battery & charging (10%)
- 9
- Value (5%)
- 4
Criterion marks are on the rubric's own 0–10 scale, which is why they read lower than the published score. The published score maps the weighted rubric total onto the site's 8.4–9.8 recommendation scale — one formula, every product, order unchanged. Full method at How We Rank.
What the spec sheet supports
- Reinforced hooks plus a sealed tip: the most locked-in fit on this site
- Physical buttons and a volume rocker on each bud
- Heart-rate data to fitness apps without a chest strap
- 10 hours per bud, 45 with the case
Trade-offs worth knowing
- IPX4 is a rain-and-light-sweat rating; heavy sweaters have soaked IPX4 buds
- Sealed ear: you won't hear the car behind you
- Priced at the top of the workout category
Good to know
Not the one for you if you sweat through everything; an IP67 or IP68 sealed bud like the Soundcore Sport X20 is rated for it and this isn't.
#ad · Price as of November 13, 2026 · Disclosure for the link to Beats Powerbeats Pro 2
Buy for the road and glasses
Bose Ultra Open Earbuds (2nd Gen)
Same cuff, 9 hours instead of 7, Bluetooth 5.4, two mics with SpeechClarity and a wireless-charging case. Still IPX4, so the sweat story hasn't changed.
Spec sheetResearched · sources linked
| Fit system | Open-ear clip-on. Ear canal stays open: you hear the room and traffic. |
|---|---|
| Water & sweat rating | IPX4 |
| Weight | 0.013 lb per earbud (about 5.9 g) |
| Battery | 9 hours; 5 hours with Immersive Audio or Auto Volume on; 4 with both; up to 19.5 more in the case |
| Quick charge | 10 min = up to 2 hours |
| Charging | 1 hour; wireless charging case |
| Bluetooth | 5.4 |
| Multipoint | Yes |
| Microphones | 2 microphones with SpeechClarity |
| Controls | Button on each barrel |
How the 8.8 score is built
- Fit security (25%)
- 8
- Sweat & water resistance (20%)
- 5
- Awareness (open canal) (15%)
- 9
- Sound & leakage (15%)
- 9
- Calls & wind (10%)
- 8
- Battery & charging (10%)
- 8
- Value (5%)
- 3
Criterion marks are on the rubric's own 0–10 scale, which is why they read lower than the published score. The published score maps the weighted rubric total onto the site's 8.4–9.8 recommendation scale — one formula, every product, order unchanged. Full method at How We Rank.
What the spec sheet supports
- 9 hours per charge, up from 7
- SpeechClarity mics and Bluetooth 5.4
- Wireless charging and a metallic finish
Trade-offs worth knowing
- IPX4 again
- Both spatial features on together drops battery to 4 hours
- The most expensive clip-on here
Good to know
Not the one for you if the first-gen is on sale; the fit and the IPX4 rating are identical, and 2 more hours is the main gain.
#ad · Price as of November 13, 2026 · Disclosure for the link to Bose Ultra Open Earbuds (2nd Gen)
How we scored this
The research behind every pick
Each pair on this page is researched and compared the same way: we classify the retention system that holds it on (hook, clip, wing, neckband), read the maker's published IP rating, weight, battery, charging, mic and control type straight off its own product page and manual, check the sweat and water rating against the IEC 60529 standard, cross-reference independent published reviews, and score every pick on a public rubric. Every figure links to the document it came from, so you can check any number in one click.
Prices come live from Amazon, so what you see is what you pay today. Commissions never set a score or decide a pick. The rubric and its weights are published.
Questions
Frequently asked
Which is better for working out, Powerbeats Pro 2 or Bose Ultra Open?
Are the Bose Ultra Open Earbuds secure enough for the gym?
Which one can I wear with glasses?
Keep reading
Related on Openear Club
Receipts
Sources
- Beats — Powerbeats Pro 2 product page, tech specs (checked 2026-09-21)
- Bose — Ultra Open Earbuds (2nd Gen) product page (checked 2026-09-21)
- Beats — Powerbeats Fit product page, tech specs (checked 2026-09-21)
Every spec here is traceable: figures come from the maker's own product pages and are linked on each product, independent findings are attributed to whoever published them, and prices come live from Amazon so the number you see is the number you pay today. Read the full method.