Hands-On With Bose's 'Tenor' Audio Sunglasses

Bluetooth-enabled audio sunglasses have been trending lately, and Bose recently came out with the Frames Tenor, a set of high-end sunglasses that connect to your iPhone over Bluetooth, allowing you to listen to music without needing to bother with headphones.


We thought we'd check out the $250 Tenor audio sunglasses to see whether they're worth the cost for those who might be looking for an earbuds alternative.

bose tenor audio sunglasses 1
Bose's audio sunglasses look like normal sunglasses, and from the outside, it's not clear at a glance that there are built-in speakers. Design wise, the frames look as attractive as other sunglasses, though the arms are thicker to accommodate the acoustics and the built-in tap and swipe gestures for music control. These frames are on the larger side and might not fit smaller faces well.

By default, these come with standard sunglass lenses, but there is a prescription option for those who need prescription sunglasses. Adding prescription lenses costs another $127 minimum, with higher prices for progressive lenses, thin and light lens material, and other upgrades.

bose tenor audio sunglasses 3
The Bose Frames Tenor use Bose's Open Ear Audio technology, which is meant to provide high-quality sound from the arms of the sunglasses. Like bone conducting technology, the frames aren't exactly silent to those who are around you, but audio is noticeably better than what you get from bone conducting headphones. You're not going to achieve the volume that you get with in-ear earbuds like AirPods Pro, but the sound gets loud enough.

In terms of disturbing others, the sound coming from the Frames Tenor is similar to what someone might hear from you if you were listening to music loudly through standard headphones. It's not particularly disturbing and should be near silent to those who aren't right next to you.

bose tenor audio sunglasses 4
Since there's nothing in the ear, with the Frames Tenor, you can still hear what's going on around you, which is ideal for situations where you need to be aware of your surroundings, such as biking or running. Since these are in fact sunglasses, they're primarily limited to outdoor use unless you fancy wearing sunglasses indoors, which is something to keep in mind. They're not as practical as earbuds that can be used both indoors and out.

The frames are comfortable to wear, and again, with nothing in the ear, there's no ear fatigue to worry about, so these have the potential to be a useful accessory for those who can't stand earbuds and headphones. With the built-in battery, the frames last for up to 5.5 hours, and thanks to an included microphone array, calls sound good. Bose included a magnetic carrying case for storage purposes.

bose tenor audio sunglasses 5
Most people are probably going to prefer earbud options that are either more affordable or offer better sound quality and features, but for those who want outdoor-only audio sunglasses, the Frames Tenor are high quality and offer great audio while also not distracting from outside noises. What do you think of Bose's audio sunglasses? Let us know in the comments.

Tag: Bose

Popular Stories

Apple iPhone 16e Feature

Apple Announces iPhone 16e With A18 Chip and Apple Intelligence, Pricing Starts at $599

Wednesday February 19, 2025 8:02 am PST by
Apple today introduced the iPhone 16e, its newest entry-level smartphone. The device succeeds the third-generation iPhone SE, which has now been discontinued. The iPhone 16e features a larger 6.1-inch OLED display, up from a 4.7-inch LCD on the iPhone SE. The display has a notch for Face ID, and this means that Apple no longer sells any iPhones with a Touch ID fingerprint button, marking the ...
iphone 17 pro asherdipps

iPhone 17 Pro Models Rumored to Feature Aluminum Frame Instead of Titanium Frame

Tuesday February 18, 2025 12:02 pm PST by
Over the years, Apple has switched from an aluminum frame to a stainless steel frame to a titanium frame for its highest-end iPhones. And now, it has been rumored that Apple will go back to using aluminum for three out of four iPhone 17 models. In an investor note with research firm GF Securities, obtained by MacRumors this week, Apple supply chain analyst Jeff Pu said the iPhone 17, iPhone...
apple launch feb 2025 alt

Here Are the New Apple Products We're Still Expecting This Spring

Thursday February 20, 2025 5:06 am PST by
Now that Apple has announced its new more affordable iPhone 16e, our thoughts turn to what else we are expecting from the company this spring. There are three product categories that we are definitely expecting to get upgraded before spring has ended. Keep reading to learn what they are. If we're lucky, Apple might make a surprise announcement about a completely new product category. M4...
Generic iOS 18

Here's When Apple Will Release iOS 18.4

Wednesday February 19, 2025 11:38 am PST by
Following the launch of the iPhone 16e, Apple updated its iOS 18, iPadOS 18, and macOS Sequoia pages to give a narrower timeline on when the next updates are set to launch. All three pages now state that new Apple Intelligence features and languages will launch in early April, an update from the more broader April timeframe that Apple provided before. The next major point updates will be iOS ...
apple launch feb 2025

Tim Cook Teases an 'Apple Launch' Next Wednesday

Thursday February 13, 2025 8:07 am PST by
In a social media post today, Apple CEO Tim Cook teased an upcoming "launch" of some kind scheduled for Wednesday, February 19. "Get ready to meet the newest member of the family," he said, with an #AppleLaunch hashtag. The post includes a short video with an animated Apple logo inside a circle. Cook did not provide an exact time for the launch, or share any other specific details, so...
apple c1

Apple Unveils 'C1' as First Custom Cellular Modem

Wednesday February 19, 2025 8:08 am PST by
Apple today announced its first custom cellular modem with the name "C1," debuting in the all-new iPhone 16e. The new modem contributes to the iPhone 16e's power efficiency, giving it the longest battery life of any iPhone with a 6.1-inch display, such as the iPhone 15 and iPhone 16. Expanding the benefits of Apple silicon, C1 is the first modem designed by Apple and the most...
Apple Northbrook

Apple Store Permanently Closing at Struggling Mall in Chicago Area

Tuesday February 18, 2025 8:46 pm PST by
Apple is permanently closing its retail store at the Northbrook Court shopping mall in the Chicago area. The company confirmed the upcoming closure today in a statement, but it has yet to provide a closing date for the location. Apple Northbrook opened in 2005, and the store moved to a larger space in the mall in 2017. Apple confirmed that affected employees will continue to work for the...

Top Rated Comments

Psychicbob Avatar
52 months ago
Ok if you built a career around doing Roy Orbison impressions
Score: 15 Votes (Like | Disagree)
TehFalcon Avatar
52 months ago
I got these for Christmas and I love them. Wear them everyday. They are especially awesome to wear inside a helmet on a motorcycle for some music!
Score: 14 Votes (Like | Disagree)
jclo Avatar
52 months ago

Too bad the lenses aren’t transition. Then they could be worn indoors, but honestly, whoever buys these will have a pair of BT earbuds anyway, so problem solved.
If you have a prescription you can get these with transitions lenses, but it's really expensive.
Score: 8 Votes (Like | Disagree)
schiltzs Avatar
52 months ago
I've used the Bose Sport version of these sunglasses many times while cycling and really love them. The sound is amazingly clear and the quality is far better than I would have thought. They enable me to hear everything around me while still enjoying music or audiobooks on those long rides where you are looking for a distraction. I feel perfectly safe with cars around me, as I can hear them coming from behind with no problem. The actual sunglasses themselves work fine - the polarization is excellent. I also use these when going for a run or walk - they stay secure to my head and don't bounce around or produce that 'thud' sound you hear sometimes in your ear when wearing in-ear headphones. They connect easily to both my Iphone and Apple Watch for those concerned about Apple connectivity. I typically get around 6 hours of use out of full charge.

I'd highly recommend these to anyone who wants good sound while still being able to hear their surroundings. These would probably be great for skiing for those in colder climates...
Score: 7 Votes (Like | Disagree)
RevTEG Avatar
52 months ago
My eye doctor carried the older models for awhile now. They can easily add prescription lens. I don’t own any yet but tried them on. They sounded great (for what they are) and I was surprised my family didn’t notice the audio. I expected the sound to be annoying to others.
Score: 7 Votes (Like | Disagree)
Apple Freak Avatar
52 months ago

This is so dumb. So I can only listen to music in sunlight? Unusable at night? Lol
Score: 7 Votes (Like | Disagree)