(Image credit: Future / Mike Lowe)

I honestly didn't see it coming: wired earbuds being a returning trend in 2026. Bose hasn't made such a product for over a decade because, well, why would it?

This year, however, growing demand has seen the audio boffins rekindle interest and launch the Noise Cancelling Wired Earbuds – which do exactly as their name describes.

I received my wired Bose 'buds a couple of weeks ago after meeting the brand in central London and have been low-key obsessed with them since for one main reason: despite offering active noise-cancelling (ANC) they never run out of battery life.

How's that possible? It's simple, really. The Noise Cancelling Wired Earbuds connect via USB-C – and it's that connector type only, there's no interchangeability – and draw power from the product to which they're connected.

Of course your source device can run out of battery and then there's nothing for these earbuds to draw power from, at which point they'll cease to function. But, at least in theory, they'll run forever – so long as your source is good for it.

What's really impressive is that, despite being wired and with no battery on board, there's active noise-cancelling as part of the feature set. It can't be controlled through the app, of course, as there's no wireless connectivity, but a simple tri-button dongle handles the job.

The controls are simple: volume up and a separate volume down flank the play/pause button to the centre, which also doubles up as ANC control, switching between Off, Quiet and Aware – which it declares, via a voice into your ears, when pressing-and-holding it down. It's very effective and simple.

You don't get the nuance of some of Bose's app-connected products, as there's no sliders to adjust, nor equalisation (EQ) controls on offer here. But, Bose being Bose, the sound quality is still really decent – I've found the bass hits firm and will please what many seek.

The comfort is really solid, too, with the medium tips fitted by default, but additional small and large options included in the box if you need to change them to suit your ears. There's even a little rubberised earhook that helps stability, with a spare of those also included.

When I walked away from my Bose meeting, however, I looked up the headphones – and they were sold out on the brand's own website. I was sure they'd come back into stock, but such is demand that, even a fortnight later, there's none available.

That shows demand is seriously high for this product – and I'm not surprised. They half make me feel nostalgic, as if I'm a teen doing my paper round, cables tangled below clothing; but they also feel futuristic thanks to that no-battery ANC feature.

They're also very good value for the quality you get. At £99 / $99 I can see why all three colourways – Black, White, Dewdrop Mint – have flown off the shelves. Each option includes a soft zip-up carry pouch, too, which is a nice touch.

So can you buy these wired ANC earbuds anywhere at the moment? In the UK I've seen online stock at John Lewis. In the USA, Best Buy also has stock. Amazon is also listing them, but has inflated the price by 100% – so that's a skip (and I shan't link to it either).