Updated September 30, 2026 · GizmoCue Editorial Team
Bowers & Wilkins vs Coolblue Belgium
Where Bowers & Wilkins and Coolblue Belgium differ
| Compare |  Bowers & Wilkins |  Coolblue Belgium |
|---|---|---|
| Price from | $249 | €22.99 |
| Battery life | 30 hoursHigher | 8 hours |
| IP rating | IP54 | IP57 |
| Markets | US, CA, AU, CN, JP, GB, BE, FR, DE, AT, NLCovers more | BE, NL, DE |
| Multi-room | Yes | Not confirmed |
Same on both: Noise cancelling (Yes), Warranty (2 years).
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Key differences
- Coolblue Belgium scores higher overall: 9.2 vs 8.7.
- Battery life is higher at Bowers & Wilkins: 30 hours vs 8 hours.
- Support channels: only Bowers & Wilkins offers Chat.
- Support channels: only Coolblue Belgium offers Email.
- Bowers & Wilkins is available in 10 more countries.
- Products: only Coolblue Belgium offers Turntables.
- Markets: only Bowers & Wilkins offers US, CA, AU.
Our verdict on each
Bowers & Wilkins
Bowers & Wilkins sells across headphones, earbuds, speakers, portable speakers, soundbars and hi-fi, so it suits buyers building a full setup rather than a single product. Entry pricing sits at $249, and the warranty of 2 years lands near the top of the brands compared.
Coolblue Belgium
Coolblue Belgium suits shoppers in Belgium who want one store for computers, audio, phones, gaming and appliances, and who put returns and warranty above the lowest sticker price. Coolblue Belgium lists audio from €22.99, gives you 30 days to send an order back, and covers products for 2 years.
Score breakdown
| Area | Bowers & Wilkins | Coolblue Belgium |
|---|---|---|
| Cost | 8.3Entry sits at $249 with a warranty of 2 years, and price from ranks 57 of 64. | 9.5HigherAudio opens at €22.99, under the €86.82 median entry price across the stores compared. |
| Offer | 9.2HigherNoise cancelling and multiroom both land, and the range covers headphones, earbuds and speakers with support on help centre, phone and chat. | 9.1You get 30 days to send an order back and 2 years of warranty behind it, with extended cover optional. |
| Trust | Not confirmed | 8.9A named legal entity in BE, trading since 1999, with support on email, phone and help centre. |
How they place
| Ranking | Bowers & Wilkins | Coolblue Belgium |
|---|---|---|
| Headphones and earbuds | 17 of 117 | 2 of 117 |
| Speakers and soundbars | 14 of 81 | 1 of 81 |
| Hi-fi and turntables | 6 of 38 | 1 of 38 |
The numbers side by side
| Fact | Bowers & Wilkins | Coolblue Belgium |
|---|---|---|
| Battery life | 30 hours | 8 hours |
| Warranty | 2 years | 2 years |
Where each is licensed and available
| Country | Bowers & Wilkins | Coolblue Belgium |
|---|---|---|
| Headquarters | United Kingdom | Belgium |
Available in 1 country for both. Additional countries for Bowers & Wilkins: 10.
Also worth a look
Timekettle has battery life at 36 hours, against 30 hours for Bowers & Wilkins and 8 hours for Coolblue Belgium.
Timekettle reviewEvery fact side by side
| Fact | Bowers & Wilkins | Coolblue Belgium |
|---|---|---|
| Products | Headphones, Earbuds, Speakers, Portable speakers, Soundbars, Hi fi | Headphones, Earbuds, Speakers, Portable speakers, Soundbars, Hi fi, TurntablesCovers more |
| Bluetooth codecs | Aac, Aptx, Aptx adaptive | Not confirmed |
| Legal entity | B&W Group Ltd. | Coolblue België N.V. |
| Headquarters | United Kingdom | Belgium |
| Founded | Not confirmed | 1999 |
| Support channels | Help centre, Phone, Chat | Email, Phone, Help centre |
Computers
| Fact | Bowers & Wilkins | Coolblue Belgium |
|---|---|---|
| Operating systems | Not confirmed | Windows, Macos, Chromeos, Android, Ipados |
| Return window | Not confirmed | 30 days |
Where each stands against the rest
| Fact | Bowers & Wilkins | Coolblue Belgium | Median |
|---|---|---|---|
| Battery life | 30 hoursbelow the median | 8 hourslowest quarter | 45.5 hours |
| Warranty | 2 yearsat the median | 2 yearsat the median | 2 years |
Median across 64 listed brands.
Pros and cons
Bowers & Wilkins
Pros
- Product types run to headphones, earbuds and speakers, so a single maker covers travel and home listening.
- A warranty of 2 years compares with a site median of 1 years.
- Noise cancelling and multiroom are both supported, so commuting and whole-home playback share the same app.
Cons
- Entry price of $249 places the brand at 57 of 64 on price from, and the earbuds are the cheapest way in.
- Battery life of 30 hours falls short of the site median of 40 hours, ranking 36 of 61.
- Support runs on help centre, phone and chat, and email is not among them, so buyers who prefer writing need another route.
Coolblue Belgium
Pros
- You have 30 days to send an order back, which takes the risk out of a big purchase.
- Every product carries 2 years of cover, and an extended warranty is available on top of it.
- Delivery is free on every order, with the threshold at €0, and click and collect is offered for small items.
Cons
- Support runs on email, phone and help centre only, so there is no live chat in the list.
- The noise cancelling earbuds listed run 8 hours on a charge, well under the 40 median across the products compared here.
- A 30 days return window places Coolblue Belgium at 3 of 80 brands compared, so it is not the longest window in the field.
Who each suits
Bowers & Wilkins
Who it suits
- Buyers who want earbuds, speakers, soundbars and hi-fi from a single maker rather than mixing brands.
- Households planning multiroom listening, since multiroom is supported alongside noise cancelling.
- Long-warranty shoppers: 2 years against a site median of 1 years.
Who should look elsewhere
- Headphone-only buyers: HyperX covers headphones and earbuds and CORSAIR covers headphones, and neither needs the wider shelf.
- Turntable shoppers: JBL lists headphones, earbuds and speakers, and turntables sit outside the range here.
- Long-trip listeners: 30 hours of battery trails the site median of 40 hours.
Coolblue Belgium
Who it suits
- Belgian shoppers filling a whole tech list at once, since computers, phones and audio covers audio, computers, phones, gaming, cameras and appliances in a single place.
- Audio buyers who would rather hear a pair at home, with 30 days to send them back and click and collect if picking up suits better.
- Computer and tablet buyers, since the operating systems covered run Windows, macOS and chromeos.
Who should look elsewhere
- Banggood, if you want a store whose categories are computers, phones and audio and do not include the refurbished line Coolblue Belgium carries.
- JBL, for a single brand audio shop: its categories are audio, gaming and refurbished, so anyone also needing a computer or an appliance has to look elsewhere.
Country by country
| Country | Bowers & Wilkins | Coolblue Belgium |
|---|---|---|
| Australia | Yes | No |
| Austria | Yes | No |
| Canada | Yes | No |
| China | Yes | No |
| France | Yes | No |
| Germany | Yes | No |
| Japan | Yes | No |
| Netherlands | Yes | No |
8 of 11 countries where either is available.
Questions about each
Bowers & Wilkins
What does Bowers & Wilkins cost to get started?+
Earbuds start at $249, the lowest entry price across the range. On the ranking that puts the brand at 57 of 64 on price from, so the cheapest product sits well above the floor of the list. Headphones, speakers, soundbars and hi-fi all start higher.
How long is the warranty?+
Warranty runs 2 years, ahead of the site median of 1 years, and it ranks at 4 of 56 brands on warranty years. The same term applies across the range, so anything added to the setup later carries the same cover as what you already own.
Coolblue Belgium
What does audio cost at Coolblue Belgium?+
Wired earphones are listed from €22.99, which sets the floor for the audio side of the shop. Speakers, soundbars, hi-fi and turntables sit alongside them, and the wider catalogue runs across computers, phones and audio for anyone buying several things in a single order.
How long do I have to return something?+
You have 30 days to return an order, a comfortable window if a product does not fit your setup. That places Coolblue Belgium at 3 among 80 brands compared on this measure, so the window is strong without being the longest on the list.