You can hardly imagine modern life without your favorite headphones. These handy devices allow you to always be in touch with your favorite content — watching movies on the go or listening to music. They also allow you to talk to your friends and family without needing to hold your phone to your ear, a small but extremely useful improvement, especially if you have a lot of gossip to go through.
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However, both the bulky headphones and small in-ear buds can be quite uncomfortable, or might also have some other disadvantages that make it difficult to wear them for extended periods of time. Fortunately, even if you’re not a fan of either of the two most popular designs, but still want to get your music on the go, open-ear earbuds are a great solution. Open-ear headphones might look a bit unusual at first, but with the quirky design comes a slew of advantages over both over-ear headphones and in-ear buds.
Best open-ear earbuds: Our top picks
Shokz OpenFit
1. Best overall open-ear earbuds
Sleek, comfortable, and they even sound great
Shokz OpenFit is our best overall pick for open-ear headphones. It combines great sound quality with a comfortable and stable fit. It’s a great package that will do great as your workout companion, without compromising on audio quality when listening at home.
- Great audio quality
- Comfortable and stable fit
- Much less chunky than competition
- Fits bigger ears better
- A bit expensive
Even though Shokz is a company most known for its bone conduction headphones, its first attempt at over-ear earbuds has proven that they are extremely versatile, and can make an excellent pair of over-ear earbuds as well.
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Over-ear headphones tend to suffer in the sound quality department compared to traditional designs, but the Shokz OpenFit breaks with this stereotype and provides excellent sound — they feel like tiny open-air speakers. Of course, that means a lot of sound bleed, but that’s something you’ll experience with open-air headphones in general.
The headphones themselves are very light compared to the competition, and with the comfortable fit around the ear, you can easily wear them for hours without noticing any fatigue or discomfort. They weigh only 8.3g per bud but still provide excellent battery life, seven hours per charge, plus an additional 21 hours in their case.
The buds are available in two colors: black and beige. You can also expect them to be quite weather resistant, as they come with the IP54 water and dust-proof rating, meaning you can easily go for a walk or a run even when it’s raining. And with the unique advantage that open-ear headphones provide, Shokz OpenFit will be a great workout companion.
Sony LinkBuds
2. Best open-back, open-ear earbuds
Design experiments paid off
Sony LinkBuds is an interesting, original design that gives you the advantages of both traditional earbuds and open-ear style headphones. They are incredibly light and sound surprisingly good, all while being comfortable and still letting all the outside sounds in.
- One-of-a-kind form factor
- Light and comfortable
- Jam-packed with additional features
- Might prove a bit difficult to hear in noisy environments
- Not as stable as over-ear designs
Even though open-ear earbuds usually come with a similar, over-ear design, with speakers playing next to your ear, some companies are trying to find a better way of giving you great music quality and not restricting your spatial awareness. Sony LinkBuds are probably the best and most interesting example of such attempts.
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Sony went for something a little bit different with the LinkBuds. These are essentially in-ear earbuds, but instead of blocking your ear canals, the part that goes in your ear is a loop with a hole in the middle. That way you get music straight into your ears, the same as with normal earbuds, but you also get the benefits of open-ear design.
Sony LinkBuds are not only original, but they also work well for what they are. They are light and comfortable, weighing only 4.1g per bud. Their sound quality is great as well, utilizing the position within your ear canal very well. You also get some additional features, such as adaptive volume control. LinkBuds is not only an interesting concept — it’s an interesting concept that works very well.
FiiO JW1
3. Best budget open-ear earbuds
A lot of open-ear goodness for not that much money
$28 $34 Save $6
FiiO JW1 is an excellent value open-ear proposition, with good battery life and surprisingly decent sound. For under $50 it’s a great choice for your first open-ear headphones, or as a second pair for a rainy day.
- Great battery life
- Comfortable fit for most ears
- IPX5 water-resistant
- Non-adjustable, hard-plastic ear hooks
- Bulky charging case
- Touch controls aren’t great
FiiO has been making a splash in the audio world for quite a few years now, offering great devices both in budget and high-end segments. The FiiO JW1 is an example of the former, and for just $34 retail, it represents incredible value, combining great audio quality with excellent utility.
The JW1’s are a bit more bulky than more expensive offerings, but in return, you get very good battery life — six hours on a single charge and 18 more hours in a case — as well as surprisingly good sound quality. The bass is a bit weaker, but the mids and trebles are excellent, and the earbuds provide a much better soundstage than expected, punching much above their price range.
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For the price, these are a magnificent buy and would do nicely not only for people who want to check out that style of headphones without paying quite a lot, but because of their IPX5 water resistance rating, they would also work well as a pair of bad weather earbuds.
Cleer Audio ARC II Sport
4. Best sounding open-ear earbuds
Don’t compromise on sound, even when working out
Cleer Audio ARC II Sport is an excellent choice if you value audio quality the most, even in your over-ear headphones. Aside from large drivers and exceptional codec support, it also offers great battery life and a snug fit, making for a nice package.
- Great sound and clarity, especially for the form factor
- Multipoint connectivity
- Very stable and comfortable
- Limited ear hook adjustment
- Companion app is quite rudimentary
Even though open-ear earbuds have a lot of advantages over more classic designs, sound quality is not often mentioned among them. Because their speakers do not fire directly into your ear, they tend to sound a bit worse than other styles of headphones. However, the Cleer Audio ARC II Sport proves that doesn’t have to be the case.
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If you’re looking for open-ear headphones but do not want to compromise on audio quality, these are the buds for you. The Cleer Audio ARC II Sport features 16.2mm drivers and supports aptX Adaptive codec for the best audio and connection quality you can get. It results in a surprisingly natural, clear sound, with great soundstage and detailed trebles and bass — especially the last one, which is difficult to achieve on open-ear earbuds.
You’re not trading the sound for usability, as both the battery life and the touch control quality are excellent. The only downside of the buds might be the lack of adjustment in ear hooks, which might be a bit problematic, especially for folks with smaller ears.
Oraimo Open Ear Headphones
5. Best neckband-style open-ear earbuds
Stable even where others fall off
The Oraimo Open Ear Headphones are interesting, budget-friendly open-ear headphones that use bone-conduction to give you great sound and a steady, comfortable fit ideal for even the most intense workouts.
- Impressive sound
- Extremely stable, even when exercising hard
- Excellent value
- Construction is a bit rigit and needs getting used to
- Doesn’t fit all head shapes that well
Open-ear headphones, among other advantages, are also known for being comfortable and extremely steady — that’s why they are often the headphone style of choice when working out. If you need even more stability, you can go for a neckband-style open-ear headphones, such as the Oraimo Open Ear Headphones.
Right off the bat, these headphones work a bit differently from the rest of the pack, as they feature bone conduction technology. That means, instead of using miniature speakers, they vibrate your cheekbones, essentially using them as speakers. This means the sound you get out of them is extremely visceral, especially the bass, which you literally feel in your bones.
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Aside from the impressive sound, these headphones also feature great battery life, up to 16 hours on one charge. Because of the neckband, they are also extremely stable, so you can be sure they won’t leave your head even if you move around quite a lot. However, with this steadiness comes a little bit of stiffness in the design, so you might need to get used to the fit of these at first.
Anker Soundcore AeroFit Pro
6. Best open-ear earbuds for battery
You’ll can do Ironman on a single charge
Anker Soundcore AeroFit Pro are versatile open-ear headphones with incredible battery life. With 14 hours of music playback on a single charge, combined with a stable fit, it’s a great choice, especially for endurance athletes.
- Unbeatable battery life
- Clear ambient sound
- Quite expensive
- Comfort is hit-and-miss, depending on your ears
Most open-ear headphone users are athletes, who need them to stay safe when listening to music during their workouts. Almost all of them will be good and comfortable enough to get you through a 5-10km run, but if you’re going for something quite a bit longer — such as training for a marathon — you also need headphones with a bit more battery brawn. That’s where Anker Soundcore AeroFit Pro comes in.
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The Anker open-ear headphones offer a whopping 14 hours of battery life on one charge, which is an incredible achievement. You get around 40 more hours from the charging case, so you’ll have to run for quite a lot of miles before it all drains.
Aside from the incredible battery, the Anker Soundcore AeroFit Pro offers great sound and a comfortable and stable fit, so it won’t only last you for the longest distances but will do so without hurting your ears. You even get an optional neckband if you need the most stable fit possible.
Bottom line: what are the best open-ear earbuds?
If you want the best mix of sound quality, a great user experience, comfortable fit and great additional features, you cannot go wrong with the Shokz OpenFit. These are our pick for the best open-ear earbuds overall and offer the best experience as the whole package. They have a snug, comfortable and stable fit, and will do you nicely both for listening at home, and all the outdoor activities when you need your spatial awareness to be at the ready.
If you want to check out something a little bit different, we also recommend the Sony LinkBuds. These earbuds offer a completely novel approach to the open-ear design, essentially being regular earbuds with holes in them, taking the best of both worlds and molding them together. They are comfortable, sound great, and still give you the open-ear advantages, and are the most minimalist option on the list as well.
How did we choose the best open-ear earbuds?
When choosing open-ear earbuds, there are a few considerations to keep in mind. The first one is the sound quality, but it already comes with a bit of an asterisk. Because of the limitations of the form factor, these earbuds will generally offer worse sound than their closed-back counterparts — the driver is not directly in your ear, and there are sounds of your surroundings that might distract you from detailed listening.
The fit, comfort, and stability of these headphones is incredibly important. Open-ear headphones are mostly popular with athletes looking for a way to listen to music while working out, without compromising their safety. That’s why it’s so important that they stay in their place even when running or jumping around.
Headphones designed for fitness should have some more creature comforts, such as a degree of water protection or strong battery life to last you even if you’re training for a marathon. That also means that the size of a charging case, for example, is not as much of an issue, as you’re much more likely to just leave it at home than when wearing a pair of regular earbuds.
What are the advantages of open-ear headphones?
The first advantage is the comfort that they provide. You don’t need any headband over your head or a bulky bud hanging from your ear canal — most over-ear earbuds hang on your ear, making them both very secure and comfortable to wear over a long time.
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The other advantage of these headphones is the situational awareness that they provide. Other types of headphones essentially cover your ears with something, making you much less aware of your surroundings. It’s great if you want to listen to all the details in your music, but it might prove quite dangerous if you want to run or ride a bike. When doing so, you need to be aware of other users of the road, so having an open-ear design lets you listen to music and listen to what’s going on around you.
What are the types of open-ear headphones?
If you’re in the market for open-ear headphones, you might be looking around and seeing quite a lot of different styles and designs, together with different tech that makes them all work. Here are the most important open-ear headphone types:
- Air-conduction open-ear earbuds — The most popular open-ear earbuds right now rely on air conduction. These are usually earbuds that attach with a hook over your ears, and use magnetic drivers to play sounds next to your ear canals. Thanks to that design, you can hear both your natural surroundings and the sounds coming from your headphones. Plus, having the hooks around your ears makes wearing these kinds of earbuds very stable.
- Bone-conduction open-ear headphones — Another kind of open-ear headphones that’s very popular relies on bone conduction. Instead of having speakers, these headphones emit vibrations while next to your cheekbones, making the bones in your own body vibrate while producing sounds. These headphones provide the best bass and the least sound bleed, and the feel of bone conduction is something that some people really enjoy.
- Open-back open-ear earbuds — The least popular and the most classic type of open-ear earbuds is the open-back variety. These are essentially normal earbuds, with a small twist. Instead of a solid body, they have a hole in them that lets the air through into your ear canal. This allows you to hear the sounds of the environment, but also ensures that the sound you get from the headphones is as best as possible.
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