SHOKZ OpenFit Air - Open-Ear Headphones, True Wireless Earbuds, Water Resistant, Secure Earhooks for Daily Use, Black

I despise headphones. I've tried everything. Ones that sit in the ear (which don't work because my ears are very small), the ones that go over the ears (which hurt after a few hours due to pinching of the helix), the batteries drain too quickly, or the Bluetooth stops working. Regardless, I can handle older versions of the headphones because there was nothing better and I just put up with it. Then these showed up on my Amazon homepage and I thought, well, I've tried everything else. May as well put the money out and see if they can make others obsolete.These are Fantastic. I don't use them for phone calls, but the clarity of the audio when I listen to movies or music while waiting for appointments is fantastic. I can wear them for hours with no pain, no checking to keep them from sliding out of my ears or pinching the helix of my ears, and without dragging my ears down on the weight. The charge lasts a very long time, and the carrying case can fit in my pocket or purse as needed.Also, because they are conduction headphones, I do not miss someone talking to or at me and can hear them clearly since these do not actually cover the ear canal. There's no worry of me missing someone asking me something, and it's easy to pause the audio so that I can give the person my full attention. Worth every penny. I would recommend to anyone who is so exhausted of having ear issues with headphones.

I’ve been using the OpenFit Air every day for both work and commuting, and they’ve really made things easier. The open-ear design is super comfortable, even after wearing them for hours. I don’t get that stuffy feeling like with in-ear earbuds, and I can still hear what’s happening around me – great for staying aware on the train or in the office.They’re also great for calls. Voices come through clearly, and people on the other end say I sound sharp too. I like that I can move around while talking without constantly adjusting them – they stay in place really well.One thing I love is the anti-touch feature. I sometimes rest my head on my hand or adjust my glasses during calls, and with other earbuds that would trigger all kinds of accidental touches. With OpenFit Air, I can just lock the controls and not worry about it.And the quick charge has saved me more than once – just 10 minutes while I’m getting ready in the morning, like brushing my teeth, gives me enough battery for a long meeting or my entire commute.If you’re looking for something that’s comfortable, work-friendly, and easy to wear all day, I’d definitely recommend these.

Quick summary:ProsComfortable for me, including when wearing glasses.Soundstage is good for an open ear headphoneCustomer service seems responsive.Long battery life.Simple controls.ConsNo way to turn these off manuallyOnly four touch functionsDoesn't seem to like FiresticksLong (TL:DR) reviewWhether it's clothes or shoes or glasses or ear/headphones, a review of anything that fits on your body is subjective. And with ears being particularly different from one individual to another, any review of a product like this is especially subjective.The same goes for sound quality in this case. A sound device that doesn't fit the same from one person to another won't be perceived the same, either. With all of that said, below is my take on the Shokz OpenFit AirsI've been using a pair of Plantronics (PLT) Backbeat 3150 open ear headphones since 2020. They've been great, but wearing/charging them daily, they are no longer holding a charge long enough for a full 2-hour run. I'd buy another pair, but they've been discontinued since 2021.I've tried my wife's Apple Airpods. Frankly, I hate them and they are even more overpriced than Bose (IMO). Not doubting quality of the product, but found them extraordinarily uncomfortable and the isolation while running was not what I'd want. I also never cared for the "I've got a plastic straw hanging out of my ears" look. But, THAT is totally subjective. :-)Excluding the Apples, the Shokz were the fourth headphones I tried. The first three were Anker Soundcore Aero Fit, Tozo Open Buds, and Baseus Eli Sport 1. Those three were all cheaper than the Shokz, but I don't think that the price was necessarily a reflection on quality.The three considerations, if you exclude price, were:Fit (Ankers would not fit my ears)Sound quality (Tozos had muddy base)Sweat/water resistance. (DId not have confidence the Baseus would hold up to sweat).The Shokz were the only ones that ticked all three boxes adequately.FitIf you wear glasses, the slim flexible over-ear piece of the Shokz is nearly ideal (maybe Bose Ultra Opens better). Not saying the Shokz will fit every ear, but if the four I tried were any indication, then these have the best chance of working for you.SoundSound was good, with adequate bass and rich immersive soundstage (Ankers sounded the best, followed by the Shokz and Baseus). Again, sound quality for open ear headphones is more down to how they fit by your ear canal than the actual quality produced. I do wish the Shokz were just a little louder, but given that the idea of an open ear headphone is to be able to hear your surroundings, then they are just fine. I have not used these for phone calls, so, sorry, nothing to tell you there.Sweat/Water resistance (fit and second rating digit are both key):I sweat...a lot. And while I didn't keep the Ankers (IPX7) or Tozos (IP67), I think they both would have been fine. The Baseus I wasn't so sure of. They seem to accumulate sweat more than the others and are only rated IPX4. Technically, the Shokz, at IP54, have the same "4" rating for water and sweat resistance, but they don't seem to hold the sweat like the Baseus did.Battery life (case and phones).Using and putting these back in the case to charge, they seem to last forever. I haven't measured actual time, but I've gone two weeks of 1-2 hour runs (8 total runs) without having to charge the case.Customer serviceI wrote customer service because of a problem (noted below) and they were helpful and responsive.Negatives/compromises:Power and chargingYou turn these off by putting them back in the charge case and closing it. And, as far as I know, that this the only way to manually accomplish this. The other way is to disconnect them from your Bluetooth device and then they will supposedly go to sleep after a few minutes. I simply wish there was a way to turn them off on the headphones themselves. First, if I'm out for a run, I'm not taking my case with me. If I want to stop at the end of a run and turn them off, then I have to manually disconnect from my watch or phone and then hope they turn off. Second, keeping any rechargable device always fully charged is bad for battery health.ControlsThe music controls work well; better (simpler) than the others I tried. But, you have exactly four control choices (defaults in parentheses):1. Touch and hold left (volume down)2. Touch and hold right (volume up)3. Double tap left (Play/Pause)4. Double tap right (Skip to next track)You can change these defaults, but I, personally, need a fifth control if I want to repeat/restart a track. The four options are the four I'd pick if left with only four, but I do wish there were more possibilities. And if you add my power off concern above, a sixth control would be nice.FiresticksOk, this is an odd one and that's why it's last among my concerns. With summer temps pushing 100 degrees (38C) where I live, I do run on a treadmill some of the time. I have a small TV with a Firestick behind my treadmill and have never had any issues with headphones, including the old PLTs or the other three headphones I tried before picking the Shokz. But with these Shokz, the sound seems to go "wonky" from time to time. Basically, it will momentarily switch from stereo to mono and then back again about once every minute or two. It's annoying. I wrote Shokz and they suggested resetting the headphones, which I did four times, but this did not fix the issue. No issues with any other devices (watch, phone, tablet, other televisions), but just the Firestick. And before you think range, the Firestick is less than three feet from the headphones. Also, I have tried with other Firesticks and the only one that seems to not have this issue is the latest 4k Max version.Final conclusions:Open ear headphones are, as a type, the most subjective of all of the different headphones/ear buds simply because of ear anatomy/size. If you're considering any open ear/on ear phones, then do what I did and try a few. And ignore reviews that rail on sound quality because your perception is tied to how well these fit around your ear canal. I said that the Ankers sounded best of the four I tried, but that was only if I manually held them against the ear opening. If I just let them "hang" on my ear, they were the worst "sounding" by far.I didn't mention the Shokz app, but it does work just fine. The Tozo app was maddening and the Baseus wanted to always monitor location. Anker's app was fine, too.So, what you've read above is admittedly subjective. You may hate these as much as I like them. Do your homework and then don't be afraid to order a few different models to try them out.

I’ve been using these earbuds for about a week now, mostly in the office, and they’ve quickly become my go-to. They’re super comfortable — I can wear them for hours without any pressure or irritation. Sometimes I even forget I have them on. The fit is really natural and doesn't squeeze or pinch at all, which makes a big difference during long work sessions.What I also like is how secure they feel. I’ve worn them while eating, shoping, even walking my dog — they stay put the whole time. No need to constantly adjust or worry about them falling out. The design just sits well in the ear and feels stable without being tight.Battery life is solid too, easily lasting through a full workday. Overall, if you’re looking for earbuds that are lightweight, comfortable for all-day wear, and stay in place no matter what you’re doing, these are definitely worth it.