Best Open Earbuds (2026): Shokz, Bose, Soundcore, and More

6:10 PM ETDeveloping

Technology Desk

In Short: WIRED's reviewer praises the Shokz OpenDots 2 as the best open earbuds, highlighting their comfort and functionality.

WIRED's latest review of open earbuds names the Shokz OpenDots 2 as the top choice, emphasizing their comfort and ability to let users hear their surroundings.

The Shokz OpenDots 2 are described as supremely comfortable, with a design that allows users to forget they are wearing them.

Open earbuds, unlike traditional in-ear variants, feature tiny speakers that rest on the ear, allowing natural sound to enter, making them ideal for activities like running, biking, or household chores.

The review notes that open earbuds are becoming increasingly popular, with major brands like Bose and Soundcore entering the market with their own models.

WIRED's reviewer has tested dozens of open earbuds since 2022 and recommends them for specific use cases, alongside noise-canceling earbuds.

The Shokz OpenDots 2 also feature an IP57 dust and waterproof rating, matching premium earbuds like Apple AirPods Pro 3 and Samsung Galaxy Buds4 Pro.

The review also mentions the upcoming Soundcore Aeroclip 2 and Aeroclip 2 Pro, which the reviewer plans to test.

BestProducts.com's review of open earbuds echoes WIRED's sentiment, praising the Soundcore AeroFit Pro for its style, comfort, and sound quality.

Both reviews highlight the growing interest in open earbuds, with leading brands expanding the category with new models at various price points.

For more recommendations, WIRED directs readers to guides on the best wireless earbuds, workout headphones, and wireless headphones.

What this adds

The reviews add that open earbuds are a niche but growing category, with brands like Bose and Soundcore leading the way in innovation and design.

What's still developing

Shokz recently launched the lower-priced Shokz OpenDots Air and Shokz OpenFit Air 2 —I may update this recommendation depending on how my testing goes.
The brand recently announced the Soundcore Aeroclip 2 and Aeroclip 2 Pro, which I will be testing soon.
The Bose Ultra Open Earbuds were a big deal when they launched in 2024—a brand-new design from Bose and one of the biggest swings from a major brand in clip-on open earbuds.
Open earbuds are the big new thing in headphone land.
Style aside, they are excellent for anyone who finds traditional earbuds uncomfortable or wants full environmental awareness for activities like running, biking, or even just doing chores around the house.
They're clip-ons that wrap around the earlobe, with the speaker end resting at the ear canal opening and the other end behind the ear.
When you want to listen to music or a podcast, but need to keep your head on a swivel, open-ear headphones are a best-of-both-worlds solution.
Open-ear headphones and earbuds ditch silicone ear tips and other noise-canceling features, allowing you to listen to podcasts and music while maintaining your situational awareness.
The best open-ear headphones position their audio drivers close to the ears to make sure you can hear their output clearly, even with the outside world pouring in.
I personally would take a pair of open-ear buds over bone-conduction headphones any day of the week, though, as the sound quality is far better when the sound come from a speaker.
To find the best open-ear headphones in this big new open-ear world, I spent over a month testing earbuds nonstop.

Sources

bestproducts.comlink