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WIRED Names Shokz OpenDots 2 Top Open Earbuds
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In Short: WIRED recommends the Shokz OpenDots 2 as the best open earbuds, praising their comfort and functionality.
WIRED has named the Shokz OpenDots 2 as the top open earbuds, highlighting their superior comfort and functionality.
According to WIRED, the Shokz OpenDots 2 are everything the publication wants in open earbuds.
Open earbuds, unlike traditional in-ear variants, feature tiny speakers that rest on the ear, allowing users to hear the world around them naturally.
The Shokz OpenDots 2 are clip-ons that wrap around the earlobe, with the speaker end resting at the ear canal opening and the other end behind the ear.
WIRED notes that the brand recently launched the lower-priced Shokz OpenDots Air and Shokz OpenFit Air 2, indicating potential updates to the recommendation based on further testing.
Bose's Ultra Open Earbuds, launched in 2024, are also noted for their comfort and innovative design.
WIRED emphasizes that open earbuds are excellent for activities like running, biking, or doing chores around the house, as they provide full environmental awareness.
The Shokz OpenDots 2 have an IP57 dust and waterproof rating, matching premium, flagship earbuds like Apple AirPods Pro 3 and Samsung Galaxy Buds4 Pro.
WIRED recommends having a pair of noise-canceling earbuds but also loves open earbuds for specific use cases.
For more headphone recommendations, WIRED directs readers to guides on the Best Wireless Earbuds, Best Workout Headphones, and Best Wireless Headphones.
What this adds
WIRED's recommendation for the Shokz OpenDots 2 is based on extensive testing of dozens of models since 2022.
The Soundcore AeroFit Pro is also highlighted for its stylish, comfortable, durable design and great sound quality.
Until recently, open-ear headphones were considered niche, but leading brands like Bose, JBL, and Soundcore have expanded the category with feature-packed options at various price points.
Background
WIRED has named the Shokz OpenDots 2 as the top open earbuds, highlighting their superior comfort and functionality.
WIRED has named the Shokz OpenDots 2 as the top open earbuds, praising their design and performance.
What's confirmed
- 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.
- Until recently, both options were considered fairly niche, but a recent flurry of interest has led leading brands like Bose, JBL, and Soundcore to enter make their own open-ear headphones, expanding the category with feature-packed options in various form factors at many price points.
- To find the best open-ear headphones in this big new open-ear world, I spent over a month testing earbuds nonstop.
- The Soundcore AeroFit Pro is stylish, comfortable, durable, and delivers great sound.
What's still developing
- 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.
- Like the Shokz and Soundcore, they are supremely comfortable, so much so that I sometimes forgot I was wearing them.