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The Best Open Ear Headphones You Can Buy Today
Are "Open Ear" (OE) styled earbuds and headphones finally having their moment? That is, breaking through to a level of mass awareness as safer, comfier alternatives to the typical ear-sealing buds and 'phones that isolate wearers from the world?
Once you try them, it's hard not to become an advocate for these liberating music makers, also sometimes called air-induction, open fit, and open wireless stereo earbuds and headphones.
Suspended over or outside your ears, it's easy to forget you're wearing these things when the music's not playing. Focused drivers point the sound into the reverberant lower concha (the natural bowl of your outer ear) at a whispery level that keeps it private. And because the ear canal stays open, you keep in touch with the sounds of the outside world, so you can socialize, multi-task, and be aware of potential hazards. Open-ear models are also healthier – eliminating short-term ear fatigue and the (potential) permanent hearing loss that can result from tightly sealed buds or headphones cranked up to "11."
As a veteran music critic and audio products reviewer, I view these things as a Godsend. Fearful of losing my "discerning listener" edge, I always use volume-dampening earplugs (Loops are a fave) at loud concerts. And now, with the best open-ear buds performing at a surprisingly high sonic quality level, they've become my primary go-to choice for private listening at home and on outings whenever I don't need active noise cancellation earphones to keep my sanity.
Like all headphones, picking the best open-ear model depends on how you plan on using them and your budget. After spending hundreds of hours testing, the following models emerged as my top picks for most people: Bose Ultra Open Earbuds, Cleer ARC 3, Apple AirPods 4 with ANC, Soundcore AeroFit 2, Soundcore C40i, Shokz OpenRun Pro 2, and the H2O TRI 2 Pro.
Read on for more information about how I tested and the different types of open-ear headphones, or you can jump directly to my recommendations.
Best of open-ear headphones Editor's Choice group shot from the left top row: Bose Ultra Open Earbud, Cleer ARC 3, Apple AirPods 4 with ANC; second row: Shokz OpenRun Pro 2 and H2O TRI Pro 2, and on the bottom row: Soundcore Aerofit 2 and Soundcore C40i.
Table of Contents
Testing methodology
The different types of open-ear designs
Overall Top Pick
Highly Recommended
Testing methodology
Testing was done by repeatedly playing the same tracks with each contender. By nature, I gravitate to well-engineered, high-res recordings (sourced from Qobuz, Tidal, Apple, and Amazon) that challenge the headphones with vivid vocals, instrumental solos, and full-on group playing. How true to life and "in the room" did the grand piano, upright bass, or clarinet sound? How well did a lead vocalist pop out of the mix? What happened when the whole band was wailing? Did things get mushy or stay well defined?
For my testing, Joni Mitchell's lushly orchestrated "Both Sides Now" set got a good workout – with the symphonized title track and "A Case of You" and her big band treatment of "I Wish I Were in Love Again." From the new "Thanksgiving Dead" compilation of live Grateful Dead performances, I repeatedly tracked their eccentric covers of "Queen Jane Approximately" and "Stuck Inside of Mobile." (Yes, this set leans heavily on Dylan covers.) Here, rapid replays allowed me to compare/contrast how each OE sample articulated Jerry Garcia's graceful guitar solos, Phil Lesh's "lead" bass lines, the double dose of Mickey Hart and Bill Kreutzmann's splashy percussion, and Bob Weir's wry vocals – his humorous inflection more overt on some buds than others.
Also getting the auto-replay treatment – a tasty new acoustic jazz release from pianist Christian Sands ("Embracing Dawn"), haunting ambient instrumentals from Jonsi (of Sigur Ros fame) on "First Light" and thumping contemporary pop tracks by Chvrches ("Leave a Trace"), Dua Lipa ("No Rules"), and Frank Ocean ("Pyramids").
One universal note of caution: When first trying on open ears, be prepared to work with them. You need to play around with their placement to compensate for the individual contours of your ears and the product modeling choices of OE designers. Rotating the ear hooks and experimenting with the seating of the drivers can make a big difference in how they perform, with especially telling changes in the bass response. Now you don't hear it. Now you do!
The different types of open-ear designs
Clip-on cuff-style
Bose has been generating national media promotion with a snazzy "party going on" TV commercial celebrating the latest cuff-style Bose Ultra Open Earbuds – cute and cunningly effective clip-ons that decoratively clamp around the outer rims of your ears. Rival makers JLab (FLEX), JVC (Nearphones HA-NP), Soundcore (C40i), and others are jumping on that bandwagon, too, with cuff-style open earbuds competing at more affordable prices and with several attributes in common.
All the clip-ons I've tried can be worn as either a stereo pair or with one-on/one-off for listening to music and taking a phone call. All offer Multipoint connection (allowing simultaneous connection to multiple devices). None physically interfere one-iota with eyeglass frames. And because of their ear-rim clamping nature, these things all stay in place quite well – even when taking an exercise class, chasing a child (or a bus) down the street, or when pulling a T-shirt on or off over your head.
Apple's signature rest-in-front-of-the-ear-canal style
Apple has now taken to calling its feature-rich AirPods 4 earbuds an "open ear" design, bringing more attention to the category. Somewhat reshaped from prior AirPods, these Gen. 4s nestle gently inside the lower concha with drivers directed towards but not sealing the ear canals. While some people complain that the Apple buds don't stay in place during serious runs, I find their fit to be both stable and extra-comfy during light exercise and walkabouts. And defying conventional wisdom, AirPods 4s are the first open-ear buds to offer active noise cancellation. More on that shortly.
Earbud with an "open-air" hole
Sony's second generation LinkBuds Open use a unique, donut-shaped driver – open in the middle to the world's sounds – that gets stuffed into the lower concha, while the rest of the works are wedged into the upper concha with help from a new, somewhat softer stabilizer wing. The install takes patience, and these buds' snug presence is felt more than most, at least in my ears. But the LinkBuds Open performance is respectable, and I do love their discrete, ear-flattering looks, available in black, white, or Olivia Rodrigo Purple (and with other, optional color skins for both the earbuds and their carry case).
Ear-hook style
Most clearly signaling open ears' non-isolating nature are second and third-generation ear-hooked models from Cleer (ARC 3), JBL (Soundgear Sense), JVC (Nearphones HA-NP40), Shokz (Open Fit Air), and Soundcore (AeroFit 2). Here, you find bigger drivers in stylish earpieces that float over and barely brush against the ears. Each side is suspended from an adjustable, rubbery, ear-circling hook that sometimes balances the weight distribution with a second (circuitry housing) enclosure tucked behind the ear. Yeah, these puppies do have a geeky aura, but their looks have grown on me.
Bone conduction
I've also had fun checking out new entries in the bone conduction breed of open earbuds championed by Shokz (OpenRun Pro 2) and H2O (TRI 2 Pro). Actually, the first variety of OEs to gain serious traction with athletic wearers (runners, skiers, swimmers), these rad entertainers leave the ears completely wide open. Encapsulated drivers press against the wearer's cheeks just in front of the ears, resonating soundwaves directly into your face bones and adjacent inner ear – a crazy (and sometimes buzzy) sensation the first time you experience it. To maintain a secure fit, a connected band wraps over the ears and then around the back of your neck – a reason to distinguish these things as open-ear Headphones. These new bone conduction models offer significant improvements on the species, including a positive "buzz killer" and a controversial playback skill not spotted anywhere else in earbud/headphone land.
Best Open-Ear Headphones: Bose Ultra Open Earbuds
While the competition has strengthened since my last (February 2024) open-ear roundup, the Bose Ultra Open Earbuds' extra sweet sound replication and best-of-breed comfort keep them in the top seat. The Bose Ultra Open Earbuds' custom 12 mm drivers deliver the most evenly tempered, relaxed, and natural reproduction of music and podcasts I've experienced in the OE category, especially spacious sounding when Bose's space-expanding "Immersive" circuit is engaged. Ergonomics are top drawer too, with novel, flex arm connectors that hold the front (driver) hub and back (controls and battery) barrel to your ears in a fashion that feels both secure and pillow soft (no easy trick!).
Priciest of the bunch, these Bose buds are in the middle of the brood on run time, entertaining for a respectable 7.5 hours (with that spatializing audio processing off) between charges. An additional 19.5 hours of backup fuel is stockpiled in the charging case. A full OE recharge takes one hour; a ten-minute quick charge enables two hours of use.
As a cherry on top, these Bose earbuds can now be used as the rear channels in a "private home theater" setup, working in wireless collaboration with a Bose Smart Soundbar or Smart Ultra Soundbar that's carrying the front channels' load. This fun stunt plays out reasonably well with surround encoded content, though it's sometimes necessary to re-jigger the front/rear channel balances (in the Bose app) after switching from source to source.
Ultra Open buds are also usable as volume enhancers to privately crank up the level (for your ears only) of content that's playing on any Bose speaker adept at SimpleSync signal sharing. A boon for the hearing impaired.
The Bluetooth 5.3 spec is typical for current open-ear models, but the Bose application (with maybe a better on-board antenna?) helps these earbuds hold onto signals farther removed from the source than most rivals can. Their skill set also includes the Snapdragon Sound Technology Suite (offering high-resolution audio and reduced latency) and Google Fast Pair.
Price: $299.00
Best Ear-Hook Open-Ear Buds: Cleer ARC 3
The Cleer ARC 3 are an absolute charmer, delivering fine performance overall, plus a staggering host of special features that make them a pleasure to use. The oversized, multi-ported 16.2 mm drivers and Dolby Atmos decoding capability (a rare feature in earbuds) contribute to the really big sound emanating from these puppies with both music and movie playback.
Long-term wearability/comfort is satisfying, too. Cleer has tweaked the adjustable flap drivers and softened the flex of the ear loops. On paper, the ARC 3s are heavier than their top rivals. Each earbud weighs 0.42 of an ounce, while the Bose Ultra Opens are 0.2 ounce each and the dainty Apple AirPods 4 register a mere 0.15 ounce on a scale. But with Cleer's smart package design and oversized performance, that weight difference seems negligible. ARC 3's robust construction also brings a superior IPX7 waterproof rating (fully submersible up to 1 meter for 30 minutes) and extended range reception from its best-of-breed Bluetooth 5.4 radio.
A Cleer ARC 3 also steps out of the pack with uncommon control versatility. You can cue these things hands-free with head gestures or straightforward voice control commands. Accurate thermal touch control pads front the driver enclosures. More tracking and tuning adjustments can be made on the carry case's lidded color touch screen and on the Cleer app, of course. Especially handy – the Find option on the touch screen that rouses a buried bud to beep.
ARC 3's slightly larger than typical (2.5"x3.5"x1") case holds a phenomenal 40 hours of backup rechargeable battery power to revive these sweeties after their resident 10 hours of power is depleted. In a pinch, a 5-minute fast charge delivers 1.5 hours of use. The case also offers automatic UV light sterilization of the earbuds whenever they are returned to their seated and magnetically secured in-case position. The package replenishes with either a wireless Qi charger or a USB-C connector cable.
There is also Qualcomm Snapdragon tech on board – delivering higher resolution audio through aptX adaptive codec, improved voice clarity with aptX voice, AAC support for Apple devices, and advanced LE Audio and LDAC codecs for Android devices.
Price: $219.99
Best Open Ear Buds for Noisy Environments: Apple AirPods 4 with ANC
The beauty of Apple's AirPods 4 is that they feel barely there, yet deliver the goods quite well, scoring a respectable third to my top-rated Bose and Cleer picks in overall sonic clarity, presence, and dynamic range. Their palpable bass response was a real surprise, best at pumping up the pop hits on my playlist.
Most intriguing here is the introduction of active noise cancellation enabled by Apple's "environment adapting" A2 chip in this premium version. Lacking the tight passive sealing of typical ANC earbuds and "cans," these tiny wearables can't make all the bad noise go away. But on a noisy airplane or bus, AirPods 4 do reduce the low-frequency engine roar by about 50 percent, enough so a wearer can now listen to music or watch a movie without having to blast the volume and your ears to smithereens.
The earbuds' batteries can carry on for 5 hours of play or 4 with ANC engaged. While this is underwhelming compared to competitors – even the budget-friendly Amazfit UP cuffs and JLab Flex One cuffs can go longer, six and seven hours respectively – there are a generous five recharges residing in the AirPods 4 carry case.
Apple devotees will appreciate how easily these buds auto connect to an iPhone or iPad, MAC, or Apple TV and can share content simultaneously with other Apple buds. I can't say I'm a fan of the tiny stem-based control buttons, but with Siri voice activation, some head-wagging cue options, and smartphone-based controls at the ready, does it matter?
Price: $179.00
Best Ear-Hook Buds Under $100: Soundcore AeroFit 2
Soundcore's AeroFit 2 make my shortlist for their chic design, comfortable fit, and sound that's almost as good as much more expensive models. They're a great improvement over prior ear-hooked models from the same maker in sonic presence, comfort, and user-friendliness.
With a well-designed storage case, quick-on/quick-off nature, adjustable earpieces, responsive thermal touch controls, and a sophisticated app, these things just make me feel happy. (The tasteful, flat finish royal blue color option on my review unit also helped.) And not incidentally, these things sound darned good with 20 mm x 11.5 mm "racetrack" drivers that outperformed the likes of JBL's comparably priced Soundgear Sense (downgraded for raspy sounding Joni Mitchell vocals and hard-edged ear hooks) and the pricier Shokz Openfit Air. I loved the latter's rubbery-hinged "ear-genomics" but found its overly bright sound a tad wearing.
AeroFit 2s also score points with 10 hours of playtime per charge (42 hours total with the Charging Case), nice sounding phone calls (enabled with 4 mics and AI enhancement), wireless or USB-C charging, and decent IP55 rating (protected against dust and water spray).
Price: $99.99
Best Cuff Open Ear Buds Under $100: Soundcore C40i
In our under $100 (by a penny) clip-on earbuds competition, Soundcore conquers with their techno-mod-styled C40i cuffs. They're capable of delivering a very forward, aggressive sound signature – tight and bright with lotsa chewy bass – if you want to dial it in. That's something you don't usually find in open ear buds, especially at this price point. They're also easy to operate, with tactile, logical button controls, flexible rubberized cuff hinges for fast install/removal and a well-finessed app. Accessory ear grips (included) can be attached should you feel these buds slipping, but I haven't felt the need. Playtime is 7 hours, or 21 total with case recharges.
Price: $99.99
Best Bone Conduction Open Ear Headphones: Shokz OpenRun Pro 2
The OpenRun Pro 2 deliver the best bass in a bone conduction headphone, thanks to the addition of a bass driver. Shokz calls it "Dual Pitch" and the concept is to reduce "tactile feedback" (aka vibrations) by diverting the buzziest bass frequencies to "air conduction" drivers pointing towards the ears. Meanwhile, mid-range and high frequencies are still drilling downwards through the cheekbones, the traditional bone conduction way. In this crossover-networked solution, pesky vibrations are eliminated, the bass gets stronger/clearer, and the sound overall seems smoother.
The only downside? With those exposed bass drivers on board, you can't take this IP55-rated (protected against dust and water spray) Shokz model for a swim. But it's otherwise versatile and up to speed, with Bluetooth 5.3 and Multipoint pairing. OpenRun Pro 2 keeps up the pace for 12 hours on a battery charge, then is totally renewable in an hour or can summon up 2.5 hours of playtime after just 5 minutes of quick charge. Also special – smaller-headed folks can opt for the "Mini" version of this Shokz, which has a shortened circumference headband for a snugger fit and neater appearance. Worked for me!
Price: $179.95
Best Bone Conduction Open Ear Headphones for Swimming: H2O TRI 2 Pro
H2O finally makes it easy to listen to exactly what you want on open-ear headphones designed for swimming with its TRI 2 Pro MultiSport Waterproof Open Ear Headphones.
Since Bluetooth signals are not receivable under water, makers and wearers of waterproof headphones normally get their entertainment fix from pre-loaded MP3s – files transferred ("drag and drop") from a computer to the headphone's onboard memory. However, with H2O Audio's introduction of PLAYLIST + loading tech, options expand dramatically. Now you can also nab, transfer, and then playback all manner of content that's originated on your smartphone, laptop, or tablet – be it a hot album or playlist from your subscription music service, a favorite podcast, or a day's worth of shows from a faraway internet radio station. With PLAYLIST+, all this content becomes directly transferable from your smart device via Bluetooth, storable in these H2O open-ear headphones at no (additional) cost.
The process does come with some constraints. The dubbing must be done in real time – just like in the days of cassette tape transfers. During playback, there's no fast-forwarding or rewinding option, though you can jump from file to file.
So how do these stored recordings sound through the H2Os? About as decent as music beaming to the same headset on dry land via Bluetooth. I haven't sensed any generational loss with the transfer. But in all honesty, bone-conduction headphones are never going to win a Grand Prix High-Fi competition. With through-the-skull soundwave transmission, the frequency response is blunted, wrapping the music in a sonic gauze that's reminiscent of seriously compressed FM radio broadcasts. But bone-conduction headphone users don't really care. They're hooked on the secure companionship and pace-setting possible on the trail and underwater, not on nuanced performances.
Price: $199.00, Optional Charging Case: $49.00
[Image credit: Jonathan Takiff/Techlicious]
Jonathan Takiff is a seasoned chronicler of consumer electronics (30+ years), longtime staffer for Philadelphia newspapers, syndicated columnist and magazine/website contributor.
