Our reviews are 100% organic. We do not accept payment for reviews or bundle with advertising budgets. In most cases, the brand is providing the product to our reviewers free of charge. Newly released music by artists including Taylor Swift, Willie Nelson and Pedro the Lion, along with a new season of the Serial podcast, has us ready to push “play” as we head out on our long runs. In our 2023 headphones review, we emphasized the use of open-ear headphones to preserve awareness of the surrounding environment while you’re rocking down the trail or road. Since then, a number of open-ear headphones have come out on the market, and we’ve tested them in a variety of conditions including running, indoor workouts and more.
Shokz OpenFit ($180)
Battery life* (single charge): 7 hours
Recharge capacity: Up to 28 hours with case, 5-minute quick charge provides 1 hour of battery life
Water resistance: IP54
Weight: 8g per earbud, 74g for earbuds plus case
*For all the products listed, battery life is typically identified as duration of continuous audio playback at 60% to 70% of max volume.
Shokz built their brand reputation on open-ear bone conduction headphones, with their OpenRun Pro model producing the best sound quality and most user-friendly operation of all the models we tested. The OpenFit is something of a new product category for them, ditching the connecting wire and adjusting the position of the headphones to rest just above your earlobe instead of on the bone in front of it. From a comfort standpoint, these earbuds are impressive, weighing a mere 8 grams each and ultimately feeling like they’re not even there during prolonged use. A dolphin arc ear hook with an ultra-fine flexible memory wire can be used on different ear curvatures, and a split construction design between the earbud and battery compartment balances the weight evenly. There’s a bit of adjustment needed to get the fit secure, and we noticed a slight loosening sensation while running down technical surfaces.
Sound quality on the OpenFit is a noticeable improvement over the Shokz OpenRun Pro, which is saying something as we were really impressed with that model as well. New innovations that account for this improvement include DirectPitch technology, using reverse sound waves to optimize the distance and angle between the sound source and the ear canal, as well as a dynamic driver unit made of carbon fiber that can direct acoustic vibrations very precisely. These factors combine for greater sound pressure directed straight toward the ear and less sound leakage in other directions. In our testing, it was remarkable how little sound was detectable to others, even with the earbuds at full volume. Additional innovations here include an OpenBass low-frequency enhancement algorithm, and dynamic equalizer control in real time. All in all, these technologies combine for the best sound quality we’ve ever heard in open-ear headphones.
When we get into the details of practical operation of the OpenFit buds, our enthusiasm is somewhat diminished. Like most earbuds, audio playback and calls can be controlled directly on the touchpads, but all controls require either a double-tap or press-and-hold. By default, pausing your music or answering a call requires a double-tap, and advancing or repeating a song takes a 3-second press-and-hold. You can customize these settings in the Shokz app to determine what the double-tap or press-and-hold functions on either earbud control, but one frustrating issue is that there’s no way to configure the earbuds to simultaneously have track skipping or volume control capability –you have to choose either one or the other to control on the earbuds, and the other has to be done with your phone. These are two commonly used features and having them mutually exclusive means you’ll have to dig your phone out of a pocket to do something very simple like skip a song. As such, we’ll probably limit the OpenFit to lower intensity or recreational uses when it isn’t an inconvenience to keep our phone handy. Available at www.shokz.com.
Cleer Audio ARC II Sport ($170)
Battery life (single charge): 8 hours
Recharge capacity: Up to 35 hours with case, 10-minute quick charge for 1 hour run time
Water resistance: IPX5
Weight: 14g per earbud, 130g for earbuds plus case
As the name implies, this open-earbud model is the second generation of Cleer’s sport-specific headphones, with improvements in fit, comfort, battery life and sound quality. As with the Shokz OpenFit, the ARC II Sport headphones have a flexible top wire that can be customized for a secure fit, with the sound source positioned right above the eardrum. The key technology here is the use of Snapdragon Sound, a Qualcomm spatial audio system that maintains your ability to perceive sound all around you, while delivering a fully immersive audio experience. It includes six-axis dynamic head tracking to ensure consistent sound quality and “lossless audio” even when your body is highly active. Another sound enhancement comes from the use of neodymium driver speakers. These are derived from the strongest magnetic material in the world, allowing the creation of powerful speakers with slim sizes and minimal weight.
The same six-axis motion sensors that enhance audio quality also enable a cool, if initially odd functionality: namely, you can activate commands such as answering phone calls or skipping playlist songs simply by tilting your head. For example, if you’re cranking away in a spin class and don’t want to take your hands off the handlebars, you can shake your head back and forth to reject a phone call or quickly pivot your head to the right and back to skip a song you don’t like. This functionality can be disabled if you don’t want to risk inadvertently activating it and whether you have it activated or not, there is full touch functionality on the headphones themselves: volume up/down is controlled by a prolonged tap, and music controls are done by single, double or triple taps.
Cleer has a few more innovative features built into the Arc II Sport, some of which seem more gimmicky than useful but all of which are interesting. Although not related to exercise, one cool innovation is multipoint connectivity, which establishes a Bluetooth connection between two devices simultaneously. For example, if you’re watching a movie on your laptop and a call comes in on your phone, you can switch the audio source back and forth between the devices as needed. Another thoughtful feature is a case with built-in UV light sterilization to kill bacteria while your earbuds are charging. Less useful additions include general activity tracking such as step counts and a sedentary duration reminder—features found on the most basic watches and phones nowadays which don’t add any value to the earbuds, in our opinion. Thankfully, these are optional features, so we just turned them off and enjoyed the otherwise very solid performance of these headphones. The Arc II Sport is available at www.cleeraudio.com.
Wildhorn Crank Sport ($120)
Battery life (single charge): 12 hours
Recharge capacity: 2 hours for full charge, 10-minute quick charge provides 1-hour playback
Water resistance: IPX7
Unit weight: 32g (regular version) or 29g (mini version)
As noted above, the Shokz OpenRun Pro earned the highest marks for open-ear headphones last year, but two new models from Wildhorn are very comparable to that model and even exceed it significantly in some regards, such as weather resistance and battery life. The frames feel solid, despite weighing only 32 grams, thanks to a silicone-wrapped titanium alloy that is extremely durable and flexible while remaining soft against your head. A very noticeable structural difference is the surface contact area of the transponder, which doesn’t just sit in front of the earlobe, but also covers the tragus (the fancy anatomic term for the flap of cartilage in front of your earlobe). This spreads the sound across a larger surface area as well as stabilizing the fit. When these headphones are in place, it feels like nothing will shake them loose, which works well for the company’s core audience of snow athletes and mountain bikers and is ideal for runners as well.
The larger surface area of the transponder also diminishes the focal vibrations that are common in many bone conduction headphones, and decreases the sound distortion that can come with movements of the jaw. Sound dynamics on the Crank Sport are restricted to default settings—there aren’t different music modes or an equalizer in an app to tinker with—but to our ear, the device provides a rich sound quality that works well for a variety of music styles as well as podcasts and audiobooks. If you prefer to leave your phone behind, the Crank Sport has a built-in MP3 player that can hold up to 140 hours of downloaded audio files which can then be played in sequence or in a shuffle mode. On a completely trivial note, we also love the automated voice that says, “Power on, battery level high” when turning on the device.
These headphones are our top choice for long trail days, thanks to their strong battery life and overall comfort. We used them continuously for over 14 hours during an ultra in the heat, without any ear soreness. Operation of the Crank Sport is very efficient, with the ability to fully control music and calls manually or with voice control. Users of other bone conduction headphones will have some mental re-calibration to do, as the buttons are the inverse of most others (for example, the volume up and skip forward button is behind the power button, rather than in front), but this comes easily after a few uses. Earlier, we mentioned that there are two Crank Sport models to choose from. In addition to the standard size, these come in a mini version that has exactly the same feature set and operation but has a shorter neck wire that gives a more secure fit, especially if worn under a helmet, and is 3 grams lighter. Another great feature is the Lifetime Fidelity Gear program, which is basically a low-cost replacement offer for the life of the model. If you need a replacement at any time, for any reason, you get a new unit for only $30—it’s like an extended warranty that you only pay for if you ever actually need it. Wildhorn Crank Sport headphones are available at www.wildhornoutfitters.com.
Suunto Sonic ($149)
Battery life (single charge): 10 hours
Recharge capacity: 1 hour to full recharge, 10-minute quick charge for 3 hours of run time
Water resistance: IP55
Weight: 31g
This is the second bone conduction headphone device released by Suunto since last year, after the flagship launch of the Suunto Wing. The Sonic has a lower price point than the Wing, slightly less weather resistance and lacks a few features that you may or may not want but the battery life is identical, as are the construction materials and dimensions. There’s a 2 gram weight difference (the Wing is heavier), but it’s virtually unnoticeable. More importantly, all of the techy audio system specifications such as frequency range, impedance, sensitivity and harmonic distortion are exactly the same on both models. Both the Wind and Sonic feature a newly designed sound transducer that provides a strong bass effect and minimal noise leakage. Through the Suunto app, you can choose between normal sound mode for everyday use or an outdoor sound mode which essentially just increases the volume for when you’re exercising outside.
Operation of the Sonic is very user friendly and will be familiar to anyone who has used a Shokz bone conduction product. Volume up/down buttons are on the right side casing. One quibble we have is these buttons are somewhat small and placed quite close together, making them a slight challenge for large or gloved fingers. A larger multifunction button on the left transponder takes care of controlling music playback or phone calls. One primary operational difference between the Wing and Sonic models is that the more expensive Wing is capable of head-activated controls (as described on the Cleer earbuds earlier) by tilting or shaking your head, but the Sonic only has manual functionality. Other features found on the Wing but lacking on the Sonic are side LED safety lights to help with visibility, and a portable power bank to recharge in the field.
There are some other compelling innovations shared by the Wing and Sonic models including dual connectivity which allows you to connect and toggle between two Bluetooth devices at the same time. More interesting, particularly in the context of Suunto’s extensive background in performance watches and data analytics, is the capacity of these headphones to provide real time voice feedback or progress updates during activity, for example: HR ranges, mile splits or average pace per mile. Receiving audio feedback requires connection with the Suunto app on your phone as well as a compatible Suunto watch, so you’ll need to run with your phone for this to work. At this point, the practicality of audio feedback is somewhat primitive in providing useful functionality that you can’t get just by glancing at your watch, and only Suunto’s most expensive watches (such as the 9 Peak Pro, Vertical or the newest Race model) have the capacity to do it. However, this provides an interesting glimpse of potential new developments with the technology in years to come, and also helps explain why a company that specializes in GPS watches wants to expand into audio products. If you’re someone who historically uses Suunto watches and likes having real-time feedback during activity sessions, this will be a very intriguing product pairing in the future. The Suunto Sonic and Wing headphones are available at www.suunto.com.
Safety Considerations
Finally, because this topic is so important with headphone use, we’re recapping the safety considerations we described in last year’s headphone review.
Above all else, the primary rule is to keep your audio volume low enough to maintain awareness of your immediate environment. In urban settings, you need to be aware of traffic and machinery. On trails, you need to be able to hear dogs, horses, bikes or rattlesnakes. In both settings, it’s imperative to be able to hear human voices, such as people approaching from behind or trying to catch your attention for other reasons.
On the trails, one common courtesy is to pause music when approaching people, to maximize your hearing in case they have questions or need help, or maybe just to exchange a quick hello. At trail races, turning music off should be mandatory when approaching aid stations so you can properly interact with and thank all the volunteers who are helping you. Also, be sure to check each race’s headphone policy in advance, and be compliant with whatever guidelines they have in place.