Shokz OpenFit Air: The Perfect Open Earbuds for Runners

Experience the Shokz OpenFit Air, the ideal open earbuds for runners that balance comfort and situational awareness.

Shokz OpenRun Pro 2: A Brief Overview

The Shokz OpenFit Air might just be the ultimate earbuds for those tackling distances from 5K to a half-marathon while wanting to stay aware of their surroundings during training and races. Offering a commendable 6 hours of battery life on a full charge, these earbuds are suitable for most people to complete a full marathon, although pricier Shokz models provide double this playback time.

Open-ear designs like the OpenFit Air sit around and above the ears rather than inside the ear canal like the best wireless earbuds. This pair is exceptionally lightweight, weighing just 8.7 grams per earbud, making them feel nearly non-existent whether you're jogging along a bumpy country road or busting out burpees in a virtual class. The design features a flexible silicone ear hook that keeps them securely in place without creating pressure or discomfort during long listening sessions.

While they accommodate various ear sizes and sit comfortably alongside glasses, the open design might not be everyone's cup of tea. Music blends with surrounding sounds when you're near intense traffic or a crowd, and some users may still require active noise cancellation. Of course, many professional running and cycling events have rules regarding the types of earbuds that can be used. For safety, it's essential to hear other runners, marshals, and vehicles, and the OpenFit Air allows for that.

Unlike the best Shokz bone conduction headphones, open-type models like the OpenFit Air utilize tiny speakers to convey sound. Shokz calls this “air conduction through DirectPitch,” a fancy way of saying that sound waves travel through the air to reach your ears, which is the same principle used by the best earbuds.

It seems Shokz has carefully considered its target audience for the OpenFit Air. Released in June 2024, these earbuds offer a more affordable open-type option compared to the original Shokz OpenFit and Bose Ultra Open. With IP54 water and sweat resistance, they're designed not just for runners but also for yogis, hikers, and cyclists. Other key features include touch control and multipoint pairing for switching between your phone and desktop computer or smartwatches.

Given that the more expensive OpenFit 2 launched in January with nearly double the battery life and physical buttons, and the Shokz OpenRun Pro offers fantastic bass for runners, are the Shokz OpenFit Air simply a “middle ground”? After over three months of testing, I enjoyed wearing them and loved listening to them. They may not meet all my listening needs, but they have been on my ears more often than I ever anticipated.

Shokz OpenFit Air: Specifications

Shokz OpenFit Air: Price and Availability

• Price: $119.95
• More affordable than OpenFit
• Great value for quality and design

At a price point of $119.95, these earbuds are significantly cheaper than the Shokz OpenFit 2, which retails for $179.95. To be fair, the latter offers better water resistance and more than double the battery life on a single charge, but not everyone needs 11 hours of use without a recharge. Unlike other brand options, bone conduction headphones like the OpenRun Pro2 cost $179.95 and provide up to 12 hours of audio.

The OpenFit Air is priced competitively against other brands targeting runners and fitness enthusiasts. The Beats Fit Pro, priced at $199, offers up to 6 hours of playback. However, these are in-ear buds, which complicates direct comparisons. Then there are premium Bose Ultra Open headphones at $299, which aren't specifically marketed for runners but offer a similar fit and excellent sound quality.

Of course, cheaper alternatives exist. The Soundcore V20i by Anker also keeps the ear canal free and retails for around $40, featuring four microphones for background noise cancellation during calls. Without testing, it’s hard to say how they compare, but they are marketed for casual use and light jogging.

Personally, if I plan to use earbuds intensively, putting them through wear and sweat, I’m not sure I can justify a very expensive option. I believe the OpenFit Air is an excellent value considering the design, battery life, and functionality they offer the average runner.

• Price: 4/5

Shokz OpenFit Air: Design

• Memory alloy core with silicone casing
• Super lightweight: only 8.7 g per earbud
• Resistant to dirt and sweat, even in white

Shokz's approach to the design and packaging of the OpenFit Air feels sleek. The earbuds are made from a blend of flexible matte silicone and a metallic ring, coming in a sturdy charging case with a snap-on lid and a USB-C port at the back.

Among the three color options for OpenFit Air—white, black, and pastel pink—I tested the white pair. While I love white tech, I worried they would get dirty with regular use during intense workouts. However, after three months, they still look brand new. Unlike in-ear headphones, they don’t trap sweat, so I suspect they’ll last longer even with intense usage. The IP54 water resistance rating is suitable for light rain and sweat but is below the IP55 of the Shokz Open Run Pro.

The OpenFit Air is my first pair of open earbuds, and upon first trying them on, I was amazed by their lightweight nature (just 8.7 g each). They fit snugly on my small ears, while other earbuds may feel bulky. Yet, I was skeptical about whether they would stay in place during workouts. The flexible silicone ends hugged my ears tightly, and I felt confident taking them for a run. To see how well they fit different ear sizes, I had my partner, who has larger ears than mine, try them on too, and the adaptable ear hook provided a good fit and sound without pressing on the ear.

• Design: 4.5/5

Shokz OpenFit Air: Features

• Touch controls can be accidentally pressed
• Multiple equalizer options in the app
• Four microphones for clear voice calls

Unlike the Shokz OpenFit, the Air features multipoint pairing. This means you can connect them to your phone and, say, running watch via Bluetooth, then quickly switch between them. I paired them with Android, iOS, and Windows devices, as well as Garmin Forerunner watches, and found the transition to be seamless. There’s no ear detection feature, so if you remove the earbuds, they continue playing, and you'll need to mute the source.

Since the OpenFit Air is designed to keep you aware of your surroundings, there’s no noise-canceling feature. However, the left earbud has four microphones with Qualcomm's cVc 8.0 voice recognition algorithm to filter background noise. I tested the microphones for voice calls as both a listener and speaker, and the sound was clear on both ends, except in very strong wind. The microphones are only in the right earbud, so you'll need to wear it to be heard.

The OpenFit Air does not have physical buttons for adjusting volume, pausing, or skipping tracks. Instead, there is a touch interface on the main body of each earbud, which creates some challenges. While this design keeps the earbuds' surface smooth (where buttons might collect dirt or sweat), these controls can be easily accidentally touched.

While adjusting my ear or removing a layer of clothing, I often accidentally triggered a loud, confusing sound alert. By default, to increase or decrease the volume, you must hold a finger on the side of either earbud. At a running pace, even at a moderate speed, that feels inconvenient. You can reassign gesture functions in the Shokz app, but the clumsy control detracts from an otherwise excellent feature set.

Overall, the free Shokz smartphone app is pleasantly simple. It also provides basic information about battery levels for the earbuds and case, and there are five preset equalizer settings to adjust sound balance. Most of the time, I kept the earbuds in Bass Boost mode and enjoyed the richer sound it offered.

• Features: 4/5

Shokz OpenFit Air: Performance

• 6 hours of battery life and 28 hours from the case
• 10 minutes of charging gives 2 hours of listening
• Sound leakage at high volumes, typical for open earbuds

I didn’t expect the Shokz OpenFit Air to deliver the same bass and immersive listening as my Bose QuietComfort Over-Ear headphones, but I wanted the ability to enjoy my eclectic music library while running. I started using the earbuds during my half-marathon training, and while it took me a bit to adjust to the open design and the surrounding noise that was intentionally let in, I grew to love them.

Sound comes from the custom dynamic drivers measuring 18 x 11 mm, which Shokz designed for balanced low, mid, and high frequencies. I felt that there was enough bass on upbeat tracks like "The Veldt" by deadmau5, but I also enjoyed the quieter, minimalist piano of Ludovico Einaudi when I wanted my runs to have a more soulful vibe. During podcasts, especially when multiple speakers were involved, I often found myself turning up the volume to clearly hear what was being said.

The earbuds allow background noise to keep you safe while running and walking, so you don’t end up in trouble when crossing roads or paths. When I ran in the city center, it was tough to hear the music; it became more of a background experience than the main event, but that's the purpose. This isn’t a flaw of the earbuds; just keep that in mind if you're unsure whether you always want to be aware of your surroundings. For instance, in a busy hipster gym, I still wear my over-ear headphones to drown out distracting noises and concentrate on my workout. But for at-home high-intensity interval training, the OpenFit Air is the perfect lightweight companion once again.

Sound leakage from the earbuds exists but isn’t intrusive unless you reach three-quarters of full volume. I would never wear the OpenFit Air in my open office, or on a bus or train, but for walks in the countryside, when I wanted to listen to a podcast and keep my ears open to bird songs, wildlife, and agricultural machinery, the balance of both was perfect.

Traditional in-ear headphones can give me ear pain after a few hours, while over-ear headphones can cause neck discomfort. In contrast, the Shokz OpenFit Air are the most comfortable earbuds I've ever worn, so much so that I often forget I’m wearing them. I can wear them with the earpieces of my sunglasses resting on top, and I’ve also seen several user posts about the comfort of wearing them with a helmet, though I have yet to test that.

I wore the Shokz under a bandana or wool hat during colder runs and didn’t experience much discomfort from them pressing lightly against my head. Whether it’s recommended or not, when I’m doing household chores on a weekend day, I often wear the Airs as long as the battery lasts.

Speaking of the battery, I was also impressed with its performance. Shokz claims you’ll get up to six hours of battery life from the earbuds and another 28 hours if you place them in the charging case. This is close to what I experienced; on one day when I wore the OpenFit Air from a full charge, I logged 5 hours and 45 minutes of use. Similarly, the earbuds lasted me all weekend on a trip, recharging from the case on the go.

• Performance: 4.5/5

Shokz OpenFit Air: Rating Summary

Also Consider

Shokz OpenSwim Pro
These are specifically designed for swimmers and are completely waterproof. With 32GB of built-in MP3 memory, you can access about 8000 songs underwater (where Bluetooth doesn’t reach). The open design ensures situational awareness outside the water.

Shokz OpenRun Pro 2
While the OpenFit Air isn’t specifically designed for runners, the OpenRun Pro 2 is. The difference lies in the wraparound headband design, which is very stable during intense runs, and the buttons that are likely easier to use than touch controls while you're on the move.

How I Tested the Shokz OpenFit Air

• Used daily for over three months
• Listened to podcasts, music, and phone calls
• Ran two half-marathons with them

I spent over three months wearing the Shokz OpenFit Air, using them for all my outdoor runs, including two half-marathon road races and a rainy 10K trail run. I wore them on daily walks with my dog in the countryside when I still wanted to hear wildlife and agricultural machinery. I also utilized them for home high-intensity interval training to see how well they held up while jumping jacks, doing burpees, and moving chaotically. I did not use these earbuds in the gym or office, as I prefer stronger noise cancellation there.

I connected the Shokz OpenFit Air to my iPhone 15 Pro and Garmin running watch to see how easy it was to connect and switch between the two devices. I listened to all sorts of audio materials, from classical music on the radio to voice calls with family, podcasts, audiobooks, and the indie rock of my youth. I also tested all four equalizer settings available in the Shokz app.

Finally, to test the microphone, I made several calls both at home and in the city center with background traffic noise, noting how it worked for me and asking my conversation partner about the sound quality.

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