Honorable Mentions
Open earbuds are becoming a hot trend in wireless audio, which means there are plenty of great options that don’t make our top list. Here are some pairs to consider.
Acefast Acefit Pro for $60-$125: Acefast’s Acefit Pro is more stylish than the cheaper Acefit Air above, especially in its transparent case that shows battery life on cheap LEDs when you turn it on or off. Otherwise, the sound quality is not much better than the Air, and the buds themselves are big, so they don’t fit my ears. These are still a solid pair of open wraps, especially since the price seems to be dropping, often for less than their $125 launch price. If you can get them for $70 or less, they’re a sweet deal.
$50-$70 Earfun Clip: These affordable clip-on style buds seem to have it all. You’ll find a sleek design in a compact case, a comfortable fit, accessible push-button controls, and extras like multi-point pairing and a headphone jack. The package feels a step or two above the asking price, save on sound quality. Basic performance is fine for podcasts and casual listening, but it leaves a lot of meat on the bone for instruments and details, keeping this pair off our top list. Still, with a very low retail price of around $50, these are a great buy for basic use.
JLab Epic Open Sport for $115: JLab’s Epic Open Sport doesn’t have outstanding sound quality or a minimalist design, but its combination of a comfortable and stable fit and great usability make it worth a look. Their combination of real buttons and touchpads provides easy and intuitive control on the go, still rare in this genre. I wish they had better call quality, and their lack of instrumentation or detail dulls the music, but they get the job done without breaking the bank.
Shokz OpenDots One for $200: Shokz’s first attempt at clip-on open earbuds is a solid if expensive effort. You’ll get excellent battery life, a sleek and sporty design that borrows from the Bose Ultra and Soundcore Aeroclip, and the ability to switch the bud to the left or right (if that’s your thing). At this price, I was hoping for more refined sound, better call quality, and flexible controls, but features like the wireless charging case add good value. If you like the style and don’t mind paying for replacement buds, it’s worth considering.
Some Open Earbuds We’ve Tested
Soundpeats Clip1 for $70-$90: Soundpeats are one of my favorite budget brands, offering incredibly good audio fidelity at great prices. The Clip1 is a decent effort, but the “crispy” topside misses the mark for me, leaving my favorite songs and podcasts sounding clear, but forward in a weird and inaccurate way. The design looks a little cheap (especially the case), and the controls are relegated to an awkward touchpad behind your ears. I appreciate the Clip1’s many features, including many additions that don’t have open earbuds, such as auto-pause. They are really long at $90, but retail prices around $60-70 would make them very attractive.
Shokz OpenFit Pro Wireless Earbuds for $250: Shokz is expanding its open-ear earbuds portfolio with a new pair of wrap-around, Lolliclip-like in-ears that aim to add noise cancellation to the open-ear mix. If you think keeping your ears open while silencing the outside world is ambitious, you’re wrong. Our reviewer’s results were stressful and uncomfortable, including some stress associated with noise cancellation. Otherwise, the OpenFit Pro offers surprisingly clear and full sound in an affordable design, but the price makes them a tough sell.
Skullcandy Push 720 for $150: I’m not sure what Skullcandy was aiming for with Push 720, but they generally miss the mark for me. The combined bag/charging case doesn’t add anything significant to its bag other than making it difficult to fit in a pocket. The semi-open fit is more uncomfortable than my favorite pairs, and the buds pinch my ears over time. The sound is clear enough, but there’s a limit to the high register that doesn’t resonate well with my ears, and the bass is surprisingly thin. There are some cool features here, and I like the push button controls, but in this competitive segment, you can do better.
Earfun OpenJump for $80: Earfun’s OpenJump offers affordable sound and incredible waterproofing in one of the most comfortable wraparound designs I’ve featured. It’s hard to beat their price, but they fall into one of the biggest pitfalls of open earbuds right now: controls that aren’t exactly easy with hit-or-miss feedback, especially on the go. They’re still a decent price on good sales, but only if you don’t mind fumbling with the controls.
Edifier Lollilip for $130: Edifier’s Lolliclip offers a hybrid open/open design, with an AirPods-style tip combined with a rear battery. The fit feels a lot looser than my favorite open-back earbuds and creates a lot more wind resistance and cycling. They are comfortable enough to wear for short periods of time and allow you to switch the bud to the left or right. Edifier adds a few extras, from pairing more points to health factors, but Lolliclip’s marquee option, noise cancellation, does more harm than good in most cases.
