{"id":427037,"date":"2026-01-23T01:22:14","date_gmt":"2026-01-23T01:22:14","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/427037\/"},"modified":"2026-01-23T01:22:14","modified_gmt":"2026-01-23T01:22:14","slug":"i-tried-exercising-with-open-ear-headphones-and-bone-conduction-for-me-there-was-one-clear-winner","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/427037\/","title":{"rendered":"I tried exercising with open-ear headphones and bone conduction \u2014 for me, there was one clear winner"},"content":{"rendered":"

About a year ago, I inexplicably lost my pair of Shokz OpenRun bone conduction headphones during a group bike ride. It was great to use on the bike because I could listen to music or follow Google Maps<\/a> directions while my ears were uncovered to help me stay aware of my surroundings.<\/p>\n

I\u2019ve been on a hunt for a replacement ever since, and while my AirPods Pro 2 are great as an all-rounder, I don\u2019t like using them for workouts, mostly due to my worry of them falling out and the discomfort I feel if I wear them for more than a couple of hours. Its in-ear design also makes it a non-starter for cycling.<\/p>\n

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When I had the opportunity to try out Shokz\u2019s newest offering, the top-tier open-ear OpenFit Pro, I wanted to see how it stacked up compared to my OpenRun and if it can be a potential workout and cycling upgrade.<\/p>\n

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Shokz unveiled the OpenFit Pro at CES<\/a> earlier this month, with the brand keen to market open-ears as a middle ground between bone-conduction headphones and in-ears, aiming to provide improved audio while keeping the ear canals open. I initially thought that its noise-reduction feature was just snake oil and questionable marketing because I couldn\u2019t imagine open headphones blocking out noise without covering the ear canal \u2014 but after a week of using them, I was sold!<\/p>\n

Noise reduction, not canceling<\/p>\n

While active noise-cancelling is still exclusively within the domain of top-tier earbuds and over-ear headphones, the OpenFit Pro\u2019s tech can really reduce some noise \u2014 and you can definitely tell the difference with it turned on.<\/p>\n

That being said, there\u2019s an important distinction to be made here. The technology added here is noise reduction, not noise cancellation, so if you\u2019re expecting the OpenFit Pro to rival the likes of Bose<\/a> and Sony<\/a>\u2019s ANC, you\u2019ll be sorely disappointed and no open-ear buds will provide that kind of ambient sound blockage in any case.<\/p>\n

When I used them in the office, for example, with the noise-reduction mode on, ambient noise like distant street sounds and whirring fans basically vanished, but I could clearly hear my colleagues talking.<\/p>\n

Get instant access to breaking news, the hottest reviews, great deals and helpful tips.<\/p>\n

Outside an enclosed space, however, it was a completely different story. Even with noise reduction turned all the way up, the OpenFit Pro failed entirely \u2014 I wasn\u2019t able to hear the music over the noise around me, even with volume turned up. It fared a bit better on public transport but, again, it becomes unusable if you\u2019re on a particularly noisy bus.<\/p>\n

Image 1 of 3<\/p>\n

\"The(Image credit: Tom’s Guide)\"Shokz(Image credit: Tom’s Guide)\"The(Image credit: Tom’s Guide)<\/p>\n

Ultimately, though, I was looking to use these headphones for working out, and that\u2019s where the OpenFit Pro came into its own. While my colleague who tested these buds for our Shokz OpenFit Pro review<\/a> wasn\u2019t too enthused by the noise-reduction feature, I found it to be fantastic while running, I didn\u2019t have to turn up the volume too much to enjoy my workout music. Granted, my usual go-to running spot is the relatively quiet Sydney Olympic Park. For cycling, though, I had to crank up the volume quite a bit, but that was something I had to do with the bone-conduction Shokz OpenRun too.<\/p>\n

As much as I appreciate this headline feature, I\u2019m struggling to justify the OpenFit Pro\u2019s price tag of $249 \/ \u00a3219 \/ AU$399 as that puts them up against some of the best noise-canceling earbuds<\/a>. I\u2019ll also be the first to admit that it\u2019s early days for this tech and you\u2019d essentially be paying an early adopter tax.<\/p>\n

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Shokz nails it where it matters \u2014 audio quality<\/p>\n

The one thing our reviewer mentions and I completely agree with is that the audio quality on the OpenFit Pro is top notch for open-ears. In fact, I\u2019d say that the sound stage was good enough to rival the AirPods Pro 2 that I\u2019d been using prior to the Shokz and is a significant upgrade over the OpenRun I\u2019d previously lost.<\/p>\n

For my typical running music like Hacker by Death Grips and Gamma Knife by King Gizzard and the Lizard Wizard, the clear sound and powerful bass came through. George Benson\u2019s Affirmation (Live) is my favourite song to test headphones with, and the OpenFit Pro did reasonably well for open headphones. Podcasts and YouTube<\/a> videos are clear and vibrant too, great for those who tend to mix it up during workouts.<\/p>\n

Once again, though, I\u2019m struggling to justify the price tag \u2014 there are cheaper options that sound just as good, if not better, with the likes of EarFun Air Pro 4+<\/a> at $99 \/ \u00a389 \/ AU$149 and JLab JBuds Mini<\/a> at $39 \/ \u00a339 \/ AU$99.<\/p>\n

A finicky workout buddy<\/p>\n

My old Shokz OpenRun had dedicated volume up and down buttons sitting directly behind the right ear, making adjusting on the fly easy. The rest of the controls were done with a single multifunction button. They weren\u2019t perfect, but they worked seamlessly and it was all I needed.<\/p>\n

The OpenFit Pro, on the other hand, has two multifunction buttons on each side and adjusting volume isn\u2019t as easy as it should (or could) be \u2014 a single press of the button, followed by a long press of the same button on the right earpiece to increase volume, and the same action for the left earpiece to decrease the volume.<\/p>\n

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\"The\n<\/p>\n

(Image credit: Tom’s Guide)<\/p>\n

This action is similar to the next and previous track control \u2014 two presses of the button \u2014 so I\u2019d more often than not skip to the next track unintentionally instead of increasing the volume when using the physical buttons. I found myself reaching for my phone to adjust the volume after a couple of days of using the OpenFit Pro.<\/p>\n

Perhaps the decision to have just one multifunction button was to make the OpenFit Pro\u2019s design cleaner and smaller, but surely Shokz could have found an easier way to adjust the volume. Maybe Shokz could either swap the volume and next\/previous track controls, or adopt something similar to the button controls from the OpenRun \u2014 or at least have the option to personalise the controls.<\/p>\n

All-day comfort<\/p>\n

Annoying controls aside, I was pleased with how comfortable the OpenFit Pro were. It felt like I wasn\u2019t wearing anything despite having clips around the ears to hold them in.<\/p>\n

During my runs, the OpenFit Pro stayed in place and remained comfortable throughout the workout, including before and after the run. I even tried them out during a game of badminton (with no music and on open mode), and it held in place. There\u2019s even plenty of clearance between the buds and helmet strap when cycling to wear on the road, and they never once knocked against my sunglasses either.<\/p>\n

Image 1 of 2<\/p>\n

\"Author(Image credit: Tom’s Guide)\"Article(Image credit: Tom’s Guide)<\/p>\n

That said, earbud fit is subjective and the OpenFit Pro may not fit everyone. While the ear tips sat directly in front of my ear canal, that wasn\u2019t the case for my colleague Stephen Lambrechts.<\/p>\n

As comfy as I found the buds themselves, the earhooks make the charging case comparatively larger than what you\u2019d find with other noise-canceling buds, which makes it harder for a cyclist like me to tote around. I had to leave my wallet at home during bike rides to stuff the case into my jersey pocket. Thankfully, the case uses USB-C instead of the proprietary magnetic charger that the Shokz OpenRun needs.<\/p>\n

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\"The\n<\/p>\n

The Shokz OpenFit Pro charging case compared to the Apple AirPods Pro 2 charging case (Image credit: Tom’s Guide)Listen up \u2014 here\u2019s the clincher<\/p>\n

At US$249 \/ \u00a3219 \/ AU$399, the OpenFit Pro is by far Shokz\u2019s most expensive product. It\u2019s understandable, given that the noise-reduction tech is a new addition, and the audio quality is best in class. I\u2019d still find it hard to recommend them at this price point \u2014 here\u2019s why.<\/p>\n

Firstly, you\u2019re not going to be able to use them all day \u2014 the best use case for the OpenFit Pro is in the gym or when working out outdoors. So that\u2019s maybe an hour or two each day, maybe a touch more if you\u2019re on a weekend cycling trip. They\u2019ll even be fine in the office or at home, but you\u2019ll need a second set of buds for your daily commute at these new Shokz just don\u2019t cut it.<\/p>\n

Secondly, for working out, I personally think bone conduction headphones are the better choice for those wanting to be aware of their surroundings while listening to music or a podcast. Shokz\u2019 OpenRun and OpenRun Pro 2 are cheaper at $129\/\u00a3129.95\/AU$219 and $179.95\/\u00a3169\/AU$319, respectively, and they are also frequently discounted. The audio quality may not be as good as the OpenFit Pro, but if you need to crank up the volume to drown out some of the ambient noise, surely sound quality becomes a moot point.<\/p>\n

The only time I can truly recommend the Shokz OpenFit Pro is when you don\u2019t like using earbuds or over-ears and if audio quality was the absolute priority. For those who feel that earbuds can be invasive when stuck deep into your ear canals \u2014 or you\u2019re unable to use earbuds for health reasons \u2014 this just might work for you.<\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

Today’s best Shokz OpenFit Pro deals<\/p>\n

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