Best open earbuds 2026: Mashable's vetted 4 picks

Read our full review of the Shokz OpenDots One.

If you plan on using your open earbuds primarily for working out but want the option of a solid pair of earbuds too, the Shokz OpenDots One provide the best bang for your buck.

Brands tend to market open earbuds to folks who like to exercise, and for good reason: That's where their use case makes the most sense. Priced at $199.95, we find that the Shokz OpenDots One hit the sweet spot between providing some of the best sound you can find on open earbuds, while giving the major fitness features you want, all without breaking the bank.

The clip-on ear design is secure but not too snug, only causing some discomfort after multiple hours of wear (in other words, probably less time than you'll spend working out). The cuff design is helped by a silicone grip on one side of the earbud, which also acts as a touch panel, in addition to the battery barrel.

As great as their design is, Mashable contributor Alex Bracetti found these earbuds really shone in their audio quality, even comparing them to Bose's open earbuds: "Shokz isn’t known for its sound quality, but the OpenDots One leave quite the impression. The 11.8mm drivers deliver crisp and lively sound to keep runners fueled on long runs." Considering these earbuds are $100 less than the Bose, getting comparable sound is no small feat. And if you're not in love with how they sound out of the box, the equalizer settings on the Shokz app allow you to fine-tune your experience.

Where these earbuds definitively beat the Bose Ultra Opens is in their battery life, boasting 10 hours per charge to Bose's seven (and four with immersive audio). Their case also holds significantly more charge: 40 hours, to Bose's 19.5.

However, that is where their feature list pretty much ends. It's not necessarily a negative, especially if you prefer buds that do the basics, but do them well.

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If you want open earbuds that are excellent for workouts, still great for daily use, and don't cost a ton, you want the Anker Soundcore AeroFit 2 earbuds.

Once you start to get to the budget-friendlier end of open earbuds, you realize that it's not a given that they sound decent. Peaking becomes more common, you lose even more of the detail of a song, and audio leaking is more rampant. We didn't have those problems with the Anker Soundcore AeroFit 2 earbuds.

The newer release from the brand improved upon the older model by making the ear hook adjustable. While most ear hook earbuds come with some degree of flexibility, the AeroFits offer four locked-in angles, making them the most comfortable (and snug) open-ear hook buds we've tried so far. Despite sitting in the large case that comes with the ear hook territory, Soundcore's version here is at least lower profile.

As for their performance as workout earbuds, the AeroFit 2s have the best IP rating of any of our picks, being both dust protected and able to survive jets of water. They have 10 hours of battery life per charge, so even distance runners would be hard pressed to run them down in one use. The touch controls also hit the right mark for sensitivity, making them great to easily pause and play music (if you prefer, you can also turn them, and their sound queue, off entirely).

These earbuds surprised us most with their AI language translation feature that you can use through the companion app. Either in real-time or with a push-to-talk function, the earbuds were able to accurately translate French and Mandarin to English. Soundcore advertises that they can translate into over 100 languages. While we weren't able to get the real-time translation to work to facilitate a back-and-forth conversation, the push-to-talk allows you to speak in English, and the translation in the opposite language comes out through your device's speakers. The other person's dialogue comes through as text on the app and in audio through your earbuds, with only a slight delay. While the use cases for this feature might be more limited, we found it a clever way to leverage the open ear design that lets you engage with another person while still wearing earbuds.

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Read our full review of the Bose Ultra Open earbuds.

If you want to use open earbuds but don't want to sacrifice having the best sound quality possible, the Bose Ultra Opens easily compare to in-ear options. You'll just have the shell out.

It's hard not to be at least a little floored the first time you try the Bose Ultra Open earbuds — they simply sound way better than any pair of open earbuds has a right to. Sure, they can be a little more distant depending on the angle (easily adjustable) and have less of a booming bass than some in-ear designs (a plus for some people), but despite their quirks, they more than deliver on the sound front. Mashable contributor RJ Andersen writes in her review, "The sound was well-balanced, and even with my ear completely uncovered, I didn’t notice any issues with the audio sounding distant or muddy. Instead, the Ultra Open Earbuds sounded clear, natural, and pretty lush."

While they sound great out of the box, Bose gives you the option between stereo and Immersive Audio (aka Bose's spatial audio setting) once you connect it to the companion app. Of course, you'll also have access to four equalizer presets and one custom equalizer setting. For $300, we expected to be impressed, and based on the sound alone, we were.

But Bose didn't stop there. Although the Ultra Opens share the same cuff-like design as our top pick earbuds, we didn't find any uncomfortable pinching or squeezing, even after hours of wear. They stood out as the most comfortable pair of open earbuds we tested. The design thoughtfulness extended to the on-ear controls, which feature a button at the top of the battery barrel that sits on the outside of your ear. The result was a control that was just as easy as a touch control to use, but way less likely to be triggered by accident.

For all their good, the Ultra Open earbuds aren't quite perfect. Their battery life is on the lower end, their mic quality wasn't great on calls, and their IP rating makes them the least outdoor workout-friendly. (As IPX4 earbuds, they have an unknown amount of dust resistance and splash resistance, meaning they can handle sweat fine, but might not fare as well if you're out in heavier rain). Still, while they're not the most rugged pair, they are the most premium sounding — if you mainly work out indoors, and don't find yourself on extra-long runs all that often, these drawbacks are workable.

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Read our full review of the Shokz OpenFit Pro earbuds.

The standout feature of the Shokz OpenFit Pro is definitely their noise reduction, which lowers the volume of the world around you to let your music come into focus. Not to be confused with noise cancellation, this feature balances awareness and sound quality in a way we haven't experienced on another pair of open earbuds.

With that said, these earbuds are the right choice anyone who often finds themselves using earbuds in busy environments, or simply wants their music to sound the best it can in most situations.

Great as the Bose Ultra Open earbuds sound, the ear cuff design isn't for everyone. An ear hook can offer even more stability during exercise, or simply be more comfortable for the wearer.

With that in mind, we've been on the lookout for an open earbud with ear hooks that impressed us with its sound quality, and we found that in the Shokz OpenFit Pro. In addition to the noise reduction — which is adjustable — Shokz optimized these earbuds for Dolby Atmos and offers head tracking, meaning the wearer can really customize their spatial audio experience. (And this spatial audio was noticeably missing any hollowed out sound or overuse of resonance — huge pluses in our book). Further customization comes in the form of a 10-band equalizer, which beats the customization we've seen on more premium in-ear buds (including Bose's QuietComfort Ultra 2 earbuds).

Apart from the listening experience, Shokz nails the design. The case feels surprisingly sleek considering the size of earbuds. The buds themselves feature a soft silicone on the hooks, and well-placed tactile controls that make it easy to adjust settings without opening up the app (which comes in handy for any exercise scenarios). Speaking of exercise, the IP55 rating makes them suitable for sweating and running. Their battery life with noise reduction is decent, at about six hours per charge, but toggled off, you'll squeeze out 12 hours.

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