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Nov 08, 2024

Best Open Wireless Earbuds for 2024 - CNET

Article updated on November 5, 2024 at 4:26 PM PST Whether you're not a fan of ear tips or simply like staying aware of your surroundings, here are the best open-ear earbuds. CNET’s expert staff

Article updated on November 5, 2024 at 4:26 PM PST

Whether you're not a fan of ear tips or simply like staying aware of your surroundings, here are the best open-ear earbuds.

CNET’s expert staff reviews and rates dozens of new products and services each month, building on more than a quarter century of expertise.

What to consider

Budget

Determine how much you're willing to spend on open wireless earbuds and how that lines up with quality and functionality.

Fit

Your earbuds should offer a comfortable, secure fit -- even without noise-canceling tips to seal them in. Ensuring the earbuds you choose fit your head help minimize any discomfort from longer wear.

Durability

You want open wireless buds that hold up well over time, so look for models that we note have sturdy build quality and a good water-resistance rating.

Return policy

In case the headphones aren't a great fit for your ears, it's important that the retailer offers a good return policy.

CNET’s expert staff reviews and rates dozens of new products and services each month, building on more than a quarter century of expertise.

What to consider

Budget

Determine how much you're willing to spend on open wireless earbuds and how that lines up with quality and functionality.

Fit

Your earbuds should offer a comfortable, secure fit -- even without noise-canceling tips to seal them in. Ensuring the earbuds you choose fit your head help minimize any discomfort from longer wear.

Durability

You want open wireless buds that hold up well over time, so look for models that we note have sturdy build quality and a good water-resistance rating.

Return policy

In case the headphones aren't a great fit for your ears, it's important that the retailer offers a good return policy.

While open-ear headphones have been around for a while, open-ear wireless earbuds are a relatively recent concept. There are several excellent open earbuds on the market in various designs, but a couple of newer models stand out. Our top picks include Apple's AirPods 4 with Active Noise Cancellation and Bose's Ultra Open Earbuds, which have a unique clip-on design. Both have top sound for open earbuds and would make for a perfect gift this holiday shopping season.

Open earbuds don’t have the noise-isolating silicone tips that typically seal off the ear canal and support active noise cancellation. If you find ear tips uncomfortable or dislike their listening experience, open earbuds might be a better option for you. If you’re concerned about staying alert while wearing earbuds -- like hearing approaching vehicles while running or biking -- open earbuds can be a great choice, since your ears aren't sealed. For more options suitable for the gym, see our roundup of the best earbuds and headphones for working out.

There are a couple of downsides, however. If you're in a noisy environment, the ambient sound can interfere with the sound of the earbuds, making listening harder. Open earbuds also have a tough time producing strong bass, which can affect sound quality.

I've tested hundreds of headphones over 20 years of evaluating headphones, and I've used all the models on this list and fully reviewed many of them. Plus, many of these open wireless earbuds are also featured on our other pages, including our best running headphones and best true wireless sports earbuds with ear hooks. I'll update this list as I test more worthy candidates.

Read more: Best True Wireless Earbuds for 2024

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The Bose Ultra Open Earbuds have one of the most unusual designs of any earbuds I've tested over the last several years. They literally clip onto the side of your ears, kind of like earrings, and their open design has micro speakers that fire sound into your ears while still being able to hear what's happening around you. They're still true wireless earbuds, and at $299, they're somewhat overpriced, but otherwise, there's a lot to like about them, including a surprisingly comfortable, secure fit and very good sound quality for open buds.

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If you're looking for basic AirPods, the standard AirPods 4 ($129) certainly have their appeal and should cost closer to $100 during flash sales. They may not be quite as cheap or as small as the AirPods 2, but they sound a lot better and have a lot more features.

Ultimately, however, the AirPods 4 With Active Noise Cancellation are simply more special. They're the first open buds I've tried to have active noise canceling that actually works. That makes them the first noise-canceling earbuds for people who don't like having ear tips jammed in their ears. That's pretty cool and worth the extra $50 if you can afford it.

Shokz, the company formerly known as AfterShokz, has long been the leader in bone-conduction headphones. However, this model, like Shokz's step-up OpenFit true-wireless earbuds, doesn't use bone-conduction technology. They have an open design that fires sound into your ears using custom speaker drivers, which Shokz dubs "air conduction" technology.

While Shokz' flagship OpenFit buds sound slightly better and have a little better battery life (7 hours instead of 6 at moderate volume levels), the Open Fit Air cost $60 less and may actually fit some people's ears better. Available in three color options, they're lightweight (8.5 grams) and comfortable, and I liked how the ear hooks felt soft but had just the right amount of rigidity. They're IP54 splash-proof and dust-resistant and their charging case is fairly compact for this style of sports buds with ear hooks.

While the earbuds sound quite good for open earbuds, they don't sound quite as good as a set of noise-isolating earbuds in this price range (they're a tad bass shy). Nor do they sound as good Bose's Ultra Open Earbuds, which do cost more and serve up a little more bass and fuller sound (the Bose also sound slightly better than Shokz Open Fit buds). Equipped with two microphones in each bud, the Open Fit Air offer good voice-calling performance. Additionally, the feature multipoint Bluetooth pairing so you can pair them to two devices simultaneously.

Amazon's 2023 Echo Buds impressed me in a few ways that I wasn't expecting. For starters, they sound good for inexpensive open earbuds, delivering decent clarity and ample bass. But they also have a robust feature set, including multipoint Bluetooth pairing, hands-free Alexa and ear-detection sensors that pause your audio when you take one or both buds out of your ears.

Their sound falls short of that of Apple's AirPods 3, which deliver fuller bass and overall fuller, smoother sound (they're better at handling more complicated music tracks with a lot of instruments playing at the same time). But the AirPods 3 cost around $180 and offer only about 15% to 20% better audio. In short, if you're looking for open earbuds -- or "semi-open" as these types of earbuds are sometimes called -- the Echo Buds are good value at their $50 list price and even easier to recommend when they go on sale.

What makes these Soundpeats Air3 Deluxe HS buds special is that they sound surprisingly good for open earbuds -- they're pretty close to what you get from Apple's AirPods 3 for sound. On top of that, they support Sony's LDAC audio codec for devices that offer it. Not too many cheap open earbuds have good sound but these Soundpeats have good bass response and clarity. They're also good for making calls and have a low-latency gaming mode. Battery life is rated at 5 hours at moderate volume levels, and these are IPX4 splash-proof.

And be sure to activate the instant 20% off coupon to save a few bucks at checkout on Amazon.

The Soundcore by Anker AeroFit Pro are among the best open-ear "air conduction" earbuds, with a premium look and feel, and are comfortable to wear. (I had no problem keeping them on my ears while running or working out.) On the downside, they're expensive, but they do feature strong audio quality for these types of earbuds, with ample bass and volume, plus decent clarity. They're good for making calls (they do a pretty good job reducing background noise reduction) and also offer strong battery life -- up to 14 hours at moderate volume levels.

While they don't have ear-detection sensors, I liked that they have physical buttons to control playback and also come with a cord, should you want to turn them into neckband-style wireless headphones. It's also worth noting that they have a spatial audio feature and offer the LDAC audio codec for devices like Android smartphones that support it for Bluetooth streaming.

Anker's standard AeroFit fit model ($100) has smaller drivers (14mm versus 16.2mm for the Pro), so it doesn't sound quite as good, and also has a battery life rating of 11 hours. However, those buds are fully waterproof with an IPX7 rating, while these are splash-proof with an IPX5 rating.

Shokz, the company formerly known as AfterShokz, has long been the leader in bone-conduction headphones. Models like the OpenRun Pro, which deliver sound to your ear through your cheekbones, are popular with runners and bikers who like to leave their ears open for safety reasons. However, Shokz's new OpenFit model, the company's first true-wireless earbuds, doesn't use bone-conduction technology. They have an open design that fires sound into your ears using custom speaker drivers, which Shokz dubs "air conduction" technology.

I was impressed by how lightweight (8.3 grams) and comfortable they are -- they have one of the best ear-hook designs I've tried (Shokz calls it a Dolphin Arc ear hook). It's soft and offers just the right amount of flexibility to conform to the shape of your ear, with "dual-layered liquid silicone that provides a pliable fit," according to Shokz. The earbuds also sound quite good for open earbuds, though not quite as good as Bose's Ultra Open Earbuds, which do cost more.

If you can't quite afford this model, Shokz has released the newer Open Fit Air, which costs $60 less and may actually fit some people's ears better. It doesn't sound quite as good as the OpenFit, but the sound is pretty close.

1More makes a couple of open sports earbuds with ear hooks. The Fit S50 buds are the flagship ($120) and feature a little better sound than the Fit SE S30, have a more premium design and are fully waterproof (IPX7 rating). But I like the fit a little better on the step-down S30, which is IPX5 splashproof (it can sustain a spray of water) and costs half the price, making it a better value.

The case is bulky and feels a little cheap (the lid is flimsy) but the buds themselves seem sturdily built and the ear hooks are nice and flexible. They have 14.2mm drivers that output decent but not great sound (there's a bit of distortion at higher volumes), which is par for the course for these types of open buds that sit on top of your ears and fire sound into them. They're also good but not great for voice calling. A companion app for iOS and Android allows your to tweak the sound with an equalizer and you can update the buds' firmware. The buds are available in black or white and offer up to 10 hours of battery life at moderate volume levels. Currently, you can grab these at a 20% discount, thanks to the on-page coupon.

Before anything else, you'll want to figure out how much you're willing to spend on new open wireless earbuds. The quality of value-priced earbuds and headphones continues to improve, so you can find good affordable sports buds for less than $75. The premium models, which offer better build quality and performance, tend to cost more than $100 and sometimes more than $150.

It's key that open wireless earbuds fit your ears not only comfortably but securely. They should offer a comfortable fit that allows you to wear the earbuds for long periods without any irritation. Since all the buds on this list have an open design, they should stay in your ears well. Some will fit in your ears more comfortably than others.

You want open wireless buds that hold up well over time, so look for models that we note have sturdy build quality and a good water-resistance rating.

It's critical to buy your open wireless earbuds at a retailer that has a good return policy, in case you have buyer's remorse. Some people who are having trouble deciding between two models sometimes buy both, try them out for a few days, and then return one.

We test open wireless earbuds based on five key criteria, comparing similarly styled and priced models. These criteria are design, sound quality, features, voice-calling performance and value.

Our reviewer David Carnoy testing voice-calling performance on the noisy streets of New York.

Sony Link Buds: The LinkBuds are, in a sense, Sony's answer to Apple's standard AirPods. While they don't sound as good as Sony's flagship WF-1000XM5 noise-isolating earbuds, they offer a discreet, innovative design and a more secure fit than the AirPods, as well as good sound and very good voice-calling performance.

Cleer Audio Arc 2 Sport: Cleer's original Arc earbuds were solid sport earbuds that featured decent sound for open-style buds that sit on top of your ears and fire sound into them. This new-for-2023 model steps up the sound quality and offers additional refinements and feature upgrades, including a new "enhanced" charging case with UV sterilization and multipoint Bluetooth connectivity (Bluetooth 5.3), all of which makes for a significantly improved product.

Samsung Galaxy Buds Live: Samsung's bean-shaped earbuds were a hit when they came out in 2020, but they've become outdated. Like the standard AirPods, they have an open design, so you don't jam an ear tip into your ear. They're comfortable to wear and fit my ears more securely than the AirPods. These wireless buds are discreet and basically sit flush with your ear, which reduces wind-noise while biking. I regularly use them for running and biking, and they're great for sporting activities if they fit your ears well. But one warning: Some people won't get a secure fit, so buy them from a retailer that has a good return policy.

It's a matter of personal preference, but many people prefer an open headphone design to a closed. Open or semi-open designs can offer a more comfortable fit as they don't seal off the canal with a squishy silicone tip. Because they don't seal off your ear canal, they let ambient sound in so you can hear what's going on around you. That can be an important safety feature for some people, including runners and bikers who want to hear cars approaching.

However, the downside to their openness is that if you're in a noisy environment, the ambient sound will make it harder to hear what you're listening to. Also, open earbuds have a harder time producing strong bass, which affects sound quality.

I suggest trying both open and closed true-wireless earbuds to see which design you prefer for everyday use, or switch between the two depending on your daily needs.

With wireless earbuds, it's important that you get the right fit so they not only stay in your ears but so they sound and perform at their best (a tight seal is crucial for optimal sound and noise canceling if the earbuds have active noise canceling). If the buds come with silicone ear tips, you should use the bud that's a little bigger rather than too small for your ear. Also, in some cases, like with the AirPods Pro, you can buy third-party foam ear tips that grip the inside of your ear better and keep your buds from falling out. Note that sometimes people have one ear shaped differently than the other, so you might use a medium tip in one ear and a large tip in the other.

AirPods have never fit all ears equally well, and a lot of people complain that they won't stay securely in their ears. You can buy third-party wingtips -- sometimes called sport fins -- that lock the buds in your ears. But you have to take them off every time you use your buds because they won't fit in the case.

If you have trouble keeping earbuds in your ears, your best bet is to look for a model that includes wingtips or actually integrates them into the buds' design. You can also get earbuds that have ear hooks that wrap around the top of your ears. Several sports buds feature this design. It can be particularly appealing to bikers who can't afford to have their earbuds drop out of their ears while riding at high speed.

Before earbuds like the AirPods came along, wireless earbuds had a cord between the buds. They were wireless because they offered wireless Bluetooth streaming and didn't have a headphone cable that plugged into your device. Some companies still make those types of wireless earbuds -- the Beats Flex is one example -- and some people like having a cord that allows the buds to dangle from your neck when not in use.

True wireless earbuds have no cord between them. They are entirely cord-free and link wirelessly to create a stereo pair. They are sometimes referred to by the acronym TWS, which stands for true-wireless stereo.

We have an article on how to clean your AirPods that also applies to other earbuds. But if you don't want to read that, the condensed version is this:

Wipe down both the buds themselves and ear tips with a slightly dampened soft, dry, lint-free cloth (like the kind you use to clean glasses or your phone's screen) and avoid using any soap or harsh cleaning liquids. A 70% isopropyl alcohol wipe or a Clorox disinfecting wipe is OK but avoid getting too much moisture in any ports or inside the buds themself. You can also use a toothpick for any little crevices or a Q-tip with a bit of alcohol on it. Avoid saturating the Q-tip with alcohol. Finally, wait a few minutes until any moisture evaporates before using the buds.

In recent months there has been a bunch of articles about how Gen Z is making the "humble" wired headphones cool again, particularly Apple EarPods (you know, the headphones that used to be included in the box when bought an iPhone but no longer are). That's fine -- and we have nothing against wired headphones -- but a cord can be a nuisance. When you're working out or running, going totally wireless feels liberating. Also, most new phones these days don't have a headphone jack so you need to go wireless unless you get a Lightning or USB-C headphone or use an adapter for a standard headphone with a 3.5mm plug.

You can get wireless headphones with a cord between the buds. Neckband-style earbuds are still a thing and some people like that style because you can let the cord dangle around your neck when you don't have the buds in your ears. However, true wireless earbuds ultimately offer more freedom and are stored in a compact charging case that's convenient to carry. And both the sound quality and reliability of their wireless connection have improved considerably over the last couple of years.

As far as prices go, while you can certainly find plenty of premium wireless earbuds, there are also lots of decent affordable models, some of which cost less than $50.

A battery life rating of five hours is considered adequate but many of the latest buds offer six hours or more of battery life with noise canceling on. Battery life increases if you don't use noise canceling. Some earbuds now deliver over 10 hours of battery life with noise canceling off.