If you run or work out outdoors, earbuds that seal off your ears can make it harder to hear traffic, cyclists, or someone calling your name. Open-ear headphones avoid that by leaving your ears uncovered, and that’s the idea behind the Shokz OpenRun Pro. Right now, you can get them for $99.99 at Best Buy, $60 off the normal price.
Play Time
up to 10 hours
Waterproof?
IP55
Brand
SHOKZ
Bone conduction makes the OpenRun Pro our choice for outdoor runners. The open-ear design won’t occlude your ear canal, so you can still listen to music while remaining aware of what’s going on around you. Available in four colors and two band sizes, the OpenRun Pro fit gently yet securely around the back of the head, looping around the ears and resting against the temples. This pair is equipped with Bluetooth 5.0 and feature PremiumPitch 2.0+, which prevents bleed and minimizes distortion.
What makes the Shokz OpenRun Pro headphones so good?
Open-ear audio built for workouts
Credit: Shokz
Essentially, Shokz’s open-ear headphones are created specifically with athletes in mind. Since your ears are uncovered, you can hear your surroundings, which is safer than noise-canceling alternatives, especially when you’re out running.
You also get about 10 hours of playback per charge, which is plenty for long training sessions, and a 5-minute charge gives you roughly 90 minutes of listening. For calls, there are dual noise-canceling microphones. The companion app adds Standard and Vocal EQ modes, so you can adjust the sound to taste.
There are trade-offs, however. The IP55 rating covers rain and sweat but not water sports. Bluetooth is limited to the SBC codec, the magnetic charging port on the back needs Shokz’s proprietary cable, and the bass trails what you’d get from in-ear headphones. So the OpenRun Pros make the most sense if you run or train outdoors and want to keep an ear on your surroundings. If you mostly listen to bass-heavy music, or you want headphones for water sports, you’d be better off looking elsewhere.
If you want open-ear headphones for running or the gym and can live with the trade-offs, we think $99.99 is a fair price for the OpenRun Pro. Just be sure to grab them from Best Buy while the holiday deal is still on.