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Best-sounding open-style earbuds with ear hooks
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Show 6 more Open earbuds also have a safety benefit. 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 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. Here’s a look at the top open-style buds, with the newest addition being Bose’s Ultra Open Earbuds, which have an innovative clip-on design and offer impressive sound but are pricey. I’ll update this list as I test more worthy candidates. Read more: Best True Wireless Earbuds for 2024 <div content="X – LIST ITEM" superlative="Best new open earbuds with an innovative clip-on design" description=" 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. 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. ” page-position linktext=”Read our Bose Ultra Open Earbuds review” linkurl=”https://www.cnet.com/tech/mobile/bose-ultra-open-earbuds-review-daringly-different/” can-collapse=”false” collapse-on-page-load=”false” can-truncate=”false” truncate-on-page-load=”false” offer=”{"id":"d8d42bc5-2e47-4476-aecc-35e3d98383cb","label":"Bose – Ultra Open-Ear True Wireless Open Earbuds – Black","slug":"bose-ultra-open-ear-true-wireless-open-earbuds-black","edition":["us"],"imageId":"ec43e886-9bbe-46ff-936a-6e8f9f8a8e09","imgUrl":"https://www.cnet.com/a/img/resize/e02ee2bd7d0b48b619ff8f82b26de005c1dff666/hub/2024/02/15/ec43e886-9bbe-46ff-936a-6e8f9f8a8e09/6568949-sd.jpg?auto=webp&width=300&height=300&fit=crop","imageHeight":0,"imageWidth":0,"typeLabel":"Product","objectType":"content_product","icon":""}” techobjectinfo=”{"uuid":"d8d42bc5-2e47-4476-aecc-35e3d98383cb","slug":"bose-ultra-open-ear-true-wireless-open-earbuds-black","name":"Bose – Ultra Open-Ear True Wireless Open Earbuds – Black","productType":"PRODUCT","updateType":"PRISM","mod":1709063381925}” overridecredit=”David Carnoy/CNET” overridecaption=”” imagegroup=”{"uuid":"82f4d73c-b115-4bd7-bc50-b0a955b2056c","alt":"The Bose Ultra Open earbuds have a unique clip-on design","caption":null,"credits":"David Carnoy/CNET","imageData":{"id":"82f4d73c-b115-4bd7-bc50-b0a955b2056c","filename":"bose-ultra-open-earbuds-white-8.jpg","path":"https://www.cnet.com/a/img/resize/46ec749bf24a01401a43e811fd921cf982fda488/hub/2024/02/23/82f4d73c-b115-4bd7-bc50-b0a955b2056c/bose-ultra-open-earbuds-white-8.jpg?auto=webp&height=500","dateCreated":{"date":"2024-02-23 17:38:41.000000","timezone":"UTC","timezone_type":3},"primeColor":null,"hasWarning":false},"size":"","float":"","lightbox":false,"imageUrl":"https://www.cnet.com/a/img/resize/46ec749bf24a01401a43e811fd921cf982fda488/hub/2024/02/23/82f4d73c-b115-4bd7-bc50-b0a955b2056c/bose-ultra-open-earbuds-white-8.jpg?auto=webp&height=500","imageCaption":null,"imageCredit":"David Carnoy/CNET","imageAltText":"The Bose Ultra Open earbuds have a unique clip-on design","imageFilename":"bose-ultra-open-earbuds-white-8.jpg","imageWidth":3000,"imageHeight":1684,"imageDoNotCrop":false,"imageDoNotResize":false,"imageWatermark":false,"imageDateCreated":"2024-02-23","imageParallax":"","imageCrop":"","imageEnlarge":false}” usepricing=”true” ng-block=”{"id":"52nzkm2l5ki1gsf","type":"cross-content-listicle"}” edition=”us” data-key=”cross_content_listicle__10511b3b-0e2f-42d0-9e1a-a4bb5705a3fd” contenttype=”Best List – Precap” pagelayout=”Default – Article Page” tagslugs=”bluetooth,bose,samsung,sony,samsung-galaxy” isbestlistredesign=”true” imagecredit=”David Carnoy/CNET” class=”c-bestListProductListing”> Hide our expert take 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. 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. Hide our expert take 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 $150 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. David Carnoy/CNET Photo Gallery 1/1 The Echo Buds include removable silicone sleeves that help your get a more secure fit. David Carnoy/CNET Show our expert take 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 15% off coupon to save a few bucks at checkout. Show our expert take Water-resistant: Yes (IPX4 rating — splash-proof) Take one look at the new design of the third-gen AirPods, and the first thing you’ll probably think is: “Those look like the AirPods Pro without ear tips.” You wouldn’t be wrong. While they’re more fraternal than identical twins, the AirPods 3rd Generation are shaped like the AirPods Pro, with the same shorter stems and same pinch controls as those of the Pro. Aside from the design change, which should fit most ears better than the AirPods 2nd Generation (though not very small ears), the biggest change is to the sound quality: It’s much improved. Also, battery life is better, and the AirPods 3 are officially water-resistant and support Apple’s spatial audio virtual surround feature (for Apple users only). Like AirPods Pro, the AirPods are top-notch for making voice calls. Callers said they could hear me clearly even with a lot background noise in the streets of New York City. The only issue is that since they are open earbuds, they let sound in, so you may not be able to hear callers as well as they can hear you in noisier environments. Show our expert take 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, don’t use bone-conduction technology. They have an open design that fire 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 Cleer’s Arc 2 Open Ear Sport earbuds ($190) that also have an ear-hook design. Show our expert take The Anker Soundcore 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 ($130) 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. Show our expert take 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 splash-proof (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 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. Show our expert take 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-1000XM4 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. Like the third-gen AirPods, their open design allows you to hear the outside world — that’s what the ring is all about. That makes them a good choice for folks who want to hear what’s going around them for safety reasons or just don’t like having ear tips jammed in their ears. They also have a few distinguishing extra features, including Speak to Chat and Wide Area Tap. Instead of tapping on a bud, you can tap on your face, just in front of your ear, to control playback. They’re IPX4 splash-proof and thanks to their fins — Sony calls them Arc Supporters — they lock in your ears securely and work well for running and other sporting activities. Show our expert take 1More has a slightly different take on the standard AirPods for those who have trouble keeping them in their ears. The ComfoBuds 2 have mini ear tips on them that help secure them in your ear. This second-gen version offers improved sound from the originals with better bass (it’s still not great sound, but it’s good for the money). As their name implies, they’re lightweight, comfortable to wear and work well for making calls. It’s worth noting that their charging case is remarkably narrow and compact. It looks like a tiny hot-dog bun. They’re IPX5 splashproof and also available in black. Show our expert take 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. Cleer says the Arc 2 Sport buds feature “greater flexibility for improved comfort,” and I did find them more comfortable to wear than the original Arcs. That said, not everyone loves this style of open earbuds, which lets sound in so you can hear ambient sound around you for safety purposes. With a new six-axis motion sensor, you can actually control the buds with head gestures — you answer calls by nodding and skip tracks forward by turning your head to the right and skip a track back by turning your head left. Thankfully, those motion controls can be turned off if you don’t want to use them. These are among the first buds to support Qualcomm’s aptX Lossless format, if you’re one of the few to have an Android device that supports that audio codec (plenty of Android phones support aptX Adaptive). Since these aren’t high-end noise-isolating earbuds, you probably won’t be able to tell the difference in sound quality — I couldn’t — but all that aside, these do sound very good for open-style earbuds. They lack a bit of oomph to their bass but they’re punchy enough, offer good clarity and didn’t distort at higher volumes. They also played sufficiently loud. They have an IPX5 water- and sweat-resistance rating, which means they can withstand a sustained spray of water, and battery life is very good at up to eight hours on a single charge, plus there’s a little more than three additional charges in the slim but still somewhat bulky charging case. It’s big compared to an AirPods charging case, but svelte compared to other cases that house this style of earbuds. These offer respectable performance for voice calls, but callers did say they heard a certain amount of white noise when I spoke to them from the noisy streets of New York — that whooshing sound is the by-product of the earbuds’ noise-reduction efforts. Show our expert take Like some of the other open-ear neckband style options on this list, the Soundpeats RunFree Lite buds sit just outside your ears and fire sound into them from small speakers with 16mm drivers. The sound quality isn’t the greatest — it lacks some clarity — but it’s better than I expected given the price of these headphones (there’s a reasonable amount of bass), and they’re just fine for casual listening. They’re nice and lightweight and fit my head securely and comfortably, but I could see how they might not fit folks with larger heads so well. Equipped with Bluetooth 5.3, they’re IPX4 splash-proof and are rated for up to 17 hours of battery life at moderate volume levels (expect to get less than that because you will likely play these at high volume levels, especially outdoors where you’ll encounter more ambient noise). They also work decently for making voice calls but don’t expect business-class performance. Screenshot by David Carnoy/CNET Photo Gallery 1/1 <div data-cy="infoCard" id="8858a904-115f-4ee7-b76f-3d65e09ccea7" hed="Other open wireless earbuds we've tested" description=" Samsung Galaxy Buds Live: We still like the Galaxy Buds Live, and they can be had a nice discount, but they’re been around for a few years and are due for an upgrade. Perhaps in 2024 we’ll see Samsung do a new set of open earbuds. : The AirPods (third gen) are a nice upgrade over the second-gen AirPods. That said, the AirPods 2, which came out in 2019, are now selling for around $100 and sometimes a little less. While they don’t sound as good as the AirPods 3 and have a longer stem, they fit some people’s ears better. Those with smaller ears may prefer these older AirPods due to their slightly smaller design. ” primary-topic-slug=”headphones” tocid=”toc-10339edd-286e-4596-8b1f-b9ba473d4591-item-1″ class=”c-infoCard g-outer-spacing-bottom-large c-infoCard-leftRail”> Samsung Galaxy Buds Live: We still like the Galaxy Buds Live, and they can be had a nice discount, but they’re been around for a few years and are due for an upgrade. Perhaps in 2024 we’ll see Samsung do a new set of open earbuds. Apple AirPods (2nd gen): The AirPods (third gen) are a nice upgrade over the second-gen AirPods. That said, the AirPods 2, which came out in 2019, are now selling for around $100 and sometimes a little less. While they don’t sound as good as the AirPods 3 and have a longer stem, they fit some people’s ears better. Those with smaller ears may prefer these older AirPods due to their slightly smaller design. 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Open earbuds also have a safety benefit. 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 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.
Here’s a look at the top open-style buds, with the newest addition being Bose’s Ultra Open Earbuds, which have an innovative clip-on design and offer impressive sound but are pricey. I’ll update this list as I test more worthy candidates.
Read more: Best True Wireless Earbuds for 2024
<div content="X – LIST ITEM" superlative="Best new open earbuds with an innovative clip-on design" description="
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. 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.
” page-position linktext=”Read our Bose Ultra Open Earbuds review” linkurl=”https://www.cnet.com/tech/mobile/bose-ultra-open-earbuds-review-daringly-different/” can-collapse=”false” collapse-on-page-load=”false” can-truncate=”false” truncate-on-page-load=”false” offer=”{"id":"d8d42bc5-2e47-4476-aecc-35e3d98383cb","label":"Bose – Ultra Open-Ear True Wireless Open Earbuds – Black","slug":"bose-ultra-open-ear-true-wireless-open-earbuds-black","edition":["us"],"imageId":"ec43e886-9bbe-46ff-936a-6e8f9f8a8e09","imgUrl":"https://www.cnet.com/a/img/resize/e02ee2bd7d0b48b619ff8f82b26de005c1dff666/hub/2024/02/15/ec43e886-9bbe-46ff-936a-6e8f9f8a8e09/6568949-sd.jpg?auto=webp&width=300&height=300&fit=crop","imageHeight":0,"imageWidth":0,"typeLabel":"Product","objectType":"content_product","icon":""}” techobjectinfo=”{"uuid":"d8d42bc5-2e47-4476-aecc-35e3d98383cb","slug":"bose-ultra-open-ear-true-wireless-open-earbuds-black","name":"Bose – Ultra Open-Ear True Wireless Open Earbuds – Black","productType":"PRODUCT","updateType":"PRISM","mod":1709063381925}” overridecredit=”David Carnoy/CNET” overridecaption=”” imagegroup=”{"uuid":"82f4d73c-b115-4bd7-bc50-b0a955b2056c","alt":"The Bose Ultra Open earbuds have a unique clip-on design","caption":null,"credits":"David Carnoy/CNET","imageData":{"id":"82f4d73c-b115-4bd7-bc50-b0a955b2056c","filename":"bose-ultra-open-earbuds-white-8.jpg","path":"https://www.cnet.com/a/img/resize/46ec749bf24a01401a43e811fd921cf982fda488/hub/2024/02/23/82f4d73c-b115-4bd7-bc50-b0a955b2056c/bose-ultra-open-earbuds-white-8.jpg?auto=webp&height=500","dateCreated":{"date":"2024-02-23 17:38:41.000000","timezone":"UTC","timezone_type":3},"primeColor":null,"hasWarning":false},"size":"","float":"","lightbox":false,"imageUrl":"https://www.cnet.com/a/img/resize/46ec749bf24a01401a43e811fd921cf982fda488/hub/2024/02/23/82f4d73c-b115-4bd7-bc50-b0a955b2056c/bose-ultra-open-earbuds-white-8.jpg?auto=webp&height=500","imageCaption":null,"imageCredit":"David Carnoy/CNET","imageAltText":"The Bose Ultra Open earbuds have a unique clip-on design","imageFilename":"bose-ultra-open-earbuds-white-8.jpg","imageWidth":3000,"imageHeight":1684,"imageDoNotCrop":false,"imageDoNotResize":false,"imageWatermark":false,"imageDateCreated":"2024-02-23","imageParallax":"","imageCrop":"","imageEnlarge":false}” usepricing=”true” ng-block=”{"id":"52nzkm2l5ki1gsf","type":"cross-content-listicle"}” edition=”us” data-key=”cross_content_listicle__10511b3b-0e2f-42d0-9e1a-a4bb5705a3fd” contenttype=”Best List – Precap” pagelayout=”Default – Article Page” tagslugs=”bluetooth,bose,samsung,sony,samsung-galaxy” isbestlistredesign=”true” imagecredit=”David Carnoy/CNET” class=”c-bestListProductListing”>
Hide our expert take
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 $150 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.
David Carnoy/CNET
Photo Gallery 1/1
The Echo Buds include removable silicone sleeves that help your get a more secure fit.
Show our expert take
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 15% off coupon to save a few bucks at checkout.
Water-resistant: Yes (IPX4 rating — splash-proof)
Take one look at the new design of the third-gen AirPods, and the first thing you’ll probably think is: “Those look like the AirPods Pro without ear tips.” You wouldn’t be wrong. While they’re more fraternal than identical twins, the AirPods 3rd Generation are shaped like the AirPods Pro, with the same shorter stems and same pinch controls as those of the Pro. Aside from the design change, which should fit most ears better than the AirPods 2nd Generation (though not very small ears), the biggest change is to the sound quality: It’s much improved. Also, battery life is better, and the AirPods 3 are officially water-resistant and support Apple’s spatial audio virtual surround feature (for Apple users only).
Like AirPods Pro, the AirPods are top-notch for making voice calls. Callers said they could hear me clearly even with a lot background noise in the streets of New York City. The only issue is that since they are open earbuds, they let sound in, so you may not be able to hear callers as well as they can hear you in noisier environments.
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, don’t use bone-conduction technology. They have an open design that fire 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 Cleer’s Arc 2 Open Ear Sport earbuds ($190) that also have an ear-hook design.
The Anker Soundcore 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 ($130) 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.
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 splash-proof (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 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.
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-1000XM4 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.
Like the third-gen AirPods, their open design allows you to hear the outside world — that’s what the ring is all about. That makes them a good choice for folks who want to hear what’s going around them for safety reasons or just don’t like having ear tips jammed in their ears. They also have a few distinguishing extra features, including Speak to Chat and Wide Area Tap. Instead of tapping on a bud, you can tap on your face, just in front of your ear, to control playback.
They’re IPX4 splash-proof and thanks to their fins — Sony calls them Arc Supporters — they lock in your ears securely and work well for running and other sporting activities.
1More has a slightly different take on the standard AirPods for those who have trouble keeping them in their ears. The ComfoBuds 2 have mini ear tips on them that help secure them in your ear. This second-gen version offers improved sound from the originals with better bass (it’s still not great sound, but it’s good for the money). As their name implies, they’re lightweight, comfortable to wear and work well for making calls.
It’s worth noting that their charging case is remarkably narrow and compact. It looks like a tiny hot-dog bun. They’re IPX5 splashproof and also available in black.
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.
Cleer says the Arc 2 Sport buds feature “greater flexibility for improved comfort,” and I did find them more comfortable to wear than the original Arcs. That said, not everyone loves this style of open earbuds, which lets sound in so you can hear ambient sound around you for safety purposes.
With a new six-axis motion sensor, you can actually control the buds with head gestures — you answer calls by nodding and skip tracks forward by turning your head to the right and skip a track back by turning your head left. Thankfully, those motion controls can be turned off if you don’t want to use them.
These are among the first buds to support Qualcomm’s aptX Lossless format, if you’re one of the few to have an Android device that supports that audio codec (plenty of Android phones support aptX Adaptive). Since these aren’t high-end noise-isolating earbuds, you probably won’t be able to tell the difference in sound quality — I couldn’t — but all that aside, these do sound very good for open-style earbuds. They lack a bit of oomph to their bass but they’re punchy enough, offer good clarity and didn’t distort at higher volumes. They also played sufficiently loud.
They have an IPX5 water- and sweat-resistance rating, which means they can withstand a sustained spray of water, and battery life is very good at up to eight hours on a single charge, plus there’s a little more than three additional charges in the slim but still somewhat bulky charging case. It’s big compared to an AirPods charging case, but svelte compared to other cases that house this style of earbuds.
These offer respectable performance for voice calls, but callers did say they heard a certain amount of white noise when I spoke to them from the noisy streets of New York — that whooshing sound is the by-product of the earbuds’ noise-reduction efforts.
Like some of the other open-ear neckband style options on this list, the Soundpeats RunFree Lite buds sit just outside your ears and fire sound into them from small speakers with 16mm drivers. The sound quality isn’t the greatest — it lacks some clarity — but it’s better than I expected given the price of these headphones (there’s a reasonable amount of bass), and they’re just fine for casual listening.
They’re nice and lightweight and fit my head securely and comfortably, but I could see how they might not fit folks with larger heads so well. Equipped with Bluetooth 5.3, they’re IPX4 splash-proof and are rated for up to 17 hours of battery life at moderate volume levels (expect to get less than that because you will likely play these at high volume levels, especially outdoors where you’ll encounter more ambient noise). They also work decently for making voice calls but don’t expect business-class performance.
Screenshot by David Carnoy/CNET
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Samsung Galaxy Buds Live: We still like the Galaxy Buds Live, and they can be had a nice discount, but they’re been around for a few years and are due for an upgrade. Perhaps in 2024 we’ll see Samsung do a new set of open earbuds.
: The AirPods (third gen) are a nice upgrade over the second-gen AirPods. That said, the AirPods 2, which came out in 2019, are now selling for around $100 and sometimes a little less. While they don’t sound as good as the AirPods 3 and have a longer stem, they fit some people’s ears better. Those with smaller ears may prefer these older AirPods due to their slightly smaller design.
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Apple AirPods (2nd gen): The AirPods (third gen) are a nice upgrade over the second-gen AirPods. That said, the AirPods 2, which came out in 2019, are now selling for around $100 and sometimes a little less. While they don’t sound as good as the AirPods 3 and have a longer stem, they fit some people’s ears better. Those with smaller ears may prefer these older AirPods due to their slightly smaller design.
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