Check out our full review of the Shokz OpenFit Pro.
Noise cancellation is a new concept in open earbuds, which makes the new Shokz OpenFit Pro unique.
Biking down city streets, running in the park, or simply taking a walk around your neighborhood can all be great ways to get exercise, but they all require a certain amount of awareness if you want to stay safe. In those scenarios, open-ear earbuds are the best solution, and our favorite pair for most people is the Shokz OpenFit Pro, thanks to its balance of sound quality, price point, and durability.
There are plenty of solid options for open earbuds, but the Shokz OpenFit Pro is known for its versatility due to its noise cancellation. Not to be confused with active noise cancellation, these earbuds can help soften the sound of the world around you a bit without completely canceling it out.
The effect is that you can still hear people talking around you, or cars honking, but your audio stream comes through with more depth and clarity. It may come as no surprise that these ShockZ are also some of the best-sounding open earbuds we’ve tested, essentially tied with the Bose Ultra Open Earbuds (our former choice on this guide to the best earbuds for noise transparency).
Beyond the sound, the Shokz earbuds impressed us as workout earbuds on a few fronts better than the Bose buds. First and foremost, at full price, they’re $50 cheaper than the Bose. When it comes to water and sweat resistance, they offer more protection with an IP-rating of IP55 compared to Bose’s IPX4. Finally, even without noise cancellation, these earbuds have over four hours of battery life per charge (and almost twice as much as the Bose in the charging case).
Admittedly, with the noise reduction, you get slightly better battery life with the Bose, but unless you plan to keep it on all the time, you still get more listening time than the Shokaaz buds. If you prefer a cuff design, the Bose may be better for you, but in our testing, we found that the ear hooks and lightweight design of these buds helped them stay secure during exercise.
See also: The best open earbuds that stay on, sound great, and keep you aware of the world around you
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