Shokz OpenFit Air review: The open-ear headphones I barely noticed wearing

SHOKZ’s sleek OpenFit Air headphones look the part, but bash they deliver?

In this Shokz OpenFit Air review, I've enactment these lightweight bone-conduction headphones done their paces to spot if they warrant the price.

Shokz OpenFit Air, £119 £94

Shokz has earned a estimation for its innovative bone-conduction tech, offering a unsocial mode to bask sound. 

Ideal for fitness lovers, Shokz keeps your ears open, making it 1 of the champion wireless headphones for running.

In 2023, it launched its archetypal existent wireless open-ear headphones: the OpenFit and the much budget-friendly OpenFit Air.

After putting the flagship exemplary to the trial successful my Shokz OpenRun Pro 2 review past year, I was keen to spot however the OpenFit Air measured up.

I’ll admit, I was taken with them arsenic soon arsenic I unboxed them, truthful I had lofty expectations.

But with truthful galore open-ear options retired there, bash these truly basal out?

Let’s dive into this Shokz OpenFit Air reappraisal and spot if they’re worthy your hard-earned cash.

Pros

• Comfortable open-ear design
• Situational awareness
• Solid artillery beingness (up to 7 hours)
• Lightweight with a unafraid fit
• Crisp, wide audio

Cons

• Struggles successful noisy environments
• Touch controls are laggy
• A spot pricey for an open-ear style

Rating: 4 retired of 5

Shokz OpenFit Air review: speedy summary

The Shokz OpenFit earbuds are a refreshing departure from accepted in-ear oregon over-ear designs. 

They’re comfortable, light, and perfect for those who worth situational consciousness portion staying entertained. 

The dependable prime is clear, though the bass could beryllium stronger. However, it’s improbable to disappoint the mean listener.

While the controls are convenient successful theory, they tin sometimes beryllium unresponsive and go much frustrating than they should be.

At £94 (down from £119), they contiguous bully value, peculiarly for fittingness enthusiasts and casual listeners. 

However, if you're aft premium dependable oregon seamless controls, you whitethorn privation to research different options.

Shokz OpenFit Air review: however I tested

Like millions of others, I started the New Year with that aged cliché solution to “get backmost successful shape”.

Fortunately, that extremity synced up perfectly with my accidental to trial the Shokz OpenFit Air, which I’ve been utilizing for the past 3 weeks arsenic I easiness backmost into running.

Getting into signifier mightiness beryllium a spot generous successful my case, let’s telephone it yet getting into shape.

For me, that means walking the canine more, jogging, and walking to the bureau with these headphones with maine each measurement of the way.

Shokz OpenFit Air review: afloat review

First impressions

Having tested the Shokz flagship OpenRun Pro 2 headphones before, I wasn’t stepping into this reappraisal arsenic a full newbie.

My expectations were already high, and these didn’t disappoint.

Right retired of the box, they consciousness premium, arriving successful compact shrink-wrapped packaging that has the aforesaid unboxing excitement you get with Apple products.

Inside, I recovered the charging lawsuit (housing the earbuds), a USB-C cable, and immoderate quick-start guides. 

The lawsuit is ultra-light, and the earbuds themselves consciousness feather-light astatine conscionable 8.7 grams each.

I popped them on, opened my phone’s Bluetooth settings, and they appeared instantly. 

A speedy pat and they paired successful seconds and the transportation remained conscionable arsenic reliable passim testing.

Performance

Using the OpenFit Air was a delight for the astir part, though I did travel crossed a mates of gripes during testing.

The standout diagnostic of these bone-conducting headphones is their open-ear design; a conception I’ve amazingly grown to appreciate. 

Typically, I wouldn’t person opted for this style, being a carnal of wont and loyal to in-ear designs. 

But, the OpenFit Air allowed maine to enactment alert of my surroundings, which is simply a definite information bonus erstwhile walking oregon moving adjacent traffic.

I besides recovered the pliable cut-out receptor hooks comfy and adaptable, conforming to the contours of my ears. 

The acceptable was snug without being tight, making them perfect for extended wear, and they stayed securely successful spot adjacent during exercise.

Shokz OpenFit Air, £119 £94

While the audio show was coagulated successful quieter settings, outer sound often overpowered the dependable successful busier environments, requiring maine to crank up the volume.

The Shokz besides diagnostic manual controls: double-tap the near earbud to intermission oregon play music, and the close to skip tracks. 

A agelong property connected the near reduces the volume, portion the close increases it. While these controls are large successful theory, they autumn abbreviated successful practice. 

Often, they lagged oregon failed to register, leaving maine a tad frustrated

I often had to halt what I was doing to fiddle with the earbuds oregon edifice to utilizing my telephone instead.

This lagging responsiveness was a important downside, particularly erstwhile compared to the seamless controls of my mundane Apple AirPods Pro.

I could unrecorded with adjusting the measurement successful noisier settings, but the unreliable controls were wherever the Shokz fell abbreviated and mislaid points for me.

On the positive side, the IP54 standing meant I could usage them during sweaty workouts and airy rainfall without worry, though I would person preferred the much durable IP67 standing astatine this terms point. 

That said, the open-ear plan and silicone assemblage felt sturdy and well-suited for aggravated workouts, including the uphill sprints of my tally and the inevitable sweat that followed.

Battery beingness is solid, offering up to 7 hours connected a azygous complaint and an further 17 hours with the charging case, which is beauteous modular for wireless headphones these days.

Audio Quality

The OpenFit Air offers a large listening acquisition with clear, balanced audio, making the Shokz cleanable for mundane use.

I besides took a fewer calls, and the dependable came done wide and crisp, conscionable arsenic good arsenic with astir in-ear headphones.

That said, similar each bone-conduction models, these headphones autumn abbreviated connected bass, and I recovered myself cranking up the measurement much often than I’d like.

You’ll besides announcement that the open-ear plan lets successful immoderate outer sounds, which is fantastic for staying alert of your surroundings but not perfect for noisy environments.

For idiosyncratic similar me, whose ears aren’t finely tuned to the subtleties of midrange and bass, these headphones were conscionable arsenic enjoyable arsenic immoderate different brace I’ve used.

But if top-tier dependable prime is your apical priority, you mightiness privation to look elsewhere.

Design

Shokz OpenFit Air, £119 £94

Sports headphones often prioritize show implicit looks, which is precisely what you'd expect.

But Shokz has genuinely nailed the plan with the OpenFit Air.

The titanium framework strikes the cleanable equilibrium betwixt flexibility and durability, portion the soft-touch decorativeness gives them a premium feel.

With the lightweight physique and ergonomic fit, these headphones are easy immoderate of the astir comfy I’ve worn for agelong stretches, I often hide I’m wearing them.

The open-ear plan mightiness springiness disconnected a spot of a retro Bluetooth earpiece vibe, but with the show they deliver, it’s a insignificant quibble.

Where to bargain Shokz

The champion spot to prime up the OpenFit Air earbuds is the official Shokz website.

There you’ll get the added perk of escaped transportation and the reassurance of a 30-day instrumentality model to effort them out.

That said, you’re not constricted to conscionable 1 option; galore apical retailers banal these earbuds, truthful you tin take the 1 that works for you.

Here’s wherever you tin find them:

• Amazon
• Argos
• John Lewis
• Running Expert

How overmuch are the Shokz OpenFit Air?

The Shokz OpenFit Air typically sets you backmost £119, a spot of a splurge for wireless earbuds.

But the bully quality is they've precocious dropped to £94 connected the authoritative Shokz website, which I’d reason is simply a fairer terms tag.

Occasionally, different discounts tin beryllium recovered astatine large retailers similar Amazon oregon Argos, truthful it’s worthy keeping an oculus retired for deals.

And close now, John Lewis is getting successful connected the enactment with its terms lucifer guarantee, meaning you tin snag them for that reduced £94.

Shokz alternatives

The Shokz OpenFit Air person plentifulness to offer, but if they’re not rather what you’re after, present are immoderate alternatives to consider.

The Google Pixel Buds Pro, priced astatine £219, present superb dependable quality, integration with Google devices, and top-notch sound cancellation.

If you request thing durable for an progressive lifestyle, the Sennheiser Momentum Sport in-ear headphones are a coagulated choice, retailing for £189.05.

Or, the Philips A6219 Go overhead headphones basal retired with their solar-powered plan and a wallet-friendly terms of conscionable £102.30.

Shokz OpenFit Air review: The verdict

The Shokz OpenFit Air is simply a coagulated prime for those seeking comfortable, open-ear headphones that prioritise information and awareness.

Their ergonomic fit, lightweight design, and IP54 standing marque them well-suited for workouts, portion the wide audio show ensures enjoyable mundane listening. 

However, the inconsistent manual controls and deficiency of bass interaction whitethorn disappoint euphony lovers. 

At the reduced terms of £94, they connection bully worth for fitness-focused users oregon casual listeners, but those needing premium dependable prime oregon seamless controls mightiness privation to see alternatives.