Shokz OpenFit Pro Review: Innovative Open-Ear Audio with Practical Limitations
As an avid endurance runner who spends many hours pounding the pavement and blasting music, I was particularly excited about the opportunity to try the Shokz OpenFit Pro earbuds. The Shokz OpenFit Pro introduces an advanced take on open-ear audio, designed for users who want to remain aware of their surroundings while listening to music, podcasts, or calls.
One of the most appealing aspects of open-ear earbuds, especially for someone like me who works in healthcare and is constantly chasing marathon miles, is the benefit for ear health. These earbuds help prevent hearing damage and fatigue, minimize ear canal irritation, and encourage users to keep the volume at lower levels. Additionally, they offer the critical advantage of allowing you to hear your surroundings, which is essential for safety, especially when running outdoors.
So let’s start this review off with the key specifications of the earbuds:
- Design: Open-ear, ear-hook style true wireless earbuds
- Drivers: Dual-diaphragm air-conduction drivers with OpenBass™ 2.0
- Frequency Response: Up to 40 kHz
- Connectivity: Bluetooth 6.1
- Battery Life:
Up to 12 hours per charge (with noise reduction off). Can vouch for this!
Up to 50 hours total with charging case - Fast Charging: 10 minutes for up to 4 hours of playback. Love this!
- Controls: Physical buttons (Notably can be hard to find).
- Charging: USB-C (Underrated yet often missed addition to the box of goodies, thank you Schokz for including a USB-C cable) and Qi wireless charging
- Water Resistance: IP55 (earbuds only)
What’s in the box:
Now, let’s get into the review side of things. I had plenty of opportunities to test these earbuds as my mileage increases leading to the London Marathon. Note that I am someone with smaller sized ears, I wear glasses and also a hat when running:
Let’s start with the pros:
- Open-Ear Comfort and Awareness: The open-ear design avoids placing pressure inside the ear canal, making the OpenFit Pro comfortable for extended wear. The ear hooks are made of nickel-titanium alloy, which is light and flexible. Environmental sounds remain audible on lower volumes: beneficial for outdoor use where situational awareness is important.
- Strong Battery Performance: Battery life is a standout feature. A full charge comfortably covers long listening sessions like the iconic Sunday Long Run, and the fast-charge capability adds genuine convenience for short notice use. I absolutely love earbuds that keep a long charge and also have the ability to fast charge for 10 minutes, allowing for up to 4 hours of playback. Indeed a big perk for those of us who already have so many things to remember – I can put these in their case as I run out the door into the car and they will have enough charge in them by the time I get to the track for a session (and then some!).
- Clear, Balanced Audio for an Open Design: For an open-ear earbud, sound quality is pretty damn impressive, maybe because of the triple-mic ear-adaptive algorithm that delivers personalised noise reduction. I was genuinely and pleasantly surprised at the quality of sound, even out in the elements such as the wind – Vocals are clear, bass is controlled rather than overpowering, and overall audio performance is suitable for both music and spoken content. However, something I did notice with this is that on top volume, others can hear your audio (so choose your spotify playlist wisely if you like to crank it up!).
And, now for the nitty gritty limitations:
- Hard to place earbuds in ears: Unfortunately I found the earbuds hard to place correctly in the ears. Despite persisting I found that it was best for me to do this in front of a mirror, whether that be at home before heading out the door or in the car mirror. Add glasses and hat in the mix and it’s definitely fiddly business.
- Controls Are Difficult to Locate: These earbuds do have physical buttons on them to provide tactile feedback once found, but their placement and small size can make them difficult to locate quickly therefore I found I was pulling my phone out to change songs whilst running rather than trying to find the buttons – especially not wanting to risk the earbud falling out then struggling to wrangle it back in the ear to be able to keep moving.
- Poor Compatibility with Glasses (and hats): Wearing the OpenFit Pro alongside prescription glasses or sunglasses introduces some notable discomfort and instability. The ear hooks and glasses arms compete for the same space behind the ear, which can create pressure points and reduces long-term comfort. In addition, they become very unstable and prone to falling out when they’re in this behind the ear tussle. Add a hat, and that’s even more to consider.
- Inconsistent Fit Across Ear Sizes: Fit and stability vary depending on ear shape and size. While some users may experience a secure fit, others may find the earbuds shift during movement, limiting confidence during higher-intensity activity. I lost one earbud during a speed session and subsequently stopped reaching for the OpenFit Pros unless I was doing an easy run.
Overall, I’d say that the Shokz OpenFit Pro are best suited for users who prioritise ear health and environmental awareness, casual listening and low-intensity activity, and those who do not regularly wear glasses. The Shokz OpenFit Pro are less suitable for users who wear glasses daily or during outdoor activity, runners needing quick, intuitive controls or anyone seeking a universally secure fit.
Final Verdict
The Shokz OpenFit Pro delivers innovative open-ear technology with strong battery life and respectable sound quality. However, challenges with button usability, compatibility with glasses, and inconsistent fit across ear shapes prevent them from excelling as a dependable everyday earbud.
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